Advice to quit smoking please?

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245

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  • angryguy77
    angryguy77 Posts: 836 Member
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    You have to want it more than you want the cigarette. I quit ten months ago and I haven't really thought about it since. I had become so disgusted by the habit and the cost that I just decided I was done. Never looked back.

    After 24 hours, the addiction is all in your head. Keep yourself busy. Think of yourself as a non smoker, just as right now you consider yourself a smoker. You will be a new person.

    Good luck.

    Cold turkey really is the best way to go. Why quit smoking if your just going to replace the toxins with a patch or a gum or a fake cigarette?


    The only "toxin" in an ecig is the nicotine.....which btw, isn't as bad as you may think.

    You "quite or die" people need to realize not all people want, or will quite the habit totally. I've used a ecig for over a year now and my lung capacity has improved as well as my health.
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
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    It takes a made up mind!! Then self control for the little things(snacks) It is the hand to mouth habit. Change that. Good luck.
  • arllorens
    arllorens Posts: 2
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    I have not smoked for 6 months. The e-cigs are great and lots of water. You can do it!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Honestly? It's just like when it comes to working out....


    Just. Do. It


    Make a commitment to yourself and follow through. I did it cold turkey, chewed a lot of gum and baby carrots and exercised. No tricks, no gimmicks. It sucks and is hard as hell but worth it.
  • Samenamenewlook
    Samenamenewlook Posts: 296 Member
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    I too started smoking again after all three of my kids. I finally quit cold turkey 18 months ago. I replaced it with exercise. Everytime I ran I was reminded of how much more I could do and how better I felt. The cravings start to wane after about two weeks. I'm not going to lie, I still have urges once in a while, usually when I have a drink, or see someone with one but can't smell it. (I can't stand the smell now). You have to find what works for you. Weight loss followed as I started running instead of smoking and it was wonderful. I don't believe in replacements ... letting it and all triggers go is best. Keeping them around usually leads to smoking again. People telling you its gross will never help you. Find your own reason, your own goals - and keep them in mind. I wish you the best of luck!
  • Sublimely_Self_Righteous
    Sublimely_Self_Righteous Posts: 429
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    Find another thing to orally fixate on to take your mind off cigarettes. It's all mental, and you just have to figure out how to beat it. I know it sounds dumb, but when I quit I switched to chew. Why? Because it gave me the nicotine but I HATED the chew in my mouth. So it got to be a trade off and I eventually just said "*kitten* it" and stopped. It worked for me, but may not work for others. It's just how I beat that mental battle.
  • gaylynn35
    gaylynn35 Posts: 854 Member
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    bump
  • LBNOakland
    LBNOakland Posts: 379 Member
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    When I quit probably 20 years ago, I stepped my self down. I went from MArlboro lights to ultralights, then Benson & Hedges to Lights, to ultralights. I looked for brands that were lighter and lighter til I was practically smoking air. That worked for me.

    My mom quit after 33 years of smoking. Actually, she hasn't quit. She gets up everyday and decides not to smoke today. She has been deciding not to smoke today for about 15 years! LOL It works for her!

    Good luck!! Keep in mind that your kids mimic you. That may help. I smoked because my mom smoked. My kids have never seen me smoke and think it is a very nasty habit. They were schocked to hear I ever did it. I have 3 teens and none will even consider trying it.

    On the other hand, my husband dips and we have already caught our son dipping. Daddy basically said do as I say not as I do. Think that will work? Bad habits can be caught rather than taught. Do you want your child to have to break a smoking habit? Perhaps that will help motivate you.
  • GIAngel222
    GIAngel222 Posts: 227 Member
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    I quit by keeping one cigarette in a pack and it was for "emergency purposes only". I held onto that pack for two weeks and kept telling myself that I am strong and that it was mind over matter, that as long as my mind kept telling me not to smoke the cigarette than it wouldn't happen. I also (because of the severe dry mouth that makes you keep wanting more cigarettes) sucked on Halls Vitamin C drops, they also helped with the oral fixation too! I think this went on for about 6 months - a year.

    I don't know if this helps you but I have been successfully smoke free for 10 years, 2 months and 6 days!
  • oiseau17
    oiseau17 Posts: 142 Member
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    I was in the same boat (started again after my dd was born and I felt terrible about it). I've been tobacco free for nine months now using an e-cigarette and it was the best decision I've ever made. I've been slowly stepping down my nicotine and I'm almost rid of that now too. If you want a wealth of info, google "e-cigarette forum" and you can find out everything you'd ever want to know and more. Depending where you are, there maybe vape shops in your area as well. Hands-on help when you start out is really helpful. I wish you all kinds of good luck quitting, whichever method you choose! And feel free to message me if you need any e-cig advice :)
  • Louis4tennis
    Louis4tennis Posts: 1
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    1. A number of states have a no cost quit line. These quit lines are exceptional. You work over the phone with wonderful coaches who take you through a great program. Some of the quit lines even include no cost over-the-counter quit aids.

    Do a Google search with " 'the name of your state' + quit line" and see if one is available to you!

    2. If your state does not have a quit line - use these resources from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/

    3. Please tell your primary care provider your intentions the next time you are in the clinic. They can be a good resource too. [And, your clinic may have an on-site quitting class.]

    As you know - the more support you have (just like with weight loss), the better chance for success!
  • dubist
    dubist Posts: 279 Member
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    mind over matter what matters. I tried for years to quit the only way that worked is quitting cold turkey. I also chewed on raw licorice root which helps with the craving.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
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    There is an e-cig call Blu - had the best "pull" in my opinion. You can get them at Walgreens. I also recommend reading a book by Allan Carr - the Easy Way to Quit Smoking - or something like that . It has been in publication for over 20years. The guy who wrote the book smoked like 4 packs a day! Its an easy read - I highly recommend it.

    The problem with blu, and I used those at one time, is they don't have very long battery life (especially if you were a three pack a day smoker like I was), and the cartridges are poly filled so if they dry, they burn. Plus the cartridges are relatively speaking expensive. You can get much more effective devices and cartridges and juices for way less in price, depending on your needs.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
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    You have to want it more than you want the cigarette. I quit ten months ago and I haven't really thought about it since. I had become so disgusted by the habit and the cost that I just decided I was done. Never looked back.

    After 24 hours, the addiction is all in your head. Keep yourself busy. Think of yourself as a non smoker, just as right now you consider yourself a smoker. You will be a new person.

    Good luck.

    Cold turkey really is the best way to go. Why quit smoking if your just going to replace the toxins with a patch or a gum or a fake cigarette?

    I will call BS on the addiction being all in your head after 24 hours. There is a heck of alot more than nicotine in cigarettes and a heck of alot more to the addiction than the nicotine as well. My RLS dramatically worsened after quitting cigarettes, even with nicotine replacement therapies, and it has never improved since.

    As for why quit smoking if you are just replacing, it is about harm reduction. My blood pressure is down, my cholesterol is down, my breathing is better, and I no longer require Advair or albuterol. I am not saying ecigs are for everyone, but if cold turkey isn't an effective strategy for someone, harm reduction is a viable option.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
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    You have to want it more than you want the cigarette. I quit ten months ago and I haven't really thought about it since. I had become so disgusted by the habit and the cost that I just decided I was done. Never looked back.

    After 24 hours, the addiction is all in your head. Keep yourself busy. Think of yourself as a non smoker, just as right now you consider yourself a smoker. You will be a new person.

    Good luck.

    Cold turkey really is the best way to go. Why quit smoking if your just going to replace the toxins with a patch or a gum or a fake cigarette?


    The only "toxin" in an ecig is the nicotine.....which btw, isn't as bad as you may think.

    You "quite or die" people need to realize not all people want, or will quite the habit totally. I've used a ecig for over a year now and my lung capacity has improved as well as my health.

    Actually, nicotine by itself is relatively speaking no more harmful than caffeine, and there is some interesting research being done on disorders it is actually helpful for, like Parkinson's. The problem with cigarettes is all the other things PLUS the products of combustion, breathing smoke, no matter what it is from is generally not a great idea for health.
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    What's wrong with sugarless gum for a while, if it helps you quit smoking? I quit a 3 pack a day habit (many years ago) by throwing away my smokes and lighters and ashtrays. I didn't use any nicotine replacements because, guess what, nicotine leaves your system after 3 days so the physical part of your addiction is OVER. Then you just deal with the mental part and the figgety-ness of having nothing for your hands to do.

    I chewed gum and I made a gum chain out of the wrappers while talking on the phone. The gum chain got to be about 8 feet long. Then I was done and never smoked again.

    Use positive reinforcement-- look at smokers and think about how bad they smell and how stupid they look and how they're killing themselves and wasting lots of money doing it. DON'T think, I am deprived, poor me, I wish I could have one little puff, etc.

    Those are my suggestions. They worked for me.
  • Shelby1582
    Shelby1582 Posts: 191 Member
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    Congratulations for deciding to quit! I quit smoking 5 months ago and it feels great. I used Nicorette gum the first couple of days along with an e-cigarette. After a month I had stopped using the e-cig and once the nicotine is completely out of your body the only cravings you have are mental. When I had a craving I would workout. For me I couldn't think about a cigarette when I was sweating my butt off trying to breathe while running, doing insanity, or any other workout dvd. Being in the car was the worst but I would call a non smoking friend and chat and that helped. The cravings pass and then you won't have them at all. I like the livestrong app too. You can log a craving and the posts from people who are going through the same thing you are is motivating and encouraging. I liked it because it distracted my mind and hands. You can do this!!!! Also drink ice water in small sips instead of eating something.
  • mklassy123
    mklassy123 Posts: 153
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    I have been smoke free for over two years now, and it was hard to do - but oh so worth it. I love not smoking so much more than I ever loved smoking. I have a certain freedom now that I didn't have while still smoking. I am not a slave to cigarettes. I can have a drink in an airport. I can go on a long flight. I can go out with friends without having to run outside. I don't smell. My clothes stay cleaner for longer. My dry-cleaning bills are less. I have way more money in my wallet now. I can walk up a flight of stairs much more easily now (very important for those of us that use the NYC subways).

    Did I gain weight when I quit? YES I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A friend of mine quit a month after I did and he too gained quite a bit of weight, which he has since taken off. He said to me (while we were both quite chubby from the quitting), "You can lose the weight that you've gained, but you can't grow a new lung". Now I need to stop using the quitting smoking as an excuse and start focusing on my diet and exercise.

    This is something that you have to really be ready to do. Nobody can tell you to do it. Just know that there will be certain changes in your body and mind, and the bad changes can be temporary. The good changes will be permanent.

    BTW, to get to where I am today (smoke free for over two years and hopefully for the rest of my life) I had to quit at least 10 times, probablyy more. NEVER beat yourself up if you didn't succeed the last time, there WILL be a time that it sticks, and hopefully this will be that time!
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
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    The bottom line it: Either you want it or you don't. Whining about it, putting it off, making excuses and replacing it with other bad habits (like chewing gum and eating candy and using patches, etc) is only going to make it harder on you.
  • magicsd
    magicsd Posts: 99 Member
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    I quit 3 years ago. I did it by logging the time i smoked cigarettes. For the next two days, i smoked only at those times that i had logged. The 4th day I started eliminating one of the smoking times/cigarettes. Instead of a cigarette, i chewed gum or licorice or a straw. I did this until i was down to 5 cigarette times a day, and by then most of the nicotine had left my body, so i was able to just walk away from it.

    Once I quit, i was surprised at how bad people that smoked smelled :) I couldn't believe I or my home ever smelled like that but my non smoking friends assured me that i did smell like smoke and so did my house.

    It also helps to have something in your hands until you learn to live without a cigarette. I tried to remember what i did before i was a smoker.

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