Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. Reason for joining this group:
2. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

I'm a former smoker, I quit 3 years ago. I have a lot of knowledge on how to quit and stay quit, I'd be happy to share that at any time with anyone. I'm completely empathetic with the smoker who is quitting. It requires determination, but no more than what we already have - when ever I needed one, I found a way to get one.

My brief experience. I smoked a pack of Marlboro Red's every day for nearly 10 years. I loved smoking and didn't complain much about it. I only got serious about quitting it when I noticed one day just how addicted I was.

I had traveled to Japan, it was a very long flight - it was a very long time without a smoke. When we landed, I was sprinting to a smoking area and lit up as fast as I could. My body demanded the nicotine - I was gasping for it!

I was shocked at myself. I hated myself for allowing it to get that far, that behavior wasn't acceptable to me so I knew then that I had to take back control.

so I got motivated to quit and started doing a lot of research. I found a doctor who gave me all the information that i needed to prepare to quit and with his help I stopped.

Initially I had to fight through some pretty strong urges but they subsided as time went by. Now I am absolute freedom from cigarettes and am so happy that I've beaten them.

Started smoking (without inhaling) at 11...

First inhaled at 17 -- never looked back.... alternated between 1 pack and 2 a day depending on what shift I was working, how much I was drinking, and where in the world I was. I even wrote a senior essay (state finals) titled, "I was a Teenage Devotee of My Lady Nicotine" (wish we got those blue books back...), when I was graduating from high school.

I quit for the last time on Jan 4, 1999 -- and my last cigarette was on Jan 11, 1999.  Almost 22 years of smoking.

I quit because it became prohibitively expensive. Apparently that's what it took, because I was never successful in the plethora of previous attempts.

Hi, my name is Angel and my last cigarette was 4 months ago. I smoke since I was 15, (very common age to start smoking here in Mexico). now I'm 28. My reason I think is that I quit because I don't want to die of problems related to smoke. I hope it's no yet to late to get into action.

I used to smoke a package every day, even when I was sick (e.g. the flu) I smoked at least one. I never tried to quit seriously before. Now I dream of smoking. As I quit, I gain 20 lb in weight. I didn't knew what to do with my hands and mouth, so I start to eat more and more, and thats why I got here..... 

I really hope to have the guts to never give in.

I'm Steve and I've been a CC member for 2 years. I quit smoking just before last Christmas. After that I used the Patch for nearly 6 months. Nicotine patches are addictive but not nearly as much as tobacco!

It took me many attempts to quit. This was mostly over the past 4 years. There are a number of approaches to quitting smoking and many of them can be successful - for me it was the Patch and tons of perserverance.

For the time I was on the patch I used to tell myself -- patch + cigarette = possible heart attack, or else I would have smoked while wearing the patch...  I was given a package of bandaids the same shape/size of the patch -- so I could pretend I was still wearing one....

Congrats for quitting to all of you.  Angel -- it seems like for a lot of people, a craving for carbs is the trade-off when you quit.  If you focus on a more protein based lifestyle and less on carbs, it might make it easier for you both with the weight loss and the cravings.

Find something to chew on (like a pen/pencil) -- helps keep the mouth busy without a cig

I want to fully quit and had a plan to do it but it failed. I've smoked for almost 20yrs. For the last couple of yrs I have gotten down to just over a pack a week so my nichotien adiction isn't that bad.

This was my plan..... I set a quit period of time where I couldn't drink alchol or coffee, which makes me want to light up. During this time I would have a friend who I could keep accountable to and make hourly or daily promises not to smoke. He would also hang out with me once every week end so I wouldn't have to hang with all my other smoking friends. Just before the date I had planned (my birthday), he got a girlfriend and ditched on his promise to help me.

I tried on my own to stop but I couldn't sleep b/c of the cravings. I don't want to wear a patch b/c that'll prob put more nickotien in my body then I would normaly. I can't go on medication b/c I have bipolar dissorder and it will screw with meds I'm already taking.

I thought I may try chewing the gum just before bedtime but I think it's that feeling down my throat I miss and only drinking pop comes anything close.

Any suggestion and advise?

Since you are smoking just a little, you might try the stage 3 patch (which is the lowest level).  I do know that eating carbs helps with the cravings -- but then you end up with a different problem... I don't know anything about the gum unfortunately.  If I find out anything, I'll pass it on.

Hi everybody.

To quit I started with the patch. I used it only for the 1st week of my quiting process because the patches were too expensive. The patches made me feel a little dizzy but ok. They helped me with my nicotine addiction, so I was able to focus and deal with my psychological need of smoking.

Today I smoke only in my dreams (this is true), and I'm trying to quit in them too. 

This was the way that worked for me, It may work for somebody else.

Hasta luego. (see you later)

Hi Everyone and congrats on your quit or if your trying too, you will get there!  I quit smoking on Nov. 5th 2007 and I feel great!!  I smoked for 25 years and about 1 pack to 2 packs a day all depending.  I got to the point that I hated the fact that cigarettes ruled my life and had me on such a schedule.  I hated them for that and I hated the control they had on my life.  I first tried the weening off thing and that didn't work for me but I did break all my habits which was a good thing.  I then got a prescription for Chantix from my doctor and never looked back.  Miracle medicine!!  I followed the directions and DID NOT drink while on the medicine and I quit right on my quit date!!  No withdrawals nothing!!  I will say however that exercise is key to success!!  I workout almost every day whether it be intense or not and I can say for sure it does help!! If I keep moving it does not give my mind a chance to think about cigarettes.  I also did the on-line support group that Pfizer offers and logged in every day and got lots of tips which I found very helpful and motivating.  Good luck everyone with whatever your goals are.

Lisa

Hi everyone.  Congradulations on your success.

I don't recommend anyone doing what I did, but here is my story.

I quite smoking August 20th 2007.  A few weeks earlier I had my annual physical and found out that I was diabetic and my blood pressure was out of control.  My Doctor told me that I had to make real changes if I wanted to have a future.  A real wake-up call for a 47 year old, over weight, smoker with high blood pressure and diabetes.

I immediately started to watch what I ate and started cutting back on my smoking.  After 3 weeks I went to my doctor and asked if it would be ok to go on the patch given my blood pressure; I was finding that cutting back was slow torture.  He advised me to concentrate on losing the weight and then to tackle the smoking later  Well I left the office and went home and proceeded to smoke like I had before.  A couple of days later I decided that enough was enough and that I was just going to quite.   After all I wasn't going to gain weight because I was already watching carefully what I ate right?  

The first 4 days where pure h*ll!   I had to leave work early on the second day and go home and sleep to try and relieve my torture.   But by the 4th day I started to feel human again.   One year later I am so happy I quite, I give thanks every day.  My family are also thankful because they took the brunt of the mood swings.

Since then I have lost over 90 pounds, have normal blood pressure, take minimal medication for my diabetes and have taken up running.  I am currently training for a full martathon Oct 12th.   The training helps keep me clean because there is no way I could even think about smoking and running.  

Good Luck everyone.

Hi There,

In Dec 2006 I was diagnosed with emphysema and I did quit. I used the patch but I knew that the 7Grams would not be the last. I had to cut the 7's down to 3.5 for one extra week :) I did quit and it has been good. However, I did gain weight and that is my struggle now.

I can be around people who smoke and it doesn't make me crave one. I cough though. With the emphysema I have to work out to strenthen my lungs. I can workout for hours, but give me stairs to do and just put me in the grave. That is so hard for me.

I grave food, not smokes.

Take care. Willing to help with advice.

GJHS

Hey guys. I'm Tara. I just quit a little over a month ago! I was doing well for a bit  but I slipped up the other night and smoked ALOT. (F.Y.I. I was drunk.) :(

I could really use all the support anyone has to offer!

Hi I'm Tracy.  I quit after 30 years of smoking a pack a day. 

I've been smoke free for 2 months now and nicotine free since week 2.  I think the trick to my success this time is I'm using herbal, acupuncture, naturalpathic, and  homoeopathic... sedation, rubber room...  I also gave myself permission to do whatever it takes to quit - including gain weight... but it's time to deal with the 15 lbs I've acquired.

ENOUGH. The smoking is under control - no more excuses.  I can do anything I put my mind to. 

Remember -- it's one day at a time... as trite as that may seem, that really is all you have to get through.  I won't say that each day becomes easier -- but it is one more day you can mark off.

gjhs - congrats on quitting (even if it did take the diagnoses of emphysema) -- if my father had done that when he got the news, he would probably still be with us.  Mind you, it was 10 years after his death that I finally quit -- that nicotine has a powerful draw.

I didn't start smoking until college at the age of about 21.  Picked up my friends' habit at the bars somehow.  I turned into a pack a day smoker.  At the age of 24, I was severly overweight, I had high blood pressure, and heart disease and diabetes run in my family.  Something in my head finally clicked.  What was I doing to msyelf?!  So I quit smoking cold turkey and started to lose weight at the same time.

Fast forward a year later, I started to pick up smoking again in social situations (drinking ones, that is).  Forward another 6 months and I started smoking outside of social situations, but on weekends usually.  Forward to a few months ago - and I was smoking every day again!

I had my last cigarette 4 days ago, so here we go again!

i'm joinng today because i have only 18 more days to smoke. and hopefully this forum will be my back up plan. i've smoked for a very long time... and have wanted to quit for a long time. OK i really don't WANT to quit but i know i have to. who invented these things anyways?

well, i figure right now if i quit smoking completely... and then if i'm still alive when i'm 100... i'll take it up again. this way i have something to look forward too.

ugh!

I too am a quitter and proud of it!  It's been 7&1/2 years, I was smoking about 20 years, around 1&1/2 packs a day by that time.  I had my first experience with cigarettes at 10 in the woods with some friends but it wasn't until I was around 15 that some friends taught me to inhale and I just kept doing that for the next 20 years.  I was having female medical issues and was told that they won't prescribe the pill for a woman over 35 who smokes.  I decided that was the last of many straws and quit smoking a few months shy of 35.  I used a straw with chewing gum and manipulated the gum on the straw to satisfy my oral needs ( funny, guess THAT was the real last straw! lol).  I started exercising and paying more attention to my food and in the process I loss 50 pounds within a few months.  Not too shabby if I do say so myself :)  I too had many dreams about smoking and it was such an odd experience when I would remember the dream and how I felt in it about starting smoking again and the wonderful feeling of relief when I realized I have never started again!  I am at CC to finish my weight loss journey and knowing that I was able to conquer my smoking addiction gives me the motivation I need to finish my weight loss journey. 

Hi guys

I'm new here. But I've been quit a grand total of 5 days (yes - just starting!) and have joined this site because I've gone back to smoking before now because I've put on weight. So - I figure I'll tackle both things at once.

It might sound ambitous - but - it you call it 'being healthy' to yourself - instead of calling it 'giving up everything you love - food and smokes' (!) then it kind of helps!

Anyway - good luck to all of you. The only thing I seem to have learnt in the last few days is - focus on today - don't think of this as forever or you'll freak out - just think about getting to bedtime. The weeks and months will just look after themselves that way (and you won't panic).

R

Hey Everybody,

I have been quit now for a little over year and half.  The first two weeks were hell but once I passed that it has been good.  I had a couple of slip ups with the alcohol thing but immediatley got back on track.  This is my 3rd time quiting and this time I know it's for real.  I'm almost 42 with 2 kids.  I had to do it for me and no one else.  When I was pregnant I quit for my twins but this time I did it for me.  My mom died of lung cancer in 2000, hello you would have thought I would have quit then!!!!  No, that's when I started back up.  Go figure!  I lost my dad this year of C.O.P.D.(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) which was really bad, as he suffered for years.  I looked at my parents and decided that I did not want to die that way.  I work out all the time and very active with the kids.  I gained probably about 8 pounds but trying to get that off now.  My metabolisim has slowed to a crawl but that's why I work out all the time.  Anyway good luck to everyone out there quiting, quit or thinking about it.  You will feel great especially when your not constantly looking for your lighter and smokes.  Bless you all!  Lisa

hello to all,

I guit smoking on August 5th 2008 when i found out i had an anuerysm. Ever since my surgery, i'm just really scared to smoke, haven't touched a cigarrette since. I started smoking when i was 17, so it's been 7 years for me. It feels good not to smoke and i'm so glad i'm not wasting any money on cigs as much as they cost now, but i still crave it. Soda and chocolate have been my bff's, now i have 8lbs to loose. It just feels like sometimes i need some motivation and support, being that my husband still smokes, so he can't relate...

Good luck to everybody.