Leanna

No smoking for me. NOPE!

Ross, this is amazing and I LOVE your decor! Want to trade places? Seriously though, amazing job! I am virtually high fiving you. :)

Hi J.D. -- welcome and congrats on your decision to quit! It's the best decision you can make. :) I absolutely agree that attitude is everything... and you seem to have a really good one towards your quit! Keep that up. Quitting is mostly mental and staying positive will make things easier. The physical changes are quite shocking at first, but they do go away. Some people get gassy, dizzy, etc. You're right, it's just your body healing. :) Like Bakon said, it's from all those chemicals leaving your body!

"I don't have regrets, I can not think of one single thing about smoking that I miss." And that's when you know you feel strong about your quit -- when you have realized that smoking does absolutely nothing for you. Congrats again on your 6 months EB! Thanks for sharing this -- I think it's very inspiring, especially for those who are just starting out and struggling with their quits.

I do not miss not being able to breathe. There were some mornings where I would wake up and cough/wheeze for what seemed like ages because of my smoking + asthma. Thinking about it now, I don't know WHY I continued smoking. You would think gasping for air would have made me shake my head and realize what I was doing to myself, but nope. It's crazy how this addiction works.

Happy Birthday AmberDawn! Hope you have an awesome day. :D

6 months! Good job EB. :) Half a year gone. You are doing awesome!

Another smoke-free day for me. NOPE!

Hahaha, yup, totally me! "Just one more and then I can have a taco." I don't even know how to use the majority of the machines in a gym. You should see me try to get on the exercise bike... I'm sure onlookers think I'm ridiculous, lol.

I'm not a runner, but I think those are pretty good stats. I agree with Susana -- just take it easy and try not to injure yourself! It will start to get easier over time and your stats will improve, but don't push yourself too hard just yet. Good on you for getting into shape. I'm trying to do that myself right now, but I kind of suck at it. :( I think I need someone screaming at me and telling me to exercise, lol. I tried push-ups the other day.... did 1, maybe 1.5, before calling it quits, lol.

No smoking for me today. Yuck. NOPE!

Really fantastic job Julie! :) Congrats on your 6 months!

Happy be-lated birthday Paul! Hope you had an amazing day. :D (Also, congrats on your year-long quit -- fantastic!)

Whenever I visit family, I hear them wheeze, cough, hack because they chain smoke the entire time I'm there. It's definitely a reminder of why I quit in the first place and why I never, ever want to go back to smoking. NOPE!

I agree, it's never too late to quit! Great news about your lungs Colleen. :)

Amy, you know we are here for you, regardless of what's going on. :) That's why this place is so great -- we're here to help anyway we can! Hope to hear from you soon!

The desire to quit was what motivated me, I think. I was at a point where I absolutely hated smoking and couldn't justify it to myself. So even though I hadn't prepared myself, I felt ready to commit.

Beacon, I think I understand what you're saying. Over time, it gets easier to manage. I turned into a hypochondriac. When I was a smoker, I felt invincible. I never worried about illnesses and even smoked while sick. Now I struggle to not Google every "symptom" I have. (Google is evil btw; do not Google symptoms!) I'm starting to get over that, but it's just taken time to do so. I have a habit of thinking about all the terrible things I've done to my body by smoking, but I realize that my body has started to repair itself. I have also realized that I get sick less now that I don't smoke!

Yay, she's back! (I think?) Time for hilarity.

Listening to first dance songs for the wedding, even though we've already picked ours:

I'm the same way Colleen, hehe. Congrats to everyone! No matter how far along you are, quitting and staying quit is the only thing that matters. :D

Yay Holski, congrats on your month! :) You're doing great and I am SO proud!

Wow Mason, one month is great. Congrats to you! :) Way to go and NOPE. :D

I didn't have a pre plan. I quit cold turkey without setting a date. I was sick, couldn't stop coughing, and asked myself why I continue torturing my lungs with nicotine? The first few months, I ate a lot of hard candies and chewed gum constantly. I'd go through a pack of gum in no time. I guess it kept my mouth busy and myself distracted, so I didn't crave as much. I tried to drink a lot of water. This is extremely important. We (or at least I) have a habit of dehydrating myself and it was worse when I first quit. I'd find something to do for hours and concentrate on that. I'd go to a movie or draw or read. Anything to keep my mind away from smoking. I stayed away from smokers as well. I didn't visit my parents for a while until I felt more secure with my quit. I've been through hell with my quit, I'm not going to lie. It's not easy, but it's certainly doable and is the best decision you can make. The cravings you experience from quitting are only temporary, unlike the cravings you get as a smoker; the desperation you feel when you run out and don't have the money to buy more.

I miss her too. :( She's hilarious. Is she okay though? Do we at least know that?