I have no motivation to stop smokimg.

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Replies

  • LaurasClimb
    LaurasClimb Posts: 211 Member
    Good morning OP, here's what did it for me...

    I have a person in my life (family member) who is a total witch (with a capital B). Loooong story...she's felt the need to compete with me my whole life. I'm not a terribly competitive person but, I guess, in a small way I can be.
    She tried to quit many times (so had I). One day I decided I was going to do it because she couldn't. And I did! It wasn't easy. I stopped cold turkey. But my motivation was being able to do what she couldn't.

    Well...I guess that was the motivation she needed, too. She also quit. So now my motivation is that I'm not going to fail at something she's succeeded in. It's been almost 9 years. I won't lie, the cravings still show up from time to time but I am not about to lose this competition!
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Thank you so much for the replies. I have read each post and now have a lot to consider. The MFP community has come through in a big way! I am 52 and am very healthy according to my doctor. I think it is more difficult to quit smoking than lose weight because I can't see any results. With weight loss, I can get positive reinforcement from the scale, my clothes and the mirror. With smoking, it's all in my head. I am not smoking as much as I did two weeks ago, but I can't seem to stop completely. I have been at this two weeks and I am needing the extra push to stop cheating. Please keep the replies coming! I need each one.
    Beautiful.
    It is not all in your head. You affect the people around you, particularly those who love you/need you/are counting on you. You affect others, don't miss that reality.
  • Koshkaxo
    Koshkaxo Posts: 332 Member
    like others have said you have to want it for yourself ...that will be the difference between temporary quitter and permanent quitter...good luck!

    I am stuck as a temporary quitter. I had a full 7 weeks in without a smoke and then I gave in D: I've been sneaking a few with friends the past few day and I feel guilty.

    OP Good luck! My advice is that you need to figure out your triggers for wanting a smoke (social time, stress, after meals, driving, etc). When you feel crappy during these times you'll at least know when it'll happen and why :)
  • jayjay12345654321
    jayjay12345654321 Posts: 653 Member
    I like Bernadette's answer the best. I don't care if you're a doctor, nurse, cancer patient, or one of those scary anti-smoking examples on TV commercials, nobody is going to make me quit unless I want to. If you're having trouble quitting, even if you really want to, and I believe you. I know the feeling, but if you're having trouble, there is a part of you that just isn't ready yet. Smoking gives you that emotional "something" you still need. An escape during tense situation, a zen when you're seeking peace, a sense of relaxation after a meal, something else to focus on in frustrating traffic. Whatever it is, the act of smoking, not the cigarette itself, still provides that for you. I don't know a single person who wouldn't swap out their cigarettes for something entirely benign if they could, but it just doesn't exist. A few of my friends have switched to the e-Cigarette, but after that news report 2 years ago of one exploding in man's mouth, most felt it safer to go back to regular cigarettes. The one who stuck with his e-Cig did actually quit. He's been smoke free for 2 years, puffing away on his water vapor gadget. He smoked a pack a day for 25 yrs, Marlboro Reds.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    Also, it is liberating!

    Typically, I'd get up..sneak to the bathroom to smoke.

    Volunteer to walk the dogs so I could smoke.

    Count the minutes till I left for work so I could smoke on the way to the train.

    Find the least crowded sidewalk so I could smoke on the way to the office.

    Watch the clock till I could smoke.

    Have to rush home and shower to get the smoke smell off.

    Push the family out of the kitchen so I could sneak out for a smoke.

    Walk the dogs again, to smoke.

    Not play with our son, cause "Mom was too busy working and she's going to Starbucks to avoid the noise"...but really to smoke.

    Smoking wasn't relieving tension and stress, it was adding tension and stress.

    In two years, I've saved roughly 5,000.00 by not smoking and I've gained at least an hour each day. Both my money and my time are better spent than smoking.
  • Raven2evil
    Raven2evil Posts: 73 Member
    It mostly depends on how much you smoke. I've been smoking on and off since i was 15-16. I used to be able to stop completely whenever I wanted. I can't do that as easily now but I can easily curb how much I do smoke. I now only smoke when I'm at a party and maybe one cig when I'm super stressed but otherwise I usually smoke a little bit of hookah with my boyfriend and I'm fine. If you don't feel you need to quit then don't. Yes its healthier to quit but if that isn't reason enough for you to want to quit then your simply not going to. Some people just won't that's okay, some people do and congrats to them. You have to decide which one you are on your own.
  • A_Warrior_Princess
    A_Warrior_Princess Posts: 344 Member
    I know I am struggling too with quitting smoking. I seem to do well and then when I am around my family which most of us smoke then I revert back to my old habits of smoking. I took Chantix and quit for several years and then my brother moved in with us for about a year and I started smoking again, ugh I hate it. The smell, taste, it seems to dictate my life - my husband hates it, BUT you gotta figure out if that is what you really want to do quit or stay smoking.
  • LaurasClimb
    LaurasClimb Posts: 211 Member
    In two years, I've saved roughly 5,000.00 by not smoking and I've gained at least an hour each day. Both my money and my time are better spent than smoking.

    This made me think...In the nearly 9 years since I quit, I should have saved well over $16,000. (I figured $5/pack which I know is low) Where did all that go??

    OP, here's a thought...everyday you don't smoke put aside $5.00. It will add up!
  • roxweb
    roxweb Posts: 19 Member
    Ah this is not easy! I have empathy for your situation. For me, it took YEARS before I finally committed, and then quit (has been going on 7 years now!) But what clicked for me wasn't the "desire" or knowing it was healthy (it is) or that I wouldn't die of cancer or something. Basically it was a change in circumstance. I bought a new car, and didn't want to lose the "new car" smell, plus, I had just moved into a new home and didn't want the smell all over the carpet and me and my children's clothing. That was it! It was like one day, the switch clicked in my brain and VOILA! Just like starting to eat healthy again. For some reason I just started doing it again.

    But, it will "feel" different, when you are really ready. If you're not committed to doing it, it will be hell (believe me, I've lived it). I think ultimately, whether you quit or not, don't stop trying!! One of these times, you'll quit for good, because just posting this question in the discussion board, asking others for help, is the first sign that your brain is moving in the right direction :) Hang in there!
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    My husbands step father and mother quit smoking 20 years ago. Both are in their 70's now. MIL has copd and step father in law has lung cancer and struggles to get through every day. Surgery was not an option. He did all the radiation and chemo he could handle and is now giving up. He's sick all the time. Falls down due to being so weak from the chemo and lack of oxygen. He is so weak he falls down trying to pee. Boy what joy ha?? Poor guy is in the hospital at least twice a month with problems. MIL had stents put in due to narrowing and hardening of her arteries all due to her past smoking. Neither one is allowed to drive anymore due to health issues. They have nurses in and out of their house constantly to check on them, oxygen treatments, physical therapy appointments, constantly going for tests and treatments etc. THey've both been having serious medical issues since in their early 60's. Way too many medical problems to list here. It would take me all day! ALL of their medical problems are due to their past pack a day habit.

    You want a life like this? I don't think so.
  • buffywhitney
    buffywhitney Posts: 172 Member
  • bdubya55
    bdubya55 Posts: 506 Member
    As a smoker for 43+ years I'm currently reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking" and have a date set of 9/2/13 for my final cigarette. I strongly recommend his book and encourage you to check it out.

    As smokers, we know the health "risks" associated with smoking. The vid below shares the health "benefits" when we stop smoking from the onset, and it's pretty darn good too.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfVq9b0uHZ0&feature=youtu.be

    Good luck!:drinker:
  • I am an ex-smoker and will be 12 years smoke-free the 15th of this month. Here is a website that has a forum and some useful info http://www.quitnet.com if you want to take a peek at the site.

    Quitnet has a neat little 'gadget' to keep track of stats - not that I agree with everything on the stats but financially it is inspiring *LOL*.

    My Stats:
    Your Quit Date is: 8/15/2001
    Time Smoke-Free: 4378 days, 10 hours, 7 minutes and 1 second
    Cigarettes NOT smoked: 87568
    Money Saved: $20,795.50

    Sometimes we just have to "go for it" just like logging into MFP and choosing healthier food options.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    Also, I think smoking is like losing weight...you have to find a strategy which works for you and you have to be willing to change your strategy when another strategy isn't working.

    I "quit", but before I quit totally I:

    . Restricted where I could smoke.

    . I stopped buying multi-packs.

    . I kept the cigs in one place only and if I wanted one I had to go get it (upper desk drawer and the office, guest bathroom at home.)

    . I logged the "triggers": coffee, disagreements with family, etc.

    Smoking is a habit...it becomes an automatic part of your day. If you can find ways to make it less automatic and look for a substitute

    I did Nicorette with smoking...bad I know...until I was finally doing more Nicorette than cigs and then no cigs at all. I put Nicorette on my Amazon subscribe and save monthly so it was always available.

    I had a motivator (our son), but what got me there was a plan which made it easier and what made it easier was taking small steps to making NOT smoking easier.
  • rainydays5
    rainydays5 Posts: 217 Member
    This video is all I got. If you can watch this and still want to smoke then you will never quit.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOPYoalGL9k
  • SmallMimi
    SmallMimi Posts: 541 Member
    Smoked for 33 years, sorry there is no magical reason. YOU have to find your own!
  • I quit several years ago for 1 reason only. Finances. I was smoking 2 to 2 1/2 packs a day. Wisconsin (and other states) realized a while ago that taxing tobacco is the easiest, most popular, PC way to raise money. It went up $.50 one year, then $1.00 after that. They have pushed smokers out into the sidewalks, alleys and streets for the smoke free atmosphere in buildings.

    That being said, when I decided to quit smoking, I did it on New Years. Last cig was at 11:45 on New years Eve. You have to want it or no amount of gimmicks are going to help. I gained a lot of weight, but I have now lost that and more. As far as feeling better? I didn't feel any better at all until I lost the weight. It was a rough month or so, but it will get easier. You will get ornery, but let that drive your determination.

    This may have sounded negative, but it is all up to you.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Also, it is liberating!

    Typically, I'd get up..sneak to the bathroom to smoke.

    Volunteer to walk the dogs so I could smoke.

    Count the minutes till I left for work so I could smoke on the way to the train.

    Find the least crowded sidewalk so I could smoke on the way to the office.

    Watch the clock till I could smoke.

    Have to rush home and shower to get the smoke smell off.

    Push the family out of the kitchen so I could sneak out for a smoke.

    Walk the dogs again, to smoke.

    Not play with our son, cause "Mom was too busy working and she's going to Starbucks to avoid the noise"...but really to smoke.

    Smoking wasn't relieving tension and stress, it was adding tension and stress.

    In two years, I've saved roughly 5,000.00 by not smoking and I've gained at least an hour each day. Both my money and my time are better spent than smoking.

    I have appreciated the extra time I have each day just by cutting down. Smoking is a time waster, which may be part of my cheating. I seem to like to escape with a few puffs by myself. I haven't had an entire cigarette in two weeks, but I still can't seem to not sneak in a few cheat puffs each day. I need to stop completely or this isn't going to work.
  • liesevanlingen
    liesevanlingen Posts: 508 Member
    Watch the movie "Dead Again"- with Kenneth Branaugh and Emma Thompson.
  • mommy3457
    mommy3457 Posts: 361 Member
    There are videos out there of those who have tubes in their lungs from getting lung cancer from smoking. Do you have loved ones? They are reason enough.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    OP, I think you need to give yourself some credit.

    My doc told me every cigarette you smoke takes 7 minutes off your life (don't ask me where this stat comes from..and please let's not have a war about this number.)

    If you cut down by 5 cigs, you've gained 35 minutes of life.

    I figure I've gained at least two years of life which I intend to spend posting on MFP....:tongue::smooched:
  • You will never quit until you really want to. Trust me on this one. I was a smoker for almost 10 years. Started young. Was selfish and smoked throught my pregnancy. My son came out 5 lbs with breathing problems. Today he is perfectly fine and no longer requires a breathing machine. I will regret that forever but I am so glad God made him a perfectly healthy 4 year old boy!!

    I decided to stop smoking once he was born b/c I was terrified at what I have done. I have not picked up a cigarette in over 4 years and i don't even want one. The smell of them makes me cringe. There's no desire to have one. i wish I was able to quit sooner but like you, I had no motivation and no reason to quit.

    Since I have stopped I'm not longer sick all of the time. I rarely get colds, I no longer cough and wheeze. i have more energy and my skin looks better! Don't get me wrong I turned to food and gained weight, but i'd take the weight that I can lose than my life that I can't get back if I die from lung cancer.

    I have a friend who was diagnosed with long cancer. She quit smoking out of fear. then she started back up b/c she never wanted to quit in the first place. if you don't have it in you to quit it will be hard to stay smoke free. find a good reason down withing and stick to it. if you are going to quit do it. It will be hard at first but trust me, it's well worth it. good luck
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    Check out what you're doing to yourself:

    http://www.healingtalks.com/health/pictures-of-smokers-and-non-smokers-lungs/

    You're probably cutting your life short, meaning your family will grieve for you before they should have to. Your grandchildren will miss out on several years of your wit and wisdom. You are inviting heart disease and lung disease into your life. Lung cancer is a slow and painful death and your family has to watch while you waste away.

    If you truly care about yourself and / or your family, you will stop. Make it your gift to them.

    I know this was harsh but you asked for motivation. I can't think of better motivation than family, good health and long life. I lost weight for the same reasons. If I can control my eating habits, you can quit smoking.
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
    I need to stop completely or this isn't going to work.

    Very true. I smoked for about 30 years. My reason for quitting? The wheezing in the night kept waking me up and I couldn't get a good night's sleep... Probably the stupidest reason in the world, but it was "the one" for me. I had plenty of reasons, but none that were compelling enough to send me to the right head space.

    One thing that really helped me was to accept that it wasn't going to be easy. No matter what crutch I used, whether it be patches, gum, a drug, herbal cigarettes or just going cold turkey, it was going to be HARD. Maybe the hardest thing I'd ever done. I had to accept that firstly, so that when it got hard, I wouldn't give in.

    Think about (write down) what you get from smoking. The advantages and the disadvantages. Then write the advantages and disadvantages of quitting... Then study that list. I'm a singer. And now, I can sing again. I can breathe deeply! It's really fantastic on this side. :)

    If you want to, you'll find your strength. MILLIONS of people have done it. And you're just as good, worthy and strong as they are. So you CAN do it. It's just a matter of making the decision to use your inner strength, put on your big girl panties and make it happen.

    Most people who successfully quit have tried MANY times. I did. So, no matter what, keep trying. One glorious day, you will do it. I quit August 19, 2001, approaching 12 years smoke free.

    Good luck!
  • PAULO65
    PAULO65 Posts: 3
    I'm having the same problem now. I joined a 30-day stop smoking support group a few years ago and "quit" smoking during the 30 day session and for about 5 months taking the nicotine gums without the support group. After that i stopped taking the gum and threw away the box thinking I'm "ok". But low and behold I picked up about a week later. Since that time i continue to smoke. I should note that I did cardio and stretching by myself most of the time and occassionally joined group exercises weekly while smoking and not smoking. After doing the same routine I was stumbling along with exercising regularly and I could feel it. So now I decided just recently to get a personal trainer. I honestly told him that I'm continuing to smoke. He wast not judgmental. I want to be open and honest with my trainer with the hopes of overcoming my obstacles in getting, staying fit and be happy.
  • SunsetDncr
    SunsetDncr Posts: 8 Member
    You will never quit until YOU are ready. Here is my question. Do you want to quit when you want to or when you have to? When you have to it's usually too late. Keep that in mind. I quit almost 14 years ago and it was the best thing I've ever done for myself. MYSELF!!! Key word here. :) I'm so thankful not to be a slave to those things any longer. My husband is putting on a patch today. He had stopped with me but started again a year later. He's having progressively more issues due to smoking. I'm 52 and graduated from a RN nursing program in May.... pinned August 1. When we came home I said "I'm so glad you are still here to share it with me." That statement... the way I put it hit him like a bullet between the eyes. I'm ready to support him 100% no matter how cranky he gets with me.

    I gained weight.... lost it. Gained weight through school. And have lost 12 pounds after going on Weight Watchers June 26th. That's small potatoes compared to the damage smoking does.

    My advise to you? Take all that you read here....the videos are enough to scare anyone... I've seen it up close and personal in patients in acute care and long term care settings. It's an addiction. A very, very strong addiction. It will be without a doubt, the hardest... most rewarding thing you EVER do for YOURSELF! Good luck. I hope you find it within yourself to quit.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Go to the dr have have a breathing function test done. That is what stopped me cold in my tracks. I actually was not planning to stop because I loved smoking so I got the ecig. One day after about 8 months on the ecig, I realized I had not touched it in weeks.

    Good luck, I am coming upon 6 years sober and cigs were harder to wrap my mind around quitting than vodka, and let me tell ya, I loved me some vodka.
  • Ninabee150
    Ninabee150 Posts: 14 Member
    I just wish my only sister who is 12 years younger would quit smoking. She has been smoking for years and it is starting to take a toll on her health. I will just continue to pray for her.:ohwell: :brokenheart:
  • katieburdison
    katieburdison Posts: 3 Member
    i switched to electronic cigarettes. they dont stink and you still get the nicotine fix minus the 4000 carcinogens in traditional cigs. my smokers cough is gone and i can taste and smell EVERYTHING like never before. picked up the habit when i was 11 yrs old, im almost 23 and just quit two months ago. i havent had ONE cigarette since i got my electronic one. not even an urge to smoke one, they stink to me now. ive gotten my best friend my mom, and my mother in law to quit using them! look into them online, i like to use the eGo brand batteries. i hope this helps!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I think my new strategy is to write down every partial cigarette that I smoke and then do a tally at the end of the day. Hopefully a pattern will emerge and the accountability factor will help me get down to zero. It worked for my exercise and food, so perhaps it will work for smoking. Thanks so much for all the great responses! I am overwhelmed with gratitude! :flowerforyou: