Prayer Request My New Years Resolution - I'm going to quit smoking - Page 4

Fish · 12-25-2013, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

I quit smoking February 8 2013 & the best advice I can give is don't smoke your next one.

If you don't light up the next cig then your not smoking. By far not easy but it can be done if I did it.

My advice mirrors this. I smoked 2001 - Feb. 26 2013. Tried to quit many times before. What killed me was bumming one just for this or that special occasions. This time I didn't have a single one after deciding I was done. Still haven't had a single cig since then. I had to completely cut myself off. It's just mental determination. Convince yourself that you're done.

Pardon the PSA:

go bo · 12-25-2013, 12:28 AM

if i want to be young again i just have to want it enough, right?

go bo · 12-25-2013, 12:31 AM

i smoked from 1964 thru 1987, sometimes as many as 4 packs a day and quit, after trying dozens of times...

i used the gum, gradually decreasing over the period of a year (and 100 lb - worth every ounce of it)...

gum, patch, e-vape, whatever works for you...

there's a lot of good advice in this thread...

Tacoman · 12-25-2013, 01:42 AM

I quit 6 months ago, I smoked for 18 years and spent 16 of them trying to quit. It is very difficult. I had really rough go of it quitting. You are lucky that you have only smoked for a year, that is a positive. Quit now and you can legitimately overcome whatever ailments you feel you may be most at risk for. Hopefully you or someone else finds this useful.

Here is my 2 cents on quitting smoking fwiw.

Its ends up being quite complex to successfully quit for good. The following two items are helpful in the short term, but relatively critical to long term success.

It helps to establish some type of exercise routine that you can do often. Perhaps at least 3 times per week at least? Exercising has a natural way of making you WANT to do things like eat healthier and treat your body right. The most difficult thing for me over the years regarding finding success with this transition, was that I always tried to immediately set huge workout goals and expectations for this and want to go rebuild the world in a day with the new non smoker me, and then experience a low and go right back to smoking. The key to the whole thing is consistency. Each day you don't smoke is a victory and victories stacked up on top of each other make for a successful campaign! The exercise can be as simple as walking a few blocks. The key is that it is something of a greater output than what you are currently doing, because every time you do it you will be reminded that smoking sucks and how glad you are that you don't smoke anymore.

Dealing with stress... The fact of the matter if you are truly being honest with yourself, is that there are things that you DO get out of this. Otherwise, its unlikely you would have gotten to the point where you felt you couldn't quit. For me I used it as stress relief, taking a mental vacation from all of the shit I had to get done next, or today, or whatever... The thing about this that is interesting is that everyone does things to take a mental vacation and do things for entertainment/distraction (this message board being a great example of this haha!), but when you are a smoker it is hard to imagine what else you would do to fill that void. You must come up with something to help fill the void and a new outlet for the stress that you will be experiencing. Projects that require attention to detail can be helpful, puzzles etc etc. sometimes when I am stressing out It helps to go sit on the porch for a few min like I used to, I just don't smoke.

With those points in mind for the long term, it is obviously critical to figure out how to navigate the short term successfully since it is the most likely time you will fail, and also by far the most difficult part of the process. I cried several times throughout the process, it was really ****ing hard.

3 days until the chemicals are out of your system. Every minute it seems to get tougher and you become more frazzled the further away you get from your last smoke. Keep it in your mind that after 3 days the physical withdrawals will experience a dramatic decrease. Just focus focus focus, "if I can just make it 3 days it will get easier".

After that

3 weeks to get over the mental cravings. It will be 3-4 weeks to experience the amazing feeling where you realized that you forgot for just even one mini second that you used to smoke. Leading up to that you will probably be extremely anxiety and stress ridden. It gets worse every day. You feel like there is a damn war going on in your brain and your head is going to explode and everyone around you doesn't have a clue really how you feel. You look the same to them as you did last week and the week before, it is your own private 3 week miserable hell. Focus on the exercise, focus on the fact that you just need to make it 3 weeks.

The thing that was the real x factor for me was getting massages crazily enough. I have a lot of back pain that I have dealt with for years, and I decided I was going to chunk out the money and get weekly massages to see if it made a difference. To be honest I wasn't planning on quitting smoking until I got up to leave my first massage.

If you have ever had a massage you can probably recall sometime after having really cloudy or dark urine, it is a great way to "wring out" the toxins in your body. Meanwhile it is super relaxing and stress relieving!!!! I realize having done it how much of a financial commitment it was to get massages every week, but the longterm savings and your health are worth the world. Speed up the process of ridding your body of chemicals and chemical dependance, and reduce your stress at the same time!!! I find it funny that I stumbled onto it so randomly after trying every quit smoking method out there.

Drink lots of water.

Johnny Vegas · 12-25-2013, 04:10 AM

Yea you're not gonna quit. Prove it.

**ShortRoundChief** · 12-25-2013, 04:17 AM

Good luck to you. YOU. CAN. DO. IT.

tmax63 · 12-25-2013, 06:50 AM

I chewed since 1977 but haven't had a dip since October 11. The gum kept me reasonably safe to be around and I stopped the gum after a week or so(less than one box). I've ate enough Tic-Tacs and Icebreakers to choke a medium sized horse so far and haven't stopped either of those.

TLO · 12-25-2013, 10:50 AM

Thanks for the good advice. I even appreciate the "quit or you're a pussy" posts. I'm not 100% certain that I want to quit, and I think that's what is the most concerning. I've got about a pack and a half left, and think I might just smoke these and then just not buy anymore. We'll see how it goes.

plbrdude · 12-25-2013, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Thanks for the good advice. I even appreciate the "quit or you're a pussy" posts. I'm not 100% certain that I want to quit, and I think that's what is the most concerning. I've got about a pack and a half left, and think I might just smoke these and then just not buy anymore. We'll see how it goes.

if you're not sure you want to quit you won't. it took me almost 17 year to really quit. first tried when i was 21 then finally completely laid them down when i was 38. been just about 12 yr now. funny thing is though after this long there are times when it feels like i could pick one up and light up like i never quit, but that passes now pretty quick.

if you decide you really want to quit remember you'll never make it a week if you don't make it a day. then weeks turn into months, and you know the rest.

**BigRedChief** · 12-25-2013, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Thanks for the good advice. I even appreciate the "quit or you're a pussy" posts. I'm not 100% certain that I want to quit, and I think that's what is the most concerning. I've got about a pack and a half left, and think I might just smoke these and then just not buy anymore. We'll see how it goes.

you will not be successful. It's too damn hard. You can't quit because you want/need to quit.

**bevischief** · 12-25-2013, 12:00 PM

Eight years ago I made a resolution to loose 40 pounds and keep it off. I have done that and then some. I weigh less than I did in high school and basic training. Good luck.

**lewdog** · 12-25-2013, 06:35 PM

You started smoking when you were 18? You do know that isn't cool anymore, right? Hell, it wasn't cool when I was in high school 10 years ago.

ThaVirus · 12-25-2013, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewdog

You started smoking when you were 18? You do know that isn't cool anymore, right? Hell, it wasn't cool when I was in high school 10 years ago.

Yeah. I hate to be the judgmental prick because I'm usually not that at all; but smoking cigarettes is one of the dumbest ****ing things you can do. Like, why? Why even take that first hit? There is nothing good about, whatsoever.

**Rausch** · 12-26-2013, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Yeah. I hate to be the judgmental prick because I'm usually not that at all; but smoking cigarettes is one of the dumbest ****ing things you can do. Like, why? Why even take that first hit? There is nothing good about, whatsoever.

The hell there isn't...

12-25-2013, 12:28 AM	#2
go bo Flop = Man of Steel!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: independence Casino cash: $10006405	if i want to be young again i just have to want it enough, right?
Posts: 36,678

12-25-2013, 12:31 AM	#3
go bo Flop = Man of Steel!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: independence Casino cash: $10006405	i smoked from 1964 thru 1987, sometimes as many as 4 packs a day and quit, after trying dozens of times... i used the gum, gradually decreasing over the period of a year (and 100 lb - worth every ounce of it)... gum, patch, e-vape, whatever works for you... there's a lot of good advice in this thread...
Posts: 36,678

12-25-2013, 01:42 AM	#4
Tacoman Starter Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Utah Casino cash: $10011744	I quit 6 months ago, I smoked for 18 years and spent 16 of them trying to quit. It is very difficult. I had really rough go of it quitting. You are lucky that you have only smoked for a year, that is a positive. Quit now and you can legitimately overcome whatever ailments you feel you may be most at risk for. Hopefully you or someone else finds this useful. Here is my 2 cents on quitting smoking fwiw. Its ends up being quite complex to successfully quit for good. The following two items are helpful in the short term, but relatively critical to long term success. It helps to establish some type of exercise routine that you can do often. Perhaps at least 3 times per week at least? Exercising has a natural way of making you WANT to do things like eat healthier and treat your body right. The most difficult thing for me over the years regarding finding success with this transition, was that I always tried to immediately set huge workout goals and expectations for this and want to go rebuild the world in a day with the new non smoker me, and then experience a low and go right back to smoking. The key to the whole thing is consistency. Each day you don't smoke is a victory and victories stacked up on top of each other make for a successful campaign! The exercise can be as simple as walking a few blocks. The key is that it is something of a greater output than what you are currently doing, because every time you do it you will be reminded that smoking sucks and how glad you are that you don't smoke anymore. Dealing with stress... The fact of the matter if you are truly being honest with yourself, is that there are things that you DO get out of this. Otherwise, its unlikely you would have gotten to the point where you felt you couldn't quit. For me I used it as stress relief, taking a mental vacation from all of the shit I had to get done next, or today, or whatever... The thing about this that is interesting is that everyone does things to take a mental vacation and do things for entertainment/distraction (this message board being a great example of this haha!), but when you are a smoker it is hard to imagine what else you would do to fill that void. You must come up with something to help fill the void and a new outlet for the stress that you will be experiencing. Projects that require attention to detail can be helpful, puzzles etc etc. sometimes when I am stressing out It helps to go sit on the porch for a few min like I used to, I just don't smoke. With those points in mind for the long term, it is obviously critical to figure out how to navigate the short term successfully since it is the most likely time you will fail, and also by far the most difficult part of the process. I cried several times throughout the process, it was really **ing hard. 3 days until the chemicals are out of your system. Every minute it seems to get tougher and you become more frazzled the further away you get from your last smoke. Keep it in your mind that after 3 days the physical withdrawals will experience a dramatic decrease. Just focus focus focus, "if I can just make it 3 days it will get easier". After that 3 weeks** to get over the mental cravings. It will be 3-4 weeks to experience the amazing feeling where you realized that you forgot for just even one mini second that you used to smoke. Leading up to that you will probably be extremely anxiety and stress ridden. It gets worse every day. You feel like there is a damn war going on in your brain and your head is going to explode and everyone around you doesn't have a clue really how you feel. You look the same to them as you did last week and the week before, it is your own private 3 week miserable hell. Focus on the exercise, focus on the fact that you just need to make it 3 weeks. The thing that was the real x factor for me was getting massages crazily enough. I have a lot of back pain that I have dealt with for years, and I decided I was going to chunk out the money and get weekly massages to see if it made a difference. To be honest I wasn't planning on quitting smoking until I got up to leave my first massage. If you have ever had a massage you can probably recall sometime after having really cloudy or dark urine, it is a great way to "wring out" the toxins in your body. Meanwhile it is super relaxing and stress relieving!!!! I realize having done it how much of a financial commitment it was to get massages every week, but the longterm savings and your health are worth the world. Speed up the process of ridding your body of chemicals and chemical dependance, and reduce your stress at the same time!!! I find it funny that I stumbled onto it so randomly after trying every quit smoking method out there. Drink lots of water.
Posts: 418

12-25-2013, 04:10 AM	#5
Johnny Vegas MVP Join Date: May 2008 Casino cash: $3264814	Yea you're not gonna quit. Prove it.
Posts: 5,098

12-25-2013, 04:17 AM	#6
ShortRoundChief Embrace the love Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Joplin Casino cash: $4147192	Good luck to you. YOU. CAN. DO. IT.
Posts: 33,929

12-25-2013, 06:50 AM	#7
tmax63 Veteran Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Colorado Casino cash: $493600	I chewed since 1977 but haven't had a dip since October 11. The gum kept me reasonably safe to be around and I stopped the gum after a week or so(less than one box). I've ate enough Tic-Tacs and Icebreakers to choke a medium sized horse so far and haven't stopped either of those. __________________ An armed member of society is a citizen, an unarmed member is a subject.
Posts: 3,991

12-25-2013, 10:50 AM	#8
TLO Life is changing.. Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NW Missouri Casino cash: $-2440000	Thanks for the good advice. I even appreciate the "quit or you're a pussy" posts. I'm not 100% certain that I want to quit, and I think that's what is the most concerning. I've got about a pack and a half left, and think I might just smoke these and then just not buy anymore. We'll see how it goes.
Posts: 43,063

12-25-2013, 12:00 PM	#11
bevischief .... Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somewhere Kansas Casino cash: $7739352 VARSITY	Eight years ago I made a resolution to loose 40 pounds and keep it off. I have done that and then some. I weigh less than I did in high school and basic training. Good luck.
Posts: 27,771

12-25-2013, 06:35 PM	#12
lewdog Mod Team Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Valley of the hot as **** Casino cash: $-1438100	You started smoking when you were 18? You do know that isn't cool anymore, right? Hell, it wasn't cool when I was in high school 10 years ago.
Posts: 46,322

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