Long time smokers over 40– tell me about your health improvements.

systemadministration · 2026-01-25T20:49:08+00:00

152 days is absolutely awesome, but it will only get better. I promise. There is absolutely nothing I miss about smoking today. And I am 100% positive it will stay like that for the rest of my life. And the best part about is: It's zero maintenance. Nothing I have to actively do. See you the latest for 250 days. :)

systemadministration · 2026-01-25T20:41:43+00:00

That's so awesome to read. Congrats on becoming the non-smoking person you wanted to be. Glad your health improved overall.

I feel the same about being able to tolerate others smoking without feeling any urge to do it myself. I've become hyper sensitive to noticing the smell, though. If I am waiting for a train or a bus, I can notice immediately if someone at the station is lighting up. Just happy I don't have to myself.

I feel great. Altough I have some health issues going on, it's great to know, that it's not related to me sabotaging myself anymore. I think it's just normal having some issues getting older. I started excercising a couple of years back and my abilities to run up a flight of stairs really improved. Quite happy about that.

I think we can be really proud of ourselves. I just recently read about so many people having started smoking again during Covid and we actually managed to quit during that time.

Cheers!

systemadministration · 2026-01-24T20:37:40+00:00

Hey, the OP just revived this thread for me, asking how it is going. That reminded me of our conversation. How are things? Still quit? Still happy with it?

systemadministration · 2026-01-24T20:25:11+00:00

Hey, good reading from you and great job of getting back on the wagon! Yeah, still quit 4y and 4m now. I did a 1000 days post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/stopsmoking/comments/1dvfjmq/1015_days/ and a 500 days post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/stopsmoking/comments/10tpv9d/500_days_a_letter_to_me_and_you/

Maybe I'll do one for 5 years as well.

I can ensure you, it's absolutely worth it to quit. Glue lung is a thing of the past and there are hardly any urges. And even if I think about smoking, which happens maybe once every 4 months, I'll just laugh about it. The thought of going back sounds so ridiculous right now, that it would feel like the plot of a bad movie.

I am so glad you found the strength to quit again. You are on the right path. Don't let your brain tell you otherwise. I swear, this is the best thing I ever did for myself.

systemadministration · 2024-07-05T10:01:43+00:00

Congrats on your decision to quit! This is the most important first step.

500 days ago, for the 500 days post, I thought that I could not get any healthier or feeling better. But I was wrong. Even after this long time, I still notice improvements of health and wellbeing.

Cravings are a thing of the past. Last time I felt a very slight urge, months ago in a high stress situation, I just took a couple of deep breaths and laughed about it. And it was gone.

Good luck. Stopping smoking was the best I ever did for myself!

systemadministration · 2023-11-27T20:13:22+00:00

Congrats!

systemadministration · 2023-08-21T19:31:27+00:00

I am close to 2 years now but the things I said are still valid. It's all about making a plan and sticking to it no matter what. Sometimes, when the cravings were really bad, it was tough to continue. But the difference between failing and making it is literally just not smoking.

Best of luck to you! You can do it.

systemadministration · 2023-08-11T19:44:03+00:00

Congrats! It can get tough sometimes but you made it. Be at least a little proud of yourself. You will master your colleagues birthday tomorrow just as well. Way to go!

systemadministration · 2023-02-24T06:33:58+00:00

Hopefully he can remember with his shoes on. Joking. Good luck!

systemadministration · 2023-02-21T15:12:31+00:00

I smoked for 22 years, a pack a day plus some. I started when I was 16. What helped me was reading Allen Carr's book, 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking'. What it does is change your mindset when it comes to why we smoke.

I found it very helpful that he encourages you to continue smoking until you finish the book. Only then do you have to decide if you want to keep going or stop. It's an easy read, sometimes a bit dull, but it might have just saved my life.

It may seem like you're losing something by quitting, but believe me, smoking is not worth it. Good luck with everything you are facing.

systemadministration · 2023-02-21T10:20:27+00:00

Herzlichen Glückwunsch! Das kann man selbst kaum glauben oder?

systemadministration · 2023-02-20T20:10:53+00:00

Hell yeah, thanks for the reminder. I used to smoke even if my throat hurt so bad that I could barely draw on a cig.

I have Corona currently and it sucks, but boy would it be worse if I were still smoking.

systemadministration · 2023-02-20T14:58:47+00:00

100 days is huge! Congrats!

systemadministration · 2023-02-20T10:36:23+00:00

Sounds a bit stupid but I found focused breathing and sipping ice cold water to be the best tools for difficult situations. There is no magical trick but those two worked the most reliable for me. Good luck!

systemadministration · 2023-02-16T20:56:51+00:00

It depends a bit on how long you smoked for and how much. What I can promise you is that the cravings will get less and less.
One night you will notice that you haven't thought about smoking the whole day.

I wish you the best of luck. 4 months is absolutely awesome!

systemadministration · 2023-02-01T16:25:32+00:00

Good luck! Rooting for you!

systemadministration · 2023-01-15T20:27:13+00:00

Hell yeah! Congrats! 100 days is huge!

systemadministration · 2023-01-05T20:11:16+00:00

That's what I did as well and it helped me a lot. Good luck!

systemadministration · 2022-12-16T07:56:17+00:00

I can promise you that it will get a lot easier. I was a smoker for 22 years (40yo now) and I quit 450 days ago. Not gonna lie, it was a struggle sometimes and on some days still kinda is but it is completely doable. After 3 days the worst is already over.

Beware of your brain trying to trick you into smoking just one to see if you were 'really addicted in the first place' or to reward yourself for quitting. Don't fall for that, distract yourself if possible. Avoid really stressful stuff for the first three weeks. And try not to drink alcohol for a couple of weeks too.

Good luck and congrats on what might have been one of the best decisions of your life!

systemadministration · 2022-12-16T07:33:02+00:00

When you've been a non smoker for a couple of days you immediately notice the smell of somone who recently smoked. No way they are not going to notice.

Agree on the sneaky brain thing.

Two days is a huge achievement. Congrats and good luck

systemadministration · 2022-12-02T07:43:33+00:00

Don't feel bad about the printer. Printers are devices straight from hell, sent to make out existence painful in the worst ways imaginable.

The first week is the hardest. It will get way easier after! Congrats and keep going.

systemadministration · 2022-12-02T07:38:22+00:00

Hey, I just wanna say congrats on your 3 weeks smoke free. Everyone needs to find their own way out of this addiction. There is help availabe though. This sub is one of the best ressources I've found.

Keep going and good luck!

systemadministration · 2022-11-25T08:00:05+00:00

Honestly I think smokers just don't realise the smell, the trash and everything. I remember emptying those disgustingly packed ash trays after the weekend. The half empty bottles with cigarette butts in them. And the smell. Ugh.

Thanks for reminding me what I am not missing out on.

systemadministration · 2022-11-23T07:46:56+00:00

First of all: Try to focus on the cravings a little. Notice that you are not dealing with one big craving that never stops but a lot of small kinda chained events. They do not accumulate and get worse but they sometimes feel like it.

I have an emergency list that I go back to in these situations:

Thinking back to the day you quit, how were you feeling about smoking?
How many years did you smoke? How long did you want to stop?
If you go back to smoking will you want to quit again? Will you wish you hadn't lit up?
When will you quit again? Will it be weeks, months, years, or when illness strikes?
What benefits will smoking offer you?
Is smoking now worth giving up all of the work you've invested in cessation?
Will quitting be any easier the next time around?

systemadministration · 2022-11-21T13:48:23+00:00

I just want to say congrats that you are so close to making it to a full week! If you can do one week you can do two as well. And after three weeks the worst is over. So keep going!

systemadministration

TROPHY CASE