smoking

Cookie0914

Every state has a quitline, which assist with quiting smoking. Call 1-800 QUIT NOW, your state may even offer free nicotine replacement therapy.

Francesca3162

I quit last year.
This is how I did it.

I was smoking a pack a day.

I set a quit day.. it was a process-- I set a date 90 days into the future.

Then I gradually decreased the amount I smoked.

20 cigarettes a day for 6 days
19 cigarettes a day for 6 days
18 cigarettes a day for 6 days
17 cigarettes a day for 5 days
16 cigarettes a day for 5 days
15 cigarettes a day for 5 days
14 cigarettes a day for 5 days
13 cigarettes a day for 5 days
12 cigarettes a day for 5 days
11 cigarettes a day for 4 days
10 cigarettes a day for 4 days
09 cigarettes a day for 4 days
08 cigarettes a day for 4 days
07 cigarettes a day for 4 days
06 cigarettes a day for 4 days
05 cigarettes a day for 4 days
04 cigarettes a day for 4 days
03 cigarettes a day for 3 days
02 cigarettes a day for 3 days
01 cigarettes a day for 3 days

You are essentially tapering the amount of nicotine and other addictive chemicals your body is getting. Slow and gradual so you do not kick the amount back up again.......The trick is to not bargain with yourself. You start the day with x number of cigarettes and you cannot BORROW from TOMORROW.

I dont miss it.. I like the money I am saving.. Use that for healthy things-- gym membership, magazines etc.
I can sit in a room full of smokers and not want one!!

IntoTheSky

I would avoid Chantix. I am now 47 days in without a cigarette. I have been a pack and a half a day smoker for 16 years. I started the chantix..... it went well the first bit, then, suddenly, on week 7 of the meds, I lost my $#!7. I went nuts. I started having anxiety attacks, I started developing OCD behavior, I really went off my damn rocker. It was not fun. You CAN do it. Just fight each little craving one at a time. Eventually, they will get easier. Then, you will have other parts that you struggle with. How to be around your friends that still smoke? Who are you without the smokes? You will even question WHY you want to quit. Just don't smoke. You CAN do this!

Chrysopteron

anyone got some good advise for a long term smoker and effective techiques to quit, I'm 50 now in great shape underweight love cycling etc. But havent been able to give up the dreaded cigarettes

Do you really want to stop? If not, don't.
It won't work and it's only extremely depressing.

How heavy a smoker are you, is it really bad? Because if you're physically in good shape and smoking doesn't make you short of breath etc. (since you said you go cycling I'm assuming that), maybe it's just not that big a deal?

How many do you have? My boyfriend has like 1 every other day with an after-work-beer. Honestly, before THAT kills him, a lot of other things will (waiting to get stoned by loads of people... but sorry, I can't help seeing it that way).
If it's the same for you and you enjoy them, stop beating yourself up about it.

If it's a lot more and you really do want to quit, I can only tell you what worked for me (I am 29 now, started a few months before my 18th birthday and went in directly for 1 pack a day, average. Then smoked roughly 30 a day for ten years, always claiming (and honestly so!) that I enjoy smoking and don't intend to quit until I hit either 30 or a pregnancy.

Well, because of an operation last November I wasn't allowed to smoke. I was a rattlesnake for the nine days I lasted... I stuffed my face, was horribly moody and gained almost 10 pounds in a week (lying in hospital, not being allowed to move just enhanced the problem - and it was a private clinic, so the grub was delish!!!).

That scared me. I'd had no idea I was THAT addicted. And I came up with a game plan, because all of a sudden, I was very afraid that I wouldn't be able to quit.

So I finished my studies (I was right before my final exam at uni) and booked a huge trip across the U.S. - that was planned before, but I decided to use that as my chance at quitting.
I figured it was going to be too hard for me without breaking my daily pattern - because my routine was perfectly tuned to smoking.
Sort of: have a coffee and *kitten* in the morning while you write your to-do-list for the day. go through the list, every time you have done a task, sit down, have a ciggie and check the item on the list + decide what to tackle next etc. etc.

Was brilliant for my student life, but I wanted to end that phase of my life. I also knew I was going to move to another town and loved to picture myself in the pretty new flat, not having to hang a smelly jacket in the new painted hallway...
Little things like that.
Then went to the airport, had a quick last one, got on my plane. And that was that. Was a bit antsy at first every once in a while when the urge hit me, but I was lucky enough to be around my Daddy who still enjoys the odd one and just went outside with him and sniffed a bit "second hand". And realised it didn't exactly s´mell good (anymore).

So, if you have the time or have planned a vacation anytime soon, I can only recommend using that as a starting point - you do loads of things differently, so it takes your mind of smoking.
Oh, and anpother thing that helped me sooooooooooo much: I told hardly anyone.

Only my Mama and my boyfriend knew, and it motivated me no end to imagine what all my friends would say and when they would realise - funnily enough, it took them ages! Next party after coming home, I walk in and talk to everyone and her husband, most of them smoking away and only after 5-6 hours one of my mates noticed "something was different". I grinned and said, I thought so, too. She wanted to know what it was and I told her to guess. She ogles me and walks halfway around me and looks funny and all of a sudden she goes: "Your boobs are bigger!" I have honestly never laughed so hard in my life.

Well, as it happened she wasn't altogether wrong because the bigger boobs were a side effect of a few munchies-attacks from quitting which is the reason I joined MFP.

So, if you couldn't be bothered to read alllllllll of that:

1. Wait until you REALLY want to quit.
2. Choose a time when there is a change in your daily life - house move, new job, vacation... anything will do, really
3. Keep a good friend close by the first few weeks who will smoke "for you"
4. Don't run around telling everyone you're quitting. If you don't make it, it will make you feel even worse and if you do, it's much more fun if no one knew before

5. GOOD LUCK!

P.S.: For me, it's been exactly seven months today - and six months since I even missed it. This was cold turkey after more than ten years of 30+ a day...

tyrantduck

I'm 25 and quit 6 months ago yesterday. I had been smoking since I was 16 and gave it up almost cold turkey. I went 2 weeks of the 14mg patch, ran out for a whole weekend, by Monday when I got more, I felt incredibly sick to my stomach within 5 minutes of putting the patch on. I took it off and have gone cold turkey since then. I got back into my hobby of crocheting to keep my hands busy, chewed sugar free gum constantly to keep my mouth busy, and drank water or did deep breathing whenever a particularly bad craving hit. I still get small cravings from time to time but I feel much better. My lung function is so much better than it used to be and my heart is getting stronger.

The part that was the absolute WORST was the congestion and coughing immediately following the quit. I felt like I had a nasty head cold mixed with horrific allergies for about a month. A few months ago I managed to get off my addiction to medicated nasal spray as well and I had the same exact feeling.

You have to want to quit. Don't do it because other people tell you to. You have to do it for yourself and only when you're positive that you're ready.

milk_shakes

Hi I smoked about a pk a day Newport 100's for 10 years and in May I switched to vaping. I don't use an e cig that looks like a cigarette I use a personal vaporizer (it's colorful and cute) and I buy nicotine liquid from a great vendor in fun flavors like peach watermelon, caramel corn, etc. I have weaned down my nicotine and I feel infinitely better- I vape right before working out. My lungs feel awesome, I'm never sick, I smell great. If you'd like info feel free to message me about it. It may not be for everyone but it worked for me. I don't think I was ready to quit. I tried hypnosis, patches, gum, cold turkey. This has been the only thing that worked for me. Now if I take a drag off a cigarette it tastes like burnt plastic and car exhaust! I prefer my fruity flavors while my fiancé prefers camel tobacco flavored e liquid.

Rodap9631

I want to thank all for the advise.

I have started using the cut down technique, so obvious that I don't know why I didn't use it before.

It has so far been working, the fact that my body is getting used to a smaller amount of nicotine every week plus the knowledge and ongoing mental aspect that I know I can get used to the smaller quantity seems to create an ongoing trend to continue with this technique.
Will keep you posted re this subject.

TheVimFuego

+1 for Allen Carr.

I quit after 20+ years, cold turkey.

Read book, keep smoking (as it encourages you to), get to end of book, think 'Why do I smoke?' then don't do it anymore.

You can't crave what you don't want.

Magically bit of reprogramming.

Good luck

KevinMassine

Allen Carr - The Easy Way to Quit is an excelent read!

Roni_M

I am also a smoker and I know I should quit but I still haven't. I still like smoking (which makes quitting difficult). I keep thinking when I lose the last 22lbs I will try Chantix (i've been told it makes smoking unpleasant which may work for me). Good luck ditching the habit!