Smoking

I will be interested to see the responses to this, I am a smoker, have tried on and off to quit but nothing has worked. I tried patches, gum, and last year tried cold turkey and made it 6 days before having an emotional break down and giving in to the evil demons. I am disgusted, I hate it but I can't kick it? My fiance smokes but has said when I quit he will stop as well. I have heard that when its your time, its your time and you just stop. From family I have heard that cold turkey is the best way to go and never look back. But I can still get in a good workout without huffing and puffing so at least I am doing something right One step at a time and everything will be fine~thats my motto! Best wishes to you.

I still smoke and it's been a few years since my last real quitting attempt. But my Mom quit recently and swears by the Allen Carr book...I believe it's called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" or something along those lines. She also uses quitnet and loves it, has made some friends there as well.

Try changing your habits. For example if the first thing you do in the morning after you wake up is light a cigarette then instead of doing that jump in the shower or go for a walk. If you have a smoke mid-day on your break at work walk around the building or something. Just do something different. I worked with a gal who paid someone to help her and her husband quit smoking and it was all about changing her habits. One thing they had to do -- which you might want to try -- is find a 6x6 spot outside to smoke and that was the ONLY place they were allowed to smoke regardless of the weather. After a while it just wasn't worth it for her to go out in the freezing cold/rain/what have you to smoke that stick.

And if none of that works then think about the money you're blowing by buying the cigarettes. Take however much money you spend a week on cigarettes and toss it in a jar. You'll be shocked to see how much you're wasting on those things.

Honestly I think smoking is 90% habit 10% addiction and yes, I am a former smoker. I quit cold turkey seventeen years ago and it was the best thing I ever did.

I quit in August 2011. At the time I lived with two heavy smokers.

I think some people fail because they aren't ready to quit. Deciding to quit, and then committing to that decision, is really tough.

I cut back for a few weeks and then went cold turkey. I used the time when I was cutting back to figure out my triggers and try to break those habits. For example, I would always light up pretty much as soon as I got in the car. But while I was cutting back, I made myself wait 5 minutes one time...then 10 minutes. Same thing with after meals, another trigger for me.

ETA: I also kept track of the money I was saving by not smoking, which was a fun way to stay motivated.

It's been several years for me but when my son was little he had asthma ( I did not smoke while pregnant); I made the decision to not smoke inside my house or vehicles. It was some really cold, wet smoke breaks that finally got to me before I discovered it just wasnt worth being out in the cold wet air for. That and they were getting expensive even then. Good Luck to ya........

I quit October 7, 2012, so not quite in your 6-12 month window, but here goes: I quit with my "smoking buddy". We both had decided it was time, and quit within a week of each other. I completely avoided the smoking areas around work just to avoid temptation. It was a few weeks before I could be around people that smoke, but thankfully I was the only smoker at my house (didn't smoke inside, so that helped). It's been a fairly smooth go of it, but I credit that a lot with I just plain wanted to quit. A few recommendations for those quitting...if you smoke in your vehicle, clean it out, shampoo the upholstery, the lining, the floor mats, clean it all out! It will help reduce the temptation if you don't have the smell right there every day. Drink lots of water (it'll also help you get your 8 glasses a day!!), be cautious of compensating for the lack of nicotine with caffeine, you'll just end up feeling worse; and the most important thing that helped me...changed my routine. I went to work every day, and my buddy and I would get our cup of coffee, then head out to smoke and chat to start the day. We still have a morning cup of coffee and chat, but now it's in a different location, with others involved, and more of a social event than the smoking was. Hope this helps, and good luck!

I didnt recently quit. Been 6 years.

But I did find this site really helpful when I did... www.quitnet.com

This. I quit 12 years ago and this website helped. I'm surprised it's still around, but I guess I'm not that surprised since it's such a great tool. Something else that worked for me was, when I got a craving for a cigarette, I would think about the people that I knew who were having health problems caused by many years of smoking. I would tell myself that if I didn't quit now, that was my future.

I quit smoking on November 13, 2012. Here how it went:

I lost my job in September. Terminated due to new management (I'm 56). Being home all day I smoked more, 2 packs a day rather than 1 1/2. I'm single (since 1988) so the cigarette money came right off the top of my unemployment check. I have a mortgage, car payment, insurances, power bill, Internet, water, tv, etc, just like everyone, and the cigs money really started bugging me. How could i possibly justify it?

I'm a Christian and told god I know I shouldn't be smoking, especially now that I certainly can't afford it, but you, god, know I can't quit tho I want to with all my heart. For the past year the smoking has been really bugging me...the health, the wasted money, the smell, everything about it was getting to me. And I prayed and prayed for god to help me with it.

Well, it happened. He did help. In fact, I can't even explain it except that I received my very own personal miracle. The addiction simply vanished. I know it's hard to believe and I couldn't believe it myself. In fact, that day, November 13, I tried smoking 4 times and simply couldn't. I could not smoke. I've been smoke free since. No withdrawals. No cravings. The habit was gone.

This won't help anyone that doesn't have a personal relationship with their god, but for those that do, storm the gates. Use me as a precedent.

I did gain weight from this. I do not know exactly how much from the cigs cessation since I am dealing with a thyroid issue also and the meds have messed up my system terribly. But expect to gain 10 to 20 lbs if you're a heavy smoker. I wouldn't let the weight gain deter you, tho. My general health is SO much better. One immediate result was that I had headaches daily. I mean every single day. They are gone. Could only be the cigs and I'm now getting oxygen to the brain. Also, cough is gone. None of the hacking and spitting. I can breathe! I now walk/run between 2.5 to 4 miles daily and my lungs feel great. My taste buds are coming back and so is my sense of smell. I generally look healthier, my skin, my hair, my eyes.

I am SO happy to be smoke free.

I quite about 6 months ago and haven't gone back. I tried many times and this last time has been for good. I used nicotine gum and worked like a charm. Whenever I had a craving I would just chew on a piece and the urge would go away. I have tried different methods but the gum seem to be the best for me. I live with a smoker which I am trying to change that but you have to want to quite as well. I was all done with smoking which I think helps as well.

Good luck!

I quit on December 9, 2011. I used Chantix for about a month and a half. I didn't have any of the bad side effects that can go with it. I had smoked on and off for 30 years. It's the best thing that ever happened to me.

OK here goes the painful honesty: I LOVE CIGARETTES. ... but they KILL YOU. YOU WILL DIE. (sorry, i know that's frightening)

I have smoked for 12 years. When I say I smoked, I wasn't a "casual" smoker or a "social" smoker.. no, I was a full-blown SMOKER. I don't remember smoking less than 2 full packs a day, ever. Most recently, I was probably closer to 3, honestly. I have always known smoking is an awful, nasty, and extremely unhealthy thing to do to your body, but as I said, I love cigarettes. I have always known I SHOULD quit...but I didn't WANT to quit.

In 2007 I used Chantix to quit smoking. I did it exactly like the instructions say, smoke for a week, then pick a day in the second week and just quit. It worked. Like magic...plus some wildly vivid dreams. I was quit for probably several months, and then a stressful event caused me to start up again.... only I smoked even more then. A note on Chantix: it absolutely works, period.

In 2009 I started graduate school, which can single-handedly be THE most stressful thing one can do to him or herself. The entire time, I found myself literally chain smoking. I smoked more and more and more and more. I couldn't get enough. I found myself actually addicted to the ACT of smoking rather than the nicotine itself. Even if the nicotine made me feel sick, I had the desire to keep on puffing away. I graduated, and still kept smoking and smoking.

I started to really take things serious about my smoking problem. I realized that cigarettes were the single most important thing in my life and they were killing my body, my family, my future, and my checking account. Every single moment of my day the only thing I could think of was when I would get my next cigarette. I decided I WANTED TO QUIT. I already knew I SHOULD quit, but I decided I WANTED to....now I just had to figure out HOW to. That is probably 90% of the battle right there. You have to decide that you actually WANT to quit, realize what it means for your life to change from quitting, and commit to it, 100% no turning back, absolutely not a single excuse NO MATTER WHAT. Then, you have to actually do it.

Here's how I did it.. (and I know, theres a ton of controversy about using multiple nicotine supplements together...but I did some research, and took some risks that you may not want to do, or might not be the best idea)...
Pick a day, and smoke away up until that day. (I just woke up one day and decided, today is the day!).. it was December 16, 2012.
I used the patch, the nicotine candy, and the electronic cigarette.
For the first week, I used the patch every single morning when I got up I put one on. I also used the nicotine candy when I had a crazy craving that wouldn't STOP. Then, on Christmas day the patch made me awfully sick, nauseaous, like morning sickness type illness. I immediately ripped it off, and haven't put one on since. I started using the candy more often then. I ate the candies every few hours for several days, then lowered it to just a few per day. My actual withdrawal cravings disappeared during the first few weeks, then I was just having craving for the act of smoking.
So, I used the electronic cigarette for times when I felt like I needed a cigarette in my hand/mouth. That's it.

Here are some other helpful tips that you may already know if you've quit before.
The first 48 hours are probably going to feel like the slowest, most excruciating hours of your life. Just remember, it's ALL in your head. Literally tell yourself that. and when you want a smoke, go do something else and refuse to allow yourself to smoke.
After the first 48, your battle is won, don't turn back now, you will have come SOOO far!
During the first week or so, I ate cinnamon candy like it was going out of style. I probably had cinnamon candy in my mouth every waking moment unless I had nicotine candy in my mouth. My mouth got so sore for a few days, but I just kept up with the cinnamon candy, it totally fixes everything. (I used Red Hots).
Try googling some of the stop smoking websites. They also have phone numbers you can call for support too.
Whatever you do, DON'T let temptation get the best of you...tell yourself that you're not ever going to smoke ever again.
To stay quit....try to remember every single day all the reasons why you quit and why you want to stay quit.

Most importantly...remember that every time you want to smoke and don't...you've won the battle. Every non-smoked cigarette is another notch in your smoke-free tally chart. Good luck, I hope my info might have helped you.

I quit 2 years ago using an electronic cigarette. Google "Volcano ecig". That is a good brand with high quality products and excellent customer service.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

good info there.

Quit over two years ago cold turkey after reading the Allan Carr Easy Way book, that was after 20 years of smoking.

Haven't looked back, everyone should read it.