Smoking :(
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Congratulations on joining the Army.
I have just recently stopped smoking ( this is my fourth attempt in 10 years) I am using the nicotene patch ...it works and its the most effective method I have used.
My first attempt back in 2001 I used welbutrin(dont know if I spelled that right) I only lasted one day.
My second attempt 2005, I used the nicotene gum...I lasted from July-September, it was okay until I discoverd I could chew the gum and smoke...lol
My third attempt 2011, I was admitted to the hospital from chest pain, before I left the hospital a Nurse came in and slapped the patch on me and told me not to smoke while wearing it, I could have a heart attack..( well thats what i heard during the long explanation she gave me..lol) I lasted from December 11 - March 12, then my Aunt passed and I gave in..
My Fourth attempt June 1 2012--- and forever....this time I want to stop, I am sick of it!the patch although it has some funky side effects.(it itches when you first put it on, you may not be able to sleep when you first start wearing it...)
Its worth it, Thursday I noticed that my patch had fallen off...but I still made it through the day, I was alright...so I am begining to think its a mind thing...although I know smokers, we crave the nicotene we can stop...good luck and keep trying one day at a time..( I tell myself that all the time...kinda makes me feel like a crack head...but then I think a smoker without a ciggerate kinda acts like one.LOL)0 -
I quit gradually over a few months and had my last partial smoke in May 2009. Here's a blog post that I wrote for how to get it done without cold turkey or nicotine substitutes: http://motherhoodlooms.com/2011/10/how-i-quit-smoking/0
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Congrats on joining the Army! May God bless and protect you as you defend our freedom.0
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I smoked a pack or two per day for over 35 years. I have now been smoke-free for three, and it was easy to quit. I used Chantix, and know of several other people who were successful with it, but not everyone can take it. It does have some side effects, and only you can decide if they are manageable. I did turn turn into a bit of a *****, but I got some situational antidepressants from my doctor to take during those times - by situational I mean you take them only when you need them, you don't have to take them long term. Most days just knowing I had them was good enough.
After 3 months I stopped Chantix, after 6 I no longer carried the other pills (I only needed them a couple of times). I have been smoke free for 3 years + now, and will never go back.
Talk to your doctor. It isn't to be taken lightly, but I couldn't have quit without it. Patches, cold turkey, acupressure... I tried it all and then some. Chantix worked for me.0 -
Read Allen Carr's The EasyWay to Quit Smoking - When I was done reading it, I finished the pack I was smoking and was done with them - aside from the uncomfortable physical withdrawal symptoms the first 4-5 days, it really was pretty easy - a lot of other people swear by this book too - it may not work for everyone, but for me it was the best money I ever spent. I've been a non-smoker since Jan 10. Also, stayed about the same weight-wise for a few months, then started losing again. Try substituting exercise for smoking, rather than food, and when you do snack, go with healthy, lo-cal foods (oranges are particularly good for some reason, but munching on carrots, air-popped popcorn, and things like that can satisfy the munching urge without doing much damage).
Good luck!0 -
Pure determination.
I had half a pack of cigarettes left and tossed them out the window of my car (yea, yea....I littered). I had one relapse while out drinking. Well, in the evening of maybe 3-4 hours, I smoked an entire pack of menthol cigarettes....I was sicker from that than from the alcohol. I havent picked one up since.
I still smoke a natural cigar a couple times a year, but you'll never find me picking up a cigarette ever again.0 -
Totally agree - I read Easy Way 18 months ago. Didn't need patches or anything - just stopped and have not craved at all since!Allen Carr's "Easy Way" book. Read it. Worked for me and if not its only a few quid wasted. I've gone from 1 pack a day to nothing overnight and it was not that hard. That was 1 year ago.
You can do it.0 -
It's a good idea to quit, but I'll just tell you the first week of boot camp for me- I was to tired to think about smoking or anything else- so that kind of gets you through that 3 day cleanse. Of course your run time and your general health will improve, so I'm not saying "don't ever quit", but it's easy to quit in boot camp. But at the same time it's just as hard to stay off the cancer sticks during active duty- so good luck!0
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I quit over a year ago and I did it using Chantix....I didn't gain weight either when I quit.0
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I quit about 2 yrs ago after smoking for 30 years. My husband just quit too 14 weeks ago, he had smoked for about 30 years too. how did we do it? we read a book by a man called Alan Carr (not the comedian!). it was called how to stop smoking permanently, and it works. Every excuse you come up with as an addict for continuing your habit he has a counter argument. atfer a while you just can't think of a good reason to carry on. The book is a bit long winded, but if you stick with it, it WILL work. I never thought I would quit as I loved smoking, but i was just feeling a bit anti social as everyone else i knew had stopped, and i also knew that i had a cough that was really getting annoying, and it wouldn't go away. It went when i stopped smoking and has not come back. Get the book, YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!0
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I used the patch and it worked really well.0
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the first step to quitting/being in recovery is you have to want to quit. So unless in your mind you want to actually quit, you wont be able to. I know its not the same, but I gave up a food that I consumed multiple times a day cold turkey for class cessation experiment, which is supposed to give us an experience similar to quitting a drug. Yes it sucks, for a few days you'll think of nothing else and that's all you'll want, but its important to find something to occupy your time. Also change your daily routine up a little bit, if you get up and drink a cup of coffee outside while smoking a cigarette, change the mug you use, or drink your coffee inside, etc. Keep a diary of when you have cravings and what they feel like, etc. Know your triggers. you can also try a reduction method, which is where you reduce your intake slowly over time so its not as much of a shock to your system as cold turkey. Best of luck! also keep advil/tylenol around, you will have withdrawl symptoms0
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I went to a Christian healing service and was delivered o the spot. it did help to take deep breaths, drink water and get exercise.0
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I concur with all those recommending Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking book. It really is the best and healthiest way. I am 18 months smoke free due to it. The only word of warning I will give is that he may call it the easy way but it isn't! Quitting is hard however you go about it and you need to be prepared for that . You simply need to want to be a non-smoker more than you want to be a smoker and work hard at it. Personally I did gain weight - about 10lbs and I don't think my eating habits changed at all. I would recommend stepping up your exercise to keep the weight under control. Good luck!0
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Here a few thoughts (now I have never smoked but I'm a cardiac care nurse who works with patients every day on smoking cessation).
1) It is not all about will power... nicotine is an addictive chemical and your brain requires it to subside physical cravings. The cold turkey method works for some but for the majority this is not the case.
2) Try reducing over the next little while... even by a cigarette or 2 per week.
3) Most importantly... you must pick a quit date. If you do not have date you will never quit.
4) Its ok to mess up, fall off the wagon, whatever you want to call it. If you do, you just have to make tomorrow you next 'first' quit date and move on.
5) Use nicotine replacement (patch, gum, inhaler). For 1 pack per day you need to start with the 21 mg patch.
6) Find someone who can be supportive of your smoking cessation attempt.
You can do it... use you MFP friends to help you with this healthy lifestyle change. Happy to be MFP friend to provide support and
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1st. you have to want to quit.
2nd. Chantix
People complain about the side effects but they aren't as bad as they say. The desire to quit, in my case, was worth dealing with the side effects. Good luck!0 -
man i am in the military right now and sad to say just started smoking about 6 months ago but i was clean for about 2 yeard since i have been in but trust me tyring to quit smoking before u go is hard when u get to basic ull not even think about cigs i smoked untill i got on that bus not so long agoOk, I have joined the Army, this obviously means that (at least for 9 weeks of basic training) I have to quit smoking. I figure if I cant smoke for 9 weeks, I may as well quit.. period.
However, this is proving difficult. I smoke a pack a day. I have 4 months until I ship out to basic, and I want to be as prepared for it as I can... meaning I need to quit ASAP.
Those of you that have quit... how did you do it? Especially without cramming candy in my mouth to replace cigarettes...0 -
I started on the site called becomeanex.org. the best site and very supportive people. Then hubby and I did a course of nicotine patches.... for us it was the habit, locations, and situations that we needed to stop before the drug itself......after a while I would just forget to put a patch on then it just became unnecessary......then we changed our way of thinking and made a lot of smoke free memories.....Some days are still hard but it has been 315 days since I took my last puff and I have never looked back. Good luck and thank you for choosing to serve our country.0
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This may sound strange, but look up 'EFT quit smoking' on youtube. I have been a smoker for over 30 years and have tried many times to quit, the only thing that has been truly effective for me is tapping, it seems silly at first but once you realize that it is using acupressure points to lower your cortisol levels it makes more sense.
Good luck to you!0 -
Try reading Easy Way by Allen Carr. I swear by that book.
You may be skeptical, but I don't even feel the urge to smoke, and I haven't since I finished it. And if it doesn't work then you won't have lost anything.0 -
I'm in the boat with those who say you have to really want to quit. If you don't really want to quit for yourself it'll make it next to impossible to quit permanently.
If you don't want to use hard candies to quit there is a much better alternative—lots of cardio and lots of water. Every time you want a cigarette do something to physically exert yourself. Get really winded, you probably won't want a cigarette after that. Each time you have a craving, drink a full glass of water.
I started smoking several months before I turned 21 and smoked solidly until just a few months before my 26th birthday; only five years, but when I started I began with three packs a day. Then over the next five years I cut back further and further and I quit when I realized that I had to drink something, either alcohol or soda, or to eat something filling in order to smoke, otherwise the taste grossed me out and I didn't enjoy it at all. So not only was it clogging my lungs it was making me fat!
When I realized this I automatically went down to four cigarettes ... and then a week later I just decided not to smoke any longer. My (now ex) girlfriend still smoked and I still had no craving for it. After I decided to quit I smoked two or three cigarettes because my cat died and that was hard on us; but then I no longer touched them and my last drag on a cigarette was on Halloween of 2010, just to see if I still hated it and I did. I quit smoking 25 months ago, and in four more months it'll be two years since I even had a drag.0 -
ask any woman who was a smoker and found out she was pregnant how easy it was to quit. I found out I was pregnant luckily I was only 2 weeks along and was a pack + a day smoker for years and quit the second I found out and haven't looked back and it's been 16 months and I'm not turning back. If its important enough and you want it bad enough you will quit no problem. The military also offer smokers patches and gum although no available at boot camp but something to keep you on track while in. Not smoking in the military is hard my husband has the hardest time not smoking and slips up now and again while at work. It is such an expensive habbit to have my husband and I plan on going on vacation every year with the money we were spending on smoking. I would much rather be on an all inclusive vacation for a week then wasting our hard earned money smoking.0
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You have to want this FOR YOU, otherwise it won't work regardless of what you do. I've tried it all. The gum, patches, pills, electronic cigarettes and as much as it pains me to say the only thing that worked for me was cold turkey and a GREAT support network of family/friends.
The first 3 months was the hardest and I had to make adjustments to try and avoid my triggers (driving and drinking alcohol). I didn't drink any alcohol during that time and would only drive my husbands car (can't smoke in his car).0 -
Nicoderm CQ patches have the best reviews online so that's what I went with. Although generics are fine. Cold turkey sounds easy and cheap but the patches really help ease the side effects that come along with stopping smoking (mood swings, etc.).
edit* Patches definitely help initially because the beginning is the hardest part. Patches allow you to handle the hurdles of the physical addiction (hand to mouth motions, etc.) and mental addiction ("needing a cig").. and once you've made it over those critical steps you can finally ditch the patches and it is a LOT easier to get through the nicotine withdrawal.
This. The patch got me through the first few days, too.
Remember to focus one minute at a time, then one hour and so on. It really is difficult but I managed to kick a 30 year, pack a day habit in October 2009. I would be lying if I said I didn't still crave them, but I just remind myself I'm a non smoker now. The urges do lessen with time.
Good luck!0 -
I quit on my wedding day - 20 years ago this December. The nicorette gum worked for me. I later weaned from the gum by mixing it with sugafree gum with less and less nicorette gum.
I was a heavy smoker 2 packs a day for years, you can do it. The first 2 weeks are the hardest!.0 -
Check out totally-wicked.com. They sell electronic cigarettes. I quit in Sept 2011 using these. You can buy liquid in all different strengths and flavors. It gives you the feeling of smoking by inhaling vapor. It does contain propeline glycol which is an additive in many foods incl. Mio water flavoring. You could cut down gradually until you get to the fluid that has no nicotine at all. Worked for me!0
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I quit cold turkey in 2003, and stayed quit for 3 years, then relapsed.
I quit again in 2010 using the patch, stayed quit for a year, and then relapsed again.
I'm currently smoking.
The patch did really help reduce the discomfort of withdrawal.
I gained weight both times. But less on the patch.
I also used a support website, www.quitnet.com both times.0 -
Not that this is a popular topic (or rather, I'd rather not get hate mail for posting about my beliefs - I'm not trying to convert anyone), but I quit on my son's 6th birthday through prayer and fasting. It was still hard, but it was because I had my mind set on smoking as being a reward. Since I didn't smoke inside with my son (and really kind of hid it from most people), it was a reward in my head. "Get from point A to point B and you get a reward - SMOKING!!" I had to break that thinking and keep praying. Now I'm using that same logic with food. Food is not a reward. I am not a dog. Food is fuel, to make my body stronger. It won't fill in the hurt/pain inside. It is not physically able to fill that void.
So far that's working. Good luck. It is not easy but it is worth it. 0 -
I smoked three packs a day and sometimes more. I used a patch to quit. Sugar free candy helped a lot. You cannot eat too many of them either. They have a profound affect on the digestive system. Try it once I guess if you're creative. You have so much gas you could play a symphony.
In the end it came down to convincing myself that they were poison.0 -
Ok, I have joined the Army, this obviously means that (at least for 9 weeks of basic training) I have to quit smoking. I figure if I cant smoke for 9 weeks, I may as well quit.. period.
However, this is proving difficult. I smoke a pack a day. I have 4 months until I ship out to basic, and I want to be as prepared for it as I can... meaning I need to quit ASAP.
Those of you that have quit... how did you do it? Especially without cramming candy in my mouth to replace cigarettes...
Allen Carr's Easy way to Stop Smoking. it's a book, it costs about fifteen bucks, you smoke while you read it, and when you finish it, you stop smoking.
i started reading the book on the 14th of June 2008. finished it that weekend, and stopped smoking June 16th 2008. best fifteen bucks i ever spent.0
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