Advice to quit smoking please?

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  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    I quit 3 years ago, switched to E-cigarettes.It has nicotine, which is very similar to caffiene, but none of the tar, arsenic, or additives that you get in cigarettes. Essentially they work exactly like children's nebulizers, the "medicine" (in this case, nicotine) *rides* vaporized glycerin and it looks and smokes like the real thing.

    They've been using glycerin and vaporizers/nebulizers for almost 70 years now, yes it's safe.

    I get my hardware here --->
    http://www.litecigusa.net/Joye_Ego_T_electronic_cigarette_starter_kit_p/egot-bblkkit.htm

    and my juice here
    http://freedomsmokeusa.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=189

    The strawberry is the best tasting juice I have ever found, and I've tried hundreds of flavors. I'm also a huge fan of watermelon. tastes like those flavors from a jolly rancher.
  • Shetchncn1
    Shetchncn1 Posts: 260 Member
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    Smoked for 15 yrs. I started cutting back and then when I was down to 1 cig a day I cut it out. But it is just like being hungry if you exercise even a tiny bit it will make the craving go away. If you start craving a cig then do 10 jumping jacks or run in place. If you are at a restaurant go in the restroom and do it. Or in a mall- walk faster. Or drink water. Anything to get you through the first month. But ONLY you can do it. You are going to have to make a decision and only for you!
  • rekite2000
    rekite2000 Posts: 218 Member
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    My thoughts:
    1) teach yourself relaxation techniques (deep breathing, stretching, whatever releases tension for you)
    2) change your routine. I always smoked in the car at work so I started walking instead
    3) remember a craving only lasts a minute or two- that was my mantra
    4) lots of sleep, water, and healthy food - energy will be low for first few days
  • whiskeysister510
    whiskeysister510 Posts: 76 Member
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    My best advice: Don't replace cigarettes with something else. Just quit cold turkey without any crutches. The physical addiction is gone in 3 days. After that, it's all in your head and you can control that.

    My more realistic advice: If you have to "use" something, get one of those plastic cups with a screw on lid and a straw and drink water instead of smoking. Drinking water with a straw is my new smoking! Good for you and you can do it anywhere you want! Really helps when driving--that's walywas the toughest one for me when I have quit in the past.

    I'm one month in and I can tell I finally got it this time! So good luck to you, you can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drinker:
  • alasin1derland
    alasin1derland Posts: 575 Member
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    go cold turkey, wrap a pack with duct tape and throw them in the back of the freezer. this helps with the mental game. your brain knows you have cigarettes if you really want one so no panicky feeling, but its such a pain in the "butt" to get one it gives you a chance to get past the initial craving. good luck. I chewed gum, gum and more gum. Trident peppermint was my choice. you made a great decision to quit.

    I love that straw in the water idea.
  • mommy8777
    mommy8777 Posts: 15
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    Thank you everyone for the tips and advice. I have been kicking the idea around for a while now and I know that I NEED to do it. Your words are all very encouraging and motivating. I will likely attempt another cold turkey routine because I have fairly good will power. When I found out I was pregnant it was easy because I knew someone else was living inside my body and I just couldnt put them through that as well. I have developed an oral fixation from smoking (hence the reason for the candy, gum, and food last time) so I will defiantly be taking advantage of the healthy snack ideas like sunflower seeds and carrot sticks. The sipping ice water, even through, a straw idea and the exercising seems like it may help alot as well. I'm not too sure if the e-smokes are for me, I've tried them and I cough my fool head off, but if I find myself struggling with the cold turkey plan, I'll look into that option as well. My weak points will likely be driving and doing my school work, (where I tend to smoke the most) as well as after meals. I just need to stay vigilant. Anyway, thank you ALL for the encouragement and the wishes of good luck with it.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
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    Hi everyone,
    I've gone cold turkey in the past (as soon as I found out I was pregnant) and I wound up replacing that bad habit with hard candy, gum, and food. Like a moron, I started smoking again 6 months after my son was born. My kiddo is now 2 and I'd really like to quit again because I felt so much healthier and want to be around for a long time for him but I'm worried that I'll cave into the same "replacement habits" as I did before. So, my question is, does anyone have any tips on how to go about kickin the butts while not resorting to food as replacement? I figure sugar free candies can be a fall back but all that fake sugar isnt healthy either. Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated :flowerforyou: Thanks!

    Buy a 32 oz sport bottle and fill it with filtered water and lemon slices and drink it all day.... the lemon makes it taste like a treat. Exercise when you feel cravings. Make sure you are never hungry (eat regular meals). Finally, a lot of hospitals in the USA (don't know where you live) have free stop-smoking programs. You could enroll and get some extra support. Best of luck! I quit over 20 years ago... the first 4 months were tough, but after that I felt fine. You can do it, too!!
  • bugaha1
    bugaha1 Posts: 602 Member
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    Cold turkey worked for me 9 years ago, it's hard the first week but honestly after that ever week gets a little easier to get through. My hardest part was driving home from work and not stopping to buy cigs.
  • mommy8777
    mommy8777 Posts: 15
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    you what I did when my son was 2 after starting to smoke again in order to quit.... got preggers again. :wink:


    Lol, I actually joke around about having another just so I would have to quit. It would surely light a fire under my butt and make me stop lighting one at the end of a ciggy :drinker:
  • Xeldadog
    Xeldadog Posts: 15 Member
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    It sounds like you are ready to quit. I hit my 5 year non-smoking goal in March. I understand where you are. I was always quitting for 4 years, until one day, I just had enough and made the quit for real. But I knew, for me, going cold turkey was not my path to success. I tried the patch--burnt my skin and made me feel super jittery. Hated the gum. So, I tried Chantix. I was done with cigs 5 weeks into the Chantix program, and never looked back. Chantix isn't for everyone and has to be prescribed by your doctor. Since I quit, more smokeless electronic options have emerged. You need to find the right approach for you.

    In addition to finding the right approach, its best to determine why you smoke and when you smoke. Like rekite2000 suggested, you need to change your routine. For me, when I quit, I had to figure out how to deal with stress differently. It certainly was a journey to realize I had covered up dealing with my stress by smoking. Leaving your desk, going outside, lighting a cigerette are behaviors that redirect your attention from addressing the stress.

    You can quit. LIke weight loss, quitting takes determination to change your lifestyle. You can do this. You will feel better about yourself, not only physically, but also emotionally. Beating yourself up that you are not quit is just as unhealthy as saying you can't lose the weight. You can. And you will.

    Be the momentum you want to be.
  • mkwongh
    mkwongh Posts: 279 Member
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    first time i quit i did cold turkey.. lasted for about 2-3 years,

    This time i used herbal cigs when I got the really bad cravings. Have not touched a smoke in 3 years now. good luck. the first month, and third month were the worse for me, but it gets better
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
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    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.

    Yeah, I switched to snus. From an individual risk perspective - nicotine is only marginally worse than caffeine.

    OP, whatever you do - stop smoking. An addiction to ecigs, patches, gum, nicotine lozenges, etc is still WAY better for you and the people around you than smoking.
  • bio01979
    bio01979 Posts: 313
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    I quit with zero cravings and 0 desire to habitually smoke with Champix/Chantix. I was a pack a day smoker for 20 years and a big "habitual" smoker.

    The Champix made quitting easy and I haven't looked back. I have 3 family members (one that was a pack-2 pack a day smoker for 40 years) who also quit with Champix/Chantix and it was the same for them, no cravings - they simply did not smoke anymore :)

    It may be an option for you :)
  • throgmar
    throgmar Posts: 16 Member
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    Imagine your kid at your funeral.

    That did it for me.

    I should have had kids sooner.
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
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    Zyban. But make sure your MD knows how to ween you off. It can make one a bit edgy quitting Zyban cold turkey. However, you wont crave any smokes.

    Tattoed hipster idiot at convenience store- "You don't have any of the Lucky 13's? Can you look in the ba..."

    Me- "SHUT THE *kitten* UP AND PAY FOR YOUR **** ALREADY! There are 7 other people here and we don't have time to wait on your dumb *kitten* to buy a losing lottery ticket. So..., HURRY THE F*&% UP!!

    Others in line with me- *fearfully nodding in agreement*
  • BoomstickChick
    BoomstickChick Posts: 428 Member
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    Just stop. You will when you're really ready. Until then, you're not. Just like weight loss, there's no excuses, if you want something badly enough, you go get it.
  • Shea0482
    Shea0482 Posts: 10
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    I used to keep carrots in my purse constantly! I would buy a bag and chop them up in ziplock baggies. Carrots are my favorite and the mental accomplishment of replacing something bad with something heathy really helped me. I also did not go out and socialize my first two weeks of cold turkey. Drinking was my trigger so I waited till I felt strong enough to be around all my girlfriends for a night out to say no to the cigs! I'm 5 years smoke free!
  • notyouraveragetalia
    notyouraveragetalia Posts: 223 Member
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    Zyban. But make sure your MD knows how to ween you off. It can make one a bit edgy quitting Zyban cold turkey. However, you wont crave any smokes.

    Tattoed hipster idiot at convenience store- "You don't have any of the Lucky 13's? Can you look in the ba..."

    Me- "SHUT THE *kitten* UP AND PAY FOR YOUR **** ALREADY! There are 7 other people here and we don't have time to wait on your dumb *kitten* to buy a losing lottery ticket. So..., HURRY THE F*&% UP!!

    Others in line with me- *fearfully nodding in agreement*

    lol awesome..I want to say this although I'm not experiencing Zyban withdrawl!
  • nicolen160
    nicolen160 Posts: 197 Member
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    I quit cold turkey 7 years ago after smoking for 14 years! I don't know how else I would have done it. My husband still smokes and I can't get him to stop either. You have to be ready and just have will power I guess. Good luck!
  • coe28
    coe28 Posts: 715 Member
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    I tried Chantix many times. It always worked until I was done with the pills, then I went right back to smoking again. In March I bought the book "The EasyWay to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. It changes your way of thinking when it comes to smoking and quitting. The book says not to use any other supplements when quitting but I again paired it with the Chantix and have had much more success this time. I quit on March 7th. Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:

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