(OT) any ex smokers out there? How did you kick it?
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firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
bfunk13 said:
As addictions go . . . it could always be worse than home made pizza . . . I mean you could be hooked on hearth.com.
You have no idea how much I enjoyed the month-free post . . . I think it was the first line about being too busy living life to even notice the one month anniversary of being smoke free. Fantastic . . . we're all still pulling for you.
Congrats on being smoke free this past month. Knew you could do it! You are so determined now-great..Wishing you continued success......
Thanks guys!
And thanks for the help through this, i am serious and surprised how much all of your posts have helped.
I haven't checked this site in awhile and was surprised to see nearly 1000 cigs not smoked.
I still have my moments, but i am comfortable in saying I did it!
44 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes and 39 seconds smoke free.
979 cigarettes not smoked.
$266.20 and 7 days, 11 hours of your life saved.
And thanks for the help through this, i am serious and surprised how much all of your posts have helped.
I haven't checked this site in awhile and was surprised to see nearly 1000 cigs not smoked.
I still have my moments, but i am comfortable in saying I did it!
44 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes and 39 seconds smoke free.
979 cigarettes not smoked.
$266.20 and 7 days, 11 hours of your life saved.
I was an unbelievably heavy smoker when I was young. Like a 3-4 pack-a-day smoker. I once passed up a promotion because the job would have put me in an office where smoking wasn't allowed. After that, I cut down to about a pack and a half a day but couldn't get beyond that point. A new job I took didn't allow smoking, so I lived for breaks when I would suck down 3-4 Camels as fast as I could.
One snowy night I went to grab a brew out of the fridge and thought I'd get out my spare pack and found it wasn't there. I looked in the pack I had and saw I had three smokes left. My steep driveway was buried in about six inches of snow, and that would have meant shoveling to get out, then shoveling again in the morning. I actually considered walking to the store to get a pack, but it was about a mile away (yeah, folks, back then I would walk a mile for a Camel). I smoked one of the cigs, deciding to call it a night and get a fresh back on the way to work. Then I went to sleep.
Next morning there was about two feet of heavy snow I had to shovel. I lit up a smoke, stuck the last one behind my ear, and hit the road. Once I got out, I found the roads were just slick as hell. When I hit the thruway there were cars off the road everywhere, and even though I have what I consider to be extraordinary winter driving skills, this was one of those commutes where both hands were almost glued to the wheel the whole time. When I finally pulled into the parking lot about half an hour late, the manager was waiting outside.
"Hey, Dan, got a smoke?"
I paused for a second. I still had the damn cigarette behind my ear, never even thought about it the whole drive.
"Here, Paul... this is my last smoke."
"No, no.. that's OK, I don't wanna take your last smoke."
"No, please, take it. It's my last cigarette."
And I quit cold turkey, just like that. For about a month I wouldn't even take a break or lunch, just worked on through. I was so miserable I seriously didn't want to live anymore. The total absurdity of my addiction began to dawn on me, that I had been living my life from cigarette to cigarette like a midtown Manhattan junkie. At home I tanked up on carrot sticks and celery stalks, drank a lot of beer, and hit the hay early every night. And smoked a lot of weed (no nicotine anyway). Slowly, the addiction released its hold on me and I was smoke-sober for 7 years. Then a sudden craving at a bar caused me to bum a Camel from the guy sitting next to me. Three weeks later I was up to a pack a day again.
It's been a lifetime struggle for me. I don't think I'll ever be completely "cured", but I have learned to minimized the damage. I mostly just smoke OPs now, annoying as it is to other smokers around me. Good. Let them quit and I won't bum them anymore, best thing I could do for them. I binge from time to time and buy a package of premium rolling tobacco, especially when I am under a lot of stress. I am under a lot of stress right now, so I have a bag of Bali Shag out on the coffee table. I smoke maybe 3-4 a day. When my throat starts getting rough and I start hacking up bits of lung again, I'll toss the bag away and quit for another year or two.
I've learned from psych classes I took that there are people who are better off learning to manage their addictions that to try to completely control them. I have a very addictive personality, so everything from drink to food to fly fishing to playing the guitar can negatively impact my life because I don't just do it - I do it to excess. We are all different. There are not many folks I've met who can control their addictions the way I have learned to do, but for me, the hardest part of quitting is realizing I can never go back again. Leaving myself an out to dabbled occasionally rather that quitting forever has been the secret to control for me. Not as good as quitting completely, but it stops me from never quitting at all. One day at a time for all addictions, that's the rule for life AFAIC. No use beating yourself up for lapsing, just keep at it and eventually the lapses get further apart. Best some of us can do.
One snowy night I went to grab a brew out of the fridge and thought I'd get out my spare pack and found it wasn't there. I looked in the pack I had and saw I had three smokes left. My steep driveway was buried in about six inches of snow, and that would have meant shoveling to get out, then shoveling again in the morning. I actually considered walking to the store to get a pack, but it was about a mile away (yeah, folks, back then I would walk a mile for a Camel). I smoked one of the cigs, deciding to call it a night and get a fresh back on the way to work. Then I went to sleep.
Next morning there was about two feet of heavy snow I had to shovel. I lit up a smoke, stuck the last one behind my ear, and hit the road. Once I got out, I found the roads were just slick as hell. When I hit the thruway there were cars off the road everywhere, and even though I have what I consider to be extraordinary winter driving skills, this was one of those commutes where both hands were almost glued to the wheel the whole time. When I finally pulled into the parking lot about half an hour late, the manager was waiting outside.
"Hey, Dan, got a smoke?"
I paused for a second. I still had the damn cigarette behind my ear, never even thought about it the whole drive.
"Here, Paul... this is my last smoke."
"No, no.. that's OK, I don't wanna take your last smoke."
"No, please, take it. It's my last cigarette."
And I quit cold turkey, just like that. For about a month I wouldn't even take a break or lunch, just worked on through. I was so miserable I seriously didn't want to live anymore. The total absurdity of my addiction began to dawn on me, that I had been living my life from cigarette to cigarette like a midtown Manhattan junkie. At home I tanked up on carrot sticks and celery stalks, drank a lot of beer, and hit the hay early every night. And smoked a lot of weed (no nicotine anyway). Slowly, the addiction released its hold on me and I was smoke-sober for 7 years. Then a sudden craving at a bar caused me to bum a Camel from the guy sitting next to me. Three weeks later I was up to a pack a day again.
It's been a lifetime struggle for me. I don't think I'll ever be completely "cured", but I have learned to minimized the damage. I mostly just smoke OPs now, annoying as it is to other smokers around me. Good. Let them quit and I won't bum them anymore, best thing I could do for them. I binge from time to time and buy a package of premium rolling tobacco, especially when I am under a lot of stress. I am under a lot of stress right now, so I have a bag of Bali Shag out on the coffee table. I smoke maybe 3-4 a day. When my throat starts getting rough and I start hacking up bits of lung again, I'll toss the bag away and quit for another year or two.
I've learned from psych classes I took that there are people who are better off learning to manage their addictions that to try to completely control them. I have a very addictive personality, so everything from drink to food to fly fishing to playing the guitar can negatively impact my life because I don't just do it - I do it to excess. We are all different. There are not many folks I've met who can control their addictions the way I have learned to do, but for me, the hardest part of quitting is realizing I can never go back again. Leaving myself an out to dabbled occasionally rather that quitting forever has been the secret to control for me. Not as good as quitting completely, but it stops me from never quitting at all. One day at a time for all addictions, that's the rule for life AFAIC. No use beating yourself up for lapsing, just keep at it and eventually the lapses get further apart. Best some of us can do.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
babzog
Member
Only read page one.... I still smoke, but I'd quit for about 8mo in 2008. Stress (financial) go to me and I bought a pack. The rest is history. 41 now, been smoking since I was 20. 'Bout a pack - pack & 1/2 per week. Usually nothing from the alarm clock to after work, at which point, I'll have 4-5 over the course of the evening. More on weekends and yes, like everyone else, social occasions are a groan when most of your drinking pals are smokers.
In 2010, I gave up coffee (hard as hell to do that!) but I felt so much better after - no more pills to stop the heartburn. After nearly a year, I introduced tea (I'd been off all caffiene). Still have a cup of joe once in a while when Mrs Babzog brews a pot for guests, but I really don't miss it anymore. I just made the decision to stop and that was that. Headaches for a week or so, was grouchy as hell but I noticed the health benefits almost right away. I also introduced P90X exercise and lost a bunch of weight (some of which I gained back this summer [chips - fat in a bag] and am trying to get rid of again). This summer, I started running - now up to 5.2km in 29min, not bad for a smoker. I figure, if I can get rid of coffee and feel better, introduce exercise and feel better, I should be able to give up my last vice and feel better once again.
But it's really hard. I like smoking. I enjoy the physical act of smoking. I know it's bad, but I just like it. Like coffee. It's gonna have to go and when it does, it'll be cold turkey - the only way that works.
In 2010, I gave up coffee (hard as hell to do that!) but I felt so much better after - no more pills to stop the heartburn. After nearly a year, I introduced tea (I'd been off all caffiene). Still have a cup of joe once in a while when Mrs Babzog brews a pot for guests, but I really don't miss it anymore. I just made the decision to stop and that was that. Headaches for a week or so, was grouchy as hell but I noticed the health benefits almost right away. I also introduced P90X exercise and lost a bunch of weight (some of which I gained back this summer [chips - fat in a bag] and am trying to get rid of again). This summer, I started running - now up to 5.2km in 29min, not bad for a smoker. I figure, if I can get rid of coffee and feel better, introduce exercise and feel better, I should be able to give up my last vice and feel better once again.
But it's really hard. I like smoking. I enjoy the physical act of smoking. I know it's bad, but I just like it. Like coffee. It's gonna have to go and when it does, it'll be cold turkey - the only way that works.
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
I wish I could do the one a day plan. I would probably be right back to a pack a day in a month if I tried that.
I think you can even start to call yourself a non-smoker now that you've gotten this far. :coolsmile:
I think you can even start to call yourself a non-smoker now that you've gotten this far. :coolsmile:
farmboy
New Member
I started smoking when I was sixteen or so,22 days after my 40th birthday I suffered a severe heart attack. The addiction was so strong I even continued to smoke after I recovered from the heart attack.Then about a year later I got a lung infection from sandblasting residue.Doctor prescribed Wellbutrin to help me quit and it worked ,but you have to want to.Its been about 8 months now and I feel great.
tinkabranc
Minister of Fire
Keep the quit!
Started my quit with both wilbutrin and the patch together for the first few weeks but then
ended up stopping the meds as I didn't like how it made me feel.
Continued on with just the patch and chewed on cinnamon sticks if/when I got a craving.
Now at 9 1/2 months smoke free and have no intentions of ever going back.
Started my quit with both wilbutrin and the patch together for the first few weeks but then
ended up stopping the meds as I didn't like how it made me feel.
Continued on with just the patch and chewed on cinnamon sticks if/when I got a craving.
Now at 9 1/2 months smoke free and have no intentions of ever going back.
farmboy
New Member
Beer Belly
Minister of Fire
1 1/2 - 2 packs a day....woke up in the middle of the night coughin' up a lung....couldn't catch my breath...thought I was gonna pass out....got thru it after about the longest 10 minutes of my life....next morning threw out the pack, and never looked back....over the next 3 years, coughed up some of the most God awful stuff...that was 20+ years ago
Way to go Beerbelly!
Had to look up current status.
59 days, 12 hours, 3 minutes and 20 seconds smoke free.
1309 cigarettes not smoked. <------------------------------------(this is the one that always gets me)
$356.95 and 9 days, 23 hours of your life saved.
Had to look up current status.
59 days, 12 hours, 3 minutes and 20 seconds smoke free.
1309 cigarettes not smoked. <------------------------------------(this is the one that always gets me)
$356.95 and 9 days, 23 hours of your life saved.
Keep up the good work, BF. ;-)
BTW what stream are you fishing on in your avatar pic? I love the fishing out there, really got to get back sooner rather than later.
BTW what stream are you fishing on in your avatar pic? I love the fishing out there, really got to get back sooner rather than later.
Battenkiller said:
Its a small arm of the Medicine Bow river. This is late in the year and its more of a creek than a river. Great brookie fishing.
Have had several 100+ fish days in this spot. One of the main reasons i live where i do. If you ever make it through here let me know, i do have a few "secret" spots.
This has been an really chitty month for me. Your reports make it a bit better. You go man, you're doing an awesome job.
BeGreen said:
Thanks BG! Hope all is alright on your side.
Mine has been just ok, i work out in the field so pre winter blues are setting in here. The winters are just so damn long and relentless here.
Oh well, i come home to a warm house (BK princess) and a great family always happy to see me. I really can't complain.
ecocavalier02
Minister of Fire
i quit 3 years ago now. and smoked for bout 14 years. i had my first cig when i was 8 and im 26 now. . no i didnt smoke regularly when i was 8. but i started young and the hardest thing in quitting was that loved smoking so much. i still would love to have one. i still smoke cigars once and a while and that will never stop. but that was def the hardest thing i ever quit.bfunk13 said:
Way to go, bfunk!
Bumping this thread for another smoker who's looking for some help with the nicotine.
Bumping this thread for another smoker who's looking for some help with the nicotine.
snowleopard said:
Sure thing!
Good for you in thinking about quitting, even the thought of it before made me nervous.
I tried several times but knew i wasn't ready. This time i knew i was and now have 66 days smoke free.
I know what a groan it is, trust me. But, if i can do it anyone can. Chime in and the good folks here will cheer you on.
66 days, 12 hours, 35 minutes and 47 seconds smoke free.
1464 cigarettes not smoked.
$399.30 and 11 days, 4 hours of your life saved.
Wow--$400! Merry Christmas to you and yours! or a nice deposit in the college fund, or put it towards a family vacation. Here's hoping your story gives others confidence to try. I know you inspire me to look my bad habits in the eye and ask them why they're living rent-free in my life.
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