High9's Goals & Progress

[violaactuary]

Originally Posted by high9

Thanks. It was interesting. My quit date has been set for Wednesday 12 July. They made us sign restraints/ confidentiality letters, so don't know how much I can disclose...

I will say this though - I feel like I'm in some corny comedy movie when I consider my group:

• The hot babe that rocked up in the Mini Cooper
• The mining engineer with no sense of humour
• The camp guy with the obligatory handbag
• scary goth chick that doesn't talk to anyone
• friendly lesbian couple (doing the course for the 3rd time- ummm...)
• clingy housewifey type that got upset when the instructor told us that our relationships with cigarettes are our most important and meaningful relationships, and not spouses, kids, loved ones etc.
• And the standout: This wierd older woman wearing dirty (off)white slacks that regularly interupted the meeting to regale us with pointless stories (E.g. my friend quit for 14 years and then one night she had a cigarette at a party and blah blah blah). She never came out to smoke with the rest of us in the break time and she couldn't produce her cigarettes when the instructor wanted to see what brands we smoked. I kept thinking "Fight Club", but unfortunately we get Maggie Smith and not Helena Bonham Carter....

Thanks for the details! If you keep it up, I could quit my General Hospital addiction, and just read about your Smokenders.

Best of luck!

[Maine-iac]

If you like dark humor, try reading the short story by Stephen King called "Quitters, Inc."

I think it's in the "Night Shift" anthology.

[violaactuary]

Originally Posted by Maine-iac

If you like dark humor, try reading the short story by Stephen King called "Quitters, Inc."

I think it's in the "Night Shift" anthology.

Is that one of the stories in the Cat's Eye movie?

[Maine-iac]

I didn't see the movie, but I believe so.

[high9]

Originally Posted by violaactuary

Thanks for the details! If you keep it up, I could quit my General Hospital addiction, and just read about your Smokenders.

Best of luck!

I don't think there are any Tony Soprano-wannabes in the class *ducks*, but will keep you posted

[high9]

Originally Posted by Maine-iac

If you like dark humor, try reading the short story by Stephen King called "Quitters, Inc."

I think it's in the "Night Shift" anthology.

I downloaded this from www.Audible.com - only 42 minutes, so got through it during a lunch. Its a well written story - makes smokenders look non-hardcore .

I wonder if similar a place exists for middle management a*holes who treat their staff like cr*p. I know someone I'd send on that

[high9]

Lost another 2 pounds this week - so now 165. But its not all good - I have only been to gym once. In addition, most days I'm not eating enough - I don't know if I'm eating enough to get the those minimum calories needed so that my body doesn't go into survival mode. For fathers's day we went out for pizza and I indulged - I ate a lot but still felt hungry. The rest of the time when I stick to my diet, I'm not hungry. wierd... Many days I'm skipping lunch and having a quick snack at 3 pm. I must get back to having a proper lunch, regardless of hunger at that time.

[high9]

Smokenders week 2: Everyone seemed more chill and normal this week, althought Goth Girl almost cried when the instructor told her how much she should be aiming to smoke this week. Even wierd, tatty old woman was more subdued (although she wore the same clothes as last week...) - I think the instructor spoke to her during the week and told her to tone it down... Sorry Violaactuary - I guess its back to Sonny and the mob for ya

That being said, the homework and goals for this week are a lot more steeper than last week, which I pretty much cruised. I'm doing fine, but not being active enough in monitoring my thoughts and behaviours - which makes no sense here, unless you have done smokenders. Unfortunately I can't say much about the course because of all the confidentiality things we signed. But I can say my goal for this week is 100 cigs or less.

For any smokers/ex-smokers, a question: I'm required to go down each week in nicotine level by changing brands - Now, I've never had a smokers cough (unless I was sick), I've never wheezed, spat up gunk (sorry for yuk images) until I started smoking lighter brands now. Now this seems counter-intuitive to me because of the lower tar levels involved. Are there extra chemicals in lighter brands that are causing this? Anyone know?

Well, at least this will add to me quitting, because seriously - lighter brands have little to no flavor, far less buzz and are affecting my health more - wheres the fun in that? And yes, i realize someone will say where's the fun in lung cancer etc. but I'm referring to the short term time horizon of smoking a cigarette, not focusing on long term health damage - thats too abstract for me to appreciate (yet... )

[high9]

Another 2 dropped off this week - yay. I thought I was going to plateau, but luckily not yet

Some friends convinced me to start yoga with them and I think it has really helped - I can't do half the movements, but the breathing techniques and all that make me feel energised and give me less need to smoke. I have effectively cut down to half of what I was smoking so with 2 weeks to go, still on track. Gym is lagging, but I have been doing yoga, which is exercise in itself...

Got smokenders tonight - no doubt more restrictions will be placed on my smoking. Will report (what I can) tomorrow...

Oh yeah, 1 last thing - I can now fit into a size 32 for the first time in 8 years. I got some shopping to do because all my clothes are kinda baggy now. I loath shopping though...

[high9]

Only lost 1 pound this week. And at the midpoint of my goal, I am midway. I think that means I'm behind, because the earlier pounds are easier to shed, the later ones harder - but we keep going...

On the smoking side I am down to abut 10 a day and 8 days left until I quit. Again, I don't know how is that for progress - Although I'm doing everything I'm meant to, this week I have felt like an automaton just following what I've been programmed, not actively thinking about it - thats bad.

I feel good about how far I have come regarding weight & smoking, but at the same time, feel like I'm loosing traction. Maybe I'm just having a blah day... I'll reread this tomorrow and decide then...