Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Okay, Let's Try This Again...

Last year I took a shot at quitting tobacco products, but fell off horse at some point. Shortly after the new year, I again made the pledge & decided to take another serious crack at cutting-back on my use of tobacco products. With the help of an iPhone application I downloaded (MyQuit Coach - LiveStrong.com) I track every smoke I take - I can even track each craving where I didn't smoke. The app allows me to set my own custom quit plan. Each week, the app gradually decreases the number smokes I'm allowed to take in a given day.

I chose a 40-day plan starting with a limit of 7 smokes per day & currently. I'm currently on day 19 of the plan, at 4 smokes a day - so I'm just about half-way home! I'll admit that I'm a bit concerned about the next reduction in number of smokes allowed tho. In just a days time, I'll only be allowed 3 smokes per day (less than half the amount of what I'd been used to smoking in a day. I'm hoping I have the strength to remain disciplined. I will say; however, that I'm very pleased with the restraint I've shown thus far.

The app calculates other related stats like the amount of money I've saved by smoking less & there's a companion website where others can follow my progress. The app & website awards various badges based upon personal achievements like not smoking during peak daytime hours or smoking less than the daily limit allows, there's even a support community where I can interact with other people currently fighting the same battle - all & all, I'd say it's a pretty useful app for anyone serious about kicking the habit.

In addition, I've been experimenting with electronic cigarettes over the past few months & I think that's a viable option for me if the daily limit dwindles down to zero but I find myself still having cravings. Since e-cigarettes don't burn, smell, or contain any tar/carbon monoxide, it makes them a completely logical/practical quitting tool for me. That coupled with the fact that I really am committed to a healthier me (& also the support of a really good sponsor) makes me feel good about my chances moving forward...

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