I love smoking.

You don't love smoking. Nobody loves poisoning their body and stinking like an ashtray. I was smoking between 20 and 30 a day for almost 30 years, and used to say the same. It's our way of justifying not being able to quit.

Get yourself an electronic cigarette. I haven't smoked a "real" ciggie for 23 days and NOTHING could make me spark one up again. I have done it, and you can too. Have faith

What does the e-cig actually do for you though? Does it just replace the habit of having a cigarette in your hand and puffing on it? Do you get an actual buzz off it?

You still get that "throat hit" when you take a drag, and you also get nicotine (depending on what juice you put in your e-cig) but you get none of the sh1t you do from smoking real cigs. It's win - win

I used to think I was in that boat. Many, many ruined quit attempts because I thought I was in that boat.

I read the Easyway to Quit Smoking by Allan Carr and realized I wasn't in that boat. Finished the book, put out my last cigarette and haven't missed them since. I remember chantix costing a lot . . . the book is less than ten bucks. Check it out, it may help.

I have heard that book is a pretty big deal. I'll have to look into it. Chantix is very expensive and for me, once I'm done with the pills I go right back to smoking. So it's only effective while I'm actually on it.

I have found that until you truly want to quit nothing works. I tried for 10 years and failed until I gave up the "I love smoking " excuse and decided I really wanted to quit. Overcoming an addiction is mostly mental, the physical part is short term. Get in the mindset that you will quit and you will.
Good luck

I quit smoking for all the right reasons over 5 years ago....I too too chantix for the first 30 days. I started smoking as a teenager and smoked most of my days up until I was almost 43. This journey will get easier and easier as the days pass....however, never even have one, it is an addiction and it only takes one to put you back to where you came from. I will not even smoke a cigar with my buddies, I beat this monster and it aint coming back into my life......EVER!!!

I replaced smoking with running....since quiting I have ran over 20 half marathons (PR is 1:53:06) and 4 full marathons (PR 4:03:22)

I just quit, too!

I have only been smoking for about 4 years, and I can't say that I ever truly "enjoyed" it. Everyone around me was smoking, I hit an extremely stressful situation (I found my neighbor dead), and just gave in. I couldn't stand anything about them, but figured if I smoked, too, then maybe the smell wouldn't bother me as much.

I never could stand the smell. I hated that I stunk. I hated the wrinkles that seemed to pop up after years of none. I hated EVERYTHING about it - and actually was able to quit last year with the help of eCigs...My husband quit, too...and then his mom died (of a smoking-related illness, no less!). He ended up starting back up and I fell right back into it. Finally I said I'm done!

I got Zyban last Monday and started the process of quitting...I gave myself until Sunday (yesterday) and then NO MORE! I HATE the Zyban! I don't know if it's helped with the cravings/withdrawal symtpoms because the side effects are so horrible! I am really irritable at inconsistent times for NO reason! If that is a withdrawal symptom instead of a side-effect of the drug, then the drug isn't working for me anyway! So, I've stopped taking it.

I didn't do Chantix because of the dreaming side-effect. I already have very vivid and memorable dreams....I certainly don't need them to get any WORSE!

There are some times I'm SO proud of myself and wonder why I was so anxious about quitting! Then there are times when I'm having a craving (I compare them to food cravings and I'm able to resist those) and I try to talk myself into having "Just one" - but I don't give in!

I totally understand what you mean! I loved smoking, too! But now I LOVE to say I QUIT SMOKING! I quit March 25, 2012 using an electronic cigarette. I have been e-cig free since August 15th. I hope you can stay quit but we all know it has to be what you want! Do try the e-cig to see if it can fill that "void." Good luck!!

I'm a smoker....and an outcast...hahaha! I've got the nicotene gum sitting on my dresser, just waiting for me to make my mind up. Yes, I love smoking too. I'm a stay at home mom/housewife...and when I finish the laundry, or clean the kitchen, or change the sheets on the beds...I want to smoke. It's almost like a reward for me!
I've cut back since I started my weightloss program....just because (the same as you) I'm finding it harder to reallly push it through my cardio. I can't do a lot of high impact/boot camp type workouts, because my back's all screwed up (motorcycle accident).....so, I speed walk and then do strength training with resistence bands.
I've increased my walktime since I cut back and so far so good. I've been losing the weight I want to.....so, I don't know.
My goal is to quit, that's why I've got the gum....when I ordered it, I was all gung-hoe about the endeavor...but, when it came down to the time to actually do it....ummmm, yea.
So yes, I can relate.....and where I'm from, it's colder than hell and walking outside, when the cold air hits my lungs....it hurts! THERE'S MY SIGN!! My good friend (who WAS a heavy smoker) quit...and she told me one thing at a time. 2 and 1/2 weeks ago, I quit eating junk and sugar and creamer in my coffee!!! So, when the time is right....I'll know. Good Luck!

I quit smoking 4 years ago, and there isnt a day that goes by that I dont wish I could have just 1! But I know what "just 1" means, its means I would start back up again, and I dont want that! I feel so much better, have so much more energy, I dont cough all day, I dont smell... and I save a heck of alot of money! Stick with it, in the long run, youll be glad you did! Lung cancer hits 20, 30, 40, even 50 years later... and when it does, its ugly! I know you dont worry about the health effects now, but those with lung cancer now, are wishing they worried about it then!

I've quit in essence. I have a safety pack around in case I lose my cool and need one to help with stress, but that doesn't happen too often. I've never been an addict....well with smoking that is. I'm a social smoker and I smoked a TON when I was in college and around smokers. I smoked to talk to people outside of bars and to chill with my friends when I was outside my dorm. When someone had one, I wanted one. I'm a very socially anxious person and it helps to have something to do with my mouth and hands and a reason to be hanging out. It also is the best excuse to get out of awkward situations.

I suppose I know much better because I actually plan on going into public health. Funny story, I would get stressed about my school work and smoke and then read a paper on how smoking was going to kill me....and then smoke to calm my nerves. Lol.

I've quit because I can't afford to smoke in NY. Going to school in VA was a recipe for disaster. I splurged on a pack here and paid ten bucks. I was not pleased. In VA you can get 3 packs for that. Crazy. I also quit because none of my roommates smoke and I work in community health. There's no one I would smoke with so I've lost the habit and my boyfriend absolutely hates it so I don't smoke around him. Quite different from my past boyfriends with whom I would almost always have a very enjoyable post-coital cig.

Sometimes I miss it, sometimes I don't. I miss the sense of community.