Gonna quit smoking tomorrow

[Sully]

I'm actually really afraid of this. Need to do it, hate that I do it now. In a great amount of fear that I'll fail.

[Sully]

It's difficult.
I've had several "cheats," which I'm pretty ashamed of. The difference is that in prior quitting attempts, once I fell off I was like, "**** it," and went back to it.
I was talking about it to my wife, and it's funny... I'm almost going through a type of mourning. I'm so gonna miss so many times that a cig felt so good. I'm gonna miss the "excuse" to step away from the world for 3-5 minutes at a time.
I've tried to focus on two things. I really liked Phil's advice about not going to places I can get cigs. That's difficult since my truck uses gas, but that's helped. The other focus is to try and live in the "now" rather than worrying about all those prime smoking times in the future I'll miss (this is a problem I have in every area of my life, however).

So, the tl;dr version is this. I've ****ed up several times. I feel shitty about it. But I'm still committed to this and I'm still working toward my goal of being smoke free.

[Brock]

There is a book called The Easy Way To Quit Smoking. A lot of people told me it helped them change how they thought about smoking.

[Sorter]

How about quitting chewing tobacco?

[Rasputin]

I think there is a hot line you can call called ~Kan quit. It's a Kansas quit smoking and they do pretty good talking to you and can set you up with the patch. My first attempts I used them and if anything just got to vent some stress in my life.


You will get there I have faith in you.

One day at a time or one minute at a time if you can go one minute go two minutes then five minutes then an hour and boom on your way through the day. Dont stress on quitting.

[mdchiefsfan]

Your mentality is in the right place. Keep it up and you'll kick it. A puff here and there compared to what you were doing is a great step. Keep that mentality, lower your nicotine usage and it will be over before you know it. Good job so far.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Sully

It's difficult.
I've had several "cheats," which I'm pretty ashamed of. The difference is that in prior quitting attempts, once I fell off I was like, "**** it," and went back to it.
I was talking about it to my wife, and it's funny... I'm almost going through a type of mourning. I'm so gonna miss so many times that a cig felt so good. I'm gonna miss the "excuse" to step away from the world for 3-5 minutes at a time.
I've tried to focus on two things. I really liked Phil's advice about not going to places I can get cigs. That's difficult since my truck uses gas, but that's helped. The other focus is to try and live in the "now" rather than worrying about all those prime smoking times in the future I'll miss (this is a problem I have in every area of my life, however).

So, the tl;dr version is this. I've ****ed up several times. I feel shitty about it. But I'm still committed to this and I'm still working toward my goal of being smoke free.

It is good that despite the slip ups, you are still committed. The many times I tried it seemed like that 1 slip up just made me stop trying altogether. I can offer some things that really helped me. The biggest thing for me was the 1st day, I'd wear a patch day 1 just to break the hand to mouth feeling, after that it was cold turkey. The second most important thing to me (as silly as it may seem) were those internet posters that showed what the body is doing to repair the damage so long after the last cigarette. (i.e. after 3 days the body is cleansed of all nicotine, after 5 taste buds start to repair themselves, etc). That little timeline provided a ton of reinforcement for my goal making. I sucked on hard candy like a fiend, I always tried to pay at the pump rather than go into the gas station and look at those bitches right behind the counter. I avoided all places with a smoking section, cleaned the holly poo out of my car and for this first week, before I'd even get in I fabrezed it.

Maybe some of that helps maybe it doesn't. Just remember that nobody said it was going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it. Good luck and don't give up.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Sully

It's difficult.
I've had several "cheats," which I'm pretty ashamed of. The difference is that in prior quitting attempts, once I fell off I was like, "**** it," and went back to it.
I was talking about it to my wife, and it's funny... I'm almost going through a type of mourning. I'm so gonna miss so many times that a cig felt so good. I'm gonna miss the "excuse" to step away from the world for 3-5 minutes at a time.
I've tried to focus on two things. I really liked Phil's advice about not going to places I can get cigs. That's difficult since my truck uses gas, but that's helped. The other focus is to try and live in the "now" rather than worrying about all those prime smoking times in the future I'll miss (this is a problem I have in every area of my life, however).

So, the tl;dr version is this. I've ****ed up several times. I feel shitty about it. But I'm still committed to this and I'm still working toward my goal of being smoke free.

Alternative way of looking at the "cheats". You have cut way down to a cig here or there. While still working toward the final goal. Not giving up is a lot of the battle. Stay with it. It will only get easier. And long periods of time between the "cheats". One of those long periods will become the rest of your life.

[R8RFAN]

Get one of those electronic cigs... (a quality one) My buddy has smoked for decades and smokes one, he does not even add nicotine to it anymore... He just smokes water vapor now .. And it's been 6 months.. Good luck

[Sully]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

It is good that despite the slip ups, you are still committed. The many times I tried it seemed like that 1 slip up just made me stop trying altogether. I can offer some things that really helped me. The biggest thing for me was the 1st day, I'd wear a patch day 1 just to break the hand to mouth feeling, after that it was cold turkey. The second most important thing to me (as silly as it may seem) were those internet posters that showed what the body is doing to repair the damage so long after the last cigarette. (i.e. after 3 days the body is cleansed of all nicotine, after 5 taste buds start to repair themselves, etc). That little timeline provided a ton of reinforcement for my goal making. I sucked on hard candy like a fiend, I always tried to pay at the pump rather than go into the gas station and look at those bitches right behind the counter. I avoided all places with a smoking section, cleaned the holly poo out of my car and for this first week, before I'd even get in I fabrezed it.

Maybe some of that helps maybe it doesn't. Just remember that nobody said it was going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it. Good luck and don't give up.

It's funny you bring up that "after 3 days" poster.
Actually went to the school nurse this week and asked if she had that poster.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Sully

It's funny you bring up that "after 3 days" poster.
Actually went to the school nurse this week and asked if she had that poster.

http://www.whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Ben...ime_table.html


A good website btw.

[warpaint*]

I smoked my last cigarette over 11 years ago - was a pack a day smoker for 8 yrs. I used the 3 step patch program and it was a big help for me to ween off. I'm so thankful to God to be rid of that habit. I just want to encourage you to keep at it, it is worth it! I distinctly remember a time in my life I thought I'd never be able to quit.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Sully

It's difficult.
I've had several "cheats," which I'm pretty ashamed of. The difference is that in prior quitting attempts, once I fell off I was like, "**** it," and went back to it.
I was talking about it to my wife, and it's funny... I'm almost going through a type of mourning. I'm so gonna miss so many times that a cig felt so good. I'm gonna miss the "excuse" to step away from the world for 3-5 minutes at a time.
I've tried to focus on two things. I really liked Phil's advice about not going to places I can get cigs. That's difficult since my truck uses gas, but that's helped. The other focus is to try and live in the "now" rather than worrying about all those prime smoking times in the future I'll miss (this is a problem I have in every area of my life, however).

So, the tl;dr version is this. I've ****ed up several times. I feel shitty about it. But I'm still committed to this and I'm still working toward my goal of being smoke free.

Be careful with the cheats. I never fully kicked it until I got over those cheats. One cheat turned into "Just one pack for the special weekend trip", and "Only when I'm golfing", and on and on. You've got to completely cut it off. Once I did that, it was infinitely easier.

Another thing I would mention, is don't focus on what you're going to miss. Focus on what you're gaining with your new lifestyle. Focus on the positives about your change. Appreciate the fact that you're not coughing up brown globs of phlegm each morning. And that walking up a flight of stairs doesn't make you feel 80 years old. And that you can sneeze without ending up with a handful of brown snot. Set aside the money you usually spend on cigs, and make that a reward for something. For me, I spend my "Otherwise cig" money on a lunch at OK Joe's. That gives me a tasty incentive, and I feel like I'm gaining something instead of missing something. Do that for a month or two, and see how much easier it is.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by Fish

Be careful with the cheats. I never fully kicked it until I got over those cheats. One cheat turned into "Just one pack for the special weekend trip", and "Only when I'm golfing", and on and on. You've got to completely cut it off. Once I did that, it was infinitely easier.

Another thing I would mention, is don't focus on what you're going to miss. Focus on what you're gaining with your new lifestyle. Focus on the positives about your change. Appreciate the fact that you're not coughing up brown globs of phlegm each morning. And that walking up a flight of stairs doesn't make you feel 80 years old. And that you can sneeze without ending up with a handful of brown snot. Set aside the money you usually spend on cigs, and make that a reward for something. For me, I spend my "Otherwise cig" money on a lunch at OK Joe's. That gives me a tasty incentive, and I feel like I'm gaining something instead of missing something. Do that for a month or two, and see how much easier it is.

I think you're right.
Though we are doing this, partly, to stop throwing money away, I think I could set some incentives to myself that would be far cheaper than smoking.
Golf lessons?
Better date nights?
Heroin?

[Pants]

Man, it's going to be exactly two years for me in 7 days. It's so weird thinking back on smoking almost a pack a day. Seems crazy now, like it was a whole different life.

I do still get jealous from time to time when I see people light one up and enjoy the **** out if.

I don't think it was ever the nicotine for me because I still smoke a cigar once a month during warm weather and it doesn't make me crave nicotine any more or any less when I do it.

It was just the habit and I liked the whole sensation of inhaling and exhaling smoke as well as the smells (it's weird, I know).

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Sully

I think you're right.
Though we are doing this, partly, to stop throwing money away, I think I could set some incentives to myself that would be far cheaper than smoking.
Golf lessons?
Better date nights?
Heroin?

I found a bj from a stripper to be a great incentive.