Happy New Year ... with a NEW resolution !!

See you in 2009 ! Best regards and Start twittering now .... twitt...twitt... Happy New Year !!








Say Good-Bye to Cigarettes and Happy NO-Smoking days ahead !!

Thank you to Jari Lindgren for all the inspirations. Thanks Bro !

To my buddy, Atul : All the best for the QUIT SMOKING days !


Happy New Year and the days ahead without cigarettes !

Pre-Quit Days : Day 3

Yuhuuuuuuuuuuu........ maintaining at 4 sticks today !! I have another 3 days till 1st Jan 09.

I can do it ! I can do it !

Every cigarette is doing you damage..

Benefits of quitting smoking

An extract from Wikipedia for motivation :



Smoking cessation will almost always lead to a longer and healthier life. Stopping in early adulthood can add up to 10 years of healthy life and stopping in one's sixties can still add three years of healthy life (Doll et al, 2004). Stopping smoking is associated with better mental health and spending less of one's life with diseases of old age.

For health and well being, the sooner you decide to quit the better. Quitting offers a number of health benefits. Even if you are a heavy smoker, if you are committed to giving up, you can begin to enjoy the benefits of being smoke-free in a very short space of time. It's never too late to give up smoking! Quitting can prolong your life, no matter how old you are. Here’s what to expect:

* Within 20 minutes blood pressure returns to its normal level
* After 8 hours oxygen levels return to normal
* After 24 hours carbon monoxide levels in the lungs return to those of a non-smoker and the mucus begins to clear
* After 48 hours nicotine leaves the body and tastebuds are improved
* After 72 hours breathing becomes easier
* After 2-12 weeks, circulation improves
* After 5 years, the risk of heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker
* After 10 years, the chance of lung cancer is almost the same as a non-smoker.

Effects to the heart

Smoking contributes to the risk of developing heart disease. All smoke contains very fine particulates that are able to penetrate the alveolar wall into the blood and exert their effects on the heart in a short time.

Inhalation of tobacco smoke causes several immediate responses within the heart and blood vessels. Within one minute the heart rate begins to rise, increasing by as much as 30 percent during the first 10 minutes of smoking. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke exerts its negative effects by reducing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.

Smoking tends to increase blood cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the ratio of high-density lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol) to low-density lipoprotein (the “bad” cholesterol) tends to be lower in smokers compared to non-smokers. Smoking also raises the levels of fibrinogen and increases platelet production (both involved in blood clotting) which makes the blood viscous. Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying component in red blood cells), resulting in a much stabler complex than haemoglobin bound with oxygen or carbon dioxide -- the result is permanent loss of blood cell functionality. Blood cells are naturally recycled after a certain period of time, allowing for the creation of new, functional erythrocytes. However, if carbon monoxide exposure reaches a certain point before they can be recycled, hypoxia (and later death) occurs. All these factors make smokers more at risk of developing various forms of arteriosclerosis. As the arteriosclerosis progresses, blood flows less easily through rigid and narrowed blood vessels, making the blood more likely to form a thrombosis (clot). Sudden blockage of a blood vessel may lead to an infarction (e.g. stroke). However, it is also worth noting that the effects of smoking on the heart may be more subtle. These conditions may develop gradually given the smoking-healing cycle (the human body heals itself between periods of smoking), and therefore a smoker may develop less significant disorders such as worsening or maintenance of unpleasant dermatological conditions, e.g. eczema, due to reduced blood supply. Smoking also increases blood pressure and weakens blood vessels.

After a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, there was a 17 percent reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome. 67% of the decrease occurred in non-smokers.

Pre-Quit Days : Day 2 ( after the declaration )

I smoke 5 sticks today !! Nothing to be proud of. It was an increase from yesterday ... urgh !!

5 more days to go ...

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

Sometimes the best thing we can do when craving a cigarette is to simply redirect our attention to something different and interesting. Nine times out of ten, the urge is gone within moments. Our thoughts color our lives, so if you find that yours are taking you places you'd rather not go, take charge and shift your focus.

The following list was generated by forum members. Thanks to all who contributed!

1. Read a book.
2. Wash the car.
3. Wash the dog.
4. Go for a walk.
5. Knit a scarf.
6. Do a crossword puzzle.
7. Take a nap.
8. Call a friend.
9. Post a message here
10. Play with the cat.
11. Turn the bathroom into a spa and do all those beauty treatments.
12. Listen to a relaxation tape or some favorite music.
13. Go to a store and get a free make-up session.
14.Give yourself a manicure and pedicure.
15. Try out a new hair-do
16. CHEW SOME CLOVES!
17. Go to the movies.
18. Hang out at a mall.
19. Do a jigsaw puzzle online at Jigzone.com
20. Breathe deeply!
21. Swig down some ice water.
22. Jump on a treadmill or go to a gym.
23. Give someone you love a huge hug.
24. Plant some flowers.
25. Do some exercise - swimming, aerobics, yoga, etc. Great for releasing endorphins (feel good factor) and relieving stress (physical and mental).
26. Work out how to post a picture in the forum!
27. Take up a new hobby/interest - channel your thoughts into something constructive and interesting.
28. Work in the garden.
29. Retail therapy with the cash you saved from not smoking.
30. Suck on a piece of TART candy (Jolly Rancher is my personal favorite).
31. Slather on a rich, creamy hand lotion and rub, rub, rub! It keeps fingers busy, and reminds you how nice it is not to have tobacco stink on them.
32. Eat a popscicle.
33. Floss and brush your teeth.
34. Make-out with your special someone! Hubby hated kissing me when I smoked, but now he LOVES it. Soooo, when the urge strikes and he's within kissing distance, I plant a big one on him!
35. Chew gum.
36. Chew a toothpick (shiny teeth).
37. Spend time with a kid.
38. Give yourself a treat every day of your quit - not matter how small.
39. Spend an hour filling the paddling pool in the garden on a gorgeous sunny day, only to find that the kids would rather play on the computer.
40. Play several games of Internet Scrabble, and hopefully win one!
41. Walk in an old graveyard with the man you love.
42. Get your jammies on early, and park yourself in front of your computer for the night.
43. Build a REAL closet
44. Hang the sheetrock on said closet.
45. Do the mudding, taping and sanding on that closet.
46. Paint the closet.
47. Add the doors to the closet.
48. And last...when the real closet is finished, create THE CHOCOLATE CLOSET on this site.
49. Hang on dearly to a caramel apple sucker.
50. Sing loudly.
51. Practice smiling in the mirror (releases endorphins)!
52. Make lists of pros and cons of smoking.
53. Find gross smoking disease pictures.
54. Play with Silly Putty.
55. Whistle "Don't Worry - Be Happy."
56. Get a camera, and take some pictures.
57. Write a letter (you know...on paper).
58. Clean OUT the closets.
59. Crank up the radio and sing at the top of your lungs (works great for driving craves).
60. Crank up the radio and dance like no one is watching.

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking (Distract Yourself and the Urge Will Pass...)
By Terry Martin, About.com

Health Risk of smoking

The main health risks in tobacco pertain to diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular heart attack, cardiovascular disease, diseases of the respiratory tract such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, emphysema, and cancer, particularly lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and tongue.

A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked.

However, if someone stops smoking, then these chances gradually decrease as the damage to their body is repaired. A year after quitting, the risk of contracting heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker. The health risks of smoking are not uniform across all smokers. Risks vary according to amount of tobacco smoked, with those who smoke more at greater risk. Light smoking is still a health risk. Likewise, smoking "light" cigarettes does not reduce the risks.

The data regarding smoking to date focuses primarily on cigarette smoking, which increases mortality rates :

** by 40% in those who smoke less than 10 cigarettes a day,
** by 70% in those who smoke 10–19 a day,
** by 90% in those who smoke 20–39 a day, and
** by 120% in those smoking two packs a day or more.

Pipe smoking has also been researched and found to increase the risk of various cancers by 33%.
Some studies suggest that hookah smoking is considered to be safer than other forms of smoking. However, water is not effective for removing all relevant toxins, e.g. the carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons are not water-soluble. Several negative health effects are linked to hookah smoking and studies indicate that it is likely to be more harmful than cigarettes, due in part to the volume of smoke inhaled. In addition to the cancer risk, there is some risk of infectious disease resulting from pipe sharing, and other risks associated with the common addition of other psychoactive drugs to the tobacco.

Diseases caused by tobacco smoking are significant hazards to public health. According to the Canadian Lung Association, tobacco kills between 40,000–45,000 Canadians per year, more than the total number of deaths from AIDS, traffic accidents, suicide, murder, fires and accidental poisoning. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide."




A new research has found that women who smoke are at significantly increased risk of developing an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a condition in which a weak area of the abdominal aorta expands or bulges.

What's in a cigarette ?

Your body gets more than nicotine when you smoke.

There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Some of them are also in wood varnish, the insect poison DDT, arsenic, nail polish remover, and rat poison.

The ashes, tar, gases, and other poisons in cigarettes harm your body over time. They damage your heart and lungs. They also make it harder for you to taste and smell things, and fight infections.



So why do I smoke for +/- 20 years ? OMG !!

The Secret to Stop Smoking

Pre-Quit Days : Day 1 ( after the declaration )

Day 1 : I managed to control the number of stick I smoke today to a total of 4 !! It felt like I have a "mental block" and cannot think straight especially when I was trying to browse thru the html and code while setting up this blog. hahaha

However, I managed to limit it to 4 sticks today and hopefully, tomorrow will remain the same or lesser.

5 Quick Stop Smoking Tips

1. Don’t smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again.

Smoking “low-tar, low-nicotine” cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.

2. Write down why you want to quit. Do you want to—

Feel in control of you life?
Have better health?
Set a good example for your children?
Protect your family from breathing other people’s smoke?
Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good—they’re very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.

3. Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke.

There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever you need to succeed.

4. Half of all adult smokers have quit, so can I !! That’s the good news. There are millions of people alive today who have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take.

5. Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support.

SmokeRx - Quit Smoking Kit - All Natural Smoking Cessation Program

Why should I quit smoking ?

1. Setting a better example for your child.

My 6 year-old son is growing up very fast and before he told me at my face that "SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU" .... let me quit smoking first. Hahaha

2. I can save money by not buying cigarettes.

Currently, a pack of 25 sticks cost RM 9.00. Just imagine how much I can save per month ? RM 9.00 x 30 = RM 270 per month !! Wow... what about a year ? 3 years ?

3. I can save more time instead of taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, or searching for a lighter !

Sometimes when I ran out of cigarette in the middle of the night, and you have to finish an assignment..... I have to brave the night and go to the nearest Seven-Eleven Convenient Store to get a pack of cigarette !! Huhuhu

4. Not being short of breath or coughing as much

Coughing and pain in the chest is already a FRIEND to me but with a heathier ME without nicotine and tobacco... hmmmm.... a thought to achieve for.

5. Not having to hide-to-smoke at my dad's or mom-in-law's house !! Hahaha ;-)

Daily Motivation

I wanna quit smoking !

I have been thinking of quit smoking several times over the years but have never been actually doing it.

While browsing the net earlier, I came accross some sites on quit smoking and CHANTIX ( a prescription medicine to assist smokers to stop smoking) and a few dozens of sites on assisting to quit smoking ; the thot of QUIT SMOKING came back !

After reading thru www.smokefree.gov , I am going to try to QUIT SMOKING for good now.

Thus, this brave attempt for the first time will use the START action plan on Preparing to Quit.

I am taking these five BIG and Important steps:

S = Set a quit date.
T = Tell family, friends, and coworkers that you plan to quit.
A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.
R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

S = Set a QUIT DATE

I am going to QUIT on 1st January 2009. A new year will hopefully turn into a NEW and more healthier me !

T = Tell family, friends and co-workers that I plan to quit

I am telling the world too by updating this blog everyday on my development and by reminding myself of MY REASON TO QUIT SMOKING !

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.

Hmmm.... my fears after taking the steps above :

1. Weight increase
2. Cannot stick to my decisions
3. The Withdrawal Syndrome - I might get angry over the slightest things

However, without giving a try on it, I will never know my will-power and decisiveness.

R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
I just bought a new pack today, 23rd Dec 08. I will have time to finish it slowly by and on 31st Dec 08

T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

Will seek medical help very soon ( if necessary )!