Getting it off my chest...

[Dody 0]

I had to quit smoking 5 years ago because of heart problems. It was the toughest thing I ever did, and I'm now the worse non-smoker in history. I can't stand to be around it. It's the best thing I ever did for myself. I can walk by someone in a parking lot and tell you if they are a smoker. The smell gets into your skin and clothes and never goes away till you have quit for good. I wish everyone luck on their journey. It is a dangerous habit for sure. I have the stents in my arteries to prove it. Smokers often don't think that smoke clings to anything they wear and in their hair, but it does. It also ages people and gives them lines around their mouth, not to mention shortness of breath. I know talking about it won't make anyone quit, but think about being around for your children and grandchildren, and not wanting them to pick up this habit. It is deadly.

[PhotoNut 7]

So true Dody. I quit about 5 years ago also. Dawg took my carton and cut it up and told me that was it. No more. That was the first and only time he's ordered me to do anything. Can't blame him though. I was coughing so hard in the mornings that I was throwing up. This was becoming a 30 minute routine to getting ready for my day. Blech.

It's not easy to quit. But I do believe that when your mind is sincerely set on quitting, it will be easier. When we are forced into it, we tend to cling to the want and resent letting it go. I did for a few days, but when I realized the morning routine wasn't happening anymore, I got on board and became determined to never go back to it again.

[Kim_8 2]

Kellie,

Ok - just flip over to your before and after pics and take a look. You are my inspiration! You have come so far and look absolutely adorable!

Smoking sucks! I quit just before surgery. I then chewed nicotene gum which helped ALOT. I then read that the gum could be an erosion factor - that sucked. Then I stopped and bought a pack of cigarettes. I took 4 days to smoke the first pack. Then I bought another and took 2 days to smoke them. Now I'm on my third pack - UGH. I have a purseful of Patches, but do you think I can bring myself to put one on - NO! I'll work on it with you! I'm in the same boat..... I quit for 2 months and now I'm back at it again. STUPID. I figure cutting down is better than nothing though - baby steps.

You're trying to do alot at one time.... maybe pick one goal and start with that and then move to another? I don't know... I'm with you on this one. Hang in there!

[Kelliebelly 13]

I wrote my post about 1am before I went to bed. I went to bed straight after and laid there for good hour thinking about what I had typed. I got up this morning to this. You guys are so awesome. Thanks for the support, advice and encouragement.

Unfortunately the only way I can give up smoking is cold turkey. I am not allowed nicotine at all, he said no gum or Patches or anything else containing nicotine. Thats why I was thinking hypnotism might be an avenue to try? My PS told me absolutely give up smoking cold turkey and to lose as much weight as I could leading up to the surgery for optimal results...yea right, thats contdradictry lol.

[Nykee 13]

This thread made me cry alittle..

I feel like this alot.

I ate 4900 plus calories today.

QUOTE:

If it is used corrrectly it can be very rewarding. If it is abused it will not work. I think we all thought that this band was a miracle and that we would all be skinny. However, that is not the truth. We all know the solution, we all knew the solution before we had the surgery. There is nobody else responsible for the weight that we gain or loose but us!! We are the ones that are in control. If we want to have donuts and junk for lunch that is fine, that is called a choice. However, the band does not understand the difference between a donut or a piece of grilled chicken all it knows it that there is food in its stomach, but we do.

>>>>>I AGREE WHOLE heartidly!!!:help:

[Dody 0]

If someone else ate that many calories in one day you would support them. That's what this site is about. Everyone falls off the wagon sometimes, but you have to just love yourself enough to get back on and know you are worth it. Don't hate yourself over one mistake. Just learn from it. Everyone here has done something wrong at some point or we wouldn't be hear learning from each other. Put those calories behind you and concentrate on the ones in the future. :scared:

[Dody 0]

So true Dody. I quit about 5 years ago also. Dawg took my carton and cut it up and told me that was it. No more. That was the first and only time he's ordered me to do anything. Can't blame him though. I was coughing so hard in the mornings that I was throwing up. This was becoming a 30 minute routine to getting ready for my day. Blech.

It's not easy to quit. But I do believe that when your mind is sincerely set on quitting, it will be easier. When we are forced into it, we tend to cling to the want and resent letting it go. I did for a few days, but when I realized the morning routine wasn't happening anymore, I got on board and became determined to never go back to it again.

I just noticed you had your surgery in Idaho. I'm from Idaho but getting my surgery done at my daughter's in Tennessee. One reason is because Idaho only has those 2 surgeons who do the surgery and they don't accept Medicare patients. They also didn't have the track record I was looking for of having done thousands of patients, but I'm sure they are fine. You seem to be doing exceptionally well. I leave April 10 to fly to my daughter's and meet with the dr. on April 13. I have all my post-op work done. I'm older than most of you, and not definite he will even do me, but I'm sure counting on it and it sounds pretty positive. I have permission from my heart dr. and GP. We aren't very far apart at all. I stay in Tennessee a good part of the year and in Idaho some of the time, but own a residence here. Glad you are doing so well.

I went to one of the seminars here. Dr. Cahn is truly a short little guy isn't he? I worked as a medical transcriptionist for years and years at St. Als and St. Lukes and then in later years at home. I also was an ER nurse, so I worked pretty hard during my younger years.:sick It is now time to rest and take care of me and weight is the first issue. I weight 270 lbs. and believe it or not I gained it all after quitting smoking. I still would trade the weight for the horrible habit, but wish I had handled it differently. Keep in touch with me and PM me if you ever feel like it. I don't like to put too much personal info out there.

[Nykee 13]

thank you dody.. your right!

(((HUGGS)) and good luck.... I cant imagine how hard quitting must be~!

[chameleon 0]

BBK,

Ok...I'm not gonna talk about eating with the band...cuz I don't have mine yet...First I'm gonna say....You are definately not alone chickie baby. Everyone here is rootin for ya! As for the cigs...I am 42, I smoked a pack a day for 20 years and quit Jan 2, 2005 for good. I loved smoking, just like I love food...maybe even more actually...although now I gag when I smell cig smoke on my husbands clothes even. Anyhow, I had breast cancer when I was 37 and my surgeon said...don't blame yourself this kind of cancer has nothing to do with smoking...sooooo that was like giving me a license to continue to smoke and I did, only taking a break to do chemo....PATHETIC isn't it???? Then, in August of 2004 my dad who was 65 was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer with metastisis to the liver. My great, wonderful, strong, funny, healthy, larger than life, sage, and mentor daddy lived exactly 5 months and died on Jan 21st, 2005. I saw this happening to him...he had NO symptoms whatsoever until he got a cold in August and they thought he had pneumonia and a week later we knew he was going to die within the year the Doctor said, and he did. The reason I am telling you this and sobbing away as I do is because I probably would have never quit if it weren't for the fact that I had to watch my hero die and they said that even though he had quit smoking 20 years ago, there was no doubt at all that this type was caused by smoking. For me to continue to smoke in the face of his death would have made losing him even more senseless than it already was.

To add insult to injury, I was diagnosed with lung cancer 1 month after my dad died, on Feb. 21, 2005 and had the middle lobe of my right lung removed and did chemo for another 6 months. Today I am cancer free, at least as far as my battery of tests which are done every 3 months can tell. It may sound ridiculous that I am even planning on this surgery, but the reason that I am doing it is the same reson I quit smoking....I WANT TO LIVE TO SEE MY BABIES GROW UP AND TO SEE THEIR BABIES GROW UP! I Just want as much time as I can squeeze outta the BIG MAN upstairs! SO What's the moral of the LONGGGGG story?..... It is this: Life is a GIFT. Good Health is a BLESSING. and you are the Captain of your ship....steer it well.

I love you,

[PhotoNut 7]

Donna - *hugs you with tears in her eyes*

Thank you for sharing that. This is where I feel I'm at in my life as well. It's time to be the Captain.

Dody - I'm so glad you're here! *hugs you too*

Nykee - You are such a sweetheart. Hang in there girl. You have had so much success so far! 80 pounds! My gosh.. that's all the proof you need to believe you can continue beating this thing.

Kellie - I know exactly what you're going through. Be grateful that you have something forcing you into this. Every time you want to get angry about having it taken away, stop and remember to say a small whisper of thanks. *hugs you too*

Kim_8 - Please try again to stop? Please? I don't need to list out all the reasons for you, you know them already. Love ya girlfriend! *big hugs*

[Kelliebelly 13]

Thanks again for all the kind words and advice. It is early morning here so today I have decided. 3 smokes today - 2 tommorow - 1 the day after - none after that. I know I am only prolonging it, but I am going to give it a shot.

Chameleon - I cannot thank you enough for opening up and sharing that story with me. I am sorry for your loss - and I am sorry for what you have been through, and i am sure seeing stories like mine make you angry after what you have been through.

Why cant smoking be made illegal, that would help not being able to buy them. I mean come on...its proven, it kills ya, but they still sell it. The only reason they dont take it off the market is the tax they make from them would stuff em up if they werent getting it. Greedy Greedy no good @^#*^@%@!%^%@.

[vinesqueen 2]

Kellie, I've watched my older sister quit and quit and quit. My other sibs have no intention of ever quiting, but I've watched her struggle. They say quitting nicotine is harder that kicking any other drug, and from the struggles I've seen, I sort of have to believe it.

I wish I had something sage to tell you, but all i can offer is support from afar. If my sister can finally manage to quit, if my mother could quit chain smoking, I know you can too. I know that you are motivated and you can do this.

[Parvathi 2]

Kel, I could have written this post ...

I've been a bit absent from here lately .. mainly because I've felt out of control. Nearly 3 weeks ago, I put the smokes down, cause I wanted them well and truly out of my system for surgery in April. Since then, the cravings have been insane! Not for smokes, but for food. I had been doing really good, not wanting bad stuff, but now its ALL I want. I've found myself eating chips like they're going out of fashion. I put on 2kgs. I was hoping to have lost 100 lbs by my bandiversary later in the week, but that's looking oh so not realistic at the moment.

If you need to talk or anything though, just yell out. Not much longer to go .. you can make it!

[pugmum 0]

I think, most times, that it is nearly impossible to quit something when the discomfort of doing it does not outweigh the pleasure of doing it. It's those neurotransmitters we have. Oftentimes, it takes fear or something so strongly negative associated with the action to motivate change.

Hope you keep trying!

Kelli

[Dianechef 3]

What a great thread. Thanks for sharing with us Kellie. We all feel your pain & have been there. Even though I don't smoke, I can only imagine what it must be like. Being addicted to food is bad enough. You can do it & we all are supporting you 100%!!!!

I have read all the wonderful posts here & just have to add my few words...

I always told myself that if I could ever permanetly lose weight, I could do ANYTHING in this world. Losing weight has been the biggest struggle of my life. When I read Nykee's post that said she had eaten 4900 plus calories today I CRIED for her. I have eaten that much in one day several times. You feel sick that you did it & vow to NEVER do it again, & then you do it!

When Photonut said that she used to cough so hard from smoking that it would make her throw up - I CRIED!

After reading Chameleon's post about her Father who died of cancer & then she herself was diagnosed & survived - I CRIED!!

Our addictions rule our lives. We do things we know aren't good for us & could possibly KILL us & we continue to do them. Next day is always going to be a better day & then.......we do it again!!

It's good to have people out there in the world who can understand what we go through each day. People we can cry with. People who have been there & KNOW!! My husband always wonders why I hang out here so much. THIS POST IS WHY!! We can all give each other a big cyber HUG & we really do go away feeling better & resolving to DO BETTER!! Whether that day is tomorrow or next week, we know that we WILL do better.

Here's to a good cry today!! I'm inspired by your stories.