Any tips to quit, or limit smoking?
Replies
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I quit, cold turkey, a little over 20 years ago after smoking a pack a day for close to 20 years. I don't know why but it was easy for me, I just decided to quit and quit. (Of course food tasted so much better & I put on some weight but that poses a smaller health risk than smoking)
I also understand that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances around and that it exceedingly difficult for some people to quit. I never had to use any of the gum or electronic cigarettes but they are useful tools to ease the transition to being a non-smoker, you might also want to talk to your doctor or check with your local lung association for suggestions.
Best of luck.0 -
If you REALLY want to quit: Allan Carr's book, "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking
They also have it audio style.
general idea - cold turkey, 2-3 days of being a little edgy, then you are past physical withdrawal (but it's not like heroine withdrawl it's more like caffeine withdrawal) Then you just have to keep saying no when you get an urge (usually only last 5 min, even shorter if you can distract yourself). It really is that simple. You don't need mind altering medication, therapy, electronic sticks, gums, patches!!!!0 -
Same boat here. I like to smoke, I like to drink. I ain't giving up my wine and that makes it even harder to give up my smokes. Sigh.
If you get an answer, let me know.
I quit smoking cold turkey on a Friday was partying on Saturday. That was (9) years ago. If you REALLY want to quit you will.
Gums, the patch, hypnotism... none of that crap will work unless you TRULY, HONESTLY, desire to quit.
I too quit cold turkey. Addictions are more mental than anything. It's mind over matter. Everytime you get the urge to smoke, do something else you enjoy instead. When I go to the bar, now instead of going to smoke with everyone, I use that time to pick music on the jukebox instead. Keeps my mind focused on something else. I also think of how smoking makes me smell and feel (especially when drinking. Hangovers are the worst then!). I agree that you have to truly want to quit before you can ever quit. I would recommend that you don't just "cut back." If you're going to do this, then QUIT!
Good luck with this! I know it's hard. 0 -
Gums, the patch, hypnotism... none of that crap will work unless you TRULY, HONESTLY, desire to quit.
Yep. Chain smoked on Thursday, woke up on Friday and realized three hours later that I hadn't smoked yet. Haven't smoked since. That was five years ago. You have to want it, more than you want anything else. Literally, ANYTHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE EVER. Otherwise this will just become one more time that you've attempted to quit.0 -
there is only one way to quit. make the decision to do it. and do it.
it's not easy.
but if i did it (and I did) so can you!
This.
I quit in August of last year, and I thought I loved it too. I still miss it - but I surely don't regret it. Oh- and I had smoked for a little over 30 years.
You can do it - you just have to decide to!!0 -
I just quite smoking a few weeks ago Cold turkey after on and off for about 6 years.
Honestly, just got really into this MFP thing.. and instead of having a smoke on my breaks, I walk around the building once I kinda forgot all about smoking until a week without a smoke.. 0 -
Cold turkey is what worked for me. Anything else seemed like you were just prolonging the agony and slowly keeping the addiction going.
I loved smoking as well, I still miss it and I still wish I could have just one puff - but JUST one puff won't work for me and I think I will enjoy the healthy years I added to my life more than I loved to smoke.0 -
After smoking for 30 years and quitting cold turkey...
WANT to Quit
CHOOSE to Quit
ACT upon the Choice
Succeed.
Nicotine is out of your system in 3 days. Your "Habit" needs to be filled with other activities.0 -
If you stop bying the smokes, then you will drastically reduce your smoking habit.0
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I use an e cig (electronic cigarette) now. It helps quite a bit. The liquid has niccotine in it which is no worse than having your daily cup of coffee. I used to smoke a pack a day now I dont smoke at all and hardly need my e cig, and when I do use it, its only for the habit of having something to puff on because i weaned myself off of the niccotine liquid and now just use flavored liquid with 0% niccotine. Hope this helps and if you are interested I got my kit at www.aquavaporcig.com. They are a bit pricey to start, but no more than what you would spend on a carton of cigarettes.0
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You could have to stay in the hospital for two weeks where you can't smoke at all. That's how I quit - it's been nearly two years and I haven't had a single smoke. Seriously though, cold turkey. Willpower. All you need is your brain and you have to truly want to quit.0
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Well i also love oxygen, and having plenty of it when i work out lol.
Truth be told i feel like i'm more addicted to the habits then the nicotine itself.
I quit 2 weeks before vacation. Cold Turkey, I kept myself busy and changed my entire routine, imcluding the route I took to work. No more convenience stores or smoke shops. By the time we got back from vacation, it was over! 3 weeks in and I was done, for good!
1.5 years now and I am running 5ks almost every weekend. I LOVE MY NEW LIFE!!! Just decide to do it, and DO IT!
Keep sliced veggies around ( I make dip woth Chobani and Hidden Valley Ranch packets) and maybe granola, chew on the end of a pen. Walk when a craving hits.
I didn't join MFP until about 8-9 months later because I did gain about 22 lbs but I was also extrememly sedentary at that point.
Good Luck!0 -
me and my friend are in the process of trying to quit. its definitely very hard, but what helps is thinking about how years from now, your lungs will look like you never smoked!!! its one of the only bad habits where you can reverse the damage youre doing by stopping NOW.0
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Same boat here. I like to smoke, I like to drink. I ain't giving up my wine and that makes it even harder to give up my smokes. Sigh.
If you get an answer, let me know.
:laugh: Me too!!0 -
After smoking for 30 years and quitting cold turkey...
WANT to Quit
CHOOSE to Quit
ACT upon the Choice
Succeed.
Nicotine is out of your system in 3 days. Your "Habit" needs to be filled with other activities.
Yep!0 -
i smoked from age 10 to age 33.. i quit cold turkey. smoked my last cig and refused to buy any more and told everybody i wasn't smoking and please dn't let me smoke. i quit hanging around folks that smoked and i stayed out of smokey places. it was hard int he very beginning but i took it one day at at time and my suggestion is to do it cold turkey.. and JUST SAY NO... and whatever you do do not buy a cigarrette or take a puff. im now smoke free 10 years!0
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Same boat here. I like to smoke, I like to drink. I ain't giving up my wine and that makes it even harder to give up my smokes. Sigh.
If you get an answer, let me know.
I gave up the smokes but continued to drink. You just have to really want to not smoke. No one aroind me smokes so that helped a lot.0 -
Keep drinking lots of water. Chewing gum worked for me but since you hate gum, try brushing your teeth several times a day. Give yourself rewards for a certain number of days without smoking or having cut back on how many you smoke. Also, tell all your helpful supportive friends and let them help keep you on the right track. Good luck!!!0
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Stop inhaling...Oh and every time you smoke spray skunk urine in your mouth Pavlovs theory works in a negative way too.0
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Deep Long Breaths, like you're inhaling a really long needed drag of a cig...... this really helped me quit. Also, drinking lots of water. But really, the deep breathing worked wonders. Inhaling IS deep breathing anyway. Do it without the poison. I smoked for 30 years! (started young) and quit when I had my boys. Never Look Back!
Good Luck, my friend! : )0 -
suemar74 SAID:I read Allan Carr's book, "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". I borrowed it from the library so iI was only out a leisurely afternoon of reading if it didn't work.
After many attempts to quit and feeling like I was detoxing from a street drug, I was amazed at how easy it actually was with that book.
I tried the patch for awhile, the gum on maybe three attempts, the lozenges on two or three occasions, zyban, chantix, cold turkey, rubber band on the wrist. I tried quitting for my mom, once when each of my kids was born, for my wife, for myself.
Fail, fail, fail, within a month of making the promise, stopping the medicine or the nicotine aids. I couldn't stop myself, I had to have it, the cravings were uncontrollably strong, you probably want one right now, don't you?
A coworker recommended this book ("The Easy Way") and I read it, and I quit when I was on the last page in October 2011 and I haven't missed smoking at all. I haven't had a cigarette, haven't wanted a cigarette, and am daily joyous that I stopped. I'm angry that I smoked for 15 years, and that I didn't understand the trick. I killed that little monster as easy as you please.
The net enjoyment of my life is WAY WAY WAY beyond what "enjoyment" I used to get from each of those 30 cigarettes a day, for those 15 years I did that to myself.
I have two requests for you, original poster and those who still smoke:
1. Go to amazon, find the book, and calculate how many packs of cigarettes it costs. The chance of never buying another pack should be worth what you'll spend by Friday night on cigarettes.
2. Reflect on the fact that you go to bed at night and sleep for eight hours completely undisturbed by your 'cravings', but the thought of getting on a three hour plane flight may fill you with utter dread.0 -
there is only one way to quit. make the decision to do it. and do it.
it's not easy.
And there you have it. It's no different than any other vice. As much as I would love to sit around and eat cheesecake and chocolate all day, every day, I got to a point where enough was enough. Same thing with smoking. I smoked for 8 years. Quitting wasn't fun, but it needed to be done.
For yourself and everyone that cares about you, please just dig in your heels and quit. Especially if you have kids. My parents smoked my entire childhood, and I felt like I was constantly suffocating. At home, in the car - I couldn't get one breath of fresh air. And then I adopted the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude and started smoking at 15. You don't want your kids to go down that path.0 -
e-cigarette. my coworker is doing great with that; she takes her little smoke breaks and everything.0
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Very hard thing to do, I smoked for over 30 years and it was by starting my exercise program and joining this site to change my eating habits that helped me. I could not take working out very hard and smoking because I felt I was coughing up a lung while doing it, so my plan evovled as follows.
1st week --- smoked in the early morning limit 2 smokes before going to work. (Key left cigs at home)
went and worked out at lunch time and used smoke lozengers for rest of work day. Smoked 2 cigs after dinner and made sure had at least an hour with no smokes before bed. (for some reason I went to sleep faster). :smokin:
2nd week same as above but limit was 1 cig and upped the lozengers to 1 in morning and 1 more added to drive home. :grumble:
3rd week went to either smoke in morning or at night and the rest was the lozengers.
4th week went lozengers only and tried to keep to 6 at most for the day. :frown:
5th week increased workout times by 30 minutes and cut to a lozenger after every meal. (worst times for me).
6th week tried to go whole day without lozengers. ( did not make it thru 4 out of 7 days without at least 1 or 2).
7th week was no lonzengers and exercise really started to help curb any type of cravings. :blushing:
8th week and on same as schedule as 7th.
I think the key for me was by listening to people on this site and a couple others on how to eat heathly but to feel full. This way I did not balloon up by eating more from not smoking. This is the only time I have actually quit before longest was 1/2 to 1 day, and I have tried multiple times. I wish you the best of luck and can tell you I feel great and even have started playing basketball, be able to run up and down court without feeling like passing out is fantastic.
How ever you quit will be great, the fact that your even trying is good.
Try to keep me updated with progress!!!!!!!!!!
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This doesn't work for everyone. I quit because I wanted to run more than I wanted to be fat. Cigarette's prevented me from running, which a lack thereof kept me fat. So I just stopped.
I was totally good for 6 months. Now I have a couple cigs a week (usually on one night if I'm drinking with friends) and only on Saturday/Sunday after my long runs. I can absolutely tell if I smoked the day before I try and do cardio so I avoid that completely. Of course, you have to have willpower to be able to turn it on and off like that.
Honestly you just have to find what works for you. I've known people that were able to jumpstart quitting by smoking so many cigarette's in a couple day period that they got the point where thinking about a cigarette make them want to vomit. That wears off, but if it's the habit that's killing you, that can give you the two week lead you need 0 -
I set a date ( November 1, 2011) and told myself I did not want to be a smoker after that date. I weaned myself off the cigarettes.. Allowed myself a set amount each day, but never allwoed to bargain for next days or whatever....
So I was a pack a day smoker.
To quit I did 20 cigs the first 3 days
Then 19 cigs the next 3 days
then 18 cigs the next 3 days
and so on...
when you get down to below 7 or 8 a day, I extended the number of days to 5 for my body to get used to the lesser amount of addictive chemicals.....
By the time I got down to 3 or 4 I did not even want or need them. I started walking, first 1/2 mile then 1, then 1.5, then 2, then 2.5 then 3, then 3.5 up to five miles a day.. now I am jogging and walking.. And circut training and I rarely think about smoking at all.
I made it a process and did not allow myself to go back on it at all. I do not allow smoking in my house or my car.. I do not go into convenience stores (the only place to purchase smokes here)...
I took the $10.00 a day for the first month and spent that money on my Grandson. The second month I bought my husband a tv for the bedroom, the 3rd and 4th month I bought two RT tickets to Vegas.. where we are going in June. There is so much more I would rather spend my money on than cigs.......
If you really want to quit, you will find a way that works for you!!!! Give it some thought, make a plan, be accountable NO EXCUSES!!!0 -
Get pregnant, and live with someone who tells you how nasty it is fo a woman to smoke LOL.
If those don't work
Remember that the cynergistic effects of smoking combined with any toxin increases your risk factor for illness from those toxins many times more than than they would if you didn't smoke.
What's the point of being ripped if you've made your insides black and nasty.
Oh and Smoking is gross and went out of style in the 50's...along with Corsets. Really...oh and you are generally hated by anyone who doesn't smoke and sees you doing it in public.
Not enough for you...
Call the CDC Quit Line and get a quit coach...these were paid for by the Tobacco settlements of the 90's.
For me I grew up smoking...really I had a my first cigarette sometime around the age of 8 or 9. Became a regular smoker in my teens. Got pregnant, quit regular smoking but picked up a cigarette on occasion in social situations. Any time I was with my mom she and I would share a pack of cigs. In 2010 I got P90X, I'd also finished Couch to 5K ect. But I still smoked when ever I was alone. One day I had this crazy epiphany, why ON EARTH would I do this to my body if I want to be in great shape. Took me a little while longer but I quit. Its been almost two years since I have had a smoke, and really haven't looked back. I find the habit now repulsive and really don't understand why anyone would ever start...its nasty.
One thing I feel really helped me quit for good was that I was only smoking in social situations with other smokers, and didn't smoke every day. I might smoke like 20 cigarettes a month at most.....and at parties and festivals I would have my own pack. Once I realized I could do those activities without a cigarette in hand, it wasn't soo bad. The hardest was telling my mom I didn't want a cigarette or to smoke with her anymore. She was happy ect but it was a habit she'd and I shared for a long time.0 -
I use to love to smoke too ... Then I started to hate it. I hated how it made my house dingy and how the cost keeps going up... Over time I just came to plain hate them but still couldn't quit.... So I went to counceling.. I learned I was using cigerates to control my anger I was also afraid to quit because My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me both my parents chained smoked around me from day one and I started to smoke at the age of 17 myself.. When I was pregnent I did quit but I had the Baby's daddy's second hand smoke to in hale.. I'd never been with out it.. In my mind to give up cigerettes was like giving up air.. After a few months of counceling I went to a hypnotist, a good one he addressed my fears and concerned... incooperating them into the hypnotism session.. And I continued with counceling for another few months as a strong source of support... I've been smoke free for 3 years and 5 months.. Before all this I had tried everything except the electronic cigeretes those where just coming out.0
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When I smoked I absolutely loved it also. I smoked 2 packs per day...more if I went out in the evening. The last thing I wanted to do was give it up....but my body was actually to the point where I would wake up in the night craving one. So I decided I needed to quit. It took me 5 years on and off to finaly get them outta my life. Point being, never give up. You're not gonna quit if you're not trying.0
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I'm in the same boat you are, I smoke and workout 6 days a week, pretty un productive after running :-) I vow to quit soon so good luck to both of us0
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