Today marks one month and two days since I quit smoking. You will not see any more of this:
I realized the amount I was worrying about the foods I was putting into my body was very silly while still putting poison into my body via cigarettes. I realized I would be healthier gaining weight back and quitting smoking, than being thinner and smoking. I realized I love myself, my fiance', my friends and my family too much to continue to kill myself slowly. So, I made the decision.
I threw the cigarettes I had left in the garbage. I found one about a week later in the car, and I snapped it in half, and threw it away.
I quit cold turkey. No patch, no gum, just stopped.
You can do this too. It just has to be your own decision, and click inside your head. You have to know it for yourself. You have to say silently in your own mind, "I'm done." It's all downhill from there, because even though you'll want one after a meal or occasionally when you drive... you'll remember why you're doing it.
If you quit right now:
In 20 minutes:
Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
In 12 hours:
The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
In 2 weeks to 3 months:
Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
In 1 to 9 months:
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
In 1 year:
The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker's.
In 5 years:
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years.
In 10 years:
The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx and pancreas decreases.
In 15 years:
The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.
These are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good. Quitting smoking lowers the risk of diabetes, lets blood vessels work better, and helps the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.