Today I am smoking my last pack of cigarettes

[John Junk]

If I were you I would totally allow myself to eat more shitty food than usual as I made the conversion.  Maybe you'll gain a little weight, but those calories aren't empty, they're anti-lung-cancer calories.

[erika]

ONE MONTH!


...and also please check out this website because I think it is super funny and also hilarious. At the same time!

[masterofsparks]

Congratulations Erika!

[God Stewart]

If you like that site check out this one. It's pretty big site.

Erika, as always you set the example of how it should be done. Keep it up!

[Rainer]

ONE MONTH!

Good for you!  It's all psychological now. Easy-peasy.

[erika]

It's all psychological now. Easy-peasy.

hahaha oh yeah it's soooo easy lemme tell ya

[erika]

Needless to say I fell off the wagon big time this weekend and smoked a bunch of cigarettes. I'm not going to go into the circumstances surrounding it, but today I feel like I'm starting over again. I'm going back on the patch as soon as I can leave work to go get some. Right now I just have the physical and mental consequences of my weekend slip-up to deal with. I'm having the horrible nic-fits, heartburn/withdrawal, the works.

I didn't buy cigs I just bummed too many this weekend... Like I said on the air last week I'd had 3 over the course of 6 weeks. But this was different. This wasn't just one cigarette at a party. Anyone who tells you you can smoke more than the occasional single cigarette is full of shit. Your body and mind just don't want to allow that to happen.

I really hope this doesn't affect my supercaller status but in the interest of full disclosure and not be a hypocrite or a liar, I thought I'd tell everyone.

This quitting thing is enough to give anyone an earth-shattering emotional breakdown.

[ericluxury]

I feel your pain. As someone who has been in the process of quitting since June of 07, I know that its not the initial part that is hard, its staying strong. The problem is having one on a drunken night and then nothing for a few weeks seems fine but its just creating small cracks in the dam.

[dave from knoxville]

Erika,

I love your honesty. I support your efforts. In the interest of being similarly forth-coming, let me get in a parallel lane and make an announcement.

I am a big fat guy. Always have been. Sedentary? I perfected it.

But now I find myself at the end of a month during which I have spent 18 sessions on a treadmill, walking just short of 2 miles per session. I am not going fast, although I have gotten what was initially 24 minute miles down to 19. My goal is 16; that may be months away. I don't care how long it takes, I am sticking to it. I have lost 8 pounds.

You know what? I may miss a week when life gets hectic, but I will get back on it. And Erika will have smokeless days, and then smokeless weeks, and months, and ultimately, a lifetime. Me and Erika are getting to a healthier place, and as long as we keep putting one foot in front of another, we will get there.

Small steps are good enough, if you keep nem feet moving.

[erika]

Dave you are a classy, kind guy. Thank you for your message! I appreciate it!

I'm going to go score some Nicotine patches so I can go back to not going through nicotine withdrawal and having vivid nightmares every single night. It's gonna be great.

[Gilly]

Might I recommend you try The Book.

Just kidding. You'll make it through Erika!

[John Junk]

Have I mentioned that my girlfriend is totally into The Secret, and will actually watch it for inspiration sometimes?  Please do not hold this against her.  She's an amazing and wonderful person.

Also, have I mentioned I've totally bought like 5 packs of cigarettes since this thread started, and thrown out half a pack in guilt an disgust about 3 times, and bummed probably 25 cigarettes since this thread started?

Stay strong, Erika.  You'll be okay.  It's a speedbump.   

[Beth]

You can do it Erika!





Also....what is "The Secret"?

[Gilly]

From Wikipedia:

The Secret, which is described as a self-help film, [2][3] uses a documentary format to present the non-scientific "Law of Attraction." This law is the "secret" that, according to the tagline, "has traveled through centuries to reach you." The film features short dramatized experiences and interviews of a team of "personal transformation specialists", "spiritual messengers", "feng shui masters", and moneymaking "experts".[4] As put forth in the film, the "Law of Attraction" principle posits that people's feelings and thoughts attract real events in the world into their lives; from the workings of the cosmos to interactions among individuals in their physical, emotional, and professional affairs. The film also suggests that there has been a strong tendency by those in positions of power to keep this central principle hidden from the public. The previews or "clues" to the film, show men who "uncovered the Secret...".

 

It was made into a book made popular by Oprah.

[folksnake]

I work on a bookmobile at our public library, and I can say that I've had far too much contact with The Secret.  We get close to our patrons, both physically (because of the small space) and personally. I love them all, mostly, and they tell us all about their lives, including what happens when they read stuff like The Secret. Like this:

Patron: "Well, me and my friend Jasmine where driving through town one day, and I mentioned The Secret and told her about it. And she thought for a while, and said 'That's just what I need!' So we pulled over, and she asked for a couch. And then we drove on, and we turned a corner, and there was a couch, just sitting there, on the side of the road!!! We both started screaming; it was amazing."

Me: "So did you get it?"

Patron: "Nah...when we got up close, it turned out to be pretty dirty, and smelled bad. She ended up buying one--but she got a couch"

Most of the stories have been like that. The Secret is the latest in a long line of recycled hokum--I think that's what "has traveled through centuries to reach you..."