Quitting Smoking...

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  • sigsby
    sigsby Posts: 220 Member
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    Hi Crystal,
    Get your hands on a copy of this book: Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. It's quite good and know it has worked for many around me. I often recommend it to patients that I see come through the ER.

    This was an excelent source of motiviation when I was quitting.
  • LoggingForLife
    LoggingForLife Posts: 504 Member
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    Another plug for Alan Carr's Easy Way to quit.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    +1 for Allen Carr! His book really made me focus on how disgusting the act of smoking is, and quickly helped me to view it as something I inherently disliked (FYI I'd been a pack-and-a-half-a-day smoker for five years). He does say that you don't have to quit smoking until you finish reading it, so that you can really dissect the act and see why it's so gross – but I had already quit cold turkey and didn't want to re-do those first two days again, and the book still worked for me.

    Other things:

    – If you don't already run, take up running or some other form of exercise – you'll start to see immediately how much easier your lungs are having it. This really helped me.

    – Put all the money you would be spending on cigarettes in a jar/secret bank account, and maybe use some of it to treat yourself every week – new book, new haircut, new necklace, or just a really good cupcake. The shame about how much money I'd been spending ($100-150 every week as a student!) was a huge motivator.

    – If you're missing the fiddling with cigarettes, keep your hands and mouth occupied. Drink a lot of tea, take up origami, carry carrot sticks everywhere and munch them whenever you need the hand-to-mouth action. After the first month, it will suddenly get a lot easier and you'll wonder why you didn't quit ages ago.

    – Make a point to enjoy how much you don't stink when you wake up in the morning (once you're ready to go out and be social and not smoke). I LOVED not having to wash my hair and clothes all the time!

    LOVE all of these suggestions. I smoked for 16 years and I quit a number of times but always went back to it in times of stress. One thing I always thought "I should do this" but never DID do was the "– Put all the money you would be spending on cigarettes in a jar/secret bank account, and maybe use some of it to treat yourself every week – new book, new haircut, new necklace, or just a really good cupcake. " one. Oh how I wish I had!! This last time I quit, the final time (it just feels different somehow and I know it's the real deal), if I had just saved the $35+ a week, I could have easily funded a trip back home for the holidays. Instead we spent Christmas by ourselves, all lonely and sad. Save the money, save the money!! Use it to buy yourself something. Use it to buy your Christmas gifts next year. Use it for a trip or a super expensive date night or anything but don't just let it get absorbed back into your household budget. The visual impact alone will be awesome.
  • timmer74
    timmer74 Posts: 46 Member
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    Grab a copy of Alan Carr's book: "Easyway to quit smoking". If you lets his words sink in you should be equipped with the right mindset to continue quitting without feeling like it is a sacrifice (sounds magical but it ain't). I was able to quit without gaining weight using his perspective.
  • Santasmincepie
    Santasmincepie Posts: 32
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    I quit nearly three years ago by going cold turkey like you.

    I drank lots of water, kept my hands busy by doing housework, and for me, it's that first nicotine rush from a drag - I HATE it. Sick, dizzy, weak, smelly...

    When the cravings were really bad, I told myself that I'll have one if I still feel as bad after I've done the washing up/ironing/hoovering the stairs etc.. By the time I'd done 1 or more of those types of things the craving had passed.

    Keeping busy and drinking water were the main keys for me.

    Good luck, it's difficult but can be done and it's worth it. I couldn't afford to start up again now even if I wanted to - they are so expensive.
  • bogo_baby
    bogo_baby Posts: 82 Member
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    I quit cold turkey on the first as well. I have done it before, and I have been successful for about 6 months at a time... then hit a weak day and caved... Once I cave, I lose all of my will power. That's my problem.

    My advice is to find your triggers to a "weak" day and plan ahead how you will handle them.

    Also remember why you are quitting :)

    The eating thing is hard, but if you can stretch or move instead of eat, it will get easier... drink ice cold water, too... that's what helps my cravings... lots and lots of ice water :)

    Good luck! Happy New Year!
  • elleshimn
    elleshimn Posts: 11 Member
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    Stumbled upon this thread... Y'all have persuaded me to read Allen Carr's book! I want to want to quit, so wish me luck!
  • cmira5ol
    cmira5ol Posts: 1,246 Member
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    good for you. My quit date was May 22 2013 after smoking almost a pack a day for over, well many years :)

    I used the patch to help me with the physical part of withdrawals, then the rest was behavioral.
  • rogerhartford
    rogerhartford Posts: 21
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    I quit smoking November 1, 2013. I used nicotine lozenges to help with the cravings. I gained almost 20 lbs in the first 2 months, so I came here and now I'm losing weight smoke-free. Be patient and persistent. You can do this!
  • jaxbeck
    jaxbeck Posts: 537 Member
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    Congrats!! Give yourself a pat on the back, quitting is NOT easy! I've been smoke free for 2 & a half months & will NEVER go back!
    Unfortunately, I did gain a few pounds but I also quit when I wasn't logging, during a really stressful family crisis & the Holidays so I'm not beating up myself over it.
  • afat12
    afat12 Posts: 178 Member
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    e-cig vap, vap, vap is how I did it then I cut back on that then I cut it out all together.
  • amber_michelle30
    amber_michelle30 Posts: 108 Member
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    I really needed to read this thread today. I'm on day 2 of quitting and am having a really hard time with it. Mentally, I keep talking myself out of quitting, but can't listen to that evil little voice.
    I'm trying to continue eating clean as well and have increased my workouts to help remind myself why I am quitting. After reading all of your posts I am glad I haven't caved. Good luck to all of you!!
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
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    drink lots of water, take deep breaths, and push past it. The worst will be over after the first week, then its easy. Ive been smoke free for 19 months after a 20 year pack a day habit. You just have to want it.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,606 Member
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    I quit in 93, but wasn't trying to lose weight at the same time. Here's my tip that helped me stick with it.

    i was bothered by the fact that quitting motivation was all about negative reinforcement (I don't want to get lung cancer or emphysema, I don't want my clothes to stink of cigarettes). To add some positive reinforcement I bribed myself.

    My two pack a day habit cost me about 40 euros a week back then, the price of a new CD. So at the beginning of the week, I would buy myself a new CD and my contract with myself was not to smoke for one week until the gift was paid for. Any kind of non food treat would do. I had friends who did this with designer lipsticks and french manicures.

    As time wore on I graduated to bigger gifts and longer contract periods, say a pair of designer shoes with 3 months worth of cigarette money. In the beginning having the one week time frame to focus on really helped.
  • madaleingericke
    madaleingericke Posts: 49 Member
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    I quit "cold turkey" as well, after a paralyzing stroke 24 years ago.
    Later, I developed COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, caused by smoking.
    Not fun. Wheezing, gasping for breath, coughing.
    Reality. Not self-pity.
    You can do it. Good luck.
  • wonkosane
    wonkosane Posts: 42 Member
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    4 years ago, I quit cold turkey.

    I asked my friends family and coworkers to forgive me for being a jerk for the next three days. Three days is how log it takes to work the chemical dependance out of your body.

    Then I got on with life. The cravings get fewer and fewer, and you learn what to do to make it through them. My cravings were almost always five minutes or less, so I learned to think about something else, do something else.

    Feel free to toss me a message if you have any specific questions. Mostly, you just have to decide of you are comfortable being a slave. I wasn't anymore, so I quit.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    Thats how I did it...cold turkey...2 years ago. It was rough for the first week. I kept sugar free toffees close at hand and that helped some. Truthfully, I wanted to stab everyone that spoke to me in the eye for about a week..but we all survived it! You can do this!!
  • hunderwoman
    hunderwoman Posts: 101 Member
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    I quit 25 days ago. I started with Chantix, but hated it. It made me a serious emotional time bomb, so I stopped taking it, and I have been still going strong. I am waiting for that day my cravings go away. That has been the hardest part. I don't smoke, but basically want to eat everything in sight. I am working on that though. When they say don't try to diet, seriously don't. Just accept the fact that you might gain a few pounds, and get through the hard part first. Feel free to add me if you like.

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