Quitting smoking

midpath

So today has been alright. But its day 1 without a cigarette and I got through work really well, went and got my daughter and she's 2.5 so that can probably tell you a lot about what her behaviour looks like. She's just very resistant to direction and usually is pretty resistant to going out and doing things, crafts, helping me, pretty much everything everything. She's in bed now and I'm craving a cigarette so bad, I'm so stressed out and I feel like eating ice cream and I've got the calories for like one bowl but its not a healthy craving, its a binge crave. I'm craving a pint. So what do you do when you feel this way?

My job is physically demanding so I'd rather not work out but do you think it would help me anyways? I don't want to eat my emotions and I don't want to cave and buy a pack of cigarettes. Also coffee which usually comforts me is not an option because its too late at night.

Christine_72

I quit over 3mths ago. I tried dozens of times over 25 years to quit cold turkey and failed every time.

This time I'm using a vapouriser and it's been easy.
Now I just have to wean myself off of it. In the end it's a million times better for you than cigarettes.

elkhunter7x6

Good luck you can do this! After 31 years I finally quit snuff 584 days ago and I laid coffee down at the same time as well. It was by far the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life but it is doable if you make your mind up. It helps to keep your self busy and keep your mind off of cigs and the withdraws. I cant help with the food cravings. I was the same way. I never had a problem with food until I quit snuff. Then I would finish eating a meal and 15 minutes later I would want something to eat, even though I was not even hungry. I ended up giving in to the food cravings and decided I would deal with the weight later. Well here I am now dealing with the weight. I have 30 extra pounds to lose thanks to those food cravings I had in my first year of being tobacco free.

mccindy72

midpath wrote: »

So today has been alright. But its day 1 without a cigarette and I got through work really well, went and got my daughter and she's 2.5 so that can probably tell you a lot about what her behaviour looks like. She's just very resistant to direction and usually is pretty resistant to going out and doing things, crafts, helping me, pretty much everything everything. She's in bed now and I'm craving a cigarette so bad, I'm so stressed out and I feel like eating ice cream and I've got the calories for like one bowl but its not a healthy craving, its a binge crave. I'm craving a pint. So what do you do when you feel this way?

My job is physically demanding so I'd rather not work out but do you think it would help me anyways? I don't want to eat my emotions and I don't want to cave and buy a pack of cigarettes. Also coffee which usually comforts me is not an option because its too late at night.

Are you trying to quit cold turkey? That's really quite difficult. Nicotine is extremely addictive and the physical cravings are tough, especially for the first few weeks. Using a quit aid like the patch, nicotine gum, or a prescription medication like Chantix will help you be much more successful.
Exercise, for tonight, will help you much more than food or anything else. The cravings are a stress response, and exercise is a good way to reduce stress in the body.
Vaporizers do provide nicotine, but they provide the same action as smoking, so they don't wean you from the oral and mental fixations as well as other quit aids. Also they have a lot of harmful chemicals in them you should avoid.

barryplumber

For on the minute quick fix there is a spray you can buy it gives you a quick blast of nicotine.

barryplumber

Just, above all hang in there it will be your greatest accomplishment to yourself

Christine_72

^^^ Yep Cindy is correct regarding the vapourisers. For me it was more the habit of smoking, then the actual smokes themselves, if that makes sense?? Like I need a cig with my cuppa, or when I'm talking on the phone, or when I'm driving etc
I don't miss the taste of tobacco at all, it's more the ingrained habits. So, yes I've swapped one vice for another, but like I said vaping is the lesser of the two evils. My sister also quit, but now she goes through multiple packs of Nicorette gum every week.
I would definitely recommend not using any aids and just stop. But that's a lot easier said than done.

Xanifur

I quit cold turkey, I just got tired of it all. It wasn't all that bad, the first 3 days are the worst.
I picked up electronic cigs 3 years later out of pure pleasure. You can get em in varying strengths of nicotine from 24, 12, 6, 3, or 0mg nicotine. Any Walgreens and many walmarts have them, disposable ones too. They can really help if you want a puff, plus they don't smell at all. It's vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol and some sort of food grade flavoring if you want, compared to a cigarette... It's an option for weening off nicotine if you still need the oral fixation. I tried patches and gum, they suck.

joeneely71

I am 60 years old and quit smoking 4 years ago, having been a life-long smoker until then. I used the patch for about a week and then went cold turkey. I quit drinking 3 years ago, having consumed enough alcohol for any one lifetime. The heck of it all is that I am more often tempted to smoke than I am to drink. I don't say this to discourage anyone trying to quit; life as a non-smoker offers many blessings. I don't stink, I can taste my food, I can walk without being winded, etc. The nicotine will be out of your system within 3 or 4 days . . . after that it's all in your head. You can do it!

elkhunter7x6

joeneely71 wrote: »

The nicotine will be out of your system within 3 or 4 days . . . after that it's all in your head. You can do it!

Well I had a hell of a problem in my head that lasted for many months!

mccindy72

elkhunter7x6 wrote: »

joeneely71 wrote: »

The nicotine will be out of your system within 3 or 4 days . . . after that it's all in your head. You can do it!

Well I had a hell of a problem in my head that lasted for many months!

yes, it takes more than 3 or 4 days to get over the physical addition to nicotine.

lindathom209

mccindy72 wrote: »

midpath wrote: »

So today has been alright. But its day 1 without a cigarette and I got through work really well, went and got my daughter and she's 2.5 so that can probably tell you a lot about what her behaviour looks like. She's just very resistant to direction and usually is pretty resistant to going out and doing things, crafts, helping me, pretty much everything everything. She's in bed now and I'm craving a cigarette so bad, I'm so stressed out and I feel like eating ice cream and I've got the calories for like one bowl but its not a healthy craving, its a binge crave. I'm craving a pint. So what do you do when you feel this way?

My job is physically demanding so I'd rather not work out but do you think it would help me anyways? I don't want to eat my emotions and I don't want to cave and buy a pack of cigarettes. Also coffee which usually comforts me is not an option because its too late at night.

Are you trying to quit cold turkey? That's really quite difficult. Nicotine is extremely addictive and the physical cravings are tough, especially for the first few weeks. Using a quit aid like the patch, nicotine gum, or a prescription medication like Chantix will help you be much more successful.
Exercise, for tonight, will help you much more than food or anything else. The cravings are a stress response, and exercise is a good way to reduce stress in the body.
Vaporizers do provide nicotine, but they provide the same action as smoking, so they don't wean you from the oral and mental fixations as well as other quit aids. Also they have a lot of harmful chemicals in them you should avoid.

There is actually no real evidence of anything dangerous in e cigarettes or vape juice. And one of the side affects of chantex is suicide. I tried chantex twice, didn't work. Vaping helped me quit in less than a week. It's been over a year now.

Xanifur

lindathom209 wrote: »

And one of the side affects of chantex is suicide. I tried chantex twice, didn't work.

I cringe when i see a Chantix commercial. All the side effects from instant death to suicide.

thereshegoesagain

I quit about 12 years ago with the help of hypnotherapy. He made a tape of my session and I listened to it every morning before I got out of bed and every night before I fell asleep. I also went to whyquit.com every day, sometimes several times a day. The community is very supportive, just like the one here!
You can do this, keep at it!

mccindy72

lindathom209 wrote: »

mccindy72 wrote: »

midpath wrote: »

So today has been alright. But its day 1 without a cigarette and I got through work really well, went and got my daughter and she's 2.5 so that can probably tell you a lot about what her behaviour looks like. She's just very resistant to direction and usually is pretty resistant to going out and doing things, crafts, helping me, pretty much everything everything. She's in bed now and I'm craving a cigarette so bad, I'm so stressed out and I feel like eating ice cream and I've got the calories for like one bowl but its not a healthy craving, its a binge crave. I'm craving a pint. So what do you do when you feel this way?

My job is physically demanding so I'd rather not work out but do you think it would help me anyways? I don't want to eat my emotions and I don't want to cave and buy a pack of cigarettes. Also coffee which usually comforts me is not an option because its too late at night.

Are you trying to quit cold turkey? That's really quite difficult. Nicotine is extremely addictive and the physical cravings are tough, especially for the first few weeks. Using a quit aid like the patch, nicotine gum, or a prescription medication like Chantix will help you be much more successful.
Exercise, for tonight, will help you much more than food or anything else. The cravings are a stress response, and exercise is a good way to reduce stress in the body.
Vaporizers do provide nicotine, but they provide the same action as smoking, so they don't wean you from the oral and mental fixations as well as other quit aids. Also they have a lot of harmful chemicals in them you should avoid.

There is actually no real evidence of anything dangerous in e cigarettes or vape juice. And one of the side affects of chantex is suicide. I tried chantex twice, didn't work. Vaping helped me quit in less than a week. It's been over a year now.

I'm sorry Chantix didn't work for you. The potential for suicidal thoughts is a side effect of many, many medications in the same group as Chantix. The evidence for vaporizers is still under medical studies, which is why they are being banned indoors in many establishments. I'm also very glad to hear that you quite smoking that way.
Of all methods of quitting successfully and not relapsing, Chantix by far has the highest success rate at 44%. The next closest is patches and nicotine gum at 20%. I'm not advocating the use of Chantix, as a product over any other, I'm just giving the statistics as someone who has years of experience counseling people in smoking cessation and treating people with respiratory disorders.

chaniluv

I had to quit smoking when I had foot surgery a couple years back. I quit cold turkey and picked it back up four or five months later when I realized I was gaining weight. Yes, I was an idiot who preferred smoking to being overweight. Now I have both problems!

Like others have said, the first three days are the worst. Still, that doesn't help you out NOW, does it? For handling cravings, I did a lot of macrame; every time I got a craving, I would force myself to do 10 knots at least. Sometimes I would also chew sugarless gum.

For relaxing after a hard day at work and with the kid, have you considered a milk and honey bath, or at least a scented one? I know there are a lot of people who think baths are gross (I always shower afterwards anyway) but I find them super relaxing, especially with some lavender oil or some other relaxing scent. They help me wind down on nights I can't sleep and long baths are a luxury we moms don't often get to enjoy. If you can't afford to treat yourself to a binge, treat yourself to a bath!

Working out is a nice way to work out stress, too, but only if you're not already exhausted and strained. You don't wanna injure yourself and then have your bad mood today carry on into tomorrow. Also, I find it hard to wind down for an hour or so after a workout and I don't know how much longer you're going to want to stay up since your little one is down for the night.

Maybe a light workout and then a bath? Ten minutes of easy aerobics and then a soak before bed might work.

Annnd I'm rambling, but I hope I helped! Don't give up! I respect you a lot for what you're doing.

Kalikel

When I quit, anything new was a huge help. Anything that I didn't normally have cigarettes around - yay. I did lots of thing I normally wouldn't and a lot of it was active - washing cars, planting flowers. Some of it was stuff I normally did without smoking, like visiting people who didn't smoke and going to the movies.

The first few days are the hardest!! Hang in there!

Keep up the good work!

Liftng4Lis

Quit one year ago this month after almost 30 years. Cold turkey and didn't gain a pound.

atypicalsmith

mccindy72 wrote: »

midpath wrote: »

So today has been alright. But its day 1 without a cigarette and I got through work really well, went and got my daughter and she's 2.5 so that can probably tell you a lot about what her behaviour looks like. She's just very resistant to direction and usually is pretty resistant to going out and doing things, crafts, helping me, pretty much everything everything. She's in bed now and I'm craving a cigarette so bad, I'm so stressed out and I feel like eating ice cream and I've got the calories for like one bowl but its not a healthy craving, its a binge crave. I'm craving a pint. So what do you do when you feel this way?

My job is physically demanding so I'd rather not work out but do you think it would help me anyways? I don't want to eat my emotions and I don't want to cave and buy a pack of cigarettes. Also coffee which usually comforts me is not an option because its too late at night.

Are you trying to quit cold turkey? That's really quite difficult. Nicotine is extremely addictive and the physical cravings are tough, especially for the first few weeks. Using a quit aid like the patch, nicotine gum, or a prescription medication like Chantix will help you be much more successful.
Exercise, for tonight, will help you much more than food or anything else. The cravings are a stress response, and exercise is a good way to reduce stress in the body.
Vaporizers do provide nicotine, but they provide the same action as smoking, so they don't wean you from the oral and mental fixations as well as other quit aids. Also they have a lot of harmful chemicals in them you should avoid.

Not, not, NOT! All the patches do is prolong the agony. Quit. Just quit. First day is rough but with a lot of drinking water, chewing on cinnamon Altoids, walking, and feeling very strange, you will get through it. Praying helps a LOT. Second day, not as bad, but still tempting, but as long as you drink a lot of water, chew on cinnamon Altoids, and walk, you'll get through it. Third day, OMG! No more craving! Peace and tranquility! Like you've been lifted up from drowning! All you have to do is decide. If you use nicotine replacements you are only prolonging the agony. Been there, done that. whyquit.com

mccindy72

atypicalsmith wrote: »

mccindy72 wrote: »

midpath wrote: »

So today has been alright. But its day 1 without a cigarette and I got through work really well, went and got my daughter and she's 2.5 so that can probably tell you a lot about what her behaviour looks like. She's just very resistant to direction and usually is pretty resistant to going out and doing things, crafts, helping me, pretty much everything everything. She's in bed now and I'm craving a cigarette so bad, I'm so stressed out and I feel like eating ice cream and I've got the calories for like one bowl but its not a healthy craving, its a binge crave. I'm craving a pint. So what do you do when you feel this way?

My job is physically demanding so I'd rather not work out but do you think it would help me anyways? I don't want to eat my emotions and I don't want to cave and buy a pack of cigarettes. Also coffee which usually comforts me is not an option because its too late at night.

Are you trying to quit cold turkey? That's really quite difficult. Nicotine is extremely addictive and the physical cravings are tough, especially for the first few weeks. Using a quit aid like the patch, nicotine gum, or a prescription medication like Chantix will help you be much more successful.
Exercise, for tonight, will help you much more than food or anything else. The cravings are a stress response, and exercise is a good way to reduce stress in the body.
Vaporizers do provide nicotine, but they provide the same action as smoking, so they don't wean you from the oral and mental fixations as well as other quit aids. Also they have a lot of harmful chemicals in them you should avoid.

Not, not, NOT! All the patches do is prolong the agony. Quit. Just quit. First day is rough but with a lot of drinking water, chewing on cinnamon Altoids, walking, and feeling very strange, you will get through it. Praying helps a LOT. Second day, not as bad, but still tempting, but as long as you drink a lot of water, chew on cinnamon Altoids, and walk, you'll get through it. Third day, OMG! No more craving! Peace and tranquility! Like you've been lifted up from drowning! All you have to do is decide. If you use nicotine replacements you are only prolonging the agony. Been there, done that. whyquit.com

I'm glad that worked for you. I quit cold turkey myself, 18 years ago. IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE.

zaxx1953

Quit cold Turkey 10 months or so ago when I stopped working in nightlife part time....

It's going to suck for 96 hours imo, and there is no 2 ways about it, but the longer you go, the easier it will get; I promise.

I have probably had 3 cigs in 10 mos, and the last one tasted so bad, I wanted to dry heave. It takes time; just get to 96 hrs.

carolemack

I quit almost 6 years ago...cold turkey. I had tried quitting many times with the patch, the gum, and one disastrous experiment with Chantix I would like to forget. I had been a two pack a day smoker. Cold turkey was the only way for me but we are all different, whatever works for you...great.

One thing perhaps to try...do you know that they now sell colouring books for adults? They are available in most major bookstores and I think if I was quitting now I would give them a try, just for something to do with my hands.

Which ever way you decide to quit, I wish you the best of luck...there is nothing better that you can do for yourself.

slaite1

I thought they released a study that long term, stop-smoking aids were not any more effective than going cold turkey? I could be wrong.

I think it's like any other life style change. I quit many times before it stuck. Something just clicked in my head. I gave myself a few days to eat what I wanted and sleep as much as I wanted. I followed all the internet advice to drink juice, stay hydrated and rid the house of cigarettes and cigarette paraphernalia

I also became a MANIAC. I painted my whole house, fixed what needed fixing-I was like an energizer bunny. I picked up running and turned "quitting smoking" into "becoming fit and healthy"-I actually lost weight.

Find your motive-use whatever aids you need and keep moving. Clean your house, get tons of low cal snacks and gum (I'm still addicted to gum). And remember it does get easier. I'm over 3 years quit and can't even fathom smoking-just the smell nauseates me. It's not necessarily a life-long struggle.

mccindy72

zaxx1953 wrote: »

Quit cold Turkey 10 months or so ago when I stopped working in nightlife part time....

It's going to suck for 96 hours imo, and there is no 2 ways about it, but the longer you go, the easier it will get; I promise.

I have probably had 3 cigs in 10 mos, and the last one tasted so bad, I wanted to dry heave. It takes time; just get to 96 hrs.

This is true - I can't even stand the smell of cigarette smoke, or people who've just had one. icky. hard to believe I even used to do it, now.

atypicalsmith

So far the general consensus of this thread is that cold turkey works better than quit smoking aids. Nicotine, once you give it up, is completely out of your system between 48 and 72 hours. Mine was gone in less than 48 hours. It's just a matter if you really want to do it, or not. If you don't, but want to appear that you do, then you will spend a LOT of money supporting all the nicotine systems which usually cost more than cigarettes. And people who spend a fortune on this form of quitting smoking (that is, by consuming nicotine, duh!) almost always end up getting annoyed with them and start smoking again.

Go to whyquit.com. Lots of great information.

zaxx1953

mccindy72 wrote: »

zaxx1953 wrote: »

Quit cold Turkey 10 months or so ago when I stopped working in nightlife part time....

It's going to suck for 96 hours imo, and there is no 2 ways about it, but the longer you go, the easier it will get; I promise.

I have probably had 3 cigs in 10 mos, and the last one tasted so bad, I wanted to dry heave. It takes time; just get to 96 hrs.

This is true - I can't even stand the smell of cigarette smoke, or people who've just had one. icky. hard to believe I even used to do it, now.

OMG, and I used to believe those people were just judgmental types. It just nauseates me now....omg, especially that Marlboro Light taste.

bbontheb

I quit smoking in 2009 by taking Champix which is Canada's version of Chantix. As someone desperate to quit but also had history of depression and anxiety-I should not have ever been put on it. I was sick (so much that I didn't even pick a quit date-I just stopped smoking like 5 days after going on it from severe nausea). I remained on it a total of one month and went off as I knew something was wrong and weird with my thinking and my perspective on things changed. It was a dark weird feeling and not talked about at all-I would not trust that drug with people. Drs do not monitor enough. I , previously had not ever in my life (almost 30 years then) quit biting my nails. I was a severe nail biter since very early in my life. Nothing could get me to stop. When I went on Champix, I quit biting nails too. It was like it helped the strange compulsive side to me (I have OCSD type traits as I've been told). I have not smoked again but I didn't end up biting nails again etc. I knew I would need that drug to help smoke (could not do cold turkey) but also knew I couldn't stay on it.

I enjoyed Allan Carr's easy way to quit smoking. I definitely recommend that book.

callsitlikeiseeit

i quit last year using an e cig.

easy peasy.

LBuehrle8

I gave up alcohol and smoking all together. First 3 months were the hardest. Going in 8 months strong now and I feel like the more time I put between myself and cigarettes the easier it gets!

Sirius_12

I quit 14 years ago after smoking for 25 years. Never slipped once. My one big accomplishment in life. MG, if only losing weight were as easy.

nichalsont

I quit over 9 years ago using Chantix. Before I began taking it, I reduced the number of cigarettes I smoked each day; one on my break instead of two; one on the way to work instead of two. I took one round of Chantix and I was done. I will admit I still want one every now and then. Pretty sure I replace cigarettes with food though.