Smoking Vs stamina

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ShayanKhan2015
ShayanKhan2015 Posts: 33 Member
in Getting Started
I'm a regualer smoker but I do exercise regularly from last 20 days.
What I want to ask is there a possible way to quit smoking and how? Because it's affecting my stamina.
Share your experiences ..
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Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Yes, it is possibly to quit smoking. Just try.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    It is possible but, in my experience, there is no magic bullet. You just have to do it.

  • ShayanKhan2015
    ShayanKhan2015 Posts: 33 Member
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    Yes it's possible to quit but it needs will power which I'm lacking because I have too much craving for it ..
    So how should I quit it some possible steps or alternatives ?
  • cmcdonald525
    cmcdonald525 Posts: 140 Member
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    I started vaping. Not saying it's for everyone, but I can breathe a heck of a lot better and can wean off my nicotine levels
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    after years of trying different methods, i went cold turkey and it has worked.

    yes, i'll still end up having a cigarette like, once a month, but that doesn't make me a smoker again. in fact, it just pretty much reaffirms my desire to not smoke anymore.

    what finally got me to kick the habit was that it was effecting my endurance training. i could put in the miles on the road or the time in the pool that i wanted to. i had been cutting back a lot, but then just stopped.

    some tips:
    -set a date to quit. make it say, may 1st. plenty of time to quit. quit no matter how many you actually have left. having a few left in a pack might be a good thing, as it'll be a mental thing, being able to tell yourself "if i really want one, i can have one. it's right there in my coat pocket... but i'll have one later."

    -tell everyone you're quitting. co-workers, ppl on social media. make it a known thing so they can help you stay accountable.

    -start cutting back. you can restrict your time of smoking (say 9am-5pm) and every day that window gets smaller. or you can say that this week only 6 cigarettes a day... next week 5... etc.

    when you do quit, do not feel bad if you slip up and have a cigarette. but don't let it get out of control. also, spend this time figuring out what triggers you to have a smoke. is it something stressful? is it the association with sex, food, coffee? could be a lot of different things, and try and find ways to replace a cigarette with something else.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
    edited April 2015
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    There's a book by Allen Carr called THE EASY WAY TO QUIT SMOKING. I've heard a lot of very good things about it. I was an on again, off again smoker for about 30 years, and I finally quit for good about 10 years ago when I had pneumonia. My lungs felt way too fragile for smoking after that.
  • KKJackson91
    KKJackson91 Posts: 69 Member
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    I just quit cold turkey. I know this is not the right choice for a lot of people, but I just decided I didn't want to smoke anymore, and threw them down the toilet and never looked back. April 14th will be a year since I've quit and I've never felt better. My breathing is so much better and my stamina rocks! Quitting is definitely the best choice. :smile:
  • jhall260
    jhall260 Posts: 111 Member
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    I tried many times to quit smoking and came to a point where I realized that I needed professional help to do it. I used Chantix and it worked for me. I quit April 2nd 2012 and have not had one puff of a cigarette since then. There are side effects to this drug, and it can be expensive with out good insurance.

    It worked for me, I give great credit to those that do it cold turkey.
  • futuresize8
    futuresize8 Posts: 476 Member
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    Do you want to quit? If so, you will. I read the Alan Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking book when I was ready and it worked like a charm. I didn't even finish the book. I have never looked back and I don't miss it.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,344 Member
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    ShayanKhan2015 wrote: »
    Yes it's possible to quit but it needs will power which I'm lacking because I have too much craving for it ..
    So how should I quit it some possible steps or alternatives ?

    If it's really bad, some docs prescribe welbutrin or chantix. It all takes willpower though but the meds help with cravings

  • Gshort78
    Gshort78 Posts: 13 Member
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    Another vote for Cold Turkey. I'd call it educated cold turkey - I read a lot at whyquit.com. I will be at 7 years in July from 1.5 packs/day. Acknowledge that you're an addict and that this isn't just a bad habit.
  • tinallen863
    tinallen863 Posts: 50 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I smoked for many years and loved it, didn't want to quit. My mother died from copd and emphysema. I didn't want to go through what she did or have my children watch my slow painful death. Cold turkey is miserable but effective. If you slip, don't give up. Keep on quitting. There is nothing worse for you than smoking. It does not fit your healthy lifestyle. Quit! You can do it!
  • tekkiechikk
    tekkiechikk Posts: 375 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I was a pack-a-day (and more on weekends) smoker for 25 years. I wore the nicotine patch for the first month and then cold turkey. I told myself that if I cheated with even one cigarette, I would start over (keep a calendar or tally of how many days you are smoke-free and put it in plain sight).

    Have been smoke free since November 2004. Now I positively cannot stand the smell of smoke. It was the hardest thing I've ever done but am so glad I did.
  • MERRYMONKEY512
    MERRYMONKEY512 Posts: 26 Member
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    I switched to vaping too...I know for non smokers that probably sounds like a cop out, but as an ex smoker of 20 years I can say that it is much, much better and was almost entirely painless. Yeah its another habit but my lungs are thanking me.
  • debbie_ottawa
    debbie_ottawa Posts: 2
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    As of April 18, I will be at 2 months of not smoking. I personally used the patch for the first month and a half. After I quit smoking I started going to the gym a week later. Now I go 5 days a week every morning and it has helped. I have been off the patch for about 2 weeks now and carry some around just incase I need a smoke.
  • lapetiteguimauve
    lapetiteguimauve Posts: 52 Member
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    I've been smoking since the age of 14 and I was 19 when I quit last year. I am also a skater. Last summer when I skated all morning I felt an intense burn in my lungs from exhaustion and I decided to stop jeopardizing my lung capacity. So, I quit cold turkey in the July of 2014 and I haven't smoked ever since. Never been better. The only way to quit smoking for good is to realize how bad it is for you and internalize the fact that it can shorten your life considerably. Also think about all the ways that you will be able to perform better once you get rid of this habit.
  • ScorpioJack_91
    ScorpioJack_91 Posts: 5,241 Member
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    I have and had several friends that had trouble quitting...one or two of them succeeded...the others failed multiple times. It's all about will power...personally I've never smoked and it's a dirty habit but it's good you're trying to quit.
  • princess7955
    princess7955 Posts: 1,277 Member
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    Took me three "tries" but I did it. Tried the patch and Champix (prescribed). The only thing that worked for me was going cold turkey. I am smoke free for over 3 years now and the thought of smoking a cigarette make me feel sick to my stomach.

    I have a friend who quit smoking years and years ago and she is still addicted to the nicotene gum. She chews it regularly - so watch you aren't trading one vice for another!

    Good luck! Step 1 - pick a day and throw the cigarettes you have away! (Don't 'hide' them or stash them away - you WILL smoke them if you have them).
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 678 Member
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    I smoked for 40 years, at times quite heavily. I tried gum, patches, and took Chantix for several years because I liked the dreams. One very cold January morning, home sick from work, out on my front porch I lit a smoke took a couple of drags, looked at it and asked myself just what the hell I was doing... Haven't touched a cigarette in over 4 years now. Traded smoking for exercise and running. I did find that a half dose of Chantix each day for the first number of months helped a bit with the cravings (and I got to keep those good dreams going) but eventually I got rid of this crutch as well. In the end only you have the strength and ability to give smoking up.

    From my prospective there is no half way with this addiction (if I were to smoke one today I would be back to a pack a day in no time). I no longer think about smoking at all and the smell of them no longer bothers me. The odd part is that in a lot of my dreams I am still smoking..... Good luck with quiting!
  • ewhsweets
    ewhsweets Posts: 167 Member
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    There's always a way to quit! I smoked for a long time, even as a college track athelete. When you smoke your heart rate is higher when you workout. I quit when I found out I was pregnant and when I went back to my normal workouts I was AMAZED at how great it felt to really breathe...my husband stopped snoring when he quit.

    Be prepared for a challenge though, quitting (if you've smoked for along time) brings with it mood swings, cravings, drastic slowing of the metabolism (due to lower heart rate) and you might notice a cough that develops. The chemical dependency only lasts about a week though and the rest is all in your head!

    Use working out to assist you as you quit. If you crave a pib and start getting cranky do 10 push-ups, if you are starving an hour after dinner, dont overeat, do 25 crunches.

    Good luck to you!

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