Cigarette Free Since 9/7/12!!!

[timothyjmcneeley]

My name is Timothy McNeeley. I will be taking a class for open water starting on 10/9/12 in Gainesville, Florida. I'm 29 years old, I've been smoking since I was 14. I'm 5'6", 400lbs and I was medically cleared by my doctor for SCUBA Diving! I STOPPED smoking solely for SCUBA! To increase my lung capacity, decrease blood pressure, etc. I proudly say: "Cigarette Free since September 7, 2012!

 

[NAM001]

CONGRATS ON YOUR DECISION!!!!! You will soon see the benifit of dumping the habit. Your weight sure raises a flag for me expecially given your height. Be aware that smoking is in many cases an appetite supresant. ONE DAY AT A TIME. I will keep subscribed to this thread so if you need a smoke grab the keyboard instead. I am sure many others support your deision also. also dont forget there is a chat room to keep your hands busy. I quit in 97 after nearly 30 yrs and never regretted it. I made ti past the first day and then did not want to smoke the next because i would have to start over counting smoke free days. It is now just over 15 years and i still wont throw that time away to start the count over. Your 3rd day should be an eye opener as far as ease of breathing goes. The urge for a smoke will deisnish in frequency. My last urge was at the 10 year point. A minute later it was gone. Good luck in taking back control of your self.

 

[oldschoolto]

Congratulations... I stop smoking 7 yrs ago, Still think I want one at times... BUT do't even try ONE... I'm also sober 14 yrs, Don't miss drinking at all...

I will tell you a story about a guy like you... 20+ yrs ago I (skydiving instructor and owned a dropzone) got a phone call from a guy that heard I was a jumpmaster and might help him live out a dream of making a jump... He had called every dropzone on the east coast trying to jump.. All told him NO, He was way to heavy... I said I'd meet him and talked with the equipment manufacturer of the parachute system I wanted to use (Mighty MAC) got the ok to the loading and flew the plane with light fuel load and a solo jump flight... That jump changed his life... within a yr he had lost most of his wieght and was eating healthy... Becoming a very good skydiver.. to this day 20yrs later he has kept the weight off and is very healthy... So, Good luck diving and know that sometimes things like this can really change your life....

Jim...

 

[timothyjmcneeley]

Old School, if you're ever in Florida, let me know. I've always wanted to go sky diving myself, but I can't find anybody "big enough" to tandem jump with me! Also, congrats on sobriety!!!

KWS, Thank you and I will keep that in mind. My dream, my goal is that I've always wanted to dive the Mighty O, the Oriskany (that and find a piece of shipwreck gold!!!) and right now that dream means more to me than a cigarette. I've already had my first "sudden craving". I'm using Tic-Tacs, gum, and "the patch" to take the edge off. But, like you said. One day at a time!

 

[Dsix36]

Congrats on having stopped smoking. I know for a fact that it was the absolute hardest thing that I ever did. Please do not worry about your weight at this critical time, as you do not need to add more to your plate (pun intended) right now. If in the future, when you are confident of your new non-smoking status and you want to concentrate on lossing weight, then go for it.

 

[wedivebc]

Good going. It gets easier I promise. I smoked for 20 years, I have now been smoke free for 20 years.
When I first quit I thought about smoking all the time. Before too long I seldom thought about it and at some point I realized I didn't even miss it.

 

[Dr Dog]

I did the same thing, 7 months ago tomorrow. Good luck with quitting. When it gets hard just remember why you are doing it

 

[Herb-alaska]

I did the same thing, 7 months ago tomorrow. Good luck with quitting. When it gets hard just remember why you are doing it

I have never smoked but I was 6'2 at 375+ and I started diving in 3/10 and lost 100# or weight so that I could dive and have continued to loose so that I can dive better. I am now 240 and have kept it off by diving. When my weight creeps a pound or 4 i think about what it will do to my diving. Good luck with the smoking I know it is every bit as hard as the weight loss but just focus on being able to do what you want to do can be motivation to change.

 

[timothyjmcneeley]

I was 6'2 at 375+ and I started diving. I am now 240 and have kept it off by diving.

That is EXACTLY why I want to learn to dive! When I piddle paddle around my pool, that is the ONLY time I am truly pain free from my weight. Not even narcotic medications give me the pain management that the weightlessness of water can. As mentioned before, I'm 5'6" at 400lbs and I am NOT exaggerating!

---------- Post Merged on September 9th, 2012 at 08:10 AM ---------- Previous Post was on September 8th, 2012 at 07:40 PM ----------

September 7th, 2012, 11pm Eastern time is my quit time/patch time. So, as of 11pm last night, I was 24 hours cigarette free. It is now 8am Sunday Sept. 9, 2012 and I still am CIGARETTE FREE!!!

 

[DiverGirl1972]

Congratulations, Timothy! Scuba was the motivation for me to quit smoking as well...smoke-free since 7/25/2010. Being an asthmatic, I was required to get medically cleared to dive before I started my OW training. It was the first time I truly felt cigarettes could prevent me from fulfilling a dream! I used Chantix and never looked back. Sure, the first couple of weeks weren't easy, but 2+ years later, it is just one more reason how SCUBA has positively affected my life. I would highly recommend using QuitNet.com or other similar website. Getting those messages congratulating me on my quit milestones, and telling me how much money (and life!) I've saved myself helped keep the momentum going. If you're just getting into SCUBA, you'll need every penny you can get Kudos to you!!