My 8 Week Milestone

Yesterday (dec 13th) was my 8 week milestone from quitting the cigarettes, Yeah i know, 8 weeks aint all that long, but when you have smoked for all your adult life, and for as long as you can remember, let me tell you, 8 weeks seems like years.

Averaging my daily cigarette intake when i was a smoker at 25 a day, i have worked out some figures that are quite alarming. In the 8weeks i have not smoked i have saved myself about £160, and would have saved around £360 had i smoked tailor mades and not rolling tobacco. I have saved my lungs from the intake of 1400 cigarettes in the 8 weeks i have been a non smoker.....that is quite amazing when you say it like that......saying 25 a day doesnt sound that much, but that equates to 1400 per 8 weeks....that sound horrific, yet its the same.

Whilst i have my calculator to hand i have just spent a couple minutes working out some other stats: smoking 25 a day for 26 years means i have personally smoked somewhere in the region of 237,000 cigarettes !!! and have spent somewhere around the £20,000 mark....scary thoughts !!

Anyhow like i said, 8 weeks yesterday.....is it getting easier?.......simple answer is no. I would actaully dare to say its getting more difficult, whether this is actually true i dont know, it may just seem harder given the time of year, stress levels are naturally higher, lots to think about, am rushing about and would normally be smoking my head off, so i may just be feeling it a bit more. Am now wondering,  in hindsight, if cold turkey is the way to go.....yes it has worked, and i, hand on heart, have not had a single draw of any cigarettes in 8 weeks, but its times like now when i am struggling slightly that i dont have anything that i can go to to help, like a patch or gum, as i have been told that using something now would be a backward step, as i have now been nicotine free for 2 months, using a nicotine product could prove disasterous. So will just carry on as i am, grit my teeth and get the good old willpower working nice and strong for me.

Vattie