I am quitting smoking - but I feel a strong urge to smoke

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  • gaylelynnbell
    gaylelynnbell Posts: 248 Member
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    Quit smoking on July 21, so I am nearing the one-month mark. (Yay me!) I have been using a free phone app called Cessation Nation that tracks all kinds of stats including days quit, money saved, time saved and more. It has been my saving grace on hard days. I just look at how long it's been or how much I've saved and it keeps me from going out for a pack. Some days I check it every half hour!

    I quit cold turkey after 40+ years at a pack a day. If I can push through this, you can too!! Over the years, I tried lots of different methods from hypnotism to gum to patches. Right now, I'd love a cigarette but then I'd be back to square one and have to start all over again. Totally not worth it.
  • LisaC8611
    LisaC8611 Posts: 12
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    Last April I lost my mom to lung cancer. At the time my two siblings and me were all fairly heavy smokers. My brother quit smoking cold turkey the day my mom was diagnosed and then picked it back up at the end....when that's your fallback to stress that's what you do. We tried to help each other quit but we all live in different parts of the US so it was hard. One day I get a package from my brother and its one of those electronic cigarettes that you can recharge and use over and over and you add the fluid to it. I tried it a few times but didn't really care for it. I contined on smoking cigarettes. I didn't like that he thought he could make me quit if I wasn't ready.
    Fast forward to this year July. I decide I need to get healthy. Both my parents passed away before age 60 so when I turned 30 and realized I could be halfway through my life it was a huge wake up call. I joined a gym, I'm eating better, I quit smoking. I'm using the electronic cigarette with the lowest nicotine level fluid. It helps when I have cravings because I'm doing something with my hands that mimics smoking. I don't use it too much throughout the day, and I try to go outside with my kids when I start getting on edge and wanting a smoke. I've been cigarette free for 3 weeks now and every day is different. Some days are harder than others and some days I don't think about smoking hardly at all.
    You can do it.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    I've quit for 10 days now and it's a lot easier now than the first handful of days (when I made this thread) - cravings are rarer now and less common, and I think it's partly because of your support and advice in this thread that I feel strongly motivated and able to keep on going! So, thanks!

    @Lisa - thanks for your support! Great that you quit, Three weeks is a lot! Keep on going, you can do it! And a little advice: never let your guard down, the cravings forsmoking become rarer and rarer through time, but they keep occuring (every few weeks or months) and it's good to prepare yourself for that!

    @gaylel - congratulations, very good that you did it!
  • YeahTangerine1
    YeahTangerine1 Posts: 1 Member
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    I quit cold turkey 5 years ago... it was the best decision of my life! I tried sunflower seeds the first day and it killed my mouth! So I used Certs to suck on throughout the day and when I really got a craving I would chew cinnamon gum! Cinnamon is a natural flavor that helps curve nictoine cravings.

    Handling stress was the hardest part of quitting. I felt like all my issues were amplified and harder to deal with. Just breathe and know that it gets easier and easier everyday!

    Best of Luck! <3
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    it will pass. just hold strong.

    i quit smoking over a year ago. i just got a job at a casino that you can smoke in. i have never wanted a cigarette so bad in my life. but then i think of how hard it was to quit and i do not want to have to do it again. then i think about my daughter and my health. i think about how hard it would be to run or ride my bike because i have no endurance and can't breathe.

    smoking is not worth it. do you really want to have a nasty leather face when you are 40?
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
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    :heart: So glad you posted this because I was actually about to also!! Today is Day 1 for me. I know, "How many day 1's have you had?" But seriously. I've been smoking for 11 years! And I'm only 29! I'm going to be 30 in October. My nephew's 1st birthday just passed. I want to be there for him when he gets older. Not sick or in wheelchair with oxygen or or a tracheostomy or worse....

    Have you tried Nicorette gum or the patch? I have a patch with me at work right now. We can't smoke here anyway (or take smoke breaks) so at work I'm usually okay. I guess it's a mental thing. I know I have no choice. It's after work, drinking with friends or sitting at home on the couch watching TV that is the hardest part. Like someone else mentioned, drinking water helps. Go for a walk. Clean. Do some jumping jacks or jump rope. Or try an e-cigarette if you'd like and you MUST smoke something. I tried them but they actually bothered my lungs more than a real cigarette! I was probably smoking it too much.

    If I could have been there when my stupid 18-year-old self bought my first pack of cigarettes when I started college...I probably would have tackled myself.

    Best of luck to you. Just keep telling yourself "I got this! I can do this!" You ARE stronger than a cigarette! It's an inanimate object! It does not have control over you!

    ALSO, look at this timelime of how quitting benefits you: http://health-and-wellness.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2456490-6113014803-smoki.jpg

    Last but not least, when I quit for a year in 2006 I used the patch. Also had moral support from my fiancee who was also quitting.

    Does anyone have any thoughts on Chantix? I want to try it but I've heard horror stories about hallucinations and horrible nightmares.

    I'm so dreading this weight gain as well....UGH!! :sad:

    I wonder if they have a quitting smoking group! If not, we should!!

    ETA: Quote from drugs.com Chantix review: "When I get a craving, I take a deep breath and hold it as long as I can. It kind of simulates the smoke going into my lungs and satisfies my craving."
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    I quit,,, you can do this!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    I quit cold turkey after 20+ years smoking after reading Allen Carr's Easy Way book. I can't even tell you when I quit because it's another life away, seriously.

    Most, if not all, things are centred and reinforced by the brain IMO. You get the noggin' right and all else will follow.

    Want to quit smoking? Easy once the brain is fully on board. Want to drop some fat? Enlist the subconscious and ease the path. Visualise the goal, think positive, etc.

    You can't resist what you don't want. If you don't crave it there is no willpower required.

    It sounds airy fairy and hippy dippy to some but I believe we just need to get out of the way of our lives sometimes, stop freaking thinking so much and tune into reality.

    Hey, look, after 20 years toking away on everything going sometimes and trying to avoid reality I feel the need to satisfy an urge sometimes but I realise it's just a brain thing and I can do better using other means of relaxation.

    If anyone wants a pointer towards Allen Carr then drop me a message. I get more satisfaction on MFP from pointing people this way and helping address their smoking issues than anything related to fat loss.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    Thanks everyone!

    Well, yesterday was interesting. I am at home now and I saw my father and brother smoking several times, but I did not have any desire to smoke that day. Nor did I have today. I guess I've had the worst now.

    @YeahTangerine - great that you quit for 5 years already. And I agree, stress management is the most difficult part of it. I hope to learn to prevent stress instead of managing it - zero stress = zero smoking risk.

    @Valeriemartin - yeah there's so many disadvantages of smoking - I actually think there are no real advantages; smoking seems to help with stress, but I think it creates more stress then it takes away. It may be nice to smoke with people - but other people will think less of you when you smoke. It may feel good, but smoking is bad for your sense of smell and taste, so other things feel less nice; and as you get less healthy you'll feel even worse. And then there's all the other disadvantages we know so well. Conclusion: not a single good reason to smoke.
    Anyways: keep on going! Don't fall into that trap again, and if your job makes it impossible for you to resist smoking, you may wish to find another job because your health is worth so much more.

    @Laurenz1017 - day 1, very good! That's the worst, but once you get through the first week it'll be so much easier already. If you are tempted, remember that it'll pass quickly. I am on day 10 now and I find it quite easy now, I am not sure that it'll stay this easy, but it's so much better then a week ago.
    I don't use any nicotine at all (no patches, no ecig). I use normal gum sometimes to distract me from the urge to smoke, which really helps.
    About the graphic: I love those lists of advantages, it's really motivating to know that my health is improving as time passes!
    And about the weight gain - last time I quit I gained 10 kg in 5 months. Then I took 6 months to lose 17 kg. Now I am monitoring my weight daily (using a graph) to make sure it stays stable; if I gain a bit, I'll do more exercising (which also helps to clean up my lungs).

    A quote from the internet:
    "Smokers often find it difficult to quit smoking and make other
    lifestyle changes such as exercise and diet at the same time. This is
    why it is important to begin a regular exercise program several months
    before the expected date of smoking cessation. Not only does exercise
    aid in weight management, but it is a healthy alternative activity
    that helps overcome cigarette withdrawal."

    I agree that it is difficult to start exercising while smoking - I do find it difficult to keep doing it. Anyways, my trick is to expect not too much of myself, but make exercising easier, so it doesn't take so much discipline to do it. Instead of running long distances (10 km or so), I just try to run 5 or just walk for 30-60 minutes. If I have to go to campus and I am not in a hurry, I just walk there (20 minutes, so back and forth it's 40). Those little bits of exercising add up and once this smoking requires less willpower, I'll expand the exercising again.

    @kangojumps - thanks! Congratulations!

    @DeadVim - Great, I'll look into that book! Thanks!
  • seryph_alethea
    seryph_alethea Posts: 16 Member
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    I found having a 10 deck in my bag really helpful when I started quitting. I could have one, if I really needed it. It's all about not freaking out about it. Having a *kitten* doesn't mean you failed, it means you are human. Like with losing weight, one bad day isn't the end of everything.

    I have completely quit since discovering ecigs though. I now use nicotine free ones, and just puff away when I'm stressed. The action alone deals with the cravings and I still go outside with it, to pace back and forth and scream at the walls when I'm stressed, but have none of the nasty side effects of actually smoking.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
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    I agree that it is difficult to start exercising while smoking - I do find it difficult to keep doing it. Anyways, my trick is to expect not too much of myself, but make exercising easier, so it doesn't take so much discipline to do it. Instead of running long distances (10 km or so), I just try to run 5 or just walk for 30-60 minutes. If I have to go to campus and I am not in a hurry, I just walk there (20 minutes, so back and forth it's 40). Those little bits of exercising add up and once this smoking requires less willpower, I'll expand the exercising again.

    That's definitely something I have difficulty with also. I want to exercise, but it's hard when it takes such an effort to jog let alone run. I feel like I could do more if I could breathe. My legs don't necessarily need to stop but my lungs do. It's horrible. But just doing what you can is a good approach. I have always overdone it and got discouraged and stopped working out then start again.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    I agree that it is difficult to start exercising while smoking - I do find it difficult to keep doing it. Anyways, my trick is to expect not too much of myself, but make exercising easier, so it doesn't take so much discipline to do it. Instead of running long distances (10 km or so), I just try to run 5 or just walk for 30-60 minutes. If I have to go to campus and I am not in a hurry, I just walk there (20 minutes, so back and forth it's 40). Those little bits of exercising add up and once this smoking requires less willpower, I'll expand the exercising again.

    That's definitely something I have difficulty with also. I want to exercise, but it's hard when it takes such an effort to jog let alone run. I feel like I could do more if I could breathe. My legs don't necessarily need to stop but my lungs do. It's horrible. But just doing what you can is a good approach. I have always overdone it and got discouraged and stopped working out then start again.

    Your graphic says that during the first 2-12 weeks and 1-9 months, walking will become easier, shortness of breath will decrease, lungs will self-clean better, overall energy will increase, circulation will improve, coughing will decrease, etc.
    So, the good news is that breathing will become easier!

    In the meantime, walking is good. If you walk now, you'll run later! I run a bit, but I mostly stick to walking to because my lungs are still in the process of cleaning themselves, so I cough a lot - feels bad but it's a good thing that my lungs are cleaning themselves this way. Probably you have the same now or in a few days.

    Stay strong!
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    Any updates from the people who mentioned they quit in this thread? Or anybody else? You still quit? Or started again (which would be understandable, but unfortunate)?

    I am on day 13 now. I am at parents place and got people around me smoking (fortunately they do that outside) through the day, mostly my father and brother; I've been here for 3 days now and I thought it would be difficult to resist smoking in this environment. I have to say that it isn't that hard, I have no desire to smoke when I see them smoking. Don't understand why this is, but I am happy about it.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
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    Any updates from the people who mentioned they quit in this thread? Or anybody else? You still quit? Or started again (which would be understandable, but unfortunate)?

    I am on day 13 now. I am at parents place and got people around me smoking (fortunately they do that outside) through the day, mostly my father and brother; I've been here for 3 days now and I thought it would be difficult to resist smoking in this environment. I have to say that it isn't that hard, I have no desire to smoke when I see them smoking. Don't understand why this is, but I am happy about it.

    I caved unfortunately but going to try again. I heard it's good to set a "quit date". I didn't do that before when I quit for a year but it seems like a good option. And good for you for making it 2 weeks! Lately my symptoms have increased a little bit (tight chest, coughing a little bit which I've never done before) so I know it's definitely time. It's incredible the power an inanimate object has over a person. Good for you for keeping up the good work! Add me if you'd like.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    Thanks! I added you! If I can be of any assistance in your quitting, let me know!

    Your health getting worse because of smoking seems like a good reason to quit. The nice thing that if you quit now your body will repair itself!
  • dawn_h_d
    dawn_h_d Posts: 184 Member
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    I quit a year ago in April and I still dream that I am smoking once in a while. Just one day, hour, minute at a time. You can do it!!

    I can tell you that I had the best way of quitting - I got strep 4 times in 5 weeks. I didn't want to smoke because I was so sick and went through withdrawels by feeling that sick as well. It really isn't something I would recommend for anyone, honestly.

    I still crave, but I just do something to take my mind off of it. My cravings are the worst when I am royally ticked off. It is just about calming down........

    We all have the same destination, we just have different roads to get there.
  • hyper_stitch
    hyper_stitch Posts: 180 Member
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    I am just over 3 weeks into quitting ..... I have quit a crap load of times before sometime for over a year :frown:

    Hope you're doing ok with it, I am also studying and find that my toughest time as I generally chain smoke and eat my way through my course work. I'm also around smokers daily which is beyond hard but I want to do this, I want to start to run again and was finding my lung capacity terrible plus it's damn expensive to smoke so as much as I love my bad habit I'm determined to kick the habit ....... Wish I could be so focused with my diet :ohwell:
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 570 Member
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    Ok, so I quit smoking last Friday (last smoke was on Thursday) - so, now I am on day 5 and let me tell you - Pyhysically, I really want to smoke now. Yesterday I felt the same. But; the trigger for me to quit is that I got a strong cold because of the smoking (before that day I quit for a week - I smoked a lot on Thursday so that really hit me).

    What often triggers me to smoke: stress from my study (which peaks close to exams), boredom from studying long days to succesfully make the exam. Coming Friday I have an exam and I am studying really hard, it will be fine (that's not the problem), but still it's an important exam so I feel a bit more stressed.

    The thing is - I don't want to smoke, I know that it may be helpful for my study, but I should stop using it as a stress control, because it is bad for my health on the long term (common knowledge), and I notice it now on the short term (my cold. But also it's bad for my breathing during sports).

    Any tips on how to control my stress levels and how to deal with the urges to smoke?

    BTW; my experience is that as time passes it gets easier to do no smoking. I think the first 3 weeks are the toughest. Unfortunately, there's an exam after week 1 and a deadline for a thesis after week 3, making these weeks quite tough.

    Writing this I really feel like going to get a pack of smokes only thinking about these deadlines. But I should not!

    E-cigs really helped me quit. I could still have the oral fixation, get a dose of nicotine, but without a LOT of the other chemicals in regular cigs. I don't even use my ecig anymore really.
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 570 Member
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    PS...once you quit, you will really start to enjoy the increased endurance you have, etc, and that will help keep you quit. I still wish I could smoke, but (and it's been almost 6 months!) I like having more energy and less sinus problems better!
  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
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    I've quit/started a few times since the 80s and my most recent way (June 2008) was to use patches. This is because (disclaimer: I DO NOT recommend anybody to try this!!!) I did patches many years ago and saw the warning on the box about not smoking while wearing a patch, so of course I lit up while I had one on (nobody's ever accused me of being a genius). About 1/2 way through the cigarette my heart felt really weird and not in a good way. I yanked the patch and snuffed the cig but the lesson was learned: label warnings are there for a reason!

    So, this last time I decided to quit I bought patches knowing there is no way I'm going to smoke if I have one on. Fear of likely, imminent death or at least a trip to the ER was a great motivator for me. I haven't smoked in over 5 years!

    Good luck to anybody who is quitting or planning on it. Your body and your wallet will thank you!

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