Kicking the cigarette habit

[dropdeadlegs]

I want to quit smoking and would like to hear any kicking the habit info you can share. I'm a long time smoker (28 years) and have concerns about my ability to quit. I have tried in the past, but wasn't very successful except for one stretch of about a year. I always seem to start smoking again and it just makes me feel so weak. I'm also very afraid of weight gain.

 

Please share the following info, and anything else you think important:

1) How long did you smoke?

2) How long since you quit?

3) Did you use any type of assistance (patch, gum, pills, hypnosis, acupuncture, or anything else out there I may not know about?

4) Did you gain weight? If not, how did you counteract weight gain?

 

Thank for your input!

[dropdeadlegs]

Wow, my post had 17 views and no replies. Is there no one out there who has quit smoking? This is obviously an attempt to keep my post alive.

 

Maybe I'm naive , but certainly someone has kicked the habit and overcome this nasty addiction. Should I have posted in the addiction forum? I really do need some info as to what has worked for you, it's a terrible habit to break.

[magichands]

Addiction to tobacco is sooo...yesterday. Please come back when your life is seriously messed up from something more respectable.

[dropdeadlegs]

Addiction to tobacco is sooo...yesterday. Please come back when your life is seriously messed up from something more respectable.

 

Maybe that explains everything.

[magichands]

It was a beautifully crafted post, too. I guess people are too busy commenting on the latest sex toys.

 

Maybe you need to do "no contact" with your cigarettes. Write a goodbye letter.

[dropdeadlegs]

While I don't want to make this a personal message between you and I, I admit I was hoping for more from the society. I guess you never had the nicotine addiction. It's dreadful and I honestly wish I had never started.

 

Thank you very much for keeping my thread alive by replying

[the_alchemyst]

I quit yesterday.

 

But I think I'll try again tomorrow.

[magichands]

I quit yesterday.

 

But I think I'll try again tomorrow.

Smart-arses are so sexy.

[the_alchemyst]

Eek. I just actually read all the posts and felt bad for leaving such a ridiculous post.

 

But seriously, I have tried to "quit" smoking cigarettes many, many times, but to no avail.

 

While I do not smoke as much as I did some years ago, I still smoke one or two or three (or four or five) a day.

 

In all honesty, I think I would quicker kick the pot habit than the this--I would find it easier, but maybe that is because cigarettes can be chemically addicting, while it is said that weed is not.

 

So, I guess I don't have any good or concrete testimonial, but I can say this from my quitting trials:

 

1.) I started smoking since I was like 12 or so. On and off and mainly more when I was younger, but I haven't fully quit yet. I'm now 20, so I guess you can say I've been smoking for 8 years. Dang.

 

2.) I quit yesterday. But as I said, I think I'm going to give this quitting thing another try tomorrow. Or Friday.

 

3.) Hmm. I remember that the longest time I was without cigarettes was greatly helped by the fact that I was chewing that whatever-the-hell-it's-called gum that's supposed to help you when you get cravings. I think the gum works, but it also hurt my jaw. I've also heard good stuff from the patch.

 

4.) The less I smoke, the more I gain weight.

 

BUT, number four is shady in that I also tend to smoke more when I am "depressed," so it might be a co-factor type of thing.

 

If co-factor is even a word.

[dropdeadlegs]

I quit yesterday. But as I said, I think I'm going to give this quitting thing another try tomorrow. Or Friday.

 

Thank you. I appreciate your long post and probably should have quoted you further. Your quote is my story. I quit for hours, maybe even days ,but thats the best I have mustered in the past. And I smoke a lot, at least a pack a day. I am considering gum and the patch and have recently taken up a running regime to ward off the weight ( but I only started yesterday and who knows how that will go.)

 

Thanks again, for your time, as it is appreciated.

[Cheshire Cat]

I have been smoking for ten years and I haven't quitted, so I guess I am not much use on this thread. But I managed to stay away from cigarettes for a few weeks from time to time (the longest was three months).

 

I think every smoker has some habits or small rituals that he associates with lighting (or smoking) a cigarette. Or would rather smoke under particular circumstances.

Alone, in company, after having coffee, after having lunch/dinner.

 

Break the habit, or deassociate it from smoking, and you will find it easier to stay away from cigs.

Unless you end up like that guy who decided he'd smoke only after meals and put on weight because he had started to have meals eighteen times a day.

 

I hardly ever smoke alone - I have to be in company, even of a non-smoker - or at least to be talking on the phone to really enjoy a cigarette.

Unless I am very depressed or upset, in which case a cigarette makes an excellent surrogate of thumb-sucking. Sometimes it just sucks to be too old for breast-feeding.

 

So if I want to reduce the number of cigarettes I smoke daily, the most effective way is telling myself: smoke all you want, but on your own - and stick to it.

[islandsurfer]

I know two people that quit smoking, in both cases it was not an easy process. My Aunt agreed to quit smoking when she got engaged to her current husband. She managed to quit but was constantly snacking on chocolates to stop her cravings and gained a lot of weight. I asked her about chewing gum and she said that it didn't stop the craving and chocolate seemed to work the best.

 

My freind who I lifeguard with quit smoking over the summer and did it by constantly chewing gum, she admited she was a little more edgy then usually and it was noticible. I am not sure how she is doing because when the summer ended we went off to different colleges.

 

In both cases it took a lot of will power and it is not something that is going to happen over night. Best of luck to u

[alphamale]

you basically have a choice of smoking or being fat. pick one. since it is politically incorrect, most physicians won't tell you that nicotine is one of the most effective appetite suppressants on the market.

[whichwayisup]

Yeah, so basically I'm fcked is what you're saying alpha? Be a smoker or be fat....Nice choice. LOL! Silly.

 

Dropdeadlegs, I feel for ya. I'm a smoker too and want to quit as well.

I do believe though you really have to WANT to quit and get yourself into a strong mindset beforehand.

[melodymatters]

I can help !!!! I smoked for 25 yrs, and tried many wayt to quit, none of which lasted, then : the inhaler !!!!!

 

It's Dr prescribed, but its basically a little white tube that you put a new cartridge in every day and suck on it when you want to " toke" on a cigarette.

 

It works so well because you are getting the nicotine like from gum or a patch, but you get to do something with your hands and mouth too ! ( no jokes, lol this is serious !)

 

I would even roll down my window to " ash" my inhaler, or stop before entering a store to "put it out".

 

It was the easiest quit ever.

 

Side note : I chose to go back to smoking again a year later, but it was a choice, i really felt " quit" after using the inhaler.

[dropdeadlegs]

I think every smoker has some habits or small rituals that he associates with lighting (or smoking) a cigarette.

 

Break the habit, or deassociate it from smoking, and you will find it easier to stay away from cigs.

 

I agree with having habits and rituals associated with smoking. Thinking about my own triggers I may have to spend a condiderable amount of time showering and sleeping in order to succeed as I rarely ever smoke while doing those. I don't mean to sound flippant, it's just that I pretty much associate smoking with everything, ie: living. I've got a lot of disassociating to do, but I am going to try this beginning with smoking after eating. Thumb sucking intrigued me as it made me remember that smoking is an oral fixation, maybe I should develop a new one of those before quitting too. With the right choice maybe I could get my BF to quit too.

 

you basically have a choice of smoking or being fat. pick one. since it is politically incorrect, most physicians won't tell you that nicotine is one of the most effective appetite suppressants on the market.

 

Maybe I should just quit eating too! Or limit eating to lettuce only. Just thinking about a lettuce only diet makes eating pretty undesirable.

 

November 27 is my quit day. Seems far off, I know, but I have some work to do. Thanks to the posters who wished me luck

[dropdeadlegs]

I can help !!!! I smoked for 25 yrs, and tried many wayt to quit, none of which lasted, then : the inhaler !!!!!

 

It's Dr prescribed, but its basically a little white tube that you put a new cartridge in every day and suck on it when you want to " toke" on a cigarette.

 

It works so well because you are getting the nicotine like from gum or a patch, but you get to do something with your hands and mouth too ! ( no jokes, lol this is serious !)

 

I would even roll down my window to " ash" my inhaler, or stop before entering a store to "put it out".

 

It was the easiest quit ever.

 

Side note : I chose to go back to smoking again a year later, but it was a choice, i really felt " quit" after using the inhaler.

 

I was typing while you were posting, but I really like this option best as far as quitting goes. "Ashing" your inhaler and "putting it out", that is hilarious (in such a good way!) I've never heard of the inhaler, more homework to do (Google search) but at least I'm LMAO!

[Pyro]

I'm not a smoker in any way but I have heard from former smokers that they chew gum (and lots of it) during the day and it helps keep their urge for a smoke in check.

[IpAncA]

My husband used to smoke and quit by going cold turkey. It was kind of a last resort for him. He just sucked it up and did it and hasn't smoked since. He only struggled for about a week or two and then it got easier. He didn't really gain a ton of weight because he worked out all the time so it didn't really show. I don't know if you could do what he did but sometimes you got to do what you got to do. Good luck.

[Guest]

do you know any god website to stop smoking?

 

I really want to quit too...

 

I m starting to get wrinkles out of it, and it's killing me.

I heard that now, since anti smoking strategies of all sorts are so much growing : CIGARETTE COMPANIES ARE ADDING EVEN MORE CHEMICALS TO IT SO WE CANNOT QUIT, SO IT'S EVEN HARDER

IT'S EVIL WHAT THEY R DOING

[dropdeadlegs]

do you know any god website to stop smoking?

 

I really want to quit too...

 

 

There are a lot of websites, I am trying to sort through them myself. Since what is considered good info for me may not be what is good info for you, I suggest going to Google.com or any other search engine you prefer and type in "quit smoking." Lots of sites are sales pitches for various things, but there's a lot of free information out there too.

 

If you have health insurance coverage (I don't) it may cover some of the suggested assistance aids, like the inhaler mentioned in a previous post above, or hypnosis. I have this topic posted on two sites and everyone who has used hypnosis had great results. So far nobody has said they tried it and it didn't work.

 

Good Luck to you, I hope you quit!

[Guest]

Yeah, hipnosis...

I heard Ellen on her show was not only talking about it, but apparently it worked for her.

ANd she tends to have my credibility....will see

 

Good luck to you too, you seem in very good direction to soon be an z=x smoker...

[PuppyDogEyes]

Please share the following info, and anything else you think important:

1) How long did you smoke?

2) How long since you quit?

3) Did you use any type of assistance (patch, gum, pills, hypnosis, acupuncture, or anything else out there I may not know about?

4) Did you gain weight? If not, how did you counteract weight gain?

 

Thank for your input!

 

I'll be happy to share with you how I did it.

 

1. I smoked for 20 years, since the age of 13.

2. I quit on May 17, 2005, and have stayed quit ever since. It will be 18 months on November 17.

3. I quit cold turkey. However, I used online support.

4. I did gain a little bit of weight, but I wasn't concerned about it. It's a proven fact that smoking one pack of cigarettes a day is equivalent to carrying around 75 pounds of extra weight. (Yes, you heard me right - 75 pounds.) So I figured that 10, 15 extra pounds was a hell of a lot healthier.

 

Quitting smoking is doable. And after 18 months, I can honestly say that I feel so much better for it. You will, too.

 

My online support group was QuitNet. Feel free to Google them, it'll come up readily. Read the profiles there, and the advice. It was immensely helpful. I would say that I wouldn't have been able to go through without them.

 

Good luck.

 

- pde.

[dropdeadlegs]

PuppyDogEyes,

 

Thank you so much! I appreciate all the posters but you answered my 5 simple questions. I have definitely been doing my homework and quit.net is the first result of a Google search. I am very determined to do this. Determined in a way I have never felt before. Maybe I'm stronger than ever, maybe I simply see the ignorance of doing something so dangerous to my overall health.

 

I began a running regiment this week and it was hard. My lungs gave me grief, but today was the best day so far. the program I am using takes you from the couch (or computer chair) to 5K in two months. I am hoping that adopting a lifestyle change of exercise will help overall with weight gain, but recognize that exercise alone will only produce minimal results. I will have to undertake dietary changes as well. I'm concentrating on drinking an adequate amount of water initially. Then I plan to move on to better eating habits overall. It sounds like a lot to do all at once, but I am trying to think of each change individually as a huge part of the overall goal of being healthy. Two weeks or even four will pass between each change. By spring I hope to be a healthier, happier person full of myself so to speak.

 

Cold Turkey appeals to me for simple financial reasons. It's FREE! But if I experience difficulty to a degree that is beginning to feel hopeless to me I will likely fall back on the patch. I do not have medical insurance coverage nor several hundred dollars to spend on my quest. I admit that smoking in itself costs about $90 monthly and the patch it fairly comparable. I used it in the past with good results, but unfortunately chose to smoke again eventually. I really had it beat and made the decision to smoke. What a bad decision. Cold Turkey's other appeal is that the nicotine is out of your system in approximately five days. I could almost sleep through the bad part! Within reason, of course. Withdrawal is not an easy row to hoe.

 

Congratulations on quitting the ultimate legal addiction. I hope to be "you" very shortly. Thank you again, your input is valuable to me!

[Caramella]

Ok so... i was a smoker for eight years, since i started not i didn't manage even a day without at least 10 cigs (normally 20-30), i tried to quit, but nothing. Recently i went to this specialist that through metal plates "pulled the nicotine out of me" - i know sounds crazy, but after i left - no more cigarettes, NO CRAVINGS AT ALL even when somebody blow the smoke in my face... it was shocking how easy it was. of course i had to fight by myself with oral fixation - but for me its basically keeping myself busy, then i am alright. two days after i got fired from my job - and even due to stress - still haven't smoke! after a month (weight gain 2kg) finally alcohol broke me down, but tomorrow i quit again (new job!!!) this time by myself - Now i know i have the power to do it. Regardless, if you dont want cravings contact me and i will give you details of this treatment (its about £80). [email protected]