Quit Smoking

mallie233

I'm (trying to be an ex) smoker. It wasn't until I started exercising that I actually started to realize just exactly what it is doing to my lungs. I've smoked for years, I know just how horrible it is, but the proof was never right there in front of me. I quit when I was pregnant with my son but started back up just as quick as I could after he was born. I have always enjoyed it. But since I have started running I've realized, hey, I really like this! So obviously I have to kick the habit for good and then I get to replace it with something else I enjoy. I'm sure I can't be the only one facing this hurdle.

How did you finally overcome it? (I don't mean gum, patch, etc-- just mentally)
How did you cut down? (Obviously you wouldn't smoke right before you exercised, but would you right after?)
How quickly did you notice an improvement afterwards? (I know everyone will be different because some have smoked longer than other, if it matters, I'm on year 11 here)
How long did it take?

Or anything tip/comment you would like to share

I know that many people quit for many reasons, but this is a whole different animal to me. It's that, you have to, or you can't do pretty much any sort of fitness very well. I feel like this is the inspiration I need.

billsica

How did you finally overcome it? (I don't mean gum, patch, etc-- just mentally)
Tried the patch 3 times and failed. I quit cold turkey the last time.

How did you cut down? (Obviously you wouldn't smoke right before you exercised, but would you right after?)
I couldn't smoke after a run, tasted horrible, and I sucked to hard

How quickly did you notice an improvement afterwards? (I know everyone will be different because some have smoked longer than other, if it matters, I'm on year 11 here) I guess I smoked for 12 years. .. was within a month

How long did it take? 1 day.. could be today. you just have to really WANT it. I never wanted to quit before then.

witheredorchid

The gum really is how I mentally beat it. Any time I would normally smoke...driving..after eating...when I'm stressed I just pop a piece of gum. I didn't gain any weight (in fact I've lost 61 lbs since I've quite). The only problem....I'm now addicted to the gum. It's a horrible cycle but I'm working with the smoking cessation lady at my work and trying to figure something out. The biggest thing that helped me was getting away from all the smokers in my life. If I saw them light up I would want to.

Helice

i found it was the other way round.
when i smoked if i exercised i was fine.
i could exercise for hours at a time, and aslong as i had a *kitten* before and a *kitten* after i was great.
but now i cant exercise for liek 10 minutes without getting heart pains and choking.
Cigarettes really helped open up my lungs so i could give more.

Um i only smoked for 4 years, but in fairness i am only 18 now, and i smoked about 40 *kitten* a day.
My inspiration for quitting was that my bf refused to be with someone who smoked. so it was him or the *kitten*..
and i just quit cold turkey, and it was incredibly hard. i still wanted a *kitten* all the time, every second of every day for a year i just wanted to smoke.
so one day i had one and it relieved alot, and that helped me for ages.
and even though now 2 years after quitting, i still want a *kitten* right now, and i still needs them after meals..
but you know whatever i just have a cup of tea instead.

circuitsix

Cravings did not stop until almost two months after quitting, every time I wanted on I would tell myself to wait ten minutes before having one. By the time the ten minutes were up I would realize that I did not really need one and I was letting my cravings get to me. If things got really bad I would eat a piece of grapefruit as it was bitter and I could chew on the skin for a while (doctor told me to do this) and it also helped.

If you keep doing cardio you will never want to smoke again, good luck to you!

mermx

I smoked for at least 25 years (gave up for 7 years once)..and I know you have said you are not asking for gum patches, but I gave up 4 years ago and I used an electronic cigaretter..this gave me the nicotine and smoke type thing...but none of the tar, and all the other bad stuff. I tried gum, yuk, I tried patches made me dizzy/sick.

There is a lady lives in the apartment above me who is around 78 she gave up last year after I put her onto the electronic cigarette...so maybe it is another option for you.

Other comments :- feel great, no shortness of breath, no smelly breath/clothes, saved loads of money...could go on with the list forever lol!

betzeross

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for yourself. I smoked for 28 years but finally quit in 2004. The thing I would repeat to myself while quitting was "the urge to have a cigarette will pass whether or have one or not". It is true. Eventually the urge gets less intense and after awhile you realize "hey! I haven't thought about a cigarette for 3 hours!" and it just gets further apart as you continue. I pray that you are able to give it up and move onto healthier choices for your body. Thinking about my daughter was helpful to me also. I kept thinking that I didn't want to die and leave her here without me. Please feel free to add me as a friend. I will do what I can to support and encourage on quitting smoking and losing weight too. Best wishes!!

mallie233

i found it was the other way round.
when i smoked if i exercised i was fine.
i could exercise for hours at a time, and aslong as i had a *kitten* before and a *kitten* after i was great.
but now i cant exercise for liek 10 minutes without getting heart pains and choking.
Cigarettes really helped open up my lungs so i could give more.

You know, I get that feeling. I know it's probably anxiety, but I feel like I just can't breathe if I don't smoke. As soon as I start one, it's so much easier for me to breathe! (But obviously with the running around, I can tell that it's psychological)

shawnscott5

I'm right here with you. I have been smoking since I was 15 and I am 39 now. It has been a love hate relationship with those damn things. I started using Chantix to help me. I am on my second day as a non-smoker. I am doing really well with it. If I feel the need to smoke I find something else to do. Breath thru it, tell yourself that you are stronger than that, and believe it. It is tough, but I am tougher. I found that excercising really helps. I also sprayed out my truck and put all the ashtrays that were outside, on the other side of the house. (I have 2 smokers that live with me)

Most important...tell yourself you are worth it and are better than that!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! :bigsmile:

debswebby

I quit (again) using Champix (Chantix in the US I think) Tomorrow will be my first day without the cigs and I'm really looking forward to it. The last time I quit I didn't think I felt any better but my husband always said that I wouldn't be able to do as much exercise as I do if I was still smoking. I didn't believe him. I started again and when it became a regular thing, boy did I feel it. I struggled through my workouts feeling like my chest was being crushed. Because of the way Champix works, I have cut down to 2 or 3 a day for the past week. My workouts have felt great. Just like they should.

dorkzcomic

I quit smoking a few months back and I went cold turkey. Every time I want a cigarette I either chew on a toothpick or drink a glass of water. I literally noticed stronger lungs a week after I stopped but I hadn't been smoking for more than a year or two. I still want a cigarette every now and again, but it's only when every one around me is having one.

You can do it dood, all it takes is will power!

nannabur4

I am in the SAME boat as you are! I quit smoking for 4 months. Not a lot of time but substantial to me. lol. I started smoking one stupid night I had a few too many cocktails and haven't put them down since. I just kept telling myself when I quit and really wanted one that I'd give myself 15 minutes and the urge would pass. Most of the time it did. I remember running on the treadmill with no difficulty breathing. It sure does make a HUGE difference in your endurance level. I now want to stop smoking but road block is that I LOVE it! Plus at work we can't smoke from 9am till 2 pm. I get moody and edgy when I can't have my fix, so that shows me how much control it has over me. I want NOTHING to control me! Maybe we can figure this out together?

mallie233

I smoked for at least 25 years (gave up for 7 years once)..and I know you have said you are not asking for gum patches, but I gave up 4 years ago and I used an electronic cigaretter..this gave me the nicotine and smoke type thing...but none of the tar, and all the other bad stuff. I tried gum, yuk, I tried patches made me dizzy/sick.

There is a lady lives in the apartment above me who is around 78 she gave up last year after I put her onto the electronic cigarette...so maybe it is another option for you.

Other comments :- feel great, no shortness of breath, no smelly breath/clothes, saved loads of money...could go on with the list forever lol!

Believe it or not, I did the e-cig for over a year! I was just absolutely obsessed. And it really did help me. I loooooved smoking banana every day. But then they would start to break down, and it was ordering part after part, etc. The company that I used (and loved) kind of went the way of the birds. I tried a bunch of other kinds and nothing really got me like those did. Then my best friend died a few months ago. I picked up the real thing and never put it back down.

CJK1959

First let me say congratulations on wanting to get aboard the quit train! I myself, was a smoker for 30 years before I quit. I had been toying with the idea of quitting for quite a while, but could never bring myself to completely do because I liked it....it had become who I was. I lived in Ohio at the time and it's pretty much against the law to smoke anywhere indoors, so at work, I would smoke on the way in and on the way home but not in between. One day, I just made up my mind that I was tired of my clothes smelling like smoke, spending the money on cigarettes, having nasty ashtrays laying about.....I just told myself that I was tired of it, and I wanted to quit! I did keep gum on hand (just regular gum) to keep my mouth busy...lol....but I truly think that you have to be ready and want it. I also think that just putting them down and telling yourself you're done is the best way...no cutting back, no "once in a while", no kidding yourself...it's an addiction and you have to cut it clean....if you want to beat it.
Good luck to you!

issimom

I have been a smug ex smoker now for 2 years!! over the years I tried every thing, and, to my shame, I smoked while pregnant.
I think you have to be mentally in the right frame of mind,I couldnt afford to smoke, I turned off the tv adverts with those kids inhaling,#
kidded my self I enjoyed *kitten*, blah blah blah but still puffed away, One day I woke up and decided to call a hypnotist because I had heard good reports about
this one. The thing that really did it for me was I was told by 2 people , they had no craving!!!! 2 years on and the smell makes me ill and I NEVERr had a craving. Infact, I have to say it was no big thing. I believe because I was ready to quit played a big part in making this an easy process for me.
good luck, Its well worth it, and I can now run with my daughter too!!!

BrendarB

I know exactly what you are talking about. I quit smoking about a year and a half ago and let's be clear - IT SUCKED. I hated quitting, I loved smoking, still love smoking, I see someone smoking and I want to run over and push them down and take the smoke from them.
I ended up quitting for pretty much the same reason, I wanted to exercise better, I hated getting winded so quickly.
I would smoke right before the gym and light up as I was walking out the gym - yep, I was one of those that would smoke riding my bike.
Here are a couple of things I had issues with and a couple of things that helped me start out.

I'd been a smoker for 27 years so I knew it was going to be bad and I was going to be mean. Accept it - you will be mean, just tell everyone, they will understand. ( I wore a sign pinned to my shirt for the first couple of days as warning to others of the dangers of pissing me off)
DO NOT quit on a Monday, it is the worst possible day you can do it. I would recommend a Thursday or Friday so the major meaness and really bad cravings are done at home with support from your friends and family (I isolated myself for a day)
keep telling yourself, it will get better, this is just temporary, I really don't want to hurt people. Just stay with it - it took about 2 weeks for the major I'm going to hurt people for that smoke to go away and about a month before i could not glare at someone smoking and wishing it was me (I still do this on occasion by the way)
make sure you work out - this was a big saver for me. When I started to get that - it's 10 am and I should be going out for a smoke sensation, I would jump of the rowing machine (yep, got one at the office) or pull out my jumprope and do something for 1 or 2 minutes.
Know this - you will always be a smoker, you are just choosing not to smoke.
Do not have "just one", the "just one" leads to you buying a pack and wondering what the hell happened.
I can't emphasis - exercise was a life saver - it really did help.
Don't get into the habit of eating something to make up for the loss of the cig, I didn't realize I had gained 15 lbs by eating all those donuts and candy bars I was subbing until I snapped out of the fog.
Yes, you will feel like something is off, yep, you will sometimes feel lost and confused especially when the "timed" smoke happens - most of us are creatures of habit, I didn't need a 10 am smoke, but I got into the habit so at 10 I would always have one, didn't matter if I just finished one.
Know this - you are strong, you are making a decision to better your health, YOU CAN DO THIS, take it one minute at a time.
It is possible - just quit - you can do this.

If you want support of someone to b!tch to, hit me up and good luck!

GregT44

I started smoke just out of high school when I hired into fire dept. I smoked for nearly 24 years and enjoyed it. I tried quiting a few times but one thing I noticed different this year was, even though I enjoyed it, I wanted to quit it even more.
Yes I used chantix to help with the cravings, but I really wanted to stop. I smoked my last cigarette and haven't really thought about them since.
I had a cough for almost a month, clearing lungs out I guess. Been breathing better ever since.

YOU have to really want to stop smoking.

Good luck to you.... I know stopping or changing something you enjoy is hard.... If it wasn't, we woudn't need a website to help us be healthier.

tallteacher

How did you finally overcome it? (I don't mean gum, patch, etc-- just mentally)
*** The biggest thing for me was convincing myself that I wasn't a smoker that I believed I was. My parents were, all my friends were, and so was I. It was something that was part of my identity....I was a smoker. I had to convince myself that I was not a smoker, that it didn't define who I was.

How did you cut down? (Obviously you wouldn't smoke right before you exercised, but would you right after?)
*** I stopped going places that I knew would be problematic. I started hanging out at book stores at night instead of bars. I didn't place myself in situations that might cause me to indulge.

How quickly did you notice an improvement afterwards? (I know everyone will be different because some have smoked longer than other, if it matters, I'm on year 11 here)
*** I honestly don't remember - it's been a long time.

How long did it take?
***When I quit smoking years ago, I tried EVERYTHING. I tried dumping an ashtray in a jar of water and smelling it whenever I wanted a cig. I tried gum, lollipops, etc. I tried a rubber band on my wrist, which i snapped when I wanted a cig. Nothing worked. Nothing. I was actively 'quitting smoking" for over 2 years.

Finally, I saw a movie (this is going to sound so strange) and it was called "Dead Again." In it, Robin Williams tells a quitting smoker "You either ARE a smoker or ARE NOT a smoker. Pick one. Be that." So, from that moment on, every single time I wanted a cigarrette, I simply would take 10+ deep, cleansing breathes and say, "I am not a smoker" over and over each time. I've never had another cigarrette since. So, that method only took 1 day. It's like brainwashing yourself. Your mind has been told - with every single cig - "I am a smoker." You have to convince yourself "I am not a smoker."

Good luck!

Evermore1971

I quit a little over a year ago after smoking for 20 years. I was able to quit because I was ready to quit. I had other motivations as well, but mostly it was because it is what I wanted. I used the patch in the beginning to help with the cravings. They did help me. After I was done with the 3 step process of the patch I still had issues with anxiety and wanted to smoke, so I talked to my doctor. She gave me an anti depressant / anti anxiety drug called Welbutrin. It helped a lot!! After two months I came off the Welbutrin and I have never looked back. I did have issues with weight gain, however. I am addressing that now. I had to fight one battle at a time and quitting smoking was my first priority.

Now, when people ask me if I think about smoking again, I can honestly tell them, "no". I used to enjoy smoking. I now enjoy not smoking. And in the last 6 months, I have lost all the weight I gained and I am working on reaching my goal.

You can do it!

clioandboy

I gave up over 4 years ago and haven't regretted it for one moment. The immediate stuff for me was to change my routine completely i gave up my coffee too (I started that back up after about 3 months) I didn't have lazy mornings in bed, I got up and out, I also cut out alcohol for a while again about 3 months. And one thing that really really helped was to convince myself that I loved the angsty feeling in my throat and chest.... Weird I know but yep I decided to kid myself that I loved it!!! The Alan Carr book (dunno if I've got the name wrong he's a comedian in the uk) is apparently fab. I drank lots of water and just kept telling myself how much I was saving, how my coughing was going to stop, how I wasn't going to be dictated to by a habit and that I didn't want to stink any more IT DOES STINK!
I was very....... Irritable (demon ***** troll from hell) but that might be me anyway

I started smoking as a young adolescent and gave up at 41 I now cycle run swim and get my hits that way instead of thru a *kitten*, I liked smoking but I didn't like EVERY *kitten* there were loads that were habit pure and simple. I don't have to go out in the snow to smoke, or order my life around THAT habit.... My exercising does get intrusive though - as an aside I have not found a solution yet but a thought for you...... I removed cigarettes that I used as an emotional crutch somehow, I removed overeating that I used as an emotional crutch somehow- when I am injured and can't exercise I am flaky emotionally, it is true. But one thing that I am amazed and quite proud of is that I am regularly with smokers, I occasionally get drunk with smokers and I have never had a *kitten* or even wanted one even when drunk!!!!! Weird that but good. Good luck just do it and see your health go into the ascendency yay!!!!

saw12183

I found that it was hard to exercise after quitting, when I quit a few years ago for 3 months. I haven't tried since because I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen again and I want to exercise and be able to breathe. My husband and I are going to try to quit this week, so hopefully everything goes ok this time around. I heard somewhere that it takes a few months for your lungs to heal and start functioning normal again, but I don't know if that's true or if it's just a psychological thing.

Elizabeth_C34

I'm (trying to be an ex) smoker. It wasn't until I started exercising that I actually started to realize just exactly what it is doing to my lungs. I've smoked for years, I know just how horrible it is, but the proof was never right there in front of me. I quit when I was pregnant with my son but started back up just as quick as I could after he was born. I have always enjoyed it. But since I have started running I've realized, hey, I really like this! So obviously I have to kick the habit for good and then I get to replace it with something else I enjoy. I'm sure I can't be the only one facing this hurdle.

How did you finally overcome it? (I don't mean gum, patch, etc-- just mentally)
How did you cut down? (Obviously you wouldn't smoke right before you exercised, but would you right after?)
How quickly did you notice an improvement afterwards? (I know everyone will be different because some have smoked longer than other, if it matters, I'm on year 11 here)
How long did it take?

Or anything tip/comment you would like to share

I know that many people quit for many reasons, but this is a whole different animal to me. It's that, you have to, or you can't do pretty much any sort of fitness very well. I feel like this is the inspiration I need.

I just wanted to wish you all the best.

I buried my gradmother, a woman I loved dearly, from lung cancer that utterly destroyed her before it killed her in March of this year. She died in excruciating pain and was nothing but a shell of the strong lovely wonderful person she was before. She had smoked her whole life, and the type of lung cancer she got was nearly exclusively caused by smoking. She was the youngest of 8 siblings, 3 of whom died from various forms of smoking-related cancers. In only 3 months, the cancer had spread from a small lump in her lung to a tumor the size of a baseball in her liver, another two tumors the size of golf balls in both lungs, a golf ball sized tumor on her spine, and another small one on her ribcage. By the time they caught it, chemo and radiation was not an option. Less than a week later, she was dead. When she died, she weighed only 89 lbs, had not eaten in a week, was bright yellow from liver and kidney failure, and was delusional and had no idea who anyone around her was. Her back was so weak that standing risked literally shattering her back bones from the damage and pressure caused by the spinal tumor. She was on a morphine pump just to keep the pain tolerable. I stayed with her in the hospital nearly every night, and as she lay there terrified and in pain, she told me she was sorry that she was putting me through this and sorry she wouldn't be there to see my children born. The knowledge that she had done this to herself ate her up as much as the cancer did, and we were all powerless to help her. She was a wonderful an amazing woman who lived an incedible life.

I miss her every single day. Lung cancer is a horrific disease, and it breaks my heart that most cases are preventable.

Find a way to get off the cigarettes and be there for your son. Live the best quality life you can.

DeviantDarkwolf2

I found that it was hard to exercise after quitting, when I quit a few years ago for 3 months. I haven't tried since because I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen again and I want to exercise and be able to breathe. My husband and I are going to try to quit this week, so hopefully everything goes ok this time around. I heard somewhere that it takes a few months for your lungs to heal and start functioning normal again, but I don't know if that's true or if it's just a psychological thing.

Me and my partner are also looking at quitting this week tomorrow in fact. I have the same fear as you that it will mess with my head and stop me from exercising. Ultimately smoking is a drug addiction and we are all addicts as bad as the druggies. This is one thing that has really made me want to quit. I want to be a healthy fit individual and reach my peak and I know this won't happen if I continue to smoke. I read the Allen Carr book "Easy way to stop smoking" the way he puts things is fantastic and makes you really think logically I highly recommend it to any smoker.

bada_bing

Was looking for a thread when I came across this one.

I have been quit for 7 months now! I was able to quit using Champix (Canada) and an online forum filled with people who are quitting smoking. It has been a lifeline...just like MFP can be to dieters. If you want to look around, it can be found at http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-quitsmoking. I found that reading all the information and the true stories of many people really made me realize that this is my last quit, I am done (finally after 40+ years) and I will not let another poison stick touch my lips again. Knowledge is power I found! It is all about changing your mental thoughts (withdrawal only takes 72 hours), it is a mental thing after that!

I have gained a few pounds (which I expected) and naturally, being post meno, it is not as easy to drop the pounds as when I was younger. But hopefully perseverance will pay off because I know that smoking will not make me any thinner, it will only make my life shorter!

And yes exercise is easier...I don't feel my lungs wanted to jump out of my chest when I exercise hard and fast!

Donna

Cait_Sidhe

How did you finally overcome it? (I don't mean gum, patch, etc-- just mentally)
I'm not really sure. I was definitely ready. I never actually thought I could though. I think I'm prouder of myself for quitting smoking than anything else. I knew I could lose weight. I didn't think I could quit. I really didn't think I was capable.

I was my mother's live in caretaker as she died of lung cancer. She never smoked. I tried quitting when I was caring for her, but I just couldn't. I went a week and the stress was just too overwhelming. I no longer enjoyed it. I resented and hated cigarettes. But I couldn't stop.

How did you cut down? (Obviously you wouldn't smoke right before you exercised, but would you right after?)
Electronic cigarette. I bought a cheap one at 7eleven. The day I bought the E-Cig was my last real cigarette. The E-Cig is kind of nasty though, so I don't enjoy it. At this point (a little over 2 months) I'm almost completely weaned off it. I use it once or twice a day. Once this set of refills runs out, I'll likely not buy more.
And yes, I always had a cigarette before exercising. It was a way to psyche myself into doing it. I always had one after too as a stress reliever. I really miss the after part still.

How quickly did you notice an improvement afterwards? (I know everyone will be different because some have smoked longer than other, if it matters, I'm on year 11 here)
I've been smoking for 26 years. I honestly don't notice any improvement yet. I get horribly out of breath when running and my lungs feel like they're on fire. I'm doing C25K, and sometimes I just don't feel I have the lung capacity.

How long did it take?
For? Like I said, I haven't had a cigarette for over 2 months. I think I'll always want one though.

thetiwi1890

How did you finally overcome it?
I knew I wanted to do it so I stuck with it.

How did you cut down?
Cold Turkey baby! No point replacing one addiction with a weaker one.

How quickly did you notice an improvement afterwards?
Maybe 2-3 weeks into it and a continuing improvement ever since

How long did it take?
It only takes one day sweetie.

Or anything tip/comment you would like to share
I used to smoke on several occasions during the day:

1. Getting up
2. After EVERY meal
3. Breaks and Lunch
4. With my smoker friends
5. Socialising with friends every evening
6. With coffee, biscuits
7. When drinking
8. All during the evening

What I did was make sure I stopped associating these acts with smoking. Very hard to do, but if you want to give up you'll do it!!

BEST OF LUCK!!!