Any smokers out there?

ghoztt

My brother in law is trying to quit and he's been using one of those electronic cigarettes that release water vapor and give you a small nicotine hit. He says it sucks and is nothing like the real thing but I see him constantly at it and he's been cigarette free (according to him) for a month now. Might be worth a shot for some of you trying to quit.

somigliana

I also felt that I needed to tackle one issue at a time, so I quit smoking after I'd reached maintenance weight. I quit cold turkey on the 30th August last year, so it's just over 9 months now. It was a nightmare for the first 2 weeks, but once that hurdle is crossed, it gets easier. I rarely think about ciggies or get cravings for one now. As long as I logged my calories every day, I found that compensative eating didn't become a problem. BUT, I developed a slight issue with overindulging on sugar-free gum, so I've banned myself from gum for now

Good luck with your goals.

shellshell43

I just have to add to my already so long post above/ I -after the craves , and the crabbies, a little bit of munchies as well as some general readjustments with every day life... remember the first time I woke up and realized that I was a non smoker...I had such a feeling of pride and freedom...

nikkircaddell

I still have the electric cigs all around my place in various locations. (I'll find them all eventually i guess lol) They dont seem to be enough for me its more frustrating for me to not be able to get enough smoke out of them than to try and go without them. Shrugs. I'm just weird I guess. It's watching the smoke itself I'm hooked on more than anything, along with the fact that with an ecig i never feel like i finish the darn thing even when i cant get no "smoke" out.

nikkircaddell

Yea that was my favorite thing about quitting and I so cant wait for that day again. When it hits me out of nowhere, I didnt even think of a cigarette today. That is the most awesome feeling.

Ambria0516

I quit regular smoking 5 weeks ago. I thought if I could tackle this weight loss thing I could tackle quitting smoking. I do use an electronic cigarette (water vapor and nicotine) to curb the nicotine cravings. It totally worked and I find myself using it less and less as the days go by. I only used it 3 times yesterday.

strawberry1969

i do think you need to tackle one at a time i gave up smoking 4 years ago with no help but i then put on about 2 stone it took me about a year to then start to lose the weight i have now lost in total 45lbs it was hard because my husband is still a smoker but im so glad ive done it.and feel so much better for it health wise and money wise.

kirstyfromscotland

i am thinking the same, i would like 2 give up smoking 2. But def want 2 get the eating and exersize sorted 1st, i have said 2myself by the start of june nxt year at the latest i wan2 b totally off smoking, i hope 2 do it sooner but im concentrating on my fitness first. Good luck.x

houstonsmama04

I will have been quit for 6 wks Tuesday. And I am on Chantix. Works wonderful. Downsides: make me nauseous, so I only take the night dose. I have gained weight but not sure if from not smoking or Chantix. Either way, thats why I joined here to curb any weight gain and maybe lose a little. I have smoked for 7.5 years and quit so many times it laughable. I don't go public anymore b/c everyone has seen me quit a million times. You just have to be ready to quit, you really can do it. You have to have willpower, you can control any action you make, just takes a little discipline....and maybe some medication lol! Good luck:)

barbiex3

i cant wait to hear the responses! im right there with you. I do try to limit myself how many i have per day. Its a bad habit but so hard to tackle. Although I guess its like anything else, if we want to quit bad enough we will. I hate it and love it all at the same time.

story of my life. I am down to one a day for the past 10 months. just cant seem to let it go.

l3ugjuice

I quit in April 2008, havent had one since but still carry a pack around with me all the time (the same pack I bought the day I quit). It's no coincidence I'm having to lose weight now .

Anyway, if you want my advice...nothing is going to make it easy. Just suck it up and do it. Take a week to taper down a bit, then just go cold turkey and suffer through the next two weeks until you get over the nicotine withdrawal. After that it's pretty easy, but the actual HABIT of smoking...as in the repetitive motion of it...is really hard to stop. That's why I gained so much weight...I substituted food for smoking. There is absolutely no way whatsoever I could have simultaneously quit smoking along with dieting. No way in Hades, and I actually have some pretty extreme willpower once I set my mind to something. My advise would be: quit smoking first, then start your diet 2 or 3 months later. If you can do both at the same time, you are a stone cold killer.

l3ugjuice

I will have been quit for 6 wks Tuesday. And I am on Chantix. Works wonderful. Downsides: make me nauseous, so I only take the night dose.

The suicide ideation risks with Chantix are no joke. Make sure you talk to your doctor if you start getting sudden urges to like...jump off a bridge or shoot someone or something. Chantix is great for some people, but due to how it effects the brain it can really cause some serious psychotic/suicidal episodes in others.

Cmuchoa

So this is something I posted back in April and I certainly do not mind repeating it if it can help another person to be strong so here it goes - it is a long story but the total truth.

I used to hate it when ex smokers would lecture or warn me about smoking. Hell, nothings going to happen to me.

Ok - let me put it to you this way - diet and look great and smoke the cigs - or diet and look great and no cigs. I am currently lugging around a 15 lb oxygen tank with a plastic tube stuck up my nostrils, most likely for the rest of my life, and that my dear doesn't look good. Better just stop now and show those cigs that you are stronger than them. They will and believe me, perhaps not now, but they will eventually ruin yr life later.

I too like everyone else tried to quit smoking w/o success, tried pills, patches, hypnosis and nothing worked. I really needed my mouth stapled closed. Finally I tried Chantix and it worked (totally wierd dreams) but then my Dad got sick suddenly & I spent everyday & moment possible from July 5th until August 25th by his side until he died. Believe me, I was smoking the entire time my Dad was ill and smoking more than ever. After he passed away I would smoke the usual at work but at night I would go out on my deck and chain smoke and would talk to my Dad in the heavens. I wasn't feeling well as I was already diagonosed with Emphysema but that didn't matter. Each cigarette, to me, was my time alone with myself to be alone and think. Not that I was thinking about the actual act of smoking, just smoking and thinking. Well this went on and on thru the winter and I would sometimes feel dizzy when walking back into the house, but it didn't matter. Spring came and so did the pollen. On April 14th (my wedding anniversary) I went out after lunch at work and had gone outside for my usual cigarettes but started coughing and choking like a was kid smoking for the very first time. I went back to my desk and literally choked until 5pm and I know this was annoying some people but others were truly concerned. I thought it was just the pollen. Went home driving and choking (not an easy task to do) and suddenly seemed to stop choking for a while which made me think that it was definitely the pollen around my job and there different kinds of trees by my house and I was ok now. So I went out on the deck and lit one up and started to choke. Didn't feel well & called my husband to say I couldn't celebrate our anniversary like we had planned. I went to bed with about 6 pillows to support me bcuz I couldn't lay down from choking. I spent the night like that - texted myself out of work the next morning and my husband insisted that I go to the hospital. Being pig headed I argued and then 3 hrs later said I would go but needed to take a shower first - vanity b4 health. Well, I didn't know that my oxygen level was basically depleted and when I stepped into the nice hot shower I suffocated - or respirtory failure as the paperwork read. The most horrible feeling ever - I grabbed the shower curtain and walls. Lucky for me my husband and daughter were right there bcuz they knew how bad I was (my son stayed in another room) - I literally watched as they faded from my sight. Next thing I know I am in the ER with tubes down my throat, IV's in both arms like I am was pincushion. I spent 14 days in that hospital and 2 months later another 5 days. I have Emphysema and COPD. My lungs are at 49% total capacity. I cannot get better but if I continue all my meds, breathing treatments, inhalers, oxygen 24/7 I may maintain my current status or may not. But let me tell you...Spring - pollen kills me - Summer heat and humidity - not a good mixture for me - Fall - pollen once again - Winter - cold air takes the wind right out of my lungs that actually hurts.

So, please do yourself a huge favor now and get a prescription for a pill, patch or whatever. Just stop and don't be so stupid as I was - I wish I could have suffocated years ago and perhaps I wouldn't be in this situation today. It is not a good place to be. I still miss my Dad every single day - still go to pick up the phone to call him and realize that he's gone. The cigarettes weren't going to bring my Dad back to me. The cigarettes aren't going to take away any sadness I feel. The cigarettes aren't going to make any problems go away. Smokers will smoke bcuz we are happy, sad, nervous, excited - pls just stop bcuz they will hurt you.

kirstyfromscotland

I will have been quit for 6 wks Tuesday. And I am on Chantix. Works wonderful. Downsides: make me nauseous, so I only take the night dose.

The suicide ideation risks with Chantix are no joke. Make sure you talk to your doctor if you start getting sudden urges to like...jump off a bridge or shoot someone or something. Chantix is great for some people, but due to how it effects the brain it can really cause some serious psychotic/suicidal episodes in others.

i used this last year but ended up smoking 6 weeks later, i found it was very good at stopping me wanting to have a smoke. I didnt feel suicidal atall but i have heard bad stories too.

sarah_ep

I will have been quit for 6 wks Tuesday. And I am on Chantix. Works wonderful. Downsides: make me nauseous, so I only take the night dose. I have gained weight but not sure if from not smoking or Chantix. Either way, thats why I joined here to curb any weight gain and maybe lose a little. I have smoked for 7.5 years and quit so many times it laughable. I don't go public anymore b/c everyone has seen me quit a million times. You just have to be ready to quit, you really can do it. You have to have willpower, you can control any action you make, just takes a little discipline....and maybe some medication lol! Good luck:)

I used Chantix as well and it worked for me. I didn't even have to use the whole program.

Secondly, I noted that someone said you should make it public that you are quitting. I did the OPPOSITE. Making it public made it worse the times I tried to quit before because then everyone kept asking me about - which made me THINK about it - which make me CRAVE. Keeping it to myself and then telling everyone I love it had been 3 months since I had a cig (they knew I had been cutting down) was a great feeling and a huge surprise for everyone.

yyzdnl

Vaping is where it's at. All the pleasure without the health issues. Get a good E-cig not the crap they sell at the mall. There are allot of good onliine retailers.

Check out ECF the E-Cigarette Forum.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum

I like LiteCigUSA good prices & service.
http://www.litecigusa.net

irenerose25

I am in the same boat as everyone else. When you decide to quit OP let me know. Maybe we can all do this together.

s35keith

First of all, the "I'm trying to get my weight under control before I quit" story is an excuse. Stop making excuses and quit the nasty habit. Save some $ and feel better. I'm trying not to preach but I've been there and I always said quitting was easy I'd done it hundreds of times over the 20+ years that I smoked.
Well, 8 months ago I quit smoking (because I really wanted to) and started eating and that's how I ended up here. I decided to make another lifestyle change and get in shape (down almost 40 lbs since Feb). Just remember that losing weight and getting in shape is a lifestyle change just like quitting smoking is. This may seem like a monumental task quitting and getting in shape but stop making excuses and do it!!

Please, please stop making excuses and quit today. Losing weight and getting in shape will seem sooo much easier after getting rid of the smokes! If I can do it anyone can!! Good luck to you all and never give up!

scapez

Im a smoker too =/ I really want to quit for my health but I just have serious issues with stopping =(

This is me. :grumble: I've been on and off for SO long now. I'm going to try tomorrow again, didn't buy any cigs today and only have a few left for the night.

scapez

I don't go public anymore b/c everyone has seen me quit a million times.

I can SO relate! I've turned into a sneaky closet smoker.

kshepherds

I smoked for 14 years, quit for a year then started again... I quit smoking about 5 months ago when I started my new way of living.. I'm an all or nothing person.. Plus my lungs couldn't handle the work outs that I was doing. It's just starting to get better now (cardio)

Tereztaylor07

My husband also used Chantix to quit smoking and he swears it is a miracle. There are some pretty heavy warnings that go with it, and I watched him like a hawk the whole time, but he had smoked almost 20 years and he said it made quitting VERY easy. He will be smoke free for a year in July. Some employers help with the cost of the prescription since it cuts down on health insurance costs later.

millerll

Vaping is where it's at. All the pleasure without the health issues. Get a good E-cig not the crap they sell at the mall. There are allot of good onliine retailers.

Check out ECF the E-Cigarette Forum.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum

I like LiteCigUSA good prices & service.
http://www.litecigusa.net

I completely second this! I too quit with an ecig. It's soooo important to get a good one. The ones at the mall and the convenience store are lousy. Check out the forum above for recommendations for a good starter kit. Most can be had for around $50. And you can buy the nicotine liquid in different strengths - you can start out with high and gradually wean yourself down to medium, low, then none if you wish. And it comes in hundreds of flavors - everything from traditional tobacco flavors to fruity, desserts, you name it.

I have no financial interest in this model, but I will say that many people start out with a Joye 510 model. It gives excellent vapor, taste and performance. Another good one is the Joye eGo model. Do some research and get one - you still get your nicotine without all the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. You can work on the nicotine addiction later. Get off the smoke first and your health will improve quickly. I know from personal experience. Good luck!

heatherdoll40

I quit 3-4 years ago. I had want to real bad. I have three kids, I quit for each of them. The last one I was going to stay quit. It didn't work out likw that if you wanted to be in a coversation that was adult in nature you needed to be where the adults were, smoking on the mud porch. All that smoke filled my lungs I still didn't smoke but when we moved to our own place something was missing. I found some cigs in an old jacket of mine, unopened ready for me just a little I told myself. There I was hooked again.

The last time I quit and this is for good, I started to make changes to my habbit. No smoking in the car. go outside to smoke after a meal. Had to be somewhere where I could wash my hands after smoking. wiggle my foot hard when upset, instead of lighting up. All the changes helped me when it was time...Hubby suffered a bout of bronchitis he couldn't smoke and made the declaration" WE ARE QUITTING" I quit. he happily puffed cigars and pronouced how easy quitting was"you haven't quit yet dear your still smoking", ahhh but I'm not inhaling. evetually he went back to cigarettes but now smokes outside, and wishes he quit when he made his profound pronouncement.

laurad1406

I've noted some people commenting about my saying to go public with quitting....obviously I guess some things work better for different people. If you were able to do it alone, you're definitely stronger than I am. But when I would be out at the bar and a friend would ask me to go smoke with them...I found it a lot easier to say "yes" if I hadn't told anyone I was trying to quit. I've tried to quit before and had told people, and even when it was obvious I had failed I didn't feel stupid- this was my habit to conquer, not theirs. but now my friends are so proud of me, I have certain friends that every time they see me they'll ask how I'm doing with the smoking, when I say I'm at 6 months they are so excited and proud of me. For me it was about other people knowing to help hold me accountable. Otherwise it was way too easy to make excuses and try to "sneak" a cigarette.

robynham84

Im a smoker too! I really need to quit also! I have tried before with little success but I am planning on trying again as soon as I get the weight loss thing down!

thumper44

I smoked for 25 years. Since the age of 17 or so. I always played hockey and baseball, so in my mind I thought I was staying healthy, enough though I smoked (Yep, I was lying to myself)
All those reasons that smokers state.. I can't quit until this happens.. I can't quit because of xx party coming up in xx weeks.
I can't quit until after xx gets married. We have heard them all.

Smokers will make excuses. I was one. I know.

I smoked a pack a day - 1 1/2 packs on the weekend if I was drinking.
I smoked in my house, beside the computer. The cigarette would burn away as I played poker, and then when you won or lost a hand, I would have to light up another cigarette.

At work, I went out for a smoke break and 1 cigarette didn't seem like it satisfied me enough, so I would cram 2 cigarettes in 10 min smoke break. I had a 15-20 min drive to work, and could easily have 3 smokes in that time.

I quit previously years ago for 3 months, and I thought I had control.......
A lot of us go through this same scenario, since we are "non smokers" and are in control.
I would have a drag, I would share a cigarette. Then I would have 1/2 a cigarette.
Then borrow a cigarette from someone, then you were buying a pack.
or has some have said, their spouse still smokes, so it's in the house. (That make it very tough for those people)

I quit Feb 14th, 2011 using champix - I only had very visual dreams.
- I used a straw(cut to size of a smoke) to suck in air. I'm sure this is a cheap version of the electronic cigarette
- I also used gum for the first little while.
- I still get tempted, but I know I can not have one drag. Just like an alcoholic can not have one sip.

Cigarette smoke DOES NOT smell good.
Before, I thought it smelled ok as a smoker. I sat in a house when smoking, heck I sat in my washroom or a car and have had a smoke
After - I can smell someone smoking 20 feet away. I'll be jogging down the street, and I can tell someone is having a cigarette at the front of their house. I can't go into the house of one my friends. He still smokes in his house. I refused to sit in a house full of second hand smoke even though I did it to myself for years.

Last year I was down 35 lbs, but could not jog very far because I was still a smoker.
This year. I gained back 20 lbs(before I quit smoking), and I find I can jog easier and breath easier .
I now walk/jog 8kms in an hour several times a week

If you are serious about smoking. download and read this e-book.
http://whyquit.com/NTAP_large_print_212_pages.pdf
There is a lot of information on this website as well http://www.whyquit.com

kgool

I will be 40 next month and had smoked off and on (mostly on) since I was 17. Then I had a stroke 2.5 years ago. I am also a single father and sole dependable provider for my son. Even after the stroke scare I smoked for over 2.5 years and it was one of my favorite things. I really only smoked when I got up in the morning, after meals, and before I went to be, oh and most times I could in between.

I quit for good on May 4th using the patch for the umpteenth time. I did 3 weeks of the patch and am cold turkey now, but have gum for emergencies though I have yet to use it. What did it for me was the 40 y/o milestone and more importantly being healthy. For me, I realized that I would never be able to hit my fitness goals while smoking it was just too harmful to my blood pressure and lung capacity. It has made a huge difference and I thought I would never be able to do it. I was one of those people on oxygen sneaking out of the hospital to smoke as soon as they would let me walk. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, that is for sure. I am not going to preach, because all the things I did this time had failed for me before. Good luck everyone who tries to quit.