I want to quit smoking

Elsapie93

I smoke and I smoke quite a lot unfortunately, I've been wanting to quite for a while now, but working as a waitress cigarette breaks are your only chance to get 5 minutes to yourself during a busy shift. Which makes it quite hard, what would you suggest as a good way to quit? I've been miserable for quite some time and only recently have I changed my eating habits, from pretty much all junk food to a lot of healthier options, also I used to drink a lot of redbull, about 4 cans a day ( I know terrible). But I've cut all that out and have been exercising often and I can feel the change already and feel a lot happier in myself! I think quitting smoking would be that final push I need towards an altogether healthier lifestyle, but in my line of work I'm finding it so hard to do. Can anyone help?

To be honest it's a surprise I'm still standing today, I'm 21 and I used to drink heavily with my friends, I still smoke heavily and I was surviving off chips, crisps and red bull for the past 6 months, and now is the time to change!

Chezzie84

If you want to do it, you will just do it. I woke up one morning and told myself that I am a non smoker now because I was sick of having no money and fed up of waking up every morning and coughing up a lung. My partner gave up too.
We have been smoke free since may 2012 and with the money we saved we moved from a 1 bedroom flat to a 2 bedroom house and now have 2 holidays a year.
It was hard and it was stressful but only you can do it... if you want it enough.

GertrudeHorse

Nicotine patches and gum were super helpful when I quit. Couldn't have done it without them.

coppertop_4

You have tons of options. The first 7 days are the hardest. If you want it bad enough, you'll make yourself do it.
You need to change the "habit" Example: I'm going on break- walk outside to your car, grab a piece of gum, and walk back in.
Nicotine patches and gum can help. Cinnamon toothpicks and cinnamon gum.
You could talk to a Dr. about the prescription meds (but they all have crazy side affects so make sure you have a back up plan too).

I took chantix for one week- half doses and it upset my stomach and gave me crazy dreams.

I had to stay busy! No breaks allowed (because then ALL I'd think about was smoking.)

Fill a jar with a few butts. Smell it everytime you think you're going to cheat (it's really gross so you'll change your mind).

Fill your arsenal with OPTIONS! And get to it!

If you fall off the wagon..... JUST GET BACK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dc5729

I smoked on and off for years and also worked in catering so I know how important the cigarette break is. There are some excellent e cigarettes on the market try googling www.10MOTIVES.COM
Just my theory but I think they hit the craving as well as well as keeping your hands busy
You could also try talking to any med student they see the results of smoking and it's enough to scare anyone into quitting
quitting.
Keep trying and best of luck.

lawrence303

Quit in October, and haven't had one since, E-Cigs we're the way I went. I would recommend trying all the toys ie gum / patches / e-cigs etc, play with them all and see which you prefer.

If I can do it anyone can ! Good luck !

srr728

Girl you can do it! I was a serious smoker for almost a decade and I preferred to quit cold turkey. But just try it, if you fail , you start again. Same as losing weight. I told myself every time i want a smoke, that I would get up and do 2 flights of stairs, or make a tea. Find a substitute that isnt food! You can still take time for yourself. Find a place and mediatate for 5 mins.

I knew I wanted to be healthy and run and live and be strong. Smoking is not part of that life.

Good Luck

Elsapie93

Thank you, I really appreciate the advise!
I think what I may do is quit smoking without telling work so I can still get my 5 min break every now and then and just sit out back and munch on a bit of fruit!
I'm gonna quit on Monday so I can get a fresh start for the new week and I'm gonna convince my dad to as well (I live with him) so we can do it together!

dmacca666

Another vote for E-cigs here! Gave up last November and haven't looked back since. Started off with http://www.skycig.co.uk/ as they're the cigarette style ones, but then found that the cartridges were a wee bit dear for my liking. I then found http://www.exhalecigarette.co.uk/ where you can buy third-party cartridges a lot cheaper.

I then decided to get a vaporizer style one from Exhale and haven't looked back! I love it! Why inhale horrible smoke when you can be inhaling white chocolate flavour water vapor!

I'd highly recommend it. Skycig do some disposable ones quite cheap, so you can give it a go and see how you feel about it!

Good luck, and it's true what everyone says, break that first week and it's all downhill from there!

dmacca666

Feel free to add if you want some moral support too!

abadvat

1 option (bit hardcore maybe) is cold turkey - drink tons of fluids to flush the nicotine + all chemical substances out of your system and enjoy!

zyxst

You'll have to find what works for you. The only thing that got me to stop is lack of money. I couldn't afford $70/carton a week.

baileyang33

1 option (bit hardcore maybe) is cold turkey - drink tons of fluids to flush the nicotine + all chemical substances out of your system and enjoy!

^^^^^ This. I quit cold turkey 11/16/2010. Exactly 1 month after my 35th birthday because I was tired of being a stinky smoker (no matter how much spray you use or if you wash your hands after every smoke people that don't smoke still smell it), freezing from smoking outside, looked down on from peers, & oh yeah I don't want ANY more children & wanted to continue on birth control pills as protection. Good Luck!!!! You can do it!!!! I smoked for 17 years. I also know I can never even have 1 hit, it's like crack to me, if I ever take another drag I could start back & I refuse. :flowerforyou:

SpencersHeart

I quit 8 years ago. I joined the site at about.com for smoking cessation. They had a lot of great tips and it was and still may be a very active site.

On the site they have new to the quit and those that have been there, done that, who inspire those that are just starting out.

One piece of good advice I got was when the urge to have a cigarette comes about, have a glass of ice cold water. It helps somehow to numb the taste buds and helps to curb the urge to smoke.

Good luck...you'll be so much happier.

fercar3000

I haven't smoke a single cigarette since New Years Eve ( 2 months a go) , I don't even miss it now and I even sleep better .
btw I used an e-cigarette to get though the bad times

my best wishes to you

acpgee

When I quit in 93 I bribed myself. Back then my two pack a day habit cost the same as buying a new CD per week. So at the beginning of the week I would buy a little gift (ie a CD) with a week's worth of cigarette money. My contract with myself was not to smoke until the gift was paid off. As time went on the gifts got larger (say, designer shoes with 3 months worth of cigarette money). I stopped bribing myself a year and half in.

I liked having some positive reinforcement for quitting. Most of the reinforcement for quitting is negative (I don't want to get lung emphysema, I don't want my clothes to smell bad, etc)

Sharonmdenham

I smoke and I smoke quite a lot unfortunately, I've been wanting to quite for a while now, but working as a waitress cigarette breaks are your only chance to get 5 minutes to yourself during a busy shift. Which makes it quite hard, what would you suggest as a good way to quit? I've been miserable for quite some time and only recently have I changed my eating habits, from pretty much all junk food to a lot of healthier options, also I used to drink a lot of redbull, about 4 cans a day ( I know terrible). But I've cut all that out and have been exercising often and I can feel the change already and feel a lot happier in myself! I think quitting smoking would be that final push I need towards an altogether healthier lifestyle, but in my line of work I'm finding it so hard to do. Can anyone help?

To be honest it's a surprise I'm still standing today, I'm 21 and I used to drink heavily with my friends, I still smoke heavily and I was surviving off chips, crisps and red bull for the past 6 months, and now is the time to change!

I smoked for 30 years and the only thing that helped me quit, and I tried everything pills,patches,shots,hypnosis, you name it, and the only thing that worked was the e cigarette. The brand I used looked exactly like a cigarette and did not have any of these fufu flavors, it tasted just like my cigarette but the nicotine levels were adjustable in each batch of refills from 24 mg to 0 mg of nicotine. The brand I used was called The Safe Cig. They are now out of business due to being locked out of their warehouses and other internal issues, the company was the best in customer service and really didn't have any problems until people within the company became corrupt, it was family owned when I quit. There are other ecig companies out there so don't give up. Try to find one that tastes and looks like a real cigarette otherwise you may quit your cigarette habit but start another one with the flavor you choose. I have friends at work that did just that. They got chocolate flavor because they said it sounded good. They ended up being addicted to chocolate and nicotine but not the tobacco taste, still addicted to the nicotine though. Good luck.

kingmmmy

Chantix was the best for me, I smoked for the first week and then just quit but during the first week you kind of forgot that you smoke and it really started tasting bad. I know there are different ways for everyone and this was the way for me.

kgeyser

You'll have to find what works for you. The only thing that got me to stop is lack of money. I couldn't afford $70/carton a week.

It's $70 a carton now!?! Holy schnikies. I quit 2 years ago, went cold turkey. The hardest part for me was dealing with the desire for a cigarette after eating, and figuring out a way to deal with stress since I could no longer walk away for a few minutes and have a cigarette. You can do it!

christa279

I quit cold turkey as a New Year's Resolution in 2011. It started as a competition between my Mom, sister, and I. I ended up being the only one that was successful (at that time, my sister quit at a later date). Honestly, the hardest cig to give up was the one after a meal. I started preparing myself for a few weeks before by cutting out other times of the day where I felt I "needed" one (like before bed, when I first woke up, and while driving). My main motivations were for health and so I could afford to drive my daughter to therapy she needed 3 times a week (it was an hour one way and the only place around that did it).

You can do this! It will be hard a first, but so worth it. You will feel so much better (I don't get sick as much anymore and no longer get sinus/ear infections). Think of what you could do with the money you will save and let that be your reward!

SupermanRitz

Here's a suggestion, more physiologically based. Wake up every morning, don't drink any fluids (maybe a little water, but that's it), and go to a sauna and sweat out the nicotine. It'll take about 3-7 days of doing this but will make it a lot easier. Being in an emotional slump is something you can't avoid, but this should help to get the nicotine out faster and your body back to its normal.