getting off of the addiction to nicotine ~~

Current Stats:

3/15 — Free and Healing for Twenty Three Days and 42 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 1 Day and 2 Hours, by avoiding the use of 322 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $88.75.

~2/22 9:17 am ~ Yesterday I quit smoking….

woke up on and off all night long. didn’t have any smoking dreams, but was actually dreaming about a building a desktop pc from scratch. go figure! no idea where that came from. *lol*

finally out of bed ’round 7 am. still not smoking, and experiencing that weirdness feeling of not lighting up right after I wake up, nor while having my morning coffee. I’m not exactly feenin but there’s a sense of something missing. verrrryyy strange…

anyhow, in less than two hours I’ll have made the 24-hour mark. woohoo!

btw, my main motivational and informational website for quitting is WhyQuit.com (doing the whole cold turkey approach) ~~ I didn’t see a link graphic from there that would really fit in or look good here, so made my own.

also installed two quit smoking apps for my iPhone: My Last Cigarette from Mastersoft and the My Quit Coach from Livestrong.com.

today I’ll pick up some cranberry and grapefruit juices–recommended to help rid your body of the nasty nicotine and other toxins.

~2/22 – 9:41 pm ~ Quit Day Two almost over…

well, made it to work though I was feeling rather lightheaded and mega-tired. sippin’ on my cranberry juice throughout the night helped. still amazed I’ve driven to and from work without smoking–not even dipping into the ashtray for a butt. *g*

all done with dinner, and I’m feeling that sleepiness from earlier coming back. I guess I’ll do some reading and listen to the news. not up to doing much of anything more than that.

I have the next two days off so that’ll be interesting to manage when I don’t have the hours at work to keep me in a forced non-smoking environment. I admit I’m worried. I certainly don’t want to undo what I’ve managed to do so far….praying for inner strength and peace.

Gotta stay calm, committed and centered.

rising from the ashes...

~2/23 7:47 pm ~ Quit update

 Woke up after another weird night of interrupted sleep. Limited myself to one cup of coffee.

Kept busy during the morning hours integrating one website stuff into my main site at DaphneCS.com. Awesome weather today, so ran out to the library and picked up some good reading material for the next few weeks. Been a LONG time since I’ve been to the library, so that was a joy. Ok, yes, I love libraries! But I AM a bookworm, after all.

Then got to see the kiddos for a bit (my son is coughing his head off—he’s asthmatic and is also trying to quit smoking–I think he’s down to 3 a day). Back home for some reading and took a baby nap.

Now back to moving over that site content. Good to stay occupied but not in a stressful way. My iPhone app shows all the carbon monoxide and nicotine out of my bloodstream. I don’t feel too withdrawally so maybe its accurate enough.

All in all a good day off.

~ 2/24 8:04pm ~ Winding down…

started the day fairly energetic, but kept losing energy as the day went by. (even though I ate well, drank juice and water all day) now, I feel like its midnight, but its not even 8pm. is the fatigue really a symptom of nicotine withdrawal? I think I’ll do some research into that.

looking to start learning Photoshop Elements.

*yawn* still not smoking!! haven’t even had a beer *grin*!

btw, take a look outside to the west, if you have clear night skies, and notice the conjunction of the crescent moon, venus and jupiter. totally sweet!

Planetary Conjunction - by John Green and The ULAO Project

~2/26 9:08am ~ The choice of freedom

True freedom starts from the mind and regardless of your surroundings. Think like a slave and you’ll be a slave. The choice is forever yours. – Tal Gur

I’ve been noticing that each day of recovery from nicotine addiction brings a greater sense of freedom. I get in the car and don’t immediately reach for a smoke. I head out the door and don’t have to remember to bring lighter and pack. Or realizing that on a day off from work I’m not on some nicotine-regulated schedule of feeding the addiction.

True freedom that came from a conscious decision to stop smoking no matter what was around me (like family members who smoke). Freedom that comes from each moment wherein I choose not to be a slave.

The results? An inner peace and soft joy that brings contentment. More smiles. Confidence and self-esteem blossoming. A re-affirming of Self.

Don’t continue being a slave to nicotine! Live your dreams now!

~2/28 8:18pm ~ Quit – One Week Marker

I woke up this morning and realized it has been a week since I quit nicotine. Pretty happy ’bout that, proud of myself, and feeling damned good.
Had a couple of rough points throughout the day:

1. fam getting on my nerves about issues that are out of my control. and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with that stress knowing I’d get some weird temptation thoughts to smoke (the ole “I’m stressed so I can smoke” justification/irrationalization *lol*).

2. tried about half a can of beer for the first time since I quit….not enjoyable at all and made me sleepy pretty quickly. so much for celebrating a one-week quit with a beer! *lol*

Anyhow, managed to get through them without picking up a cig. Just pushed my way past the temptation. Kept telling myself “I’m a recovering nicotine addict. I am not a smoker anymore.”

Another day down and still free!! woohoo!!!

edit: oh yeah, and took my bro to the doctor and had to smell his cigs in the car while driving. *blech*

~3/3 11:30am ~ whoa

had a bit of a scare yesterday what with almost actually smoking a cig! *ack* but I forced myself to put it down and not light up. (reminder to self: do not drink till way further into your quit, no matter if you feel you can handle it or not)

whew! just goes to show that even after 11 days the addiction can still rear its ugly head. I’m going to ramp up the vigilance so that I don’t have that sort of close call again. or at least not too often.

btw, have I mentioned that I’ve actually bought chocolate and eaten it since I quit smoking? I’m not even a sweet-tooth. gotta keep an eye on that since I don’t want to gain weight. I think I’ll make a veggie platter and keep it handy in the frig.

off to enjoy another fine day!!

Best Quitting Site:

Daphne Cochran-Shapiro is an Author & Poet, Designer & Crafter, and Entrepreneur who specializes in working with folks needing design assistance. My goal is to empower you to be the best you can be in ALL your endeavors. I invite you to browse my sites and share your comments on my works!

That’s it! Time to get fit!

There comes a time when you take a good hard look at yourself and decide its time for a change.

I did that last year and have been working ever since to be healthy, lose weight, and get fit. It hasn’t been an easy journey, and the journey isn’t over yet. But the benefits have been well worth the efforts undertaken.

I’ll be exploring and sharing what it takes to get fit when you’ve reached 50 years of age and above. No, we ain’t dead! No, we ain’t old! We’re on a journey to be feisty, fab and fit!

I’ll be talking clean eating, working out, dealing with health issues that affect women our age (think pre-menopause and achey joints for example), and how to stay motivated when the going gets rough and tough.

You can also follow along as I work my fitness and health plan. I’ll share what I’m going through, and you can chime in with your thoughts.

Note that this was originally written back in 2010. Since the death of my husband in June 2011 I haven’t been doing any of this fitness stuff. Didn’t even quit smoking, though that’s what killed my hubby. Sooooo….I’ve lost quite a bit of weight though I need to do some firming up, and I’m also in the process of getting off of nicotine.

Check out My Quit!

Just click on the FITNESS category or tag to read my pages and posts!

==Make the Choice==

It all comes down to what you REALLY want for yourself — no excuses, no whining, no B.S., no fear, no doubt, no laziness, no giving up.

~Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.==Goethe

~The five S’s of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.==Ken Doherty

~If you don’t do what’s best for your body, you’re the one who comes up on the short end.==Julius Irving

~I just want to see how long I can keep this thing going. The easiest thing is dying. Living is a a pain in the butt.==Jack Lalane

Daphne Cochran-Shapiro is an Author & Poet, Designer & Crafter, and Entrepreneur who specializes in working with folks needing design assistance. My goal is to empower you to be the best you can be in ALL your endeavors. I invite you to browse my sites and share your comments on my works!

It is never too late to create a fit and healthy lifestyle! I was lucky enough and excited to find a super site, perfect for achieving that goal–SparkPeople.com. Although I have only been a member for 3 weeks, I’ve already made surprisingly effective strides towards living fit and healthy. I’ve been watching and tracking what I eat, started an exercise program (cardio and strength training), feel better overall (improved mood, stable blood sugar levels, and more restful sleep), and lost 3 lbs. plus an inch on my waist and hips. Pretty good for just 3 weeks, right?

Oh yeah, and if you’re wondering what my age is, I’m 49! That’s why I say its never too late. I got totally sick of feeling tired, old and sluggish, and I got sick of not being at my ideal weight. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get started, but SP has made the process painless and fun. I’m more active, watch less T.V., my mind is clearer, and my body is stronger. I don’t feel so old and tired anymore!

I’ll add that with SP’s wealth of nutrition, wellness, and fitness information I’ve gained loads of knowledge about living a healthy lifestyle. You can also get great support from the members, who are always willing to give that support just when you need it.

Now having raved about SparkPeople, let me review what you get when you’re a member. {Major + — its FREE to join!!}

SP Features ~

• Free to join!
• Track your nutrition (calories, carbs, fat, protein, water intake and more)
• Track your exercise (cardio activities, strength training, and calories burned)
• Track your weight and measurements
• Reports (nutrition, fitness, and weight)
• Goal setting tools with tracking
• Personal journals and blogs
• Teams (hook up with others who share your interests and goals)
• Your own personal Spark page
• Daily Planner
• Free workout videos
• Health news and articles
• Social networking (add friends, Friend Feed)
• Message boards
• The Spark Diet
• SparkPoints for your site activities
• SparkGoodies (buy and give to your friends)
• Motivational Quotes
• Success Stories (great motivators!)
• SparkRecipes (you can even submit your own)
• Family Adventure (get your entire family to join in)
• SparkMail
• The Spark Store

That’s a brief review of most of the features at SparkPeople (I’m sure I missed a couple). They definitely offer a comprehensive set of features to help you with your health and fitness goals. I’ve totally been enjoying the time I spend there, and totally enjoying the progress I’m making.

I’d love to see you join me, so stop on in to my SparkPage and give me a holler! Let me know you learned about SP here at DreamWeaving with Daphne.

Let’s get Sparkling!

Daphne Cochran-Shapiro is an Author & Poet, Designer & Crafter, and Entrepreneur who specializes in working with folks needing design assistance. My goal is to empower you to be the best you can be in ALL your endeavors. I invite you to browse my sites and share your comments on my works!