Giving up smoking

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deana2828
deana2828 Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
Inspired by looking after myself in terms of food and exercise I have also decided to give up smoking. Are there any other quiters out there? If so maybe we can make a group :-)
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  • arcticqueen
    arcticqueen Posts: 15 Member
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    I have been trying to be a quitter for a few weeks now. I'm fine at home, but once I get to work the urge hits. I started Couch to 5K and found that breathing is much more important than smoking. I have quit in the past, so I know I can do it, it's just getting past that first month or so. It sucks to work right next to a smoking buddy who will bum me one anytime I ask...
    I'm not interested in a group. Out of sight, out of mind... I wouldn't want to talk about it UNTIL I'm quit for good.
    Good luck to you!
  • healthytanya1
    healthytanya1 Posts: 198 Member
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    I've been trying to quit for a month or so now. I'm using a e cig most of the time. I want my lungs back so I can exercise harder. If you find an e cig that you like I'd say its a good stepping stone for quiting.
  • ThisCharmingFellow
    ThisCharmingFellow Posts: 132 Member
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    Just over 7.5 years ago I managed to quit what had turned into a 40 a day habit. I haven't had a cigarette since.

    I am posting that up not as a boast but to say that it can be done; to anyone who is trying to quit I wish you the very Best of British.
  • Cathalain
    Cathalain Posts: 424 Member
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    Good on you! Quitting smoking is the best decision you'll ever make for yourself. :happy:

    Tips from an ex-smoker (I've been quit now for 9 years):

    - Drink up. Ice cold water, with extra ice cubes. Believe it or not, you'll feel better. Even if you have to be in the bathroom for hours on end.
    - Peppermint candies. Not the soft stuff, but the hard ones that you can let dissolve in your mouth for a while. It'll take the edge off and they taste great.
    - Quitters' support groups. I used QuitNet (Google for the address). It made a huge difference in my motivation.
    - Patience. It's like losing weight - it takes time to see results, but you will.
    - Senses. Your sense of smell will come back and it'll hit you like a freight train (I got back mine after only 9 days - I was passing by a rose garden!!!!!). Be warned - your tastebuds will wake up, too - this is where you have to be careful, because once you can taste food again, you may not want to stop.
    - Don't worry about the weight. Seems odd that I say that on MFP of all places. But... I'll put it like this - my doctor said that even if I gained 30 - yes, THIRTY - pounds of extra weight, it was STILL healthier than my pack-a-day habit. So don't worry about it for now. Work on what you can.
    - The three day rule. The first 72 hours are the very worst of withdrawal. After that, it slowly gets easier. But don't quit quitting! Because you don't want to go through those 72 hours again and again. It gets worse every time you have to redo it.

    I hope I've helped. I can genuinely say that, after 9 years, it was WORTH it!

    :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    ETA: The above methods were done as a "cold turkey" quit - no patches or gum, etc. E-cigs didn't exist in 2005 so I can't comment on their effectiveness. But ANY method is a good method if it helps you quit. :)
  • sargessexyone
    sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
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    This Friday marks 3 weeks since I have had a "real" cigarette. I smoked a pack to a pack and a half a day for 30 years. I tried everything and couldn't make it stick. On the advice of the best MFP friend ever I broke down and bought an e-cig. It was the best decision I ever made. I started with the higher levels of nicotine but already down 2 levels. I am looking forward to the day I can say I am nicotine free.
  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
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    I quit 5 1/2 years ago last week. That was before e cigs were around but I used patches and they helped me.
  • Birdie1952
    Birdie1952 Posts: 48 Member
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    Last Cigarette I had was a month ago yesterday. Using CHANTEX. They help tremendously. Weird, vivid dreams are the only side effects, if you want to call it a side effect. Some of them can be quite enjoyable!!:blushing:
  • TFaustino67
    TFaustino67 Posts: 551 Member
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    On my 3rd month; I exercise so no weight gain either - using the eCig. Feel free to add :)
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    I'll hit the one year mark next week, thanks to e-cigs. I had tried everything else before, and was always and constantly miserable until I gave up and started smoking again. Switching to e-cigs was relatively painless.

    I think it's best to try quitting without e-cigs, because you won't have as much motivation to take the final step - quitting e-cigs. But if other methods haven't worked for you, definitely get yourself a good brand of e-cigs. They can make an ex-smoker out of you overnight.
  • ericzanetti
    ericzanetti Posts: 41 Member
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    I quit a few years ago using the gum all while improving my diet and exercising. I actually lost 15 lbs.

    I got my wife on the e cigs recently, they seem to do the trick.

    I bought her the "E-Puffer" start kit. You can get varying doses of nicotine and flavours from the website. Shipping was super fast.

    http://www.epuffer.com/eshop/magnum-snaps-ecigarette-epack-pcc-starter-kit.html
  • aliciamunday7
    aliciamunday7 Posts: 40 Member
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    I was a 2 and a half pack a day smoker for 31 years till 3 weeks ago. I started on Champix and I already feel so much better.
  • Birdie1952
    Birdie1952 Posts: 48 Member
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    I was a 2 and a half pack a day smoker for 31 years till 3 weeks ago. I started on Champix and I already feel so much better.

    Did you have any problems or side effects when you started taking the full dosage, two 1mg tablets per day? I had to cut mine back to only 1 a day. It was making me depressed and angry at everything. The total opposite of my personality.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    105 days cold turkey nicotine free.

    Don't give up just smoking, get nicotine COMPLETELY out your system. Everyone thinks it is just the smoke and additives that are bad. Nicotine can take a pretty hefty toll on your body even without the smoke and additives.

    This site really helped me. Whenever I was feeling weak I would spend a couple minutes searching and reading this site on my phone until the craving passed. First couple days really REALLY suck but it does get better.

    http://whyquit.com/
  • fercar3000
    fercar3000 Posts: 286 Member
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    I quit smoking on 12/31/2013 and haven't even look back since then
  • jessileak
    jessileak Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm a quitter! Took my last drag on 02/01/14 (so it's recent). The only time I miss it is when I'm having drinks with friends who are smokers. That's been the toughest. One day at a time though! Good Luck to you!!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    I haven't had a smoke since March 29. I'm pretty proud of myself. I've only had a few major awful cravings, mostly stress induced, as it's the end of the semester, I'm about to graduate, and we've been shorthanded at work.

    This is one of the best things you could ever, ever, ever do for yourself.
  • lizzyclatworthy
    lizzyclatworthy Posts: 296 Member
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    I have been having 'one last smoke' since October.

    I usually smoke one small rollie at night before bed. It's not worth doing really. I am an idiot!
  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
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    I quit cold turkey on Feb.2, 2014. Nothing like a heart attack at 53 to scare me straight. Since then I am eating well, exercising and feeling better than I have in probably 10 plus years. My husband stills smokes and I can not stand the odor and I am shocked that I smelled like that for 20 some years.
  • mc_hudd
    mc_hudd Posts: 47
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    I'm a pack a day smoker... Haven't quit yet, but I'm seriously thinking about it! Since I've started working out, I've realized how easily winded I become. Cardio absolutely kills me!! The problem is, I know there is no way I can do it cold turkey, so I'm not sure where to start. I've considered Chantix in the past, but our insurance won't cover it & it was going to be about $200/month, I believe. (I know my hubby & I probably spend that on cigs per month, but my problem is that there's no guarantee that it will work.). I'm going to the store tomorrow & will check out the patches, etc... Tomorrow may be the day! ????

    PS- Feel free to friend me or add me to any group you might create. ????
  • Barb_A
    Barb_A Posts: 16 Member
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    Sniped
    ... Are there any other quiters out there? If so maybe we can make a group :-)

    I quit in Nov 2012 and over the next year, gained 50 lbs. So on Jan 9th I figured I might as well go for broke so I quit eating sugar, grains and starch. Over the next 3 months, I lost 33 lbs and that included 29 days of vacation in the Caribbean (just returned to Canada Sunday night) ...

    Am feeling very proud of the weight loss, my ability to sustain the no sugar, starch or grains way of eating on a 1400 calorie restricted, low carb, moderate protein and enough fat diet, in addition to my 16 months plus of smoke free living!

    Vacation was the true test... and I sailed through it. I'm 54 yrs & 11 months old, post menopausal and have subclinical hypothyroidism... and still I managed to do now what previously I used to make excuses to avoid doing.

    And now I am ready to add resistance training to the mix. Life is good. :-)

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