Ex smokers please HELP!

I think the key is truly wanting to quit. If you know you should, and want to, but want NOT to more, then you won't do it.

I quit and restarted a bunch of times. But when I got on MFP and started exercising and all that, I suddenly REALLY didn't want to smoke anymore.

So I haven't since. Just remember, nicotine is a drug, yes, but most of it is IN YOUR HEAD. I don't want to piss anyone off, but I really think that's the truth.

GOOD LUCK! :flowerforyou:

I used Chantix to help me quit smoking and to me it was a miracle drug! It is expensive, but in my opinion it was so worth it!

i smoked for 15 years and stopped and started again multiple times. here is how i finally quit:

1. i stopped smoking completely and i spent a month basically locked in my house, except for work. i only left when i had to. i started a big sewing project so i would have something to do with my hands.

2. i ate a tangerine whenever i normally had a cigarette, like on breaks at work.

3. nicotine gum. the candy-coated mint and fruit chills are the best, they taste good. (it has been almost a year, and i still chew a ton of gum. )

that is my best advice. the biggest part is not being too socially active for a while, it is too hard to not smoke when you are around smokers.

good luck!

For me it was the realization that I didn't really like smoking... even though I kept buying cigs I never really liked the flavor of the smoke, and I hated how my lungs felt immediately after. So, I just kept focusing on that. Then I set myself a quit date, and bought a last pack. I made it stretch until the quit date, and afterwards, that was that. I had my last cig driving home from work that day and i've only had one tobacco product since - a cigar when my last nephew was born

I have quit twice now. Each time is because I truly truly wanted too and the only reason I ever restarted was because I didn't have any inner strength and I gave into not peer pressure and not so much temptation but just a force of habit.

I told myself that who cares if most of your friends and co workers smoke... just stop for you because you have to take care of yourself and no one else will.

Good luck.

I quit the day I went on vacation to see my grandmother for 2 weeks. I used the patch and just cut it in half every couple of days (I know you are not suppose to do that, but it worked for me). I always had hidden my smoking from my grandparents and other relatives. I didn't want them to know that I smoked, so it seemed like a good plan. It worked. I have been smoke free for 5 years, I think. I also ate a ton of carrots and red liquorice (similar shape --- kept my hands and my mouth busy).

I think getting out of my normal routines that seemed to focus around smoking really helped. At home, I would wake up and have my coffee ... go outside have a smoke. After lunch, it was a social thing at work. In awkward party / social situation, the smokers were always so nice and talkative. I instantly joined the group.

My suggestion is use whatever it takes. The patch, gum, go away from your routine. Even if you gain weight (which I did), you can lose it (which I did also). It is totally worth it. You can do it!

Like many others have said, I quit many times and started again. I quit for good a little over a year ago. I got my very first traffic ticket and it came with a $300 price tag. I said to my husband, "How am I going to pay for this?" and he goes, "well you could quit smoking." The next day I was at the doctor and overheard the doctor telling a lady in the exam room next to me that she had lung cancer. It was such an emotional experience. So I quit cold turkey. Something snapped - my husband's comments, the doctor's conversation... and I just knew that it was time.

I'm not going to lie, it was ridiculously hard the first 4 months or so. But now, the smell is gross to me, I hate seeing butts on the ground, and I only have tiny little cravings for it maybe once a month after too many cocktails! hehe.

I agree with the others - when you're ready, you'll find the strength to quit. The other times I tried I was doing it for someone/something else. But I finally did it for ME.

Good luck to you!

I'm on month 2 of no smoking. This is probably the 10th time I've quite in my life, but the first time that I havn't cheated with a puff here or a puff there. My experience is once you cheat, it all goes down hill. I quit cold turkey this time. I've been fairly successful with the patch in the past, but really it just seems to drag out the process a bit. Breaking the physical addiction happens quickly, after 1 week or so. Its the mental addiction that is really hard. You have to work through the temptations, that's the hardest part (mine is hanging out with friends who smoke while drinking). Here is what I did in order of most importance: 1) Have my husband quit at the same time (e.g. take out immidate temptation); 2) Agree to a "social contract" with my boss who wanted to lose weight. We signed an agreement, every two weeks if he doesn't lose 1.5lbs he owes me $20. I owe him $20 for every cigarette I smoke. This really worked for me, as I am honest and couldn't bare the walk of shame (or giving him $20!). 3) Avoid social situations where I knew people would be smoking for the first 2 weeks (while my body was getting rid of the addiction). After 2 weeks, I started going to BBQ's and parties again, but avoided going outside near anyone who smoked. After 3 weeks I was able to be near friends while they smoked without having any. The point is, take one temptation at a time and don't put yourself in a situation that no addicted person could make it out without cheating.

I used Chantix to help me quit smoking and to me it was a miracle drug! It is expensive, but in my opinion it was so worth it!

I also took Chantix... I had tried everything there was to stop. I quit smoking 2 weeks after I started taking it. I took it for 5 weeks and then took myself off of the medication. It is a 3 month program but I was comfortable with taking myself off of it after 5 weeks. I have been smoke free since July 23rd of 2007 thanks to this medication!!

I was skeptical about it of course because so many other things failed before but I been preaching to everyone I know that smokes and says I wish I could stop... to take this medication!!

Yes, it is expensive... but count up the cost you would spend in cigarettes. I ended up spending less on the medication.

I've tried them all... wellbutrin, Zyban... all the gums, patches, lil tricks to try to fool myself. Nothing worked... I always went back to smoking.

But Chantix helped me stop like hitting a brick wall LOL

This past week really showed me why I needed to stop smoking. My sons father landed in the hospital because of pneumonia, come to find out he also had lung cancer and they had to remove 2/3 of one of his lungs. So maybe find a picture of a lung with cancer on it and tape it to your cigarette pack. Maybe that will help.

My sons told me how proud they were of me because I stopped smoking last week. That made it all worth it and I know when I think of lighting up ever again, I will think of their words and I know it will stop me from wanting another smoke ever again.

Good luck on stopping!! :flowerforyou: