X-Smokers

I have been smoke free for a little over 3 years now. I picked a day, set my mind to it, told a lot of people to get support and accountability and just devoted myself. It was the best thing I ever did for myself. Keep active, watch what you eat and try and keep out of situations where you will be tempted. Good luck. I know you can do it.

FYI: I used lozenges and just popped one when I got a craving. Slowly wheened myself of those.

I quit at the same time as I started using this site. I found that watching what I eat takes the focus away from wanting a cigarette. I did it cold turkey because have tried patches in the past and found that they made me feel wierd, the inhalator's very good but so like smoking that it was an easy road back. In the end cold turkey was the only way for me so I smoked for 17 years and have now been smoke free since NYE!!!

You have to remember this is going to be a rough ride.
When you have gone without for a few days or weeks or however long, DO NOT say I can have just one. If you do your nightmare will start all over again.
I stopped so many times. The longer you go without the more you have to tell yourself how amazing your achievement is and how if you have 1 now all the hard work you have done was just a waste.
I have not touched one for over 2 and 1/2 years now and although I would not touch one now because it repulses me, I still sometimes find myself thinking 'I will just do this then I will go and have a cigerette' then I think - what? Its the habit that is still with me after all this time!
Good luck x

I used the gum. Get the original yucky flavored one. I would have a piece when I was in the car, or anywhere that was a trigger for me to smoke. It tasted like crap and gave me heartburn, so it was easier to give that up. Don't get any of the new good tasting ones, the grosser the better!

Snack on baby carrots, celery, cucumber slices to help alleviate the hand to mouth thing. Chew regular gum. Brush your teeth often. Drink a lot of water. These things all help.

keep track of the number of days that you have not smoked. like everyone is saying you can't be a casual smoker. it is so easy to go back to being a regular smoker. you just have to be able to get past the first few weeks. after that it gets easier. don't make the mistake of thinking you can have one. good luck. i stopped smoking on Dec. 20, 1988. i keep that date in the back of my mind. when you have stopped for a year you will see how far you have come.

im telling you.
you MUST and i mean MUST, buy the book "The Easy Way To Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. Ebay. $6. Price of a pack.

It will unravel all the brainwashing that we have about why we "need" or "want" to or "enjoy" smoking and you will know what to do when the little monster in your brain starts telling you things.

TRUST me.

What do you have to lose?

It took me reading it 2 1/2 times before it all gelled and i was ready. but man. i have ZERO struggle with quitting. i am SO HAPPY about! PLEASE buy this book. its been translated into 20 languages and has been on best seller list for 20+ years.
they never advertise.

do yourself a favor, buy it! quitting will be IMMENSELY EASY AND ENJOYABLE! ITS TRUE! im living proof!!!

That is too funny.

We posted it at the same time.

I keep a pack of dum dum suckers in my car. I dont know when you crave one most, but for me, it was in my car. Whenever I get the urge, I grab a sucker instead. It will keep you busy and they are low in calories. Or you can get sugar free candy and that will help. Did for me anyway

I wasn't a smoker for long... 2 years or so.. nothing like 15 so it was easier for me. My (new at the time) boyfriend found smoking disgusting. We spent a lot of time with each other so I obviously didn't want to smell like it. After you quit, it will smell disgusting to you! Last week I was convinced to have a couple cigs when I was out drinking with a friend. It didn't make me feel like I needed more at all. I still find them to be pretty nasty. It's amazing how long the smell lingers. I agree with the others- keep busy and chew gum! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

I am currently going through what you are thinking about doing on Saturday!!!! I am smoke free one week TODAY!!!!! I am utilizing the patch and I have been doing great - the worse part for me is the car - I get in and I want to light up as I work at a non-smoking hospital; so when I would get in the car at night; the first thing I would do is light up!!! Well, now I smoke carrots, I put it in my mouth for a while like I'm smoking and then I eventually eat it.

I lost only a pound this week, but I had a big eating and drinking weekend and I was VERY happy with a pound and still not smoking.

I take each minute, each hour, and each day as it comes and I work through it. If I don't stop smoking, I will look good in the casket with the 18 pounds I have curently lost. I am doing all of this hard work to make myself healthier and if I don't stop smoking, what is the use!!! I am just trying to face reality - in the most real possible way I can.

Also, exercising is so much easier now that I have not smoked in a week; I was a bit surprised by that; I have smoked for like 30 years now (I'm 48 yrs. old), 2 packs a day; and I always had good respitory function - tested in hospital and they were surprised I was a smoker, but after just a few days of not smoking, I noticed a difference on the treadmill. Also, I felt that working out helped my cravings as well. My husband is also quitting and he was having way more harder of a time than I and I suggested working out for him earlier in the week, and he too said after exercising that he felt better. So, my motto is get a good work out twice a day!!!:):flowerforyou:

I smoked a pack a day for 8 years and quit cold turkey more than 5 years ago. I had tried several times before and failed, but this time something just clicked. Two things that really helped me:

1. Practically: Dum-dums (someone mentioned these). They are only like 5 calories each, super-tiny, and take about one cigarette's time to suck down. I would even hold it like a cigarette, or go outside and have one--anything to make the irritation of quitting just a bit easier.

2. Emotionally: I have never--not even once--had a single drag since the day I quit. This may not be true for some, but I know that one will lead to two will lead to a whole pack to being a full-on smoker again eventually. It's still hard sometimes, even five years later, when I'm having a drink and smell a cigarette and I'm in a particular mood or something. For me, the key is always remembering how gross and defeated I would feel to find myself buying a pack of cigarettes--because I know that is where one drag would lead, eventually.

Hope that helps! It's the hardest thing, but so so so worth it in the end. Good luck!!!

Oh, and one more thing.... just like dieting, if you fall off the wagon, don't beat yourself up over it. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on it! YOU CAN DO IT.

I have to say I really, really wanted to quit this time. It took 25 years of 2 packs day and a scare of cancer to finally get the point that smoking was gonna kill me. I found a website that really helped me so much in the beginning. I think the most important thing is to be prepared ahead of time and pick a date. Once you pick the date, start to prep, just like preparing for a race you have to know what is needed to win. Make no mistake, it is a challenge but what worth having isn't? Make up your mind, get rid of all smoking related stuff, clean everything, get sugar free stuff to help with cravings, use patches, filters etc if you need help. Finally, don't let anyone tell you that one cigarette is ok, IT'S NOT!!! One cigarette means you are still a smoker. Make the decision to live a cleaner, healthier life and be a great example to others. I am proof that you can be smoke free after years of smoking. Oh, I will be 6 years smokefree in about 6 months. No smoking at all!!! If you want to check the site..www.quitnet.com or www.legacy.com

*Bump*

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