Quitting Smoking

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mamara79
mamara79 Posts: 20
in Motivation and Support
I thought I'd put this in the motivation support area. Le'ts just start this like AA.

"Hi, my name is Harla and I've been a smoker for 17 years and I'm only 31 y/o. I've tried to quit many many times. Zyban, patches, gums, lozenges........everything. (I can't take chantix due to a conflict on meds.....talked to the dr yesterday.) They say it takes most people many times trying to actually quit. So I take some comfort in that, and also, I know what triggered me back before.......the longest I've gone was 2 months.

So why now? Why happened? I've been swimming a lot for exercise........LOVE swimming......so relaxing, and you work so many muscles.......they even have the water weights now, which are pretty darn good! So, back to what happened. One day a few weeks ago, I thought of what it would be like to have emphysema. They refer to it as "dry land drowning". So I held my breath and stayed under for as long as I could......not even a full minuite. I couldn't imagine living my life feeling like I'm drowing all the time. That scares the crap out of me.

So then the next week.......I get brochitis. (dr yesterday) The bronchitis is no fun as it is and I've already got a smoking cough as it is so it was incredibly worse! I felt like an 82 y/o pack a day and I sounded like it. I'd have coughing fits that would wake me in the night,, be so bad that I vomited!

Then I started thinking of my profession as a children's book author. What would I do, read thru one of those voice box thingies? How creepy would that be for the kids?

Then all thru this time I'm thinking my grandmother and grandfather that both passed due to lung cancer. Grandma, just never gave it up......terrible complications, secondary infections like shingells and such. Grandpa quit, but it was after the cancer was too far gone. His voice box was removed.........the last words from him were "I love you" written on a mini chalk board.

I suppose now I've also realized that I'm not a super hero........I will not live forever (a concept I barely grasped in my youth). I want my life to be as healthy as possible so I can be around for my husband, my children, and meet grand babies one day. That's not gonna happen if I don't quit.

I'm using patches, and gum combo. Dr said that was fine. Haven't done the combo before

There is just so many bennifits from quitting from money and health, to just being able to jog without feeling like I've been stabbed in the chest!

Cigerettes are often used for anxiety.......I have a pretty bad anxiety disorder. But I realized just last night. That any time I got all stressed out. Smoking (tho a tempoary relief) NEVER once solved my problem at the time. It was always there 10 mins later reguardless if I smoked or not.

So since I'm using replacement, and I got some sugar free hard candies yesterday, and I'm still exercising and watching what I eat.........I hope not to gain. Most of the gain comes from the oral fixation replacement from a cigarette to food.........typically comfort foods that are sugary.

I'll even take a temporary setback in weight to quit smoking.........I'll just be able exercise that much better and more if I continue to quit.

Well, again, my name is Harla and I'm an addict. If you're in the same boat, or you've succcesfully quit, friend me and help me.....please. I pray to my grandmother and grandfather for help and support........I know that they are with me every step too.

Replies

  • bobspdx
    bobspdx Posts: 198 Member
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    It took me a few times to quit. I always went back. I smoked about a pack a day at my worst. One day, I woke up and quit. It was time and I was ready. I have never felt better. It has been 6 years. You can do this! Smoking solves nothing, it only pollutes your body, yellows your teeth, and makes you stink.
  • TheNewJessieMae
    TheNewJessieMae Posts: 767
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    Well. My name is Jessica and I am also an addict. I have been smoking since I was 9 years old. My baby sitter taught me how!!! (IKR!?!?!)
    I am now almost 29 years old and I can say I've been smoking for 20 years-minus 2 pregnancies and breast feeding. I want to quit. I have been contemplating it big time lately but I'm still giving myself excuses. I am now saying when I get to 140LBS I am going to quit. Am I self conciously sabatoging myself? Because I haven't lost a THING since I made that promise to myself. How do I stop this? I have 2 children that look up to me. That want to be like me. That imitate everything I do. I need help too. I think this is a great thread.
  • gilliland24
    gilliland24 Posts: 22
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    congrats!! i just recently quit myself going on day 17! i have tried times n times before and was never able to do it! im only 23 but i have been smoking since i was about 13 or 14 so its been a long time. just like bobobbin i just woke up one day a quit! best thing i think i could have done! i can already tell the difference in my workouts because i can breath! GOOD LUCK TO YA..YOU CAN DO IT!
  • RainbowBrite85
    RainbowBrite85 Posts: 4
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    Quitting smoking is one of the most pain the butt (no pun intended) things I have ever attempted in my life. There were times after lunch when I thought it would be easier to carve one of my eyes out then go without a smoke. It's taken me a year of quitting and starting and quitting again to finally get to a point where I am so tired of going through withdrawls that I decided I would just quit for good. So we're in the same boat and I wish you all the best of luck! I know in the midst of all of it, I wish I had someone to rant to about wanting to smoke, someone to explain my delusional self manipulation too and someone to just say "You can do it!" and not to give up, (My husband and his family whom I live close to never smoked so they don't understand addiction) feel free to message me anytime about anything.
  • melissashafer
    melissashafer Posts: 3 Member
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    I smoked for about 10 years and one day I just quit! I had tried to quit many times before and failed! I cut my smoking down daily, then I picked a day and stoped! I have not smoked since, it has been 7 years! It was hard, but you can do it!
  • luckyinlife
    luckyinlife Posts: 81 Member
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    On Amazon, read the reviews to 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking' by Alan Carr....there are 1000's! That and prayer were the only things that stopped me after 20 yrs of 2 packs!
  • angiesteele
    angiesteele Posts: 366 Member
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    I know the feeling. Today is day 23 of quitting though. I feel GREAT!! I can breath and my workouts last much longer. It is hard and i am still tempted but everytime i want one i just stop and ask myself how it will benefit me if i did. So far so good. Good luck to you!!
  • carcar63
    carcar63 Posts: 158
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    Harla, you can quit. I was a smoker for over 30yrs, I'm 47, started when I was about 14, uggg.
    Anyway, I had gotten bronchitis and had problems with my asthma in '06 and quit. (Hadn't had problems with either before that). Threw out the pack I had and just quit, went to the drs got advair and med for bronchitis and quit.
    Like you, I would have coughing fits in the morning so bad that I would throw up, I couldn't even walk up the stairs without being so winded and unable to catch my breathe. It took my many attempts to quit, I quit when I was pregnant but always went back a month or two after.
    It is one of the hardest things I've ever done but what helped and keeps me in line is my kids. I think about them when I think about wanting / having one.
    I know you can do this and you will feel so much better for having quit. Good luck.
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
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    I tried many different times before I was a succesful quitter. You really have to be mentally ready and want it. I quit when my former boss said that I was going to be charged an additional $100 for my insurance because I was the only smoker in the office. I could barely afford the cigs let alone the extra $100 to smoke! I used the patch for a couple of days but then I didn't need it.

    I did end up gaining some weight but I think it was a combination of quitting and being super happy in a new relationship that got me to my heaviest. I would still rather have those extra 30 pounds than still be a smoker. I feel so much better. I never get a nagging cough, when I have a cold it goes away within days instead of weeks, my skin looks better, I never worry about being stinky, I'm not wasting my money, my teether are whiter, and I can now look down my nose at other stinky smokers (just kidding :tongue: )

    You can do this! I wish you the very best of luck. When it gets hard just keep remembering how much better you will feel very soon. I promise it gets easier with every passing day!

    :flowerforyou:
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 345 Member
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    I was a smoker....I got pregnant with my daughter and quit COLD turkey. That was 4.5 years ago. I started back up...thought I could be cool and smoke when I drank, then we would have leftovers and there it began. Then last November I found out I was pregnant again, this time it was MUCH harder to quit, but I did. Since having him in July I have had a few, but I am trying not to. It is SO hard because when i was a smoker I was so much thinner and now I am trying to lose 75 pounds. I just know I can't start up again...one I can breathe when I work out now and two its too damn expensive! best of luck to you!!!
  • brookeybaby_00
    brookeybaby_00 Posts: 142 Member
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    I tried several times in the past to quit smoking and nothing worked until Chantix. I was only able to use Chantix for a month due to major side effect issues (that lasted for 2 months after I stopped using Chantix), but it worked. December 5th marks my 1 year anniversary of quitting.

    To be honest, I really expected to feel different or better. I have always had major allergy issues and recently had a few asthmatic flares, but even after stopping smoking there is no change in either. (Kinda sad and disappointing).

    You just have to stay strong. Even after quitting, I still want one. But I CAN say no to myself now - where before, everything was controlled by how many smokes did I have left. Was I going to make it through the day or was I going to have to make a stop at the store? It has also been a financial help. I don't know what a carton is going for where you are, but here it was about $60!
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
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    I have never had so much as one hit off a cigarette, but I love smoking cigars. Probably 5 to 20 a week. Always have one while BBQing, working in the yard or taking a walk. Never going to quit.
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    You can do it. I am almost to my 1 year anniversary of quitting. I would do jumping jacks everytime I wanted to smoke. It makes you breath deep and concentrate on something other than smoking ( I am really uncoordinated so I would really have to concentrate:laugh: ) I love having my singing voice back. that was the biggest benefit for me. I like having less expensive insurance options and I love having younger looking skin. There are so many good reasons to quit. focus on those and you can do it.
  • terim123
    terim123 Posts: 8
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    you CAN and WILL do it!!!... consider yourself a non-smoker as of now...

    i smoked for 21 years, since i was 13.. i have never tried to quit, only because i LOVED smoking... On august 1st of this year i woke up and said to myself i don't want a cigarette... and i am now a non-smoker..it is hard and after the 4th day,it is all mental.. it is unreal how smoking dictates our lives, how we treat it as a reward... congratulate yourself, and you are on your way to the rest of your life!!!
  • mrspelzel
    mrspelzel Posts: 13 Member
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    Harla - I, too, am struggling with trying to quit AGAIN! I worry about the weight gain; but, know if I keep eating right and working out the few pounds I gain will be controllable and I will lose those too!

    I am fortunate as I am able to take Chantix. However, this last Rx doesn't seem to be working that well. I quit on 7/12 and in October a family situation stressed me to the point of picking up the sticks again. Currently, I am under a half a pack a day but am confident the hours without will turn in to days, week, months and finally a lifetime!

    Please feel free to call on me for support.
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
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    I have never had so much as one hit off a cigarette, but I love smoking cigars. Probably 5 to 20 a week. Always have one while BBQing, working in the yard or taking a walk. Never going to quit.

    Even though I will never smoke another cig I allow myself cigars once in a while. Love them! But then the next morning it tastes like the doggie took a doodie in my mouth :sick:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    Congrats on making such an awesome decision. You can do this and it is so worth it! I quit about 18months ago because I started training for a 1/2 marathon. I knew there was no way I could complete it as a smoker. And I felt like a hypocrite telling people about my new healthy, active lifestyle and weightloss when I was still smoking. When I quit I had to temporarily give up drinking any alcohol since I closely related the two. I still miss smoking sometimes (I mean if it wasn't bad for you and nasty I would still be doing it) but I will never ever go back to smoking. It just isn't worth it. I feel better, smell better, food tastes better, my asthma has disappeared and I have more money! My husband who has smoked since he was in grade 8 was inspired to quit too. He has been smokefree for 4 months. I'm very proud of him.

    So my point is you can do this. It won't be easy but stick with it. It will start to get easier and once you start to feel the benefits of it you won't go back to smoking. And I agree that a temporary small weight gain is worth it and is normal.

    One other thing to chew on, as you said cigarettes do not solve problems and the truth is physically there are not relaxing. They are actually a stimulant. Something I learned from my mother in law who is a nurse who runs the DARE program for children.

    Anyways, I won't say good luck because luck isn't part of it. Instead I will say best wishes and enjoy your new smoke free life. Let me know if you ever need someone to talk to.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    Sorry one more thing.
    To ensure I stuck to it, when I decided to quit smoking I posted it on MFP before I could change my mind!
    Everyone was really supportive which helped alot.
  • danasignaturesvc
    danasignaturesvc Posts: 4
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    You can do this.

    I made a vow to quit when I turned 30 after watching once of my close friends as he lie in a bed, skinny as a bone, dying from cancer. I began smoking at age 16. I tried the patch, but I couldn't "feel" anything. I wanted something to do with my hands and mouth, so bought my first pack of Nicorette gum. I did not want to gain any weight either, which was my biggest excuse. The gum had a peppery taste to it, and if I chewed it to fast, I would get an upset stomach. I learned to chew on it slowly. (the gum now comes in different flavors, I preferred mint) Over time, I would buy the 4mg and cut it in half; getting twice the amount for my money. I must say, it has been 13 years since I quit smoking. My body actually began to restore some of the damage caused by it, and my sense of smell got much stronger. I can tell when someone walks by me if they are a smoker and I am still amazed that I used to smell like that everyday (yuck).

    I did not gain any weight making this transition. Chewing the gum provided me with the same sort of satisfaction that I would get from a cigarette (I could have a piece of gum anytime I wanted) I no longer needed to go outside for those cold and windy cigarette breaks. (btw, I went out for a smoke break with my smoking co-workers for nearly a year, and yes, on occasion, I actually smoked a cigarette (it would taste so nasty) and even though I did that, I didn't see it as failure, I saw it as training myself to change a habit. Just like any other change in life, it takes time to overcome.

    Quitting smoking was the best present I gave myself 13 years ago. (and no, I have only put on weight over the past four years. I am calling my weight gain - my couch potato syndrome - because I just became so inactive)

    Find what works for you, and keep focusing on the goal. You can do this, just don't ever give up.


    "I gained it over the last few years, I don't expect to shed it in just few short weeks"
    SW 207
    CW 203
    GW 170

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