I finally quit smoking

[pornrex]

Thank you very much guys and gals. Your well wishes and encouraging words and stories only re-inforce my commitment to staying smoke free. Now, more than ever, I can't wait to go for my first run this Sunday.

docholly - the fact that I did not smoke at or around my computer was a miracle in itself. Thanks for the tip though. I'm sure someone reading this thread could see the logic behind that.

cosmiccat brings up a VERY strong arguement from a financial perspective. Smoking has become expensive. Thanks for pointing that out, I will add that as another reason to my "reasons for quitting smoking" list.

quest: I used to smoke anywhere between one and a half to two packs a day. I weened myself off slowly until the last day in which I was down to one cigarette and I didn't even bother to finish it. Quitting smoking is like a chess match. You've got to have a winning strategy. You can't just blindly say "I'm quitting" and that's it. Its not realistic to think that way and you'll only set yourself up for failure. Think about it.

If ANY of you need assistance or tips or advice, keep reading this thread. Remember, nicotine is THE MOST ADDICTIVE substance on earth. This is not a walk in the park. It is a life altering decision to quit and the most demanding process for self improvement.

Just because my body is much better off now doesn't mean I am out of the woods yet, by any stretch. Anyone who has quit knows that the temptation is there. That's why its so important to get involved in activities that will strengthen the lungs (such as running or jogging) and keep you from not thinking about how you USED to function and instead think about how much STRONGER you are becoming.

I am like a recovering alcoholic in a sense. I must keep doing the things that have given me success thus far in staying smoke free and do more activities that take me further away from that nasty habit.

|cool|

[blazi]

Originally Posted by pornrex

I must keep doing the things that have given me success thus far in staying smoke free and do more activities that take me further away from that nasty habit.

|cool|

just keep up the good work, I wish I had your willpower

[pornrex]

I just sat down and did some rough calculations regarding this whole smoking thing.

Here is a very rudimentary cost analysis that I used to endure not too long ago.

(All prices in Canadian $ Toronto because that's where I live)

Pack of smokes: $7-10 (depending on brand, small/large pack)
Consumption per day: 1 sometimes 2 packs (we'll say 1.5 packs/day)

That's about $8.50 x 1.5 packs/day = $12.75 per day based on an average between 1 small pack and 1 large pack.

So, $12.75 x 365 days per year = $4,653.75.
That does not include the cost of lighters, matches, etc. but I won't include that in the cost analysis because its insignificant.

So, $4,653.75 x 16 years = $74,460.00

Now obviously the price of cigarettes has fluctuated over the years but just looking at that number has angered me even more than I could ever be at myself. Fuck.

Now if I compound that over 16 years at a very modest 5% works out to be about 115,714.12.

That's alot of fucking bling to realize that I inhaled in the form of tobacco for absolutely nothing. That does not include the cost of non-tobacco products which I won't get into here.

OK NOW I AM REALLY FUCKING PISSED....