How do you feel after giving up cigarettes?

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Crawkins
Crawkins Posts: 32
in Fitness and Exercise
If you have quit or are quitting smoking, what are some changes you've noticed in your body and mood?
I smoked for 6 years very heavily (2 packs/day of Red 100's) and I stopped June 25th, 2012. I'm still getting gross stuff when I cough and having trouble breathing.

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  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    I breath easier and my wallet has gained weight.
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
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    First few weeks/months after quitting, like ****.
    Now not so much, I still have cravings occasionally though.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Have you gone to see a doctor about it? If you quit in June you shouldn't be getting gross stuff when you cough or have trouble breathing... it would be worth getting it checked out.

    I still smoke however when I quit before I found my cough went away within a day or two. However I wasn't as heavy of a smoker as you were (If I was drinking I would go through a pack a day... on a normal day a pack would last me up to two days... usually a day and a half). When I quit before I found within a week or so my endurance for cardio was so much better... I cough during cardio and that went away quickly. I also noticed things started to taste better, smell better, etc.

    Congrats on quitting!!!! It is such a hard thing to do! Get the cough and breathing checked out!
  • barb1241
    barb1241 Posts: 324 Member
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    I quit smoking 4 1/2 years ago-2 packs a day, 3 decades. I gained over 80 lbs very quickly :-( I felt AWFUL for at least the first 2 years-but not necessarily from the cigarettes or lack thereof. The extra weight made it difficult to get moving at first. I've lost most of the tonnage now and I walk a LOT now and I feel much better. But it took a lot more work than I ever expected, and if I had known then what I know now-I would've made sure to have good eating habits in place instead of drive through gobbling.

    Oh and for the first year or so-I had a cold or whatever illness was going around it seemed like almost the whole stinking time. But it DID get much better!
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
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    Great decision to quit!! The coughing can last a few weeks as your body purges the poison from your system. The benefits you will begin to see almost right away and in a few weeks you will feel incredible. Drink lots of water, especially the first two weeks. :smile:
  • MrsSardone
    MrsSardone Posts: 194 Member
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    I quit about 2 yrs ago. Was smoking for more than half my life (18 yrs?) Reds then Newports. I might've had a bad cough for 3 months or so but it's all gone now.

    I love the way my hair smells, my clothes, my EVERYTHING...I don't get out of breath easily because I do a lot of cardio, but when I was pregnant (about a year ago) I did. But that might not count cuz I was all huge from the baby in my tummy.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    cardio is better, and i feel better, less dirty (which i didn't notice when i was smoking).
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
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    I still cough up lougies in the morning (sexy!) because I have allergies and post-nasal drip, I don't know if that became a side-effect of smoking or not since I started in my teens. But I have just noticed that I feel generally better and healthier overall (as in, not feeling like I have a bit of a cold all the time). I discovered how much easier a hangover was to deal with if you didn't smoke half a pack the night before. I also get headaches a lot less often.
  • rugbyphreak
    rugbyphreak Posts: 509 Member
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    I feel amazing!

    Yes, I did gain a little bit of weight, maybe 10 pounds, but when I started to notice it, I nipped it in the bud right away and lost it.

    I'm saving almost $30 a week. I breathe better. I lift more. I don't smell like an ashtray. My nails are finally back to the color they're supposed to be. My teeth are still a little yellowed, but even that's going away.

    It took a few months for the gross phlegm to go away. Just stay strong.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    I quit a year ago. If you are still getting large amounts of phlegm and you're having trouble breathing, I think you need to see your doc and have him set you up for a chest x-ray. There may be more going on there than you thought.
  • phillipspage
    phillipspage Posts: 25 Member
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    I feel so much better. Breathing is easier, headaches have gone away. I quit about a year ago and though I miss it sometimes I feel infinitely better. I was never a heavy smoker, but even letting go of the pack or so a week was a great thing for me.
  • iSurvive
    iSurvive Posts: 91
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    Congrats on quitting. I only smoked about half a pack a day for three years, but it felt so good to quit.... once I got past the addiction. Just think of all the yucky crap you are getting out of your lungs as a good thing!! Google quit smoking meters for interesting information. They'll usually tell you how long it's been since you quit, how many cigs you haven't smoked, how much money you have saved, how much time you have added onto your life (figuratively) or that is a tool I used when I quit years ago anyway. Good luck!
  • Maddalen101
    Maddalen101 Posts: 307 Member
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    I quit in January 1983 (wow, 30 years ago!!!), after smoking pretty steadily for more than 10 years.
    Not a single regret.
    It did take about a year for all the tobacco to work its way out of my body.
    When you get your teeth cleaned, the tobacco residue in the plaque will be scraped away as well, leaving your mouth healthier.
    Congratulations, and keep going!
  • AubreySue81
    AubreySue81 Posts: 167 Member
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    Wonderful! I can breathe in cold weather now. I can run in cold weather without having a coughing fit afterwards. I'm not wheezing anymore. This is the first winter in I'm not sure how long that I haven't had a respiratory infection of some sort. I don't reek of smoke anymore. The money I used to spend on cigarettes now goes toward gym/health related stuff. Life is good. :bigsmile:
  • LacyJean1
    LacyJean1 Posts: 36 Member
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    I feel great. I also noticed that my mood is way better, I don't get stressed as easily as I did when I smoked.The coughing up nasty stuff can take a while, but it shouldn't take this long. You may want to go see a doctor.
  • Crawkins
    Crawkins Posts: 32
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    Everyone has such great stories. Reading the experiences of other people really helps you realize all the benefits, doesn't it?
    Stay strong you all! I'll check with my Dr. at my next appointment about the funk. I really thought it was normal.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Not normal. I quit two years ago, after smoking for 30-some-odd years. Never had any coughing or phlegm like you describe.
  • mkwongh
    mkwongh Posts: 279 Member
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    I started smoking when I was really young, and probably smoked for 12+ years. The first time I quit I was clean from smoking for 2 years, than started back up when the stress of life hit. I smoked for 3 years, and finally quit 2 ½ years ago. I get the occasional craving, but that passes when I am in a car with a smoker. I hate the smell now.
    The first few months I had terrible coughs and phlegm like no other. That went on for at least a year for me.

    Keep it up! you will feel so much better once it is kicked out of your system. My taste buds have totally changed, and cardio is a one up for sure.

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