How did you quit smoking?
- Thread starter Upgr8r
- Start date
It's been said, but it true. You have to want to quit, if you don't all attempts will be futile. 21 days is the magic number, if you can make it 21 days, the rest will be much easier. Something about developing habits (the habit of not smoking) and purging your system.
I quit cold turkey the day I asked myself why I was a smoker and couldn't come up w/ a good reason..... 7 years ago.
I quit cold turkey the day I asked myself why I was a smoker and couldn't come up w/ a good reason..... 7 years ago.
Both me and my wife quit at the same time. It's nice to have a compatriate in suffering. The thing that kept me from not smoking again was telling myself all the misery I went through quitting was a waste and better yet, I would probably have to do it again.
I quit 18 years ago after 5 years of smoking.
Basically cold turkey, but in addition I quit coffee and mentally blamed all my withdrawals on quitting coffee, then I was able to process it better. I still drink coffee now though, but it was then my crutch.
After initially quitting, which was aided in steps: by not taking the morning smoke; then the lunch smoke (no smoking at work); then eventually after being a social smoker with friends for a few months I just picked a day, and quit...never turned back.
However, interestingly, in my dreams I still sometimes smoke...and regret it...until I wake and bask in the fact that I havent touched one since.
Good Luck...preserverence.
Basically cold turkey, but in addition I quit coffee and mentally blamed all my withdrawals on quitting coffee, then I was able to process it better. I still drink coffee now though, but it was then my crutch.
After initially quitting, which was aided in steps: by not taking the morning smoke; then the lunch smoke (no smoking at work); then eventually after being a social smoker with friends for a few months I just picked a day, and quit...never turned back.
However, interestingly, in my dreams I still sometimes smoke...and regret it...until I wake and bask in the fact that I havent touched one since.
Good Luck...preserverence.
I think you're intending to ask why people start smoking. People continue to smoke because it's an addiction, both physical and psychological. I started because all the cool kids at school did it and I wanted to be cool. Pretty lame reason, right?
I attempted to quit at least a half-dozen times before I was able to do it (I'm smoke-free almost 8 years now). I think the biggest roadblock to quitting is accessibility. No matter where you go, there are smokers or cigarettes. Put an addict within arms reach of his or her addiction and chances are they'll jump at the chance. I commend those who did it "cold-turkey," I didn't have that kind of will-power. It took the patch and a friend at the Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center who was running a nicotine study to get me free.
I have asthma and smoked all through high school. One day I had a really bad asthma attack that ended me up in the hospital and I HAD to quit, didn't even want one because the attack freaked me out so bad. Every once in a while (and it's rare) I crave one and I'll let myself have one but I can't get through a whole one without wanting to puke.
Riding and running helped me besides having the asthma attack. Moving to Colorado and not being able to breathe normally because of the altitude helped me to not even crave one.
Riding and running helped me besides having the asthma attack. Moving to Colorado and not being able to breathe normally because of the altitude helped me to not even crave one.
to quit smoking, i started chewing. Chewing is sickening and i could only put up with it for so long. Finally stopped buying nicotine products and survived solely on bumming it from my friends. I had said i wasn't going to buy it anymore, and when my friends started getting pissed at me for being such a bum, i joined the collegiate mens rowing team here at school and haven't had any nicotine in 3 months.
the workouts are too intense to be smoking or chewing. A huge plus is that theres no paraphinelia laying around my house anymore. cig butts, ash, cans of spit knocked over, empty packs and cans. its really nice
the workouts are too intense to be smoking or chewing. A huge plus is that theres no paraphinelia laying around my house anymore. cig butts, ash, cans of spit knocked over, empty packs and cans. its really nice
Still haven't quit myself, rule is I don't get a new bike till I quit.
I have a problem of I don't care to smoke except when I am with friends that do, and 90% of my friends smoke.
I have a problem of I don't care to smoke except when I am with friends that do, and 90% of my friends smoke.
i quit about 3 or 4 months ago.. its goin well so far, dont even think about it anymore really unless im drinkin.. then it can be tough. shouldnt be in the states tho, not may bars allow smoking anymore. I used the patch, it worked just fine to help curb the cravings.. but the hardest thing was finding what makes ya wanna smoke and not do em for at least a month. My girl and I didnt go to bars or get drunk for almost 2 months.. drink at the house occasionally after that, but still didnt go out for another month.. 3 months total, my drinkin buddies thought i fell off the face. Well worth it tho.. i can go out now and not have a smoke no problems. Watchin the sopranos made me wanna smoke too 
that and certain songs.. weird. I hope i keep it kicked tho, and I hope you can too man.. I definatly feel a ****load better.. I can tell a major difference, plus the **** just stinks, never realized how bad it smelled till now. Bottom line, find what makes you wanna smoke, and dont do it. Maybe try the lozenge or gum to curb cravings.
good luck tho,
grif
that and certain songs.. weird. I hope i keep it kicked tho, and I hope you can too man.. I definatly feel a ****load better.. I can tell a major difference, plus the **** just stinks, never realized how bad it smelled till now. Bottom line, find what makes you wanna smoke, and dont do it. Maybe try the lozenge or gum to curb cravings.good luck tho,
grif
HAHA no joke! main thing for me is ive noticed a definate decline in fitness. i dont allow that. and the smell. i hate the smell
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1697102&postcount=16
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2049476&postcount=99
Geeze if any of that makes any sense, i can't even understand my own crappy writing.... Sorry too tired and lazy to illustrate better thru editing these posts to make them understandable.
i think the key is to have the desire and want to quit. That's a big part of the battle, and don't give up. Smoking is a terrible crutch and life is so much better without the habit.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2049476&postcount=99
Geeze if any of that makes any sense, i can't even understand my own crappy writing.... Sorry too tired and lazy to illustrate better thru editing these posts to make them understandable.
i think the key is to have the desire and want to quit. That's a big part of the battle, and don't give up. Smoking is a terrible crutch and life is so much better without the habit.
Never smoked.
http://www.whyquit.com/
I found that site after I quit on August 17, 2001. I tried quitting multiple times but everytime, I now realize, I was undercutting myself even before I started by saying to myself "well maybe in a year or so I'll have a cig just for new years or something." When I finally made the decision to quit for real, that was harder than quitting the actual smokes.
And if its any consolation...the first time I went to Moab it would talke me ever to finish I ride. I couldn't even ride up to the top of Porcupine Rim. The second time i went to Moab 6 months ago I was riding up EVERYTHING...and that Moab trip was the first time I've been back on the bike in two years so my fitness level was definitely down.
I found that site after I quit on August 17, 2001. I tried quitting multiple times but everytime, I now realize, I was undercutting myself even before I started by saying to myself "well maybe in a year or so I'll have a cig just for new years or something." When I finally made the decision to quit for real, that was harder than quitting the actual smokes.
And if its any consolation...the first time I went to Moab it would talke me ever to finish I ride. I couldn't even ride up to the top of Porcupine Rim. The second time i went to Moab 6 months ago I was riding up EVERYTHING...and that Moab trip was the first time I've been back on the bike in two years so my fitness level was definitely down.
My advice would be to really think about WHY you smoke. Once I found out the reason for myself it made quitting easy. I have been smoke free for over 10 years.....D
so i went out on my break today fully planning on smoking that last cig. i pulled the box out of my pocket and stared at it for a good 5 minutes. i turned it over and read the speal on the back about the finest turkish tobacco and how turkish royals are so smooth and delicious. it disgusted me and i crumpled up the pack and threw it in the trash. thats it. im done
To quit smoking I just stopped.
Lying on the couch rolling a smoke....looked outside (it was raining) and just decided I couldn't be arsed going out side to smoke and threw the smokes aside and didn't toucch them again, toughed it out for 1 week cold turkey and that was it.
Lying on the couch rolling a smoke....looked outside (it was raining) and just decided I couldn't be arsed going out side to smoke and threw the smokes aside and didn't toucch them again, toughed it out for 1 week cold turkey and that was it.
nicotine can be harder to quit than heroin
You have to just keep trying to quit over and over. Eventually you'll get it down and be successful. I must have tried 10-12 times before I was successful. I haven't smoked in 7 years. What made me want to quit is smoking is a redneck/white trash habit. It's just nasty.
Good job, man. I'm right behind you, I had my last one today. No more. TIme to buy a roll of Life Savers
I threw away the rest of a pack and never had another after being a pack a day habitual, smoking Marlboro Cowboy Killers for eight years.