Want to quit smoking.....where do I start?

J

joditoad1974

Cathlete
I am so addicited.....when I have tried to quit before, I have actually gotton old cigarette butts out of the trash, and smoked them because I was so desperate for a cigarette. That was even using the patch. If you are a past smoker, what has helped you the most? I have tried the patch, and zyban. Neither one really worked for me, even though the patch took a little bit of the edge off. The time when I want one the most is when I am stressed out I really would like to kick this nasty habit this time....I hate it for my kids, I am sick of my house smelling like a stale cigarette...and tired of being so winded all the time,tired of being a slave to them.

Also, those of you who have quit, did you gain weight?

Thanks guys...........I am really hoping I can do this.

Joanna
 
I haven't got a clue, because I've never been a smoker. But I'm rooting for you!!!! I understand that it's a lot harder to quit than anyone who has never smoked can imagine. Best of luck to you!
 
I haven't got a clue, because I've never been a smoker. But I'm rooting for you!!!! I understand that it's a lot harder to quit than anyone who has never smoked can imagine. Best of luck to you!
 
The patch was what worked for me. That & serious determination. Tell you the truth a day doesn't go by w/o me thinking about it. It's the hardest addiction in the world to quit (I think second to heroin?) so you really just have to set your mind to it.

When you have cravings, if you can survive it for 10 minutes then they'll go away. Not saying they won't come back, they'll come & go. But supposedly it's that 10 minutes that does it.

The physical addiction leaves your body in 14 days. The psychological addiction never goes away. I don't call myself an ex smoker, I call myself a recovering nicotine addict.

And support, support, support! Get your friends & family to help you. Pop on this board when you're having a craving & let us talk you through it.

I guarantee you won't regret it. You'll be amazed at how different your workouts are. You'll actually start enjoying the IMAXs instead of dreading them! :)

Good luck to you--it's a very difficult thing to do but with the right tools you can do it!
 
>>>>>>>>I don't call myself an ex smoker, I call myself a recovering >>>>>>>>nicotine addict.

How long ago did you quit?

Luckily, no one else in my family smokes, except my father in law...so I dont have to deal with being around many other smokers.

joanna
 
I used smoke away and knowing that if I didn't quit I wouldn't get pregnant...I don't know which helped me more to be honest...but that's what I used...

I was very fearful of gaining weight but surprisingly enough, I did not gain an ounce. I was careful about what I chose to eat in place of the cigarette...I guess I made some good choices. I also worked out HARD through out the ordeal...it helped alot.

Best of luck to you!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Bravo to those who quit smoking!

When my sister found out that she was pregnant she went cold turkey and quit. It was extremely difficult for her. She thought about it all the time. Every time she had a craving she would go to internet sites that told how detrimental it was to smoke while pregnant. That helped her a LOT! Maybe you could go to similair sites, ones that tell you how bad it is for your health.

My dad just quit smoking too a few months ago. He was a smoker for years. The thing is he never smoked in front of my sister and I. On a rare occasion I would see him smoking. Anyway, he quit cold turkey too, and he smoked since he was a teenager.

You can do it!!!

Lori
 
It'll be 2 years as of May 1st (good lord, how time flies!). And I'd be lying if I said I haven't backslid--occasionally on the weekends or at a bar I'll have one or two. But so far I've managed to pretty much not go back.

Oh BTW, my workout & diet didn't change (except the workouts got much, much better), & neither did my weight.
 
Good for you quitting smoking! Nasty habit! It is almost like your the plague, the places you have to go to enjoy a smoke!x( I also quit 2 years ago. For me I was done. I really, really wanted to quit. I couldn't workout with my all because I couldn't breath. I didn't want my boys to pick up the gross habit either. It is so unattractive too. My husband just quit April 1st. He is having a harder time than I did. Every now and then he will smoke 1. He chews the heck out of that Nicorette gum. That really helps him.

By the way, I didn't gain either. I kept my diet very clean, and kept the junk out of my house until I knew I was over those nasty little buggers.

Good luck!:)
 
I did it cold turkey 6 years ago. Yes, it was difficult the first couple weeks but got easier and easier as time went by. I will be honest though, the urge to smoke was in the back of my mind for about two years after I quit. Now there are no urges or thoughts about it whatsoever.

I did gain weight even though I didn't increase my food intake. I was prepared for that so my long range plan was to become a stable non-smoker first then tackle the weight gain afterward (which I did via Weight Watchers). Trying to manage both quitting smoking and mangaging my weight at the same time would have been too much to bear and I would have failed on both counts. There are people who can do both, but I knew myself too well to know that it wouldn't work well for me!

I visited a website a lot called smokenet.org (I think?) to keep the motivation up. Also I avoided the places where I was likely to light up. I changed my routine a little too which helped keep my mind off it. If I got the urge, I'd go out and take a long walk! Tic tacs were my drug of choice. They kept the oral fixation thing at bay LOL.

You can do this! Feel free to email me if you need support....
 
I did it cold turkey too. In January 1989. I don't recall gaining any weight.

Good for you for deciding to quit! Any support you need, we're here!
 
Okay, you won't believe me, but this really works. It's hard to believe, but here it is:

1 glass of orange juice
mix in 1 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar baking spice
drink either at night or first thing in the morning every single day until the cigarette cravings are gone.

A friend of mine did this years ago, and it didn't even take two weeks for him to quit smoking. He was shocked. He'd tried everything and nothing worked. He said that he couldn't believe how differently he felt right away. He could actually taste a difference in his mouth...he said that it was a clean taste and not the yucky taste he'd had before. He said that his cravings just went away, and he quickly got to a point where he didn't even like being around smokers because it grossed him out.

How it works? Well, from what I've been told, the cream of tartar acts as a leaching agent to pull the nicotine out of your tissues and flush them away in your "waste". The vitamin C in the OJ replaces the Vitamin C that the nicotine had been leaching out of your body. So, you're getting rid of the addicting agent, and replacing something that helps your body. These two things combined help you kick the habit quite painlessly.

Yes, it's simple. Yes, it's relatively cheap (you can buy cream of tartar in bulk at Sam's Club or GFS stores). Yes, it's good for you. But doctors and drug makers wouldn't make any money if they prescribed OJ and baking spice, would they? Ppphhttt! I'll show them!
 
My husband tried for years to quit smoking, tried everything it seemed. He ended up joined a support group at church where they called each other to encourage each other. It really helped him to know that people were going through the same thing he was. He has been cig free since May 14, 2001 at 2:30 in the afternoon.
 
I quit cold Turkey Too !!! I feel its the best way .Get a stop date in your mind ,and go for it . Its been so long I cant remember much more ,hubby still smokes ,but outside !!!! .If you slip make it a rule outside only .We are all here for you Hugs To you .
 
First of all, you have to really want to quit. My husband quit cold turkey, but I needed zyban to do it. I've been smoke free for almost 9 months and I have absolutely NO cravings or any desire to start smoking again. I did gain some weight, but I've gotten it back off now and even lost a bit more. Just remember that you can do it if you really want to. I also went to www.quitnet.com and that helped alot!!

GOOD LUCK!!:D
 
My hubby quit cold turkey too-about a year before we started dating-he's been smoke free for like 6 years now. I don't know how he did it. I couldn't have! I needed all of the help I could get! Actually the fact that DH had been through it was a big help to me. He was able to give me advice and support me well because he knew what I was going through. He NEVER got mad or irritated at me for the way I acted while I was quitting. He was great through it. I was lucky to have him for support.

It is truly THE HARDEST thing you will probably ever do in your life! It is an AMAZING accomplishment and anyone who has done it needs to be darn proud of themselves!!!:7

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Good for you for deciding to make this change in your life! I could write a book about this, but I'll try to be short.

I quit several years ago when I wanted to become pregnant. At that time, there were no non smoking aids, so I was forced to quit cold turkey. I was so miserable. My ex begged me to start smoking again. I remember that it was at least 2 years before the urge to smoke left me. I thought about it every day. Then when I was going through a divorce, I started smoking again.

After 5 years, I used the patch and had some success with quiting again. It really took the edge off. But then I started smoking again while wearing the patch - not a good idea. Then a year later, I used the patch again and have been smoke free for 2 years on June 3 of this year.

I've heard that each time you quit it gets easier.

My favorite time to smoke was after work in the car. So I took a different route home. When I smoked, I'd light up at the stop light on 3rd and Main, and then on X and X, etc. So changing my route helped.

In addition, I was having very bad stomach cramps every day. I tried cutting out various foods, to no avail. I found that after two days of not smoking, my stomach cramps completely stopped never to return.

Another thing that helps is not being around other smokers. In New York State you cannot smoke in public places, so I'm hardly ever around smokers now.

One thing I noticed, having quit in the summer, is that I could all of a sudden smell flowers and other good scents while I was driving in the car. You'll soon find a myriad of other benefits to focus on which will help.

I could go on and on, but I'm very proud of you for making this decision. Please check in here when you need help. I'll try not to be so long winded next time!

Margaret
 
I have never smoked, but I had a roommate who was studying social work, and she told me that one good technique was to eat a bit of citrus fruit every time you crave a cigarette. Seems the two tastes don't mix (like milk and grapefruit don't mix).

Good luck!
 
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