Smoking...

lidado

A big ol' Texas !!THANK YOU!! to everyone who gave me input, suggestions, advice, and encouragement. This is gonna be one hell of a journey, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right??!!?!?!

I will keep everyone updatede on my progress...

Lindsay

dls06

I am 55 and started when I was 8 ( Thanks to my older sisters). I have quit so many times and always started again, stress is my trigger. My husband has Emphysema and we are hoping he is able to walk my daughter down the isle at her wedding in Sept.
I am trying to quite again too. My only advise is Just do it and pray.

stormieweather

I quit on May 22, 2009 after 34 years of smoking 2-4 packs per day. I quit cold turkey, no chemical aids.

Here is what worked for me:

1) Be ready. You have to be ready and determined to do it, no matter what. In my case, I wanted to be around to see my children grown, particularly my 3yr old daughter.

2) Set a date. I set mine a month in advance. Fixed and inflexible. Told EVERYONE that I was going to do it. Announced to the world!!! I joined here in preparation of becoming the new, fit, Stormie.

3) Arrange the date so that your schedule is NOT your normal one during that time frame. I took 2 days off and planned to quit then. I would not have to battle the routines that were automatically tied to smoking - breaks with friends, smoke after lunch, first cigarette on the front porch, etc.

4) Plan a project that involves focus and concentration. I decided to weave a bead choker on a loom, and the concentration on the tiny beads for hours, kept me from feeling at loose ends.

5) Get lots of harmless munchies and tools. I had gum, mints, fake cigarettes, toothpicks, celery sticks and baby carrots, hard candies, and pretzels all lined up for THE DAY.

6) The morning of THE DAY, throw away all leftover cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays (dump in a bucket of water). Clean out your car and freshen it to smell good again. Remember, you are a non-smoker now :happy:

7) Fight with all of your willpower. My own mind was my worst enemy. I kept coming up with excuses why I could have a cigarette and arguing with myself why I didn't have to do this NOW. Do it tomorrow? Next month? After I lose 25 pounds? NO NO NO. NOW. Today. SHUT UP self!!! I told myself that I was stronger than some stupid friggin weed. No WAY was I gonna be controlled by something that insignificant!

8) Remember that after the first three days, most of the chemical cravings are gone. You'll still have to deal with the habit and the emotional attachments, but you won't feel the overwhelming NEED for a smoke anymore. THen, once you've made it past the first three days, you can keep telling yourself..no way in hades do I want to go through those three days again, so no...there will be NO just one cigarette for me!

9) Give yourself a small financial reward for quitting. Remember how much you are saving now, so let yourself go to a spa or get a pedicure or buy a new negligee set after a month or two of being smoke free. For me it was a gym membership and classes for my daughter (dance and swimming). Oh and a few smoke-free items of clothing!

10) Don't give up. If you can last just 1 more hour...1 more day...1 more week...before long, you'll be over it and feel great again!!

:flowerforyou:

dls06

I quit on May 22, 2009 after 34 years of smoking 2-4 packs per day. I quit cold turkey, no chemical aids.

Here is what worked for me:

1) Be ready. You have to be ready and determined to do it, no matter what. In my case, I wanted to be around to see my children grown, particularly my 3yr old daughter.

2) Set a date. I set mine a month in advance. Fixed and inflexible. Told EVERYONE that I was going to do it. Announced to the world!!! I joined here in preparation of becoming the new, fit, Stormie.

3) Arrange the date so that your schedule is NOT your normal one during that time frame. I took 2 days off and planned to quit then. I would not have to battle the routines that were automatically tied to smoking - breaks with friends, smoke after lunch, first cigarette on the front porch, etc.

4) Plan a project that involves focus and concentration. I decided to weave a bead choker on a loom, and the concentration on the tiny beads for hours, kept me from feeling at loose ends.

5) Get lots of harmless munchies and tools. I had gum, mints, fake cigarettes, toothpicks, celery sticks and baby carrots, hard candies, and pretzels all lined up for THE DAY.

6) The morning of THE DAY, throw away all leftover cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays (dump in a bucket of water). Clean out your car and freshen it to smell good again. Remember, you are a non-smoker now :happy:

7) Fight with all of your willpower. My own mind was my worst enemy. I kept coming up with excuses why I could have a cigarette and arguing with myself why I didn't have to do this NOW. Do it tomorrow? Next month? After I lose 25 pounds? NO NO NO. NOW. Today. SHUT UP self!!! I told myself that I was stronger than some stupid friggin weed. No WAY was I gonna be controlled by something that insignificant!

8) Remember that after the first three days, most of the chemical cravings are gone. You'll still have to deal with the habit and the emotional attachments, but you won't feel the overwhelming NEED for a smoke anymore. THen, once you've made it past the first three days, you can keep telling yourself..no way in hades do I want to go through those three days again, so no...there will be NO just one cigarette for me!

9) Give yourself a small financial reward for quitting. Remember how much you are saving now, so let yourself go to a spa or get a pedicure or buy a new negligee set after a month or two of being smoke free. For me it was a gym membership and classes for my daughter (dance and swimming). Oh and a few smoke-free items of clothing!

10) Don't give up. If you can last just 1 more hour...1 more day...1 more week...before long, you'll be over it and feel great again!!

:flowerforyou:

Great advise!

BamBam1113

I quit on 12-10-10. I got sick the next day with bronchitis and just decided I wasn't picking them up anymore. The first 3 weeks will be hell, but after tha it gets a lot easier. After a month or so you'll realize your food never tasted so good.

kristenhay0

Go to www.whyquit.com. You can spend hours reading stories, quitting tips, etc. Congratulations on deciding to quit and everyone is here to help!

suemar74

I read "The Easy Way To Quit Smoking" and then quit cold turkey in Oct of 2009.

Never quit quitting when it comes to smoking. If you slip, just get right back to quitting.

htimpaired

I quit smoking 17 months ago, cold turkey. I had tried wellbutrin, the patch, the lozenge before....the only way I was successful at staying quit was making up my mind that this was it. I told myself that I would NOT enter my 30s as a smoker, so I planned on quitting on my 30th birthday. I think the thing that helped most was that night we get rid of all ash trays and gave any left over cigarettes from my last pack to my friend. My husband also quit with me on the same day, so that made it easier because we were going through it together. He used the patch and gradually stepped down. Very rarely now do I have the urge to smoke, and like someone else on this thread mentioned, it is THE best gift to yourself. My quitting helped faciliate my weight loss because I am more motivated and able to work out :-)

BflSaberfan

I quit on May 22, 2009 after 34 years of smoking 2-4 packs per day. I quit cold turkey, no chemical aids.

Here is what worked for me:

1) Be ready. You have to be ready and determined to do it, no matter what. In my case, I wanted to be around to see my children grown, particularly my 3yr old daughter.

2) Set a date. I set mine a month in advance. Fixed and inflexible. Told EVERYONE that I was going to do it. Announced to the world!!! I joined here in preparation of becoming the new, fit, Stormie.

3) Arrange the date so that your schedule is NOT your normal one during that time frame. I took 2 days off and planned to quit then. I would not have to battle the routines that were automatically tied to smoking - breaks with friends, smoke after lunch, first cigarette on the front porch, etc.

4) Plan a project that involves focus and concentration. I decided to weave a bead choker on a loom, and the concentration on the tiny beads for hours, kept me from feeling at loose ends.

5) Get lots of harmless munchies and tools. I had gum, mints, fake cigarettes, toothpicks, celery sticks and baby carrots, hard candies, and pretzels all lined up for THE DAY.

6) The morning of THE DAY, throw away all leftover cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays (dump in a bucket of water). Clean out your car and freshen it to smell good again. Remember, you are a non-smoker now :happy:

7) Fight with all of your willpower. My own mind was my worst enemy. I kept coming up with excuses why I could have a cigarette and arguing with myself why I didn't have to do this NOW. Do it tomorrow? Next month? After I lose 25 pounds? NO NO NO. NOW. Today. SHUT UP self!!! I told myself that I was stronger than some stupid friggin weed. No WAY was I gonna be controlled by something that insignificant!

8) Remember that after the first three days, most of the chemical cravings are gone. You'll still have to deal with the habit and the emotional attachments, but you won't feel the overwhelming NEED for a smoke anymore. THen, once you've made it past the first three days, you can keep telling yourself..no way in hades do I want to go through those three days again, so no...there will be NO just one cigarette for me!

9) Give yourself a small financial reward for quitting. Remember how much you are saving now, so let yourself go to a spa or get a pedicure or buy a new negligee set after a month or two of being smoke free. For me it was a gym membership and classes for my daughter (dance and swimming). Oh and a few smoke-free items of clothing!

10) Don't give up. If you can last just 1 more hour...1 more day...1 more week...before long, you'll be over it and feel great again!!

:flowerforyou:

This is great advice. Thank you!

carolinegeorgia

I tried chewing gum, didn't work, champix, worked for 3 months, and patches, none lasted for long, although I loved the mental dreams with the patches, this only happened to me when I wore them all night, anyway, I have finally given up and believe this time for real 2 months now, the reason it works is I took up running and registered for a 5k run in the middle of May and had no choice if I wanted to do that. it's hard but you have to REALLY REALLY want to give up, have heathy snacks for the boredom and habit times.
Good luck, it's a brilliant feeling, and, I save over £7 a day so over £49 a week and over £2,548 a year ;-)))

elizwelshman

Quitting is winning!! It's mind over matter, I was a heavy smoker that quit in November after telling myself I will not be addicted any longer. I wish you the best of luck, you can definitely do it!!!

hbrittingham

I used Chantix and it was really easy to quit, though I was really ready after smoking for 20+ years. I quit in February of 2007 and have never looked back. I am actually approaching my lifestyle change and the way I eat the same way I did smoking. I don't want to have to go through it again, so I won't be gaining the weight back. I didn't want to go through quitting smoking again, so I won't pick up a cigarette.

I did have some really weird dreams on the Chantix, but I was on it for less than two weeks because I got a horrible stomach virus a week or so after quitting and I couldn't keep anything down, including the Chantix.