Any Ex- Smokers on MFP? I need suggestions!!

laurad1406

I quit on December 31st 2010 (told myself I would NOT start 2011 as a smoker!) I didn't use any patches or gum or anything, whenever I would get a craving or an urge to join my roommate (yes, my roommate is a smoker) I would sit for 5 minutes and play out a conversation with myself in my head, weigh the pros and cons of smoking one with her (NO pros, basically) and by the time i had it worked out, she was back inside and REEKED. It sounds crazy, and some people definitely need assistance, but for me it was just will power! and i've NEVER regretted not going out to join her

also, like someone else said...I don't know if you're a drinker or not, but once I got through my first drunken night without smoking, I was so proud of myself!! now, even when i am drinking and around other smokers, bumming one isn't even an option.

It's hard, but I promise STICK WITH IT! It will get easier!

Thriceshy

Hi everyone!

I recently just joined mfp and I feel really good about this change! I downloaded the blackberry app, have been excercising daily, and I track everything I eat- both good and bad. I'm really enjoying doing this and already feel more upbeat and energetic and just overall more optimistic. However, I am an ex smoker (I quit March 13th of this year) and although I have already done really well, I still get angry or stressed and crave a cigarette and sometimes give in. Any tips on how to ignore these cravings and replace them with something healthy? I'd love to go for a run when I get stressed but sometimes that is not an option- and to be completely honest I can't run- or at least I've never gotten very far. I can't imagine that running down the block 3 houses will help relieve my stress!!! Any tips and/or support would be welcomed!

Don't replace the habit with anything that resembles smoking unless you want to wind up smoking again. That's my advice--I quit smoking over five-and-a-half years ago, and I did it cold turkey after smoking for 2 1/2-3 packs a day for over 26 years.

What you've accomplished thus far is amazing--be proud! What worked for me, more than anything, was a combination of icewater when a craving hits and changing how I view smoking. As soon as I was able to realize that a smoke wouldn't be a treat--it would be punishment--everything changed for me. Smoking causes the very cravings it creates, which is why one smoke makes you crave another. Instead of viewing folks smoking with envy, I realized that *my* life, my LACK of a smoke is what's enviable! I've rewarded myself with a longer, better, healthier life, and I am so glad.

What might help you? Knowing that the cravings DO go away. I haven't craved a cigarette in almost five years. My experience is that the first year is the hardest because we're relearning how to deal with things in our lives--happy things as well as not--without a cigarette. So for the first year things hit us like, "Wow, first time driving in a blizzard without a smoke" or "First Christmas without a smoke." View every one of these as a victory! When you learn how to deal with a situation without a smoke, you are winning and you're mastering new ways of coping!

You can so do this. Part of what helped me was remembring--really remembering--how awful smoking really felt. How tight and scratchy my throat felt, how I popped and clicked and wheezed when I breathed, how I had to sleep with the radio on to block out the sound of my own crackly breathing. I remembered the gasping with long walks and the pressure in my chest. And every day I reminded myself of the money saved and the LIFE saved. Do you have a quit meter? Silk Quit has one for free, and it's very motivating!

Feel free to message me any time--I'm happy to talk.

Kris

Thriceshy

Wow, I am loving how many successful quitters we have here! Maybe we should start a group to support quitters? I shouldn't be surprised--there are a lot of strong, dedicated, motivated people here!

Kris