Quiting smoking

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BiggTim
BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
in Motivation and Support
I quit smoking a little over a year ago and I feel great. It was a long hard battle. I quit 4 different times but this time its for good. Is anyone out there still struggling to quit and would like to share their story of the struggle? Also have you seen these new commercials with people missing legs and all kinds of stuff from smoking cigarettes? I personally haven't met anyone that has had these types of issues from smoking cigarettes so I wonder how common this is.....
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  • mikhar
    mikhar Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi Tim
    I'm Mikehar and yes i quit last year too. For me forty something was long enough.. I figure that going into retirement it was one unnecessary cost I didn't need. Anyways, like you I feel great but unfortunately i gained probably 60 lbs. hence MFP
    Anyways I hope I am on the right track now. 104 days to go....mike
  • AprilRenewed
    AprilRenewed Posts: 691 Member
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    It's not from smoking, it's from diseases that one is more prone to contracting due to the smoking. Like diabetes, in particular.

    I quit, but I wasn't really a smoker. It was easy for me, though I did use Chantix for the first 2 weeks. That helped put the cravings right out of my mind. After 2 weeks, the crazy dreams from the Chantix were keeping me from getting any sleep, so I quit the pills but still had no cravings. I've never really been addicted to smoking. Not chemically. For me, it was more of a social/emotional thing. I ENJOYED it. Especially with my wine.

    My husband is having a harder time, though. He quit and then went back to cigars instead. Problem is, he inhales the cigars. Yuck. He says he's going to pick a date to quit those too. I hope so, but I can't ask him about it. When he's ready, he'll quit.

    That's what it boils down to, I think. No one will quit until they really want to.
  • BiggTim
    BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
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    Opps spelled quitting wrong but you know what I meant...lol :blushing:
  • ChristiH4000
    ChristiH4000 Posts: 531 Member
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    I quit with my bf at the beginning of the year, but I'm finding it hard not to sneak a smoke when I'm out drinking. I know he smokes occasionally, and I'm worried about the slippery slope for both of us. I don't ever want to go back to spending so much of my hard-earned money killing myself.
  • BiggTim
    BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
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    It's not from smoking, it's from diseases that one is more prone to contracting due to the smoking. Like diabetes, in particular.

    I quit, but I wasn't really a smoker. It was easy for me, though I did use Chantix for the first 2 weeks. That helped put the cravings right out of my mind. After 2 weeks, the crazy dreams from the Chantix were keeping me from getting any sleep, so I quit the pills but still had no cravings. I've never really been addicted to smoking. Not chemically. For me, it was more of a social/emotional thing. I ENJOYED it. Especially with my wine.

    My husband is having a harder time, though. He quit and then went back to cigars instead. Problem is, he inhales the cigars. Yuck. He says he's going to pick a date to quit those too. I hope so, but I can't ask him about it. When he's ready, he'll quit.

    That's what it boils down to, I think. No one will quit until they really want to.



    Ahhhhh thank you for clearing up the commercials for me. My wife nagged me until I quit. lol I was mad at her for it then but glad she did it now.
  • BiggTim
    BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
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    Hi Tim
    I'm Mikehar and yes i quit last year too. For me forty something was long enough.. I figure that going into retirement it was one unnecessary cost I didn't need. Anyways, like you I feel great but unfortunately i gained probably 60 lbs. hence MFP
    Anyways I hope I am on the right track now. 104 days to go....mike

    I also gained weight that I am trying to lose right now from quitting. Good luck to you my friend.
  • BiggTim
    BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
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    I quit with my bf at the beginning of the year, but I'm finding it hard not to sneak a smoke when I'm out drinking. I know he smokes occasionally, and I'm worried about the slippery slope for both of us. I don't ever want to go back to spending so much of my hard-earned money killing myself.

    That was difficult for me also because drinking and smoking go hand and hand. The only thing that worked for me was the patch. Once I got that I quit for good.
  • smiles4deb
    smiles4deb Posts: 65
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    I quit 108 days ago. :smile: The most struggle I've had is driving. I ALWAYS smoked when I was driving. If someone else was driving it didn't bother me that much. Weird, I know... I haven't seen the commercials with the missing limbs and such but I have seen the commercials where they have the hole in their throat and the stuff you should and should not do when you have that. I have met people like that because of smoking, so that scared me. I smoked on and off for 28 years.
  • lisanume
    lisanume Posts: 155 Member
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    I quit 4 days ago and I am ready to stab someone in the throat!!!! :devil:

    I would give my left arm to have a smoke right now........but ...... I WONT DO IT!! :explode:

    this is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I have beat the crap outta cancer TWICE!!
  • connie3408
    connie3408 Posts: 18
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    Quit two weeks ago ....using Zyban....and have lost 4 lbs...I've really tried to increase exercise to keep busy !!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    Good job & props to you for quitting!!!

    I wish I had the will power to quit. I know I will someday. I've gotten into running & will be doing my first 5K in July so I'm hoping that I become addicted & decide to quit so I can better my running. :)

    Edited to add: Become addicted to RUNNING. Lol we already know I'm addicted to the cigarettes.
  • BiggTim
    BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
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    I quit 4 days ago and I am ready to stab someone in the throat!!!! :devil:

    I would give my left arm to have a smoke right now........but ...... I WONT DO IT!! :explode:

    this is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I have beat the crap outta cancer TWICE!!

    I know what you are going through. That's why the only way I could quit was with the patch. Are you going cold turkey?
  • carriecarrot
    carriecarrot Posts: 70 Member
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    I quit again yesterday for the 2910390th time. Usually I quit successfully for a month and then a friend comes over and has a pack of cigarettes and even offers me one and I start smoking again. I also tend to go get a pack after really distressing news OR really great news which happens a lot to me because I am a college student. My semesters always have ups and downs.
  • JoeSzup
    JoeSzup Posts: 51 Member
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    I don't smoke, and never have, but I wanted to say "Good for you!". I'm willing to bet that the little girl in your profile picture is worth the struggle to quit. I can say however, that I am addicted to Diet Pepsi, and it is one bad habit I am trying to change. One piece of advice I can give, is that you need to change the "habit" of smoking, rather than just quitting. Every habit has triggers. Identify those triggers and the road to quitting will be easier.

    http://zenhabits.net/the-habit-change-cheatsheet-29-ways-to-successfully-ingrain-a-behavior/
  • urbancyclist
    urbancyclist Posts: 16
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    I quit for 112 days last summer then started again. This time I'm on day 4, but it has to be permanent. I have a dozen ulcers, which are caused by smoking, but have damn near zero chance of healing whilst smoking.
  • BiggTim
    BiggTim Posts: 53 Member
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    Good job & props to you for quitting!!!

    I wish I had the will power to quit. I know I will someday. I've gotten into running & will be doing my first 5K in July so I'm hoping that I become addicted & decide to quit so I can better my running. :)

    Edited to add: Become addicted to RUNNING. Lol we already know I'm addicted to the cigarettes.

    You can do it!! I never thought I would be able to quit but once I did and stuck to it I was glad for it. You will have much better stamina when your running once you decide to let it go. Good luck to you!!!!
  • Babygirl928
    Babygirl928 Posts: 378 Member
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    I am a smoker and I am DYING to quit but even my doc said to wait til i drop 50 lbs. last time I tried i gained 25lbs in 2 weeks. not good for one with high blood pressure. Would love any tips on what helped anyone that has quit :smile:
  • blynn2708
    blynn2708 Posts: 275 Member
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    I quit 4 days ago and I am ready to stab someone in the throat!!!! :devil:

    I would give my left arm to have a smoke right now........but ...... I WONT DO IT!! :explode:

    this is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I have beat the crap outta cancer TWICE!!

    Take vitamin C and a drink of water when you get that craving! I quit 4 yrs ago, laser therapy. Never really had a craving, more habitual things...I had to change my route to work b/c you light up at certain landmarks, had to change my radio station even! The vitamin C will help, about 10 a day, also flushes all the bad stuff out:bigsmile: also I lost 10 lbs when I quit! Good luck!
  • bethgames
    bethgames Posts: 534 Member
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    I quit cold turkey 9 years ago. I smoked for 20 years. It was tough, but a promise is a promise. I told the husband if he built me a new kitchen I would quit. The day the last piece of trim was nailed up, I quit! Gained ALOT of weight. One day he says to me, 'Honey, you know, if you need a cigarette every now and then, I would understand' I think he was calling me fat! LOL Anyway, here I am now finally ready to kick my 'other' bad habit, food. That's my story.
  • tig_ol_bitties
    tig_ol_bitties Posts: 561 Member
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    Today is my 8th "Day 1" of not smoking! I have tried 7 times before, but they say fall seven times, stand up eight, right?! I just went and used the treadmill and walked for 10 minutes at work while I would have usually taken a smoke break. I plan to do it on my afternoon ten as well to keep from going outside to the smoke pit. I also bought a new car this weekend and refuse to smoke in it, so that's helping!

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