URGENT BREAKING NEWS FROM BLAS!

[Cat]

Can you do short walks on breaks? Word searches are also a good idea, I am a fan. Also love newspaper crosswords (in my old paper Monday-Wed was easy...then it got difficult!)


Congrats on the quitting...it's not an easy task.

[Iris Kojiro]

Congratulations on quitting smoking! Although I was never a smoker myself, most of my friends are, and they have all tried to quit to various degrees of success.

Pardon me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say that your boyfriend also quit smoking some time ago? If so, that's pretty good motivation to keep going as well.

[Lucky Charm]

I saw this in an advice column a while back and thought it might help you out. I'm not sure of the etiquette on posting information from outside sources on here, so I hope this is alright

According to the American Cancer Society, as soon as you snuff out that last cigarette, your body will begin a series of physiological changes.

Within 20 minutes: Blood pressure, body temperature and pulse rate will drop to normal.

Within eight hours: Smoker's breath disappears. Carbon monoxide level in blood drops, and oxygen level rises to normal.

Within 24 hours: Chance of heart attack decreases.

Within 48 hours: Nerve endings start to regroup. Ability to taste and smell improves.

Within three days: Breathing is easier.

Within two to three months: Circulation improves. Walking becomes easier. Lung capacity increases up to 30 percent.

Within one to nine months: Sinus congestion and shortness of breath decrease. Cilia that sweep debris from your lungs grow back. Energy increases.

Within one year: Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a person who smokes.

Within two years: Heart attack risk drops to near normal.

Within five years: Lung cancer death rate for an average former pack-a-day smoker decreases by almost half. Stroke risk is reduced. Risk of mouth, throat and esophageal cancer is half that of a smoker.

Within 10 years: Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a person who does not smoke. The pre-cancerous cells are replaced.

Within 15 years: Risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a person who has never smoked.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, that's good info right there.

My grandfather was in the hospital for a month with emphesyma (I don't know if I spelled that right) from smoking. He died there, incidently. However, before he died, he swore the hospital had the best food.

Listen, I have been incarcerated in that same place, and trust me when I tell you the food is not the "best food." They probably kill people with that food.

It wasn't the food, it was his tastebuds growing back. It doesn't take long, apparently.

Here's the sad part: he was married to my grandmother. who is the best cook imaginable. Amazing food, this woman produced. And he spent his adult life not being able to taste any of it. Then he goes in the hospital and thinks the inedible pig slop they serve in the place was good food because it was the first food the guy could taste since he was a teenager.

Wrong on so many levels.

[JustaCashier]

Congrats, blas!

I've only had time to do a quick skim of this thread, but see where you are keeping track of your savings. Don't know if it's been suggested yet, but if you are physically plunking that money into your piggy-bank, maybe use that as an incentive to save up for some special item/treat.

Of course, that's provided you don't need that extra money more necessities.

Mike

[Greenday]

My grandfather was in the hospital for a month with emphesyma (I don't know if I spelled that right) from smoking. He died there, incidently.

Same thing that happened to my grandfather. Had a heart attack around age 65, later got sick with emphysema, and it just wore down his lungs so much that he ended up not being able to breathe any longer. 50 years of smoking.

I'm glad you quit blas. I'd never want to see the same thing happen to you.

[blas]

I haven't been actually putting it into anything, although I do have a savings account at a different bank (this is a bank where I had a loan out to fix my old car, you had to have an account with at least $5 in it as part of the terms) that I have been thinking of maybe taking my weekly savings and putting it into.

I have a very strict, tight budget, so I shouldn't be too tempted. It's already been my rule not to buy things I don't really need since I haven't done any overtime in over a month.

It will be saving either way, because not smoking = money I didn't have before no matter what. I did already buy some suppliments to keep my appetite at bay and my metabolism going during this critical time, that was a bit spendy. But I was going to buy that anyway, so I don't count it.

I have been walking at work. I have nothing better to do. At least I get a chance to get a little extra exercise, but it's quite boring walking alone. At least everyone is understanding and knows I didn't ditch them and I don't think I'm better than anyone. They respect that I don't need temptation

Oh, edit to add....I have a little brochure on all the changes happening to my body as it heals itself. I already smell stuff better and taste food better

And I have an aunt with emphysema and my grandmother died in 08 from heart failure and lung cancer.

[taxguykarl]

I have been walking at work. I have nothing better to do. At least I get a chance to get a little extra exercise, but it's quite boring walking alone.

In that case, consider an MP3 player with your smoking savings. Still though, getting debtless is one of the best 'investments' one can make these days.

[RestaurantDude]

Keep it up! You can do it!

[blas]

I don't have much use for that

I was thinking more longterm of make a really big payment on my car or starting for a nice cruise/vacation.

[telecom_goddess]

what supplements are you taking for the appetite suppression? I'm curious cause yeah it's hard to not snack all the time when you aren't smoking.....and my dr is already bitching at me about my weight, since she can't bitch about the smoking anymore....

I'm a big fan of supplements...I take a handful twice a day.

[blas]

I went to my local Complete Nutrition store and the guy set up a two step program for me, a fat burner once per day (has an appetite suppressant in it) with my largest meal and fat cell shrinking suppliments twice a day, with more intense cardio and lifting less weight but more repetitions.

[taxguykarl]

I don't have much use for that

I was thinking more longterm of make a really big payment on my car

Sounds good...

or starting for a nice cruise/vacation.

Get on the spam list for the cruise lines for the destination you're interested in---that's where the deals are. Mrs. TGK scored a 4-day for $438 (2 people) for an ocean view on a middle deck--out of Miami and our stops were Key West and Nassau (the later was supposed to be Cozumel, but Hurricane Paula made that a very bad idea). We actually spent more on airfare between Chicago and Miami. Cruise Critic has all kinds of great info on cruise vacays. Yes, you can PM me with more specific queries.

[Mytical]

Congratulations, it takes some serious willpower to quit. I've never smoked, but I'll share the craziest way I have heard of somebody using to quit.

It was my uncle. Every time he would smoke a cigarette he would take out a dollar and just burn it. Got very expensive that way, so in no time he quit. He was that desperate to quit.

[cinema guy]

Congratultions on quitting.

My grandfather was a lifelong smoker and lung cancer killed him.