Need advice from ex smokers

LisaLashesxx

Anyone got some good advice? I know I should quit smoking (and it has been the worst 53 hours of my life so far) and I have decided to do it. Lots of problems, though. I love smoking! I don't want to quit. I'm doing it because I'm tired of being stinky and being short of breath and I want to see my kids get married, etc., but it's so hard! I'm being a total crabby *****. How long till I start feeling normal again?! Other advice?

Hi there and well done for making the decision to quit. You have to be 100 percent sure that you want to. My son cried one night and told me how 3 of his school friends in his year group had lost a mum or dad to smoking related illness in less than 6 months. Kids need their parents, I gave up there and then...cold turkey.

That was Halloween last year and I have never looked back.

Good luck, here for suport, add me.xx

gungho66

I have been smoke free for 3 years now, I used to smoke close to 3 packs a day. One day i got a flyer in the mail for a smoking cessation program from my insurance company , it was for cold laser therapy. I went once ,paid 200 dollars , was reimbursed and havent touched a cigarette since the day i left there. I smoked my last one just before walking in the door that day and was skeptical as all hell , but it worked for me. good luck, i dont miss them one bit , best decision i ever made.

DataBased

I would address the reasons you believe you love smoking. When you confront that, and realize that smoking does not give you anything positive, you won't want to do it anymore. If you believe smoking contributes something positive to your life, you will smoke. In truth, smoking does not (1) calm your nerves, (2) make you cool, (3) increase your health, (4) help you get fit, (5) make you happy. Quite the contrary! Smoking increases your anxiety because it makes you crave smoking more, it is definitely NOT socially acceptable so your cool factor takes a huge hit, you become less healthy, out of breath, and removed from the things and people you want most to be around.

I would find a community like MFP that is geared toward support for smoking cessation. I strongly recommend QuitNet.com. Great people lurk there, waiting to help you through cravings.

If you give yourself the option - if you believe that there is a cigarette waiting for you after XXX period of time - you will drive yourself nucking futz. If you tell yourself firmly - we do not DO that anymore - and speak to your inner junkie like a child throwing a temper tantrum - you can and will overcome cravings and keep your quit. Because really - that's all it is. Your inner junkie (and you ARE addicted) is a spoiled child who is used to getting what it wants by throwing a tantrum.

Best of luck!

determinedbutlazy

I loved smoking, but when I started C25K I found I couldn't smoke and run properly, so I "had" to quit.
Maybe try aiming to run a 5k or 10k and starting a running program to make quitting PART of a greater goal?
I quit in January but I have smoked TWICE since then... Both times made my running harder the next day so I've learned now

srp2011

Talking as an ex smoker (so don't stone me!). But you can walk around like a grumpy bear growling and snarling at everything coming your way, feeling sorry for yourself and feel every ounce of how hard it is to stop until you've convinced yourself you are better off smoking anyway, at least until next week or next month... Or you can pull yourself together, grit on your teeth and know that the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal lasts for only a very short time and it really is mind over matter. Feel the freedom after every hour that you have gone longer and longer without a smoke. Fill your day with many other things so that you are not focused on the non-smoking so much.

Within a couple of weeks you will be feeling fabulous. It really is as easy as making that decision with no option to return, and realising that your mindset is your choice. Best of luck, I really hope you succeed. If only I could bottle the relief and freedom that comes as a non-smoker and give you some, you'll be dancing through this, knowing it is so very much worth it!

^^^^This!!! It's a choice - you can be miserable, or you can be happy right away, it's totally up to you. And I highly recommend Allen Carr's book - basically, by the end of it you don't love smoking anymore - it gets you in the right mindset and by the end of reading it you don't ever want to pick up a cigarette again. The physically uncomfortable part of the withdrawal only lasts 3-5 days, so if you have stuck it out this long, don't turn to a nicotine delivery device - you're almost over the physically hard part, and using a patch or e-cig will just renew the physical addiction - avoid it if you at all can (but if you can't, then try them, you'll draw out the process, but at least it gets you away from the other toxins).

Try drinking lots of ice water, eating oranges (for some reason this helps), and try substituting exercise for smoking - you'll really notice how much better you feel and it also helps to relieve that stressed feeling. And write down all the positives about being a non-smoker, and look at that list whenever you have thoughts about loving smoking - there's nothing to love about it, it's the addicition talking. Would you love putting your nose up to your car's exhaust and taking a big whiff? Because that's really what you're doing - smoking is totally gross if you think about it in any depth - we're just tricked into thinking we love it because of the nicotine addiction. It's an addict's rationalization. It's more powerful than a heroin addiction (though thankfully the physical withdrawal is not as devastating).

Congrats on making it this far and good luck! You CAN do it!

2Bgoddess

"I don't want to quit!" >>that's the problem. If you are not ready to do something, you won't be successful. No matter how much you know you should do it, no matter what pressure there is on you for it, if you don't fully WANT it, it won't happen. Figure out what will make you want it bad enough.

Edited to add, yes, I used to smoke for many years. tried to quit many times. When i really wanted to badly enough, I did. and NEVER EVER EVER slip up and have just one, cuz that will be your downfall. all or nothing, when it comes to smoking/quitting.

Mmmporkrinds

I also recommend Allan Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking. (or Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently - same ideas, just longer I think). I stopped nine years ago using this book and absolutely enjoyed the experience of stopping. I felt able to easily and happily walk away from smoking after reading it.

eventualrainbow

Congratulations on quitting smoking! I have been smoke free for 7 weeks now and still definitely have the cravings. However, it WILL get easier with time! I know you've probably heard that 1,000 times but it's absolutely true. Snack on fruits and veggies when you get a craving, use suckers, gum, mints, and just about anything else to take your mind off of smoking... just make sure it's sugar-free. You don't want to add a bunch of needless calories, because then you will start gaining weight. Also, have you tried nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)? That may really help you even further... I know it helped me. :happy:

FrozenTundra511

Anyone got some good advice? I know I should quit smoking (and it has been the worst 53 hours of my life so far) and I have decided to do it. Lots of problems, though. I love smoking! I don't want to quit. I'm doing it because I'm tired of being stinky and being short of breath and I want to see my kids get married, etc., but it's so hard! I'm being a total crabby *****. How long till I start feeling normal again?! Other advice?

I quit smoking almost 5 years ago with Chantix.
It isn't for everyone but it worked for me.
However, it takes time to get your breath back. I would highly recommend a physical and get your lungs checked with an X-Ray. As someone who is short of breath and trying to quit smoking, your doc should have no problem with this request.

I try to walk most days.....or bike, weather permitting.......
It will take time.
Good luck.

coreykantola

CONGRATULATIONS ! It is hard to quit. I tried at least 100 times. Every day is a stuggle but it gets easier. Once you are fre you feel like a million dollars. Exercise is easier and more fun. You wont stink.


Good luck stick with it you can do it.

cruiser3004

www.whyquit.com

Understanding your addiction is the key to beating it..

It work for me. One & a half years without a puff and never again.

PS. You dont love smoking, youre addiction makes you think you do. Youre nicotine addiction is evil and is trying to kill you!!

CookieCrumble

Have you read Allan Carr's book "The Easyway to Quit Smoking"? If not, you should. That book, and the website www.quitnet.com were the best resources that I used to quit smoking over two years ago. I was a very heavy smoker for 50 years and quit cold turkey using just those two things.

I also loved to smoke, but like you I hated the way it made you smell and how hard it was to breathe. Until you have been quit for about six months you won't really know just how bad it does smell, you only think you know.
:

This ^^^^. Get the book, it's really excellent and will help you to understand all you need to know and keep you strong if you have the willpower and want to be smoke-free. People talk of 'cravings'; I don't agree that they are actual cravings - I'd say that they're more 'fleeting thoughts' of smoking and are over in seconds. The talk of cravings is, I think, what makes some smokers scared to quit.

You can do this - do it whilst you have no ill affects because you'll kick yourself afterwards. Best of luck - get the Allan Carr book. I've been an ex-smoker for five years now, never looked back and don't villify smokers either - I just won't be one of them ever again.

LauraMyny

Congratulations on quitting and I wish you hte best of luck, I quit just over 2 years ago.

Best advice I can give you is

take 1 day at a time, if you didn't smoke for 24 hours, hold on to that fact, if you made it 24 hours, you can make it another 24 hours. Don't count how many days you have quit for, just focus on the next 24 hours.

Write down your reason for quitting, every time you have the desire to smoke, write them down again and again and again, you have to keep you reasons for quitting and the forefront of your mind constantly

Avoid all situations that "you" know will lead to stress, easier said than done but stress will trigger the desire so do your best
to reduce it.

No alcohol!

Exactly what he said!!!!! The first 2 weeks were super hard for me. I quit about 6 1/2 months ago and I feel sooooooo great and I can run!! I stayed away from drinking for a good month because I knew I couldnt drink without smoking. Hang in there. Its soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worth it! My advice is to stay busy busy busy. whenever you want to smoke, do something. Wipe down the counters, paint your nails, walk the dog....just DO something to keep busy

DonnaLRB

I LOVED to smoke! I started playing around with cigarettes before I was 10 years old. The most trouble I ever got in growing up always involved cigarettes. I was grounded over them more times than I can count. As an adult, I smoked around anyone and everyone. I smoked inside before I got married, in the bathroom while I was doing my hair and makeup. I smoked when I had strep throat. After I got married, I smoked outside. I smoked when it was miserably hot outside, I smoked when it was miserably cold outside. I knew it was harmful, expensive, and unattractive, and I tried to quit over and over and over. I always went back. Because the truth was, I loved to smoke. I really couldn't begin to imagine myself as a nonsmoker.

When I turned 40, I finally got serious. I had been saying I was going to quit for more than 20 years. I had tried everything: cold turkey, subliminal tapes, cinnamon sticks, nicotine gum, nicotine patches, smoking cessation programs through work, drops that made the cigarettes taste awful, etc., etc., etc. When was I going to follow through? I went to my doctor and she prescribed Zyban (Wellbutrin), and the Nicotrol Inhalers. I'm not sure how much the Zyban helped, probably a lot, but the inhalers were what got me past the rough spots. I probably carried one around in my purse for over a year. When I was tempted, I could pull one out and satisfy that hand to mouth compulsion. I NEVER took even one drag off of a cigarette because I knew that if I did, I would be right back at it, AGAIN!

Time passed. I just kept adding one hour to the next, one day to the previous one, one day at a time. The hours turned into days, the days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, AND THE MONTHS TURNED INTO YEARS. It has now been 11 1/2 years of those one days! I am completely grossed out by the smell of cigarettes, when at first I used to hang out around smokers just to smell them. I am a nonsmoker. Believe it or not, when I look back on myself as a smoker, I can't imagine it!

Did I mention that I prayed? A lot!!

You can do it, too. Just keep adding those one days, one on top of the other.

Happyguy

I quit a 4 pack a day habit after 30 years. That was 14 years ago. I used the patches and stayed on them twice as long as they say to. When the cravings got so bad I knew I was going to crack I would tell myself "OK you can have a cigarette, but you have to wash the dishes first." Or, "OK you can have a cigarette, but you have to mow the lawn first." By the time I got done with what ever chore I assigned myself the craving would be gone. Sometimes I even had dreams about smoking.

I later learned that the intense cravings only last something like three minutes or less so if you can just find a way to distract yourself for a few minutes you'll forget about them. As you progress the cravings will be less and less frequent and less and less intense.

In the beginning the hardest days seem to be the odd ones. Day 3,5,and 7 seemed to be particularly difficult.

You can do it! Hang in there!

JonathansMom0910

I quit smoking in August because I had a Pulmonary Embolism. It was very hard especially since my hubby stills smokes. I was told if I wanted to live I had to quit. The emboli was so severe the vascular surgeon said my lungs will never be the same.

1 thing I did was use the patches for the first 3 weeks and I changed mine when I got up in the am.
2nd thing I did was change my routines. I associated my morning coffee with a cigarette. So I switched to having something different 1st thing in the am for a couple mos.
3rd thing I did was found something with a pungent flavor to replace the cigs with. My thing was good n plenty since black licorice is a strong flavor.
4th thing I did was to shove a fruity piece of gum in my mouth or brush my teeth after I ate to replace the habit of smoking.

I had to edit or delete behaviors that I associated with a cig. For instance, for the first couple mos I didn't have any alcohol either. Not that I drink much, but even 1 beer made me want a smoke. I stayed away form other smokers for the first couple mos other than my hubby.

I still crave one once in a while, but I feel so much better and my lungs have improved so much that the craving isn't intolerable. I also like the fact that I am not spending all that money and can use it for other things.

Hope these things help:) GOOD LUCK!!! If you can discipline yourself enough to exercise and eat right, quitting smoking is doable as well.

cesctheman

I've stopped for 13 days while using an e-cig. While someone mentioned don't use 1. Why not? It contains nicotine like all the other nicotine replacement program's . It's helping take the edge off, as well as keeping me sane but the wife might beg to differ....lol
Does anyone think reading the Alan Carr book would help me out even tho I'm using my e-cig.
As long as you want to give up 100%, then now is the time. Just take it day by day and treat yourself after certain milestones. I use an app on my iPhone called idontsmoke and you can add extra milestones to the ones that are already there, be it by time,cigs not smoked or by money. Good luck and I hope it all works out well.

sollyn

Have you read Allan Carr's book "The Easyway to Quit Smoking"? If not, you should. That book, and the website www.quitnet.com were the best resources that I used to quit smoking over two years ago. I was a very heavy smoker for 50 years and quit cold turkey using just those two things.

I also loved to smoke, but like you I hated the way it made you smell and how hard it was to breathe. Until you have been quit for about six months you won't really know just how bad it does smell, you only think you know.

I waited too long to quit and am now living with COPD...please be smarter than me and quit now...your lungs will thank you for it! :flowerforyou:

This is a brilliant starting point. The trick is turning it around. At the moment you are trying to give up something that you love, whereas the focus should be on changing your mind set to "I don't want to smell and wheeze and cough any more, therefore I don't WANT to smoke."
Once I had turned my head around to this way of thinking, and with the help of Champix for a couple of weeks, I can honestly say that I never want another cigarette and can even stand with a bunch of smokers and truly not be tempted. In fact I sometimes have to remind myself that I used to smoke! The hardest thing is finding that reason to not want to smoke any more.
My big reason was the fact that every time I had a *kitten* outside, my daughter would stand on the other side of the glass door just looking and waiting for me to come back in the house. It was breaking my heart to see her alone 10 times a day!
So as you can see my reason wasn't medical but emotional.
I hope this helps. And good luck, it is sooooo worth the effort.
PS, If the first one in the morning is before breakfast, get someone to bring your morning drink and breakfast to you in bed!

sollyn

I also recommend Allan Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking. (or Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently - same ideas, just longer I think). I stopped nine years ago using this book and absolutely enjoyed the experience of stopping. I felt able to easily and happily walk away from smoking after reading it.

This is very eloquently put. I completely agree wit this. The book sorts your head out. Then your head can sort your body out.

stuffinmuffin

I gave up over a year ago and I really WANTED to quit. It wasn't easy but if you really want to do it - you will. :flowerforyou:

sollyn

Congratulations! I am proud that you decided to quit. I fully understand what you are going through I quit in November and still have dreams where I smoke. I also hide cigarettes in them etc., but honestly the extra energy and the ability to walk or ride a bike without stopping to catch my breath has been the most wonderful gift I ever gave myself!

The first few weeks are the worst but it will get better - and then you wonder why you ever thought you really liked it!

OMG You just reminded me of the dreams! I can remember waking up convinced that I had been smoiking, so much so that I could feel the heaviness on my chest and my throat felt like a night out on booze and *kitten*! My first reaction was what the hell am I going to tell everyone? And then when I realised it was just a dream, I was sooo relieved and pleased with myself. LOL

MelissaGraham7

I gave up smoking when I took up running. Couldn't breathe well. That was 2-1/2 years ago. I just walked away from it and whenever I wanted a cigarette, I had a glass of water. Best thing I ever did for myself, quitting smoking and taking up running. Truth is they say you don't really give up a bad habit, you replace it with something else. So, find something HEALTHY to replace it with and just power through. As said earlier in posts, it is indeed mind over matter. You don't have to grumpy, etc. and it only lasts for a little bit. But you don't need to give yourself extra permission to gain weight or be mean. LOL.

LillysGranny

I quit smoking the day Bill Clinton was inaugurated...just coincidence...so it's been a while. One thing that helped me a lot was keeping a list of all the reasons I wanted to quit with me at all times. In weak moments, I'd get it out and read it to reinforce my resolve. I also was really ticked that I had become a slave to the tobacco companies---I let them decide where I was going to eat, how miserable I was going to be huddled in a doorway on a cold, wet winter day just so I could "feed the monkey," and they were getting a big chunk of my paycheck. That outrage helped my resolve, too. The other thing was I invested in quitting. I had ALL of my clothes cleaned, washed all my curtains, windows, walls....you get the picture. Just thinking how much I'd just spent at the dry cleaner helped me stick to my guns a few times. The first couple of weeks were the worst---doing some extra workouts helped with stress and also reminded me that I couldn't breathe very well. Good luck!

burg1801

When I quit smoking, I found myself having to find something to take the edge off. I took up weight training and running and I pretty much lifted or ran until I didn't have that urge anymore. It's been going on 7 years and I haven't picked up a cancer stick since.

Find something to substitute that urge, hopefully you'll find something less harmful and more beneficial.

burg1801

It's good to see I'm not the only one who has dreamt about smoking. I could never do it when I'm awake but I puff like a train in my dreams sometimes.

Hippie_Soul

Maybe this wont work for you.. but to be honest, when I was craving the satisfaction of inhaling and exhaling.. I would take a hit of marijuana. And once I was buzzed off of that hit, I was like.. "yea.. F smoking "

YES!!!!!!!!

But yeah, I quit because I wanted to....I think that made it easier. I still get cravings at strange times (its been 4 and a half months since I quit) so I keep some TicTacs around..seems to calm me. I can definitely promise that if you do stop, you'll feel sooooo much better and have tons of energy!!
Good luck!!!!

lookforgood

You have all helped so much! Thank you! Thank you! In twohours, it will be the magic 72 hours of not smoking. Yesterday, I tried to keep myself busy and that helped a lot. The other thing is that I don't have any smokes and haven't been any where near a store to buy any. Today will be that challenge because I am going into town alone. I was actually thinking that just one wouldn't hurt, but I came to reread all these posts and decided one WOULD hurt. I'll just keep reading your advice, get that book that you recommended and hope for the best. I truly appreciate the tough love!

bunnyboo24

I took Wellbutrin to quit and it really worked. I have been smoke free for 2 years. I still think about it sometimes especially if I'm around a smoker. I feel so much better since I quit though. I used to have the worst cough and it was embarrassing. You will feel so much better in the long run!!! Good Luck!

hezzyhlo

Congrats on quitting!! I quit a little over 3 years ago, and I think the biggest key was that I was just ready. Also, I counted EVERY day that I was smoke free. The first few weeks were the worst of it, so when I was on day 10, I would tell myself that I would never have to do another 10 days in my life, as long as I don't have a cigarette. As soon as you take a drag, day 1 starts all over again. That really helped me to stay on track, because I NEVER wanted to go through the first few days again!

Also, I made a list of all the reasons I wanted to be a non-smoker. And this list was long and extremely deep. Yes, there were things like "I don't want to stink..I want to save money..", but also "I want to be alive to meet my grandchildren..I never want to need help putting on clothes b/c the surgery and chemo makes it too difficult..I don't want to lose my hair..etc..".. I kept that list with me every day, and if I had a craving I would whip it out. You have to want to be a non-smoker more than you want to smoke. Those cravings are strong, but they go away. It's like any other drug-it tries to trick you into all kinds of things.. Don't forget that you are stronger and better than that nicotine!!

Keep up the good work, you can do this!! You've made it to 72 hours, so the nicotine is out of your system. Now, It's all about calming the habit part of it. YOU GOT THIS!!

gorguslyjealous

I quit smoking && It's been a year and a half almost since I've had a cigarette. Was it easy - NO WAY! But you have to remind yourself that this is going to be for the best! You'll smell pretty, you'll be able to push yourself harder with working out, you'll be able to BREATH! Not spending all that ridiculous $$ on cigarettes all the time!

For me it was always in sets of three that it got easier - after 3 days it got easier... then after 3 weeks it got even easier... then after 3 months it got even EASIER! Until one day you just get so disgusted by the smell of smoke, you can smell it on people all the time and it's disgusting! I would say if you were ever a person to go hand in hand with drinking/smoking to hold off on drinking for awhile. The first time I drank I was craving cigagrettes SO bad, but you just have to hold out and remind yourself that those first 3 days were the HARDEST and do you ever want to have to repeat them AGAIN?! it only gets easier, just remember, 3, 3, 3!!