QUITTING smoking!! help!!

Oh My Goodness. I was just about to post this topic when I saw yours! I am right there with you!!!!!!!

I quit a pack a day habit exactly two years ago. There is a great support website called quitnet.com I often went to that site to get support, vent my frustration, and celebrate each moment smoke free.

Exercise really helps. If you drink alcohol, avoid it during the first few weeks of quitting.
Get lots of sleep. You can't smoke when you're sleeping.
Spend lots of time in no smoking areas such as public buildings, etc.
If you slip up, pick yourself up and try again.

feel free to "friend" me if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to offer encouragement, etc.

Champix or Champax.

Do it.

I am 3 years smoke free as of this month.

Congratulations! Are you using a quit aid? I have been taking chantix for 1wk7d and I gradually cut down on how many per day until i finally went a full day without one. I was supposed to quit last Tuesday and wound up quitting yesterday. I would suggest every time you get a craving you get up and do something. Anything the gets your mind off of cigarettes. Good luck it can be done.

I quit a yr in February. I used the patch, really took the edge off. I went for walks on my lunch break at work. And worked out a lot at home.

Try to stay away from the things you associate with smoking...for me it was the phone/visit with friends.

I have never felt better!!!!

and remember, quitting smoking is more important right now than losing weight.

The first couple of months, OK, the first 6 months!, that I quit I didn't worry too much about weight gain. Heck, I had enough to worry about.....I did start a couch to 5k running program a couple of months after I quit. Mostly as a challenge for my lungs:)
After I got over the worst of the quitting smoking, then I focused on weight issues.

Anyone else on this thread who is trying to quit is welcome to friend me also.

This is going to sound REALLY stupid but I quit by simply not buying them! I paid my gas at the pump, skipped the cigarette aisle in Walmart, and stopped going out and drinking.

I used to smoke in the car so I started wearing mittens when I was driving, the feel of something binding my hands was enough for me. Now when I smell stale cigarettes I want to puke. I even slipped up a few times and the next day my lung feel like *kitten* and I feel awful.

Good luck!

This one website helped me out a lot when I quit 5 years ago. www.smokershelpline.ca
Drink lots of water! It helps flush it out of your system....and stay positive! You can do this and your body with thank you for it BEst of luck hun! :flowerforyou:

I quit smoking last semester. Cold turkey. I quit, dealt with withdrawals for 3 days. Day # 3 is the worst. Day # 4, you are over it. I smoked for 15 yrs.

I smoked for 30 years and quit six months ago. It IS possible. Best of luck to you.

I used hypnosis which helped a lot

Me too. It does work for some people!

Feel free to add me, I quit 3 days ago For the 18th time (roughly) Usually what screws me is booze, but I'm pregnant, so no alcohol for me! Good luck to you, it's quite a feat. I'm sure you can do it!

Read Allen Carr's book, The EasyWay to Quit Smoking. It's the best investment I ever made - I've been a non-smoker now for 19 days after smoking for over 30 years, and after the first few days, I've felt great. It can really change your mindset about smoking. Other practical tips - drink LOTS of ice water, and have healthy munchy snacks handy (like apples, carrots, stuff that will satisfy the urge to chew without packing in the calories). Try increasing exercise as a way to offset cravings and to reduce stress (I live for my afternoon workout now :happy: ). No matter what, know that you can do this, and it will be worth the effort.

Read the book! I freed myself of smoking on Jan. 13th. I'm 2 weeks in and after smoking for almost 20 years I have never felt better in my life. You can do it!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! The fact that you are posting for help shows you are going to be successful. It helps to be accountable.
I quit a 1.5 pack/day habit 17 months ago. Here are my tips:
1. When you have a craving get to the root of why.. is it because you are stressed? happy? sad? bored? driving? after eating? before eating? Whatever it is say "will anything be better in 7 minutes if I do have a cigarette... No. I can make it just this seven minutes"
For me it really was a minute at a time at first.
2. Quitnet.org. I wasn't really active on it, but they will send you updates on how you are doing and how much of your life you have saved, how much money you have saved, and how many cigarettes you have not smoked. I love getting the email and picturing the 15,000 cigarette butts I have NOT thrown on my porch, the earth, etc.
3. Keep LOTS of ice water around. I would start my day with some water to get through the morning craving.
4. Have a support person to call when it gets rough to talk you off of the ledge.
5. Know that addiction is a nasty beast... you have the nico-demon in your brain that will work it's magic to convince you you NEED a cigarette... you don't. As those nicotine receptors stop getting the gratificatoin they will get quiter. I still have dreams that I'm going to die if I don't smoke or that I smoked and messed up and might as well have one more... sick!
6. Physical exercise: the endorphins will help trick your brain right now. Plus, if you do some boxing or something you can imagine beating up a life size cigarette.
7. Journal.. i know it sounds silly but I would write about what I was feeling during my worst cravings..

your family and friends will be so happy for you and proud of you... use them for motivation. I think about all of the things I can do now that I don't smoke. How I don't smell. How I'm not embarrassed. How I don't cough. Or have to make excuses to drive separately, go outside, etc.

You will do great!!!!

I quit smoking cigarettes over 20 years ago now. What helped me was:

First if you can't quit, cut back. Figure out what your important cigs are and only have them. For me it was the one after a meal so I'd allow myself 2 or 3 after each meal which = 9 or less a day. Way better than the pack a day I had been doing. Once you cut down then you can quit, although some people find it better to just go cold turkey.

Carry around a pack of cards or something to keep your hands busy. Thump them, fondle them, the way you would a cig pack. This helps the psychological aspect of the addiction.

When the craving gets really bad have a sugar free candy instead of a cig. Especially the sorbee type candies I found helpful that way because they leave a slight aftertaste (like a cig) and take about as long to melt in your mouth as a cig takes to smoke. Don't use sugar ones though or you may end up trading a nicotine addiction for a sugar addiction.

After 3 days most of the nicotine is out of your system, that's when the bad cravings start. If you can hold out 3 weeks or so the bad cravings start to subside. The more years you've been smoking, the longer it takes for the cravings to go away.

I remember a time that I couldn't imagine having a hot beverage without wanting a cig. Now I never even think about it.

Make sure you drink plenty of water to help flush the nicotine out of your system, they say antioxidants like vitamin C help also.