quitting smoking

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nibbynoo
nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i am eating healthy, working out, going to start lifting weights.... spose i had better quit smoking!

any tips please? I'm dreading it! worried about having the constant munchies!
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Replies

  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 588 Member
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    I am also giving this a go later in the week, im going to give the e-cigs a blast.

    Even if they dont help its a geek toy that will keep me amused.

    We can be hate the world, kill them all withdrawel buddies.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
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    love it! i am on a e-cig atm (bought ages ago and forgot about!)

    its like wanting a steak and someone giving you tofu but does the job :)
    its the psychological side I'm more worried about! smoking is a huge comfort
  • tabi26
    tabi26 Posts: 535 Member
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    I quit last year for six months, then started again :(. I'm going to try to quit again this year following the same plan I did last year:

    1. I started smoking outside. Did this for about two weeks.

    2. Then I only allowed myself one smoke an hour (I'm a pack a day smoker, so this was the worst for me).

    3. I increased the time in-between by half an hour every ten days. So for ten days one every hour, then on day eleven one every hour and half and so on.

    4. By the time I got up to two and a half hours. The time in-between smokes wasn't worth the smoke (felt like I was always waiting). So I just quit smoking at that point. Was grouchy for maybe a week then all was good :)

    Everyone is different and what worked for me may not work for you. I've also quit before using the patch and I've heard good things about zoloft.

    Find what works for you, and you'll be glad you did!

    Good luck!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Heard there is a new medication out called Champix. I have a lot of friends who this has really helped to quit smoking. don't know it that's worth a try? i don't smoke but i hear its great stuff x
  • tabi26
    tabi26 Posts: 535 Member
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    Also, don't worry too much about the munchies, Get some gum or something. Better to have the munchies for a week or two then smoke for the rest of your life. :)
  • Mummsy
    Mummsy Posts: 347 Member
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    I used Chantix and quit once. I started again and then used Chantix again and I have been cig free since 11/19/2010. It has some side affects but to me, it was worth it. Good luck.
  • sabrinapink79
    sabrinapink79 Posts: 1
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    Champix helped me, it does have some side affects but if your determined and know what the prize at the end of it is, it's definitely worth while. I stopped a year ago and have never looked back, best decision I had every made :happy:
  • smplycomplicated
    smplycomplicated Posts: 484 Member
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    sounds weird but buy a bag of drinking straws..cut them the same length as a cigarette..put them in an empty pack of smokes, and when the urge gets to strong take one out..take drags on it like you would a regular cigarette..it helps with the oral fixation and gives you something between your fingers..and then when you feel the "munches" set in chew on the straw. and most importantly take it one day at a time, If you stumble don't give up just keep at it. :)
  • feistymoon
    feistymoon Posts: 152
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    I went cold turkey a year and a half ago. I'll be honest - I felt like I was going insane for a little bit. I had a tight chest, was constantly stressed, and apparently quite difficult to live with!!!!

    No matter how you quit, at some stage or another you're going to have to bite the bullet and withdraw completely and for me this was the quickest, least drawn out way to do it. Get lots and lots of carrot sticks, cucumber, gherkins, pickled onions etc ready and just munch your way through the hard times. That's what I did and managed to lose 2 lb in the first week of quitting lol.

    Good luck, it's hard work.... but I 100% guarantee it will make your life so much better and once you are through it you will never look back xx
  • Ezwoldo
    Ezwoldo Posts: 369 Member
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    Heard there is a new medication out called Champix. I have a lot of friends who this has really helped to quit smoking. don't know it that's worth a try? i don't smoke but i hear its great stuff x

    I have used this to quit and i will say after many time trying it was the easiest to do, it didn't happen first time but was much the best for me as I had tried other methods before and they didn't really work. Regarding the weight find something that you can subsitute for a while that is healthy I didn't do this and used chocolate and put on 10kg in 2 months.
  • BaileyKat52
    BaileyKat52 Posts: 461 Member
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    Heard there is a new medication out called Champix. I have a lot of friends who this has really helped to quit smoking. don't know it that's worth a try? i don't smoke but i hear its great stuff x
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
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    It'll be 2 years in June since I quit smoking. I saw my GP and used Champix. Best thing I ever did! Have to admit, I struggled with the weight during, as I'm an emotional eater and was an emotional smoker. So when I quit, the eating got a bit out of control. But that's me :bigsmile: Wishing you all the best!!
  • MmmDrop
    MmmDrop Posts: 160 Member
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    I quit smoking 129 days ago - it gets easier every day, and most days I don't even think about it. :D Plus, I did it without gaining a single pound!!

    I used Chantix/Champix just for the first 2 weeks to get over the major withdrawls, then used my own willpower - but by then, it was cake!

    I had tried to quit smoking like a million times before this time though - you've got to really want it, and stick to it because its really easy to fall back into old habits.
  • doubleh64
    doubleh64 Posts: 20 Member
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    I've quit for two months now, gave myself free will to eat what I wanted while I got the quit established and gained ten pounds. Then I found this site, started paying attention to my food and started exercising again and off came 5.4 lbs.
    Quitting is so worth it. Make it part of your new healthy lifestyle. If you are trying so hard with good eating and working out, smoking just doesn't fit in any more. Keep doing what your doing, your weight loss may stall for a couple weeks but it'll pick up again once your body adjusts.

    Wishing you all the best.
  • josephine_x
    josephine_x Posts: 90 Member
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    I would sooo love to quit smoking, i'm being healthy in every other aspect of my life (apart from a once a week binge drink!) but find it so hard as my other half smokes. I just did my 1st day of 30 day shred and it nearly killed me!! Please feel free to add me, I could do with some encouragement on the smoking side of things, I have patches and chewing gum and I'm ready!!!
  • Miss_dannii
    Miss_dannii Posts: 1,351 Member
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    10 weeks ago I had hypnosis, I'm not sure it worked because I have found it very hard but I am still off them almost 10 weeks later, except for a couple of pulls I had when I was drunk 2 weeks ago. I feel better now, I still crave them but I don't want to go back on them
  • Topskin
    Topskin Posts: 2
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    Hi all

    Allen Carr "Easy Way to Stop Smoking" - worked for me and about 90% of others apparently - no massive withdrawal symptoms, stressing or overeating - makes stopping pretty easy

    Good luck all

    Paul
  • harrietflorence
    harrietflorence Posts: 20 Member
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    I stopped smoking after 3 years last august!
    didn't use any geeky creepy kinky slinky toy cigarette just used my brain! & this tip!
    I never really smoked that early in the morning and never when i was ill so i put that into practice every day:
    Try to last till midday for a week
    Then try to limit yourself to 4 a day - morning, afternoon, evening & one snack one!
    Then try skipping a day then having another..

    The trick is not to say your giving up as your brain will automatically think they want what its not allowed so just slowly come off them..
    Don't be upset or punish yourself if you do have one when you shouldn't as your brain doesn't want to associate them as bad habits as this will deffo start your cravings..
    drinking water & chewing on certain things will stop the thought,
    and finally, it will be hard to start as its the thought of having one and it won't hurt, and the physical activity of lighting up ! But just think if you smoke a 20 packet every 4 days, thats £10 a week,
    in 2 months you could have a cheap weekend away!
    WILLPOWER EVERYONE :)
    I've done it and not looked back i have friends that still smoke and i stand next to them still and go ooh i want one but its like my brain doesn't have the guts and my brain is stopping me not me!!! its great feeling! like your scared to :P

    x
    x
  • bigdiddyjim
    bigdiddyjim Posts: 5 Member
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    I quit in 1994 after smoking for 23 years, and it was the best thing that I ever did. Here's the deal... in order to smoke, you have to be either financially independent or completely stupid. Seriously, who wants to spend that much money on nothing? Make a list of the pros & cons:

    Pros: (...Crickets chirping)

    Cons: It is killing you; it makes you stink; it makes your clothes stink; it drains your finances; you are an addict; you are a slave; it makes you powerless; you become a social leper; yada, yada, yada...

    Seriously, when it comes right down to it, you have to ask yourself *IN THAT MOMENT* when you are craving a cigarette, why do you want a cigarette? I just kept telling myself, "I am not a smoker! Why do I want a cigarette when I don't smoke?" I started thinking of myself as a non-smoker, and I suffered the pains of addiction. They are only a temporary thing, and I can say today that the suffering was worth it. Bottom line - smoking is stupid, and you don't want to be stupid. You CAN quit. Next time you feel like you just can't make it, go run a mile. And when you are heaving your guts onto the ground, gasping for breath, remind yourself that this is where smoking has brought you.

    Is that enough psychological ammo? :happy:

    Seriously, you can do this!!!

    -jim
  • Keefypoos
    Keefypoos Posts: 231 Member
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    I have been off them for 4 years and 7 months but you have to accept you will forever be a smoker just that you are choosing not to smoke today!

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