My Quit Story

Dorothy's been a smoker for 42 years, and while she's tried to quit before, she's ready to take charge of her health and drop the habit for good. In six different posts, originally appearing on QuittersCircle.com,  Dorothy shares her journey to becoming a quitter in the My Quit Story series. Follow along as she ditches cigarettes for good.

• My Quit Story Part 1: I Started Quitting Smoking at 15
  I began smoking for one simple reason: everyone around me did it. Both my parents were heavy smokers. I started smoking at 15, sneaking cigarettes from them when they weren't looking.
• My Quit Story Part 2: It's Time to Quit Smoking for Good
  So here's the truth: this is not my first time quitting smoking. As a smoker for 42 years, I've tried to quit a few times – sometimes for months at a time – but I always found a reason to light up again.
• My Quit Story Part 3: It's Quit Day
  I was ready to quit smoking before my Quit Day. Once I convinced myself that I was going to stop smoking, there was no turning back.
• My Quit Story Part 4: The First Week
  So I’ve officially quit smoking! And the first week of not smoking, well, it's tough. Smoking had become part of my routine – it was the first thing I did when I woke up in the morning – that I had sometimes had to remind myself that I don’t smoke anymore.
• My Quit Story Part 5: Replacing Cigarettes with Food
  I smoked for 41 years when I decided to quit, those first weeks came with some pretty intense smoking cravings. To beat them, I needed to keep my hands moving and that meant eating. Food became my replacement for smoking.
• My Quit Story Part 6: Finding Support
  It feels like I quit smoking years ago, but really it's been just a few weeks. Quitting was hard at first, but the cravings got easier to handle day by day. I can now go a full day before wanting a cigarette – which feels like a huge accomplishment.