"I started smoking when I was 15 years old. I have smoked for 25 years up to two packs a day at times. "
Weeeelll then, it's about TIME you quit!
Nice work, Temple - excellent! Now hang in there - never ever give yourself an excuse to have one again. Once they're out, they're out.
It's tough - tougher even than giving up drugs, I found - I also started smoking around 14, 15. Quit in May last year, at 29. I finally couldn't stand how it was interfering with my new bodybuilding obsession.
I had a few false starts, then finally waged all-out war: bought the patches, set a date, crossed off every single day clean til the end of the patches, and have never looked back. Never will. It's a nasty, nasty, dirty, unhealthy habit, and I feel truly sorry for all those people who simply can't quit. It takes a rock-solid decision, an immovable will. Thus I am certain you will be fine
The other side of quitting, for me, though, is I have become a radical anti-smoker - I hate the stink, and will be outright rude to inconsiderate smokers. In fact, I did that just the other day to a colleague.
Not too proud, but at least he's being more careful. They have this RIDICULOUS rule in the office that smoking is allowed before 9, between 12 and 1 (when we're all trying to eat lunch
) and after 5. So the stink of smoke is ALWAYS in the air, and the air-con is situated just right for it to blow my colleague's smoke straight into my face as I attempt to eat my miserable lunch. This guy KNOWS we hate the smoke, but the second the lunch bell goes, he lights up - he sits there with the fag in his hand waiting for the bell! I finally couldn't take it anymore and started citing studies and reports on the danger to health of ETS, etc etc ..., and basically told him I was sick of it and refused to have him jeopardise my health any more than I had already jeopardised it myself.
It's been rather awkwardly quiet around here since then .... lol
You're fuckin' amazing - go kick butts!
fm - I'm so glad you found that motivational
The last few days when I'm really feeling like this is completely crazy, I've looked at it, and it helps, find my core - I'm glad I put it up there.