Drillium Dude 

Yeah, it's true: today marks the completion of my first smoke-free year since 1982. Pretty stoked

What about you? Have you a success story you'd like to share? I'm all ears!

DD

RobbieTunes

Nothing.
I'm an utter failure in most categories, but I'm extremely glad you've quit.
Good for you.

daf1009

DD...congrats!

sloar 

I'm with Rob, Ive been trying to quit my dipping habit for 30 years now. I'm also a failure.

thumpism 

Way to go, man!

Cold turkey worked for me.

Started late, while in the service in my early twenties in the '70s. Settled on unfiltered Pall Malls and later Camels. Switched to a pipe to make smoking more of a hassle but then moved to cheap cigars, about five per day for years. One New Year's Eve I decided to try yet again and timed it so I'd have a couple to last me through the evening and planned to quit at midnight.

But then I went to sleep early and woke up the next morning with two cigars yet in the pack. Didn't smoke them, and no tobacco since. Probably 20 years now.

It CAN be done, but YOU must do it.

Velocivixen

In 2008 I joined Weight Watcher's weighing 238 lbs. I had actually lost a bit on my own prior to joining. I lost 106 lbs. basically counting points & getting more activity.

I have maintained my weight within 2 lbs. of my goal weight for almost 6 years. So that's my success.

Congratulations on being a non smoker! How do you feel now compared to when you smoked?

Saddle Up

I haven't had as much as even a craving in 7 years. This book truly is amazing. Quit Smoking with Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking | Experts in Smoking Cessation

debit

Congratulations! I decided to quit smoking in May of 2007. I knew that I had to have something in my life that would discourage me from starting again, and I picked cycling. I bought a POS Magna from Target, quickly upgraded to a 70's Rampar road bike, started commuting to work and thought I was all kinds of awesome when I could ride the entire 4.5 miles without pausing to gasp for breath. Over the years the bikes have slightly improved in quality, as has, I hope, my riding abilities.

pastorbobnlnh 

Between December 2013 and September 2014 I lost 80lbs. I've been able to keep it off and the plan is to drop the last needed 30lbs this summer and go into the Fall at my goal of an even 200lbs.

Kudos to @Drillium Dude and @Velocivixen!

Sir_Name 

Congrats, DD and All.

nlerner

I haven't bought any complete bicycles or frames for THREE DAYS!

Lascauxcaveman 

Holy Smokeless, Sloar! That is a long time to be dipping. We'll say a little prayer for your gums, lips, esophagus... I suppose you've already tried switching over the bubblegum dip alot of the big leaguers use to wean themsleves off the snoose?

My only quittable vice is the booze, but I'm not deep enough in that for it mess up my life or health, as far as I can tell. (Touch wood) Haven't had a hangover in many years.

@Drillium Dude, hows the back and neck thing going for you? You all straightened out on that yet?

I should have you send some before and after pix to my big - and I do mean BIG - sister. Since she's sold me her Kona MTB, she's probably put on 100 lbs. I keep trying to give it back to her. Scary, because that kind of weight doesn't run in my family. I have eat like a pig and drink like a fish to get to slightly overweight.

LOL, I fell off the wagon on Sunday; bought a $20 Prairie Breaker II I have absolutely no use for...

qcpmsame 

I had ballooned to near 280lbs, after all the surgeries, and had gone into Stage 3B Renal Failure, for the third time, in 2012. That was it for me, I really didn't want to be looking up at the roots system of some grassy cemetery, I got really serious about my nutrition (became a vegetarian, by my choice) and went to serious mode on my riding. I am now at 167lbs, and riding 25 miles daily. I have absolutely no intention of returning to my former ways, quite happy with being able to ride, and enjoy being active, not to mention getting rid of all the size 42-44 pants for some 34's.

The ARNP told me my lab numbers, BP, HR and weight, were as good as it gets, other than the Parkinson's Disease issues, this morning, at my 6-month checkup appointment. I'll take it, and keep it this way.

Bill

KonAaron Snake 

I started smoking in college. I smoked for about 12 years and was a 2+ pack a day smoker for most of them. I honestly don't remember exactly how long it's been since I quit...it has to be about 10 years now. I kept track of the anniversaries for a while, but I honestly don't even remember anymore. I still get an urge maybe once a year...easy to control.

Once your first year is done you're good...it only gets easier man. For me...I won't smoke anything. I have had cigars on a couple of occasions and they made me want cigarettes...years later.

Congrats!! You're through the looking glass!

The Golden Boy 

I smoked for 27 years. I'd quit for a few months then go right back to it. I really liked smoking.

One day I started realizing it was killing me- I always knew it, but I just started feeling ****tier, tired of smelling like *that*, just tired of having to go through the whole thing to go have a cigarette, I felt like I was embarrassing the kids by smoking, and then cigarettes were like $5.50 a pack. It's one thing to smoke a pack a day at $8.03 a carton, but at $5.50 a pack... it was eating at me. So I decided to quit.

Some people go into it with huge fanfare, I went outside, had what I was going to be my last cigarette- and then I walked into the 'smoking cessation' class. In the class, they tell you that you're going to keep smoking for another week and chart how and when you smoke. But... I'd just smoked my last cigarette... After a week of trying to smoke, then a week of Chantix and smoking a week on that... I just stopped.

As many people tell you, "you have to be ready to quit." It's totally true. YOU have to be ready. Yes, Chantix probably helped to keep me quit, but I seriously was "done" before I walked into that class. I was forcing myself to smoke- by the end- We were driving up to Minneapolis, I was thinking- "I have to stop and have a cigarette, I can't drive all the way to Minneapolis without having a cigarette.." I choked down half a cigarette- I had one more half cigarette that nite and that was it.

I don't remember what year it was, I don't know how long it's been... don't care. I don't smoke.

For the longest time I didn't notice any difference. None whatsoever. I took up biking so I wouldn't put on weight- that's the impetus of me starting the "bicycle" thing. Eventually one day I noticed "that cough" was gone. It was probably more than a year before I noticed all that stuff people talk about- going up the stairs without getting all huffy, food tasting good, not hocking up loogies all the time...

Now I look at people standing outside shivering in the -10 winter to have a stupid cigarette... I think "that's ****ing stupid." And then I remember I was that guy.

I don't smoke. Thank goodness.



By the way- I also just wanted to share that I got a HUGE kick out of a lot of the people in the class referring to it as "smoking sensation" class.

Velocivixen

@Lascauxcaveman - It's easier than one thinks to gain weight. I had been a healthy weight until mid-30's. Then some stuff happened, depression, and food was my comfort. I became withdrawn, lethargic, and health numbers weren't looking good. I could see, via family history where I'd end up. Being so heavy I just wasn't the "real me". I finally had it, and that's what tipped me over the edge. I could barely walk two blocks before I had to sit down.

Now I run, walk, yoga, TRX, kickbox, cycle....just about anything and everything. I've tried rock climbing, and if I were a little younger I'd definitely try Parkour. I'm back to my bubbly self, and am as sassy as I ever was! Yes, the "before" & "after's" are amazing.

gomango

Good inspiration in this thread.

Congrats to all of you.

USAZorro

Congrats to you all. My success story took a wrong turn two years ago, and I'm trying to re-lose those 35 pounds. Fortunately, I know how, know I can do it, and still have my health, so I can use exercise and diet.

Chrome Molly

I've never had an impressively bad habit to break but pitched in...

When taking the ferry across Lake Superior for a 10 day trip to hike all of Isle Royale (wilderness) my brother in law headed to the back rail and smoked a cigarette. Then he threw his cigs (all of them) into the drink. For the rest of the trip he was often more than a little tense. So in a small way I get what it takes and appreciate the fortitude it takes. My brother in law never smoked again.

JohnDThompson 

Well, tomorrow marks my 60th revolution around the sun...

USAZorro

Happy Birthday, John.

thinktubes 

Nice work by all!!!!!!

I quit smoking cold turkey in 1994. I was up to a pack a day. Not sure what triggered it, but I remember driving and throwing half a pack out the window - that's how it ended. I'm sure some kid found them and now is hooked...

bicyclridr4life

No ciggies in 8 years. was at two to three packs a day.
Patches (up to 5 at a time) the gum (chewed it like regular gum) did not help.
Skoal Cherry, Berry, Apple, Peach, and Citrus did the trick.

bwilli88 

Got out Of the Marines Feb of 79, quit drinking and the recreational drugs 2 weeks later on March 14, 79. Little more than a year later I quit smoking from 3+ packs a day to nothing on May 25, 80. This year was 36 for drugs and alcohol and 35 for smoking.

rcslegacy

Congratulations! Nice to hear the success stories.
I've quit smoking a few times. I know that makes no sense, but when I say quit I mean I stopped for a long period of time like at least a year. My last cigarette was about 6 months ago, but this thread and the beer I'm drinking are both making me crave another one right now! luckily, these cravings don't come often at all anymore, and it only took a few weeks of not smoking for them to stop almost entirely.

Of course, experiences will differ for different people but I believe that going cold turkey is the best way. Quitting takes a lot of self control, and resisting the cravings can temporarily be very miserable; but to me, weaning down with patches or gum seems like it would still take a ton of self control, and would only be little less miserable, but you'd have to maintain that self control and suffer through cravings for a MUCH longer period of time than you would if you went cold turkey. I don't think I'd be able to do it that way