Smoking

[Stantz]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

[Oddball]

What do you get out of being an ex-smoker that you value more than the cigarettes?

[Stantz]

What do you get out of being an ex-smoker that you value more than the cigarettes?
besides a potential healthy lung-cancer free life?... :)
i know , it keeps me going

[johnrocks]

A delicious pack of Camels( I know what you mean):)) I quit by buying some cigars and smoking them when the urge got too strong, then after a few weeks, all I had to do was put an unlit cigar in my mouth then I got away from that. I also saw my Dad draw his last breath as a result of lung cancer and I had to call 9-11 once thinking I was having a heart attack, pretty strong motivators right there.

[Dreamy]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

Never smoked but can I tell you that you smell so good right now. Hmmm mmmm. Small thing but nothing stinkier than stale cig smoke.

Might as well use the funds you likely pay to the government:

http://www.smokefree.gov/

http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.33484/k.438A/Quit_Smoking.htm

I have heard there are some meds that might ease the withdrawals.

Good luck! You can do it Stantz! Better to do it now of your own free will rather than when a doc tells you that you must.

[rhet 2]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

I've been fighting -- and losing -- the battle for months.

SALUTE

And, keep this in mind, if you can do it, so can I.

So DO it and give me still another reason to not give up myself.

[supreme_war_Pig]

I've been fighting -- and losing -- the battle for months.

SALUTE

And, keep this in mind, if you can do it, so can I.

So DO it and give me still another reason to not give up myself.

-Me too. A very hard thing to do, and I have failed every time I tried. :confused:
-Stantz, some folks are able to go cold turkey, but MOST are not. You might want to look into a script for smoking cessation meds. I have had success with Welbutrin, and several folks I know have had really good success with Chantix (sp?). Seriously Stantz, some battles can't be fought alone, and for some folks, this is one of 'em.
-One other tip: try valerian root. My ex put me on it one of the (many) times I tried to quit, and it really helped take the edge off.

[LouC]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

I am going on 4 years not smoking.

2:32 PM August 23 2005 I stubbed out my last cigarette and quit cold turkey.

After 35 years being a smoker it was breaking the habits, the "rituals", that I had built around my addiction that I feel was a large part of my success.

I had to restructure my life, do things differently, and I found another addictive habit that wasn't necessarily healthy but wasn't deadly.

That alternate habit was joining political forums and posting. :wall:

Find alternatives for the little rituals you have likely built up over the years that are structured around smoking.

The first thing in what I feel was my ultimate success was finally deciding in no compromising terms that "I will do this, I am done, I will smoke no more".

I had tried many times before to quit but not with the will, the conviction, I had always made it provisional in my subconscious.

Good Luck

[mryukon]

Stantz, I quit a 3 pack a day habit on 7 Jul 2006 (20 + years). Gained some weight, but at the rate I smoked the stress on my heart was equal to me weighing about 900 lbs. Of course I thought a lot about quitting, scared the hell outta me. Tried Wellbutrin, (2 pills, then forgot to take the rest). Finally, I just laid them buggers down and the rest is history. If you get it right in your mind that you're gonna quit, you'll do it. I'm no expert but I've stayed tobacco free through long commutes, morning coffee and evening cocktails without some much as a want for a smoke. I did enjoy a Cuban cigar recently, but didn't inhale. Good luck, I wish I could you offer you more, but just do it!

PS: I know why I gained weight after I quit, food smells better and the taste improvement is remarkable!

Good luck

[Wake-Up]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

35 + Years between a 1/2 pack and a pack a day. Smoke free now for 8 weeks and counting. I used the patch 21mg then 14mg then 7mg a day for 2 weeks each. I used the generic ones and saved about 60 bucks over the 6 week course of patches.

No weight gain, actually lost 25 lbs by using exercise as a crutch for the stress. Very supportive spouse made sure I had lots of healthy munchie's like carrots, celery, apples etc.

It's sure not easy but supportive family sure helps. DON'T GIVE UP, you can do it. Just keep telling yourself you can get through it. The first 72 hours were the toughest and I kept telling myself I did not want to relive that.

Have all the urges gone? No and probably wont but its more than tolerable now and the only smoke I miss is that first one in the morning with a coffee.

Keep plugging away, there is no reason to go back. I started thinking of myself as a non smoker after about 4 weeks and thinking that way made the transition off the patches much easier.

[jwil59]

yes it's hard but especially with this new tax look at all the money you are saving.

[khigh]

-Me too. A very hard thing to do, and I have failed every time I tried. :confused:
-Stantz, some folks are able to go cold turkey, but MOST are not. You might want to look into a script for smoking cessation meds. I have had success with Welbutrin, and several folks I know have had really good success with Chantix (sp?). Seriously Stantz, some battles can't be fought alone, and for some folks, this is one of 'em.
-One other tip: try valerian root. My ex put me on it one of the (many) times I tried to quit, and it really helped take the edge off.

Wellbutrin doesn't work for everyone. It hasn't helped me at all- I take it for bipolar disorder, and it has wanted me to smoke more. It was designed as an antidepressant, not a smoking cessation aid. Glad it worked for you, though! :razz:

[Oddball]

besides a potential healthy lung-cancer free life?... :)
i know , it keeps me going
Then go with it.

As long as what you value is more compelling than the ciggy-butts, and you remain oriented toward that gain, you almost cannot fail.

[USMCmom]

Stanz...I think what you are doing is something to be proud of and it helps to have lots of support (which can easily be found in here with these wonderful people)!

Stay strong and I will keep you in my prayers...
God Bless

[Seanachie]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

I hope an pray that the Good Lord gives you the strength and tenacity to defeat this lousy habit. I gave up 4 packs of Marlboros a day many years ago and it was a very tough fight. I still use cigars as a pacifier but they are no way as bad as the cigarettes. Hypocritical? No doubt. Please stick to it and 'kick' the tobacco in its nasty pants. I'm sure you have the impetus to do just that for the tons of reasons you will hear here. My best to you in this noble endeavor.

Be well,

Jim

PS: Here are some links from Rhet's Cuddles thread dealing with Her (Rhet's) smoking cessation along with her 'Cuddles the Bear', her 'Duck' and others here in the OO. Many are also is in the midst of trying to give up this habit.

I hope that these folks find it in their hearts to forgive me for posting these links. I just hope that it may help you in some way, shape or form.

http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=44569771&postcount=1149


http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=46163491&postcount=1335


http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=44570231&postcount=1150

http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=44519721&postcount=1137

http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=44445131&postcount=1114

http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=44468111&postcount=1118

http://forums.hannity.com/showpost.php?p=44475511&postcount=1119

[Stantz]

day 7.5 .... no smokes
If anyone wants a great stock tip, invest in the company that makes:
Trident White (i go through about 20 packs a day )
This is just insane, its wierd to think of a drug like nicotine controling every aspect of your life, but when you try to quit you realize that it completely does. The first thing you think of when you wake up, when you drive a car, after you eat, if someone makes you angry, if someone makes you laugh, its just terrible.

Modern research shows that nicotine acts on the brain to produce a number of effects. Specifically, its addictive nature has been found to show that nicotine activates reward pathways—the circuitry within the brain that regulates feelings of pleasure and euphoria.[22]
Dopamine is one of the key neurotransmitters actively involved in the brain. Research shows that by increasing the levels of dopamine within the reward circuits in the brain, nicotine acts as a chemical with intense addictive qualities. In many studies it has been shown to be more addictive than cocaine and heroin,

[khigh]

day 7.5 .... no smokes
If anyone wants a great stock tip, invest in the company that makes:
Trident White (i go through about 20 packs a day )
This is just insane, its wierd to think of a drug like nicotine controling every aspect of your life, but when you try to quit you realize that it completely does. The first thing you think of when you wake up, when you drive a car, after you eat, if someone makes you angry, if someone makes you laugh, its just terrible.

Don't forget that the sweetener they use in that gum can cause problems with your kidneys if you chew too much of it. Good luck!

[mryukon]

day 7.5 .... no smokes
If anyone wants a great stock tip, invest in the company that makes:
Trident White (i go through about 20 packs a day )
This is just insane, its wierd to think of a drug like nicotine controling every aspect of your life, but when you try to quit you realize that it completely does. The first thing you think of when you wake up, when you drive a car, after you eat, if someone makes you angry, if someone makes you laugh, its just terrible.

Congrats on your progress! Like I said earlier, I can only offer encouragement. By now, your food should be tasting better, and your sniffer should be cleared out. Have you started to physically feel better yet? I don't remember exactly when I started to. Ciggies were like a huge ball and chain I am certainly glad to be rid of. Now if I could get the wife to quit...

Keep up the good fight, you're almost there.

[Stantz]

by the way i appreciate the support guys :)

[mwevans1234]

Compared to some other topics posted here ,this thread quite unimportant i guess, nothing really that major.
Last week after 14 years of smoking i quit (itll be exactly 7 days tommorow), i dont think i have ever done anything harder in my life, and after a week im still nowhere near out of the woods.
I managed to gain 5lbs in that week which is exciting, and besides snapping at anyone around me, all i think about - delicious pack of Camel Lights......

Anyone else quit smoking recently? or is trying to? , any tricks?
i can use anything here !!

allrighty its back to nail biting, gum chewing, and going through another pack of honey nut cheerios.

Other than the whole long life thing, here are some day-to-day things to keep in mind when the craving hits:

1. You smell better now than you did last month.
2. Food will begin to taste better.
3. Your teeth will be brighter.
4. You're saving a good deal of money (in fact, every time you save $50 from not smoking, go buy yourself a nice steak at Morton's or a round of golf at a decent course - short term rewards are a great behavioral driver)

[mryukon]

So today is day 9.5. How goes it?

If I remember correctly, now is the time you should be pretty much over the chemical addiction, just have to deal with the habit (routine, i.e. coffee in the a.m., after meals, etc.)

[blazer]

yay! praying!

[jwil59]

I pray this is going well