Neil_B

Please let us know when Canada gets one.

https://www.leaderpost.com/health/wom...359/story.html

https://www.city-journal.org/html/17_...ealthcare.html

Tom Stormcrowe

Let's keep C&A nonpolitical.

Thanks.

Little Darwin

I quit smoking twice. The first time was easy, but I started again when I started smoking cigars when I visited my father in law.

The second time was tougher, but I crossed the hurdle after about a week when I decided to consider myself a non-smoker. For me that was a psychological boost... I still had cravings for quite a while (at least a year), less and less frequently... But, when I did, I just told myself that the cravings were crazy, that I am a non-smoker.

That was about 16 years ago... and I still have an occasional urge to take a smoke break, but the feeling passes very easily now, and I take a smokeless break.

Bockman

Thanks for your reply. Just so I'm clear, my emotional responses to what I experienced can't compare (and in fact should not be compared) to you and your responses when you were mistreated as a child. The thing to not do, in my opinion, is to equivocate and say something like, "well, I have nothing-- or very little-- to complain about because what I experienced was minuscule compared to person X over there..."

How YOU felt is all that is important.

stark23x

Oh I still have Zippy! Never gonna give him up. I just don't find much use for him these days. Other than to practice my Zippo tricks with, that is.

What you have just reminded me of is that I have not been camping in years. That seems like it needs to be rectified STAT.

perryw

From my little counter:
I stopped smoking on Sun, 01 Jun 2008. It has been 59 weeks, 1 days, 10 hours, 6 minutes and 50 seconds since I quit. I have saved $ 1554.08 by choosing not to smoke 6216 cigarettes. More importantly, I saved 6 weeks, 5 days 11 hours 39 minutes of my life!

Does that give some motivation? I woke up one day coughing from the first smoke and said, enough is enough. I threw em out and went to the store and got some lozenges. Those really helped me out. Took about 2.5 months and I was off them. Still the odd craving here and there, but not bad at all. I do enjoy being able to run and bike now!

fc_

James,

I quit just over 9 months ago after smoking for 17 years, cold turkey. Support, education, and a commitment to being smoke free were key for me. The nicotine in your system is only around for 72 hours after your last cigarette. 3 small days, imagine that.

You may want to check out the quit smoking message board, great group of folks to help you on your quit.

Sean

vorkus

I can't say that I've had the experience, I've never smoked. My parents did when I was a kid and it completely turned me off smoking. Here are a few tidbits though.

In my 20's a lived across the hall from a guy who had to carry oxygen around with him everywhere. Try to imagine how horrible it would be to never be able to catch your breath...ever.

Someone mentioned morning rituals. One thing I've noticed is that smokers have one. They get up smoke, read the paper and drink coffee. Skip it. Get up, shower, dress, go to work. Stay away from the rituals that are associated with smoking. Bars, for a lot of people, are a big one.

Best of luck to you. Being a food addict I can sympathize.

BigPolishJimmy

I quit 12 years ago, and except for the cigar at a friends wedding and the 2 cigs I bummed on the day I was downsized 10 years ago I've been clean of nicotine. I still dream that I'm smoking sometimes, and I still get the occasional craving. When I quit I used the patch and then after the patches were done, I over-indulged in deep-fried potato things that were similar to BK's hash browns. I put on 40+ pounds and then kicked that habit. I was motivated by my infant son who was looking at me in the car seat while I lit up outside the car to spare him the 2nd-hand smoke. I decided I wanted to be around for him when he was my age (then) an adult, but still struggling with the curves that life throws at you. I quit several times once for 6 months, once for a year, a couple weeks here and there, a few months another time. All cold turkey until the last time with the patch and a child. One revelation I had during the last time was to embrace the 'anger/agitation' that I would feel in certain circumstances, because in the past I always used that as a crutch to justify smoking, as in "if I don't smoke I'm going to kill so-and-so", well murder really isn't as awful as they make it out to be after the first time, and you can hide the body parts in shallow graves along side the railroad tracks in several states fairly easily so that's no reason to take up smoking again.

Just kidding,

...not,

... no really just kidding

not

Ok, but seriously, let yourself be angry. You don't have to let it control your actions, but let yourself FEEL that anger and then use it to give you purpose in what you're doing in the greater sense of things. Imagine the agitation as pent-up frustration at making the wrong choices, and then vow to do things differently. So what if you gain some weight, you can conquer that monkey later.

jmcdowell

Well, I'm at 2 days and 5 hours now. Today has been tough. Really really tough. My head has been playing all kinds of games with me. I started thinking about all the things that I enjoyed about smoking. I didn't slip though.
Vorkus, you are absolutely right about the rituals. My morning ritual was coffee, smoke, email.
Of course, I had all kinds of rituals. After eating, while driving, in the bathroom, etc. What makes it harder is that I work from home (artist), so I never needed to take a break to smoke.

Instead of smoking, I rode another 20 miles today, then I went and test rode a road bike (My first time, I liked it) and then went to the gym to swim some laps.

Hardest part is, I can't concentrate and my temper seems a lot shorter than usual. I had a hard time enjoying my ride this morning, so I didn't try and just went all out.

Sean, I have been checking out some of the other quit forums, but I realized it's just making me think about it more. I am going to try and think about other things instead, like working out, and finishing my commissions before the clients get impatient.

Thanks again for all of your encouragement. It definitely helps
-James

jmcdowell

Jimmy,
too funny. For the first time , I think I actually scared someone on the road today. I guess I was driving so fast and aggressive the dude in the lexus pulled over so I could get around him.
As I was flooring it to go around him, I snapped out of it and realized I was being a jerk and waved sorry to him. Then I slowed down and went home.

jmcdowell

Not to bore anyone, but I'm on day 4 now with no slips. I'm managing a lot better now. Still missing it in a twisted way, but my conviction is holding strong. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

CACycling

AWESOME! And just remember, if you go back now, these past 4 days were all for nothing. Just keep building on it. Stay strong and smoke-free. It will keep getting easier.

Neil_B

It's not boring. Please, keep us informed!

Neil_B

Bring a bike. Or better yet, go bike camping - an overnight tour carrying your gear on your bike.

EKW in DC

All good advice. I quit this winter after having smoked for almost ten years with a 1 year quit break in the middle. I had a family heatlh scare, and it made me realize that I couldn't count on youth forever, and I decided I couldn't and wouldn't follow in the footsteps of the family member to whom I refer.

So I went cold turkey. Meant to get patches or gum, but didn't get to it. After a couple days, I was like, I'm doing this without any aids. I can continue to do it without aids. And I did. Smoked one drunken cigarette since then. Realized I didn't like it anymore, and haven't had another.

Having seen my mom struggle with quitting after being a two-plus pack a day smoker for decades, I know it's not easy.

Apart from telling my story, let me provide you with a couple resoures I found helpful.

1. quitmeter.com - Keep track of how much you've saved by not smoking and how many smokes you haven't had. If you need a more tangible result, take the $$$ you would spend on cigarettes and put it in a jar. After a week, by yourself something as a reward. With cycling as a hobby, I'm sure there are lots of things you could find to spend $20 (or more) of not-smoking savings on.

2. about.com has a really great forum. Google it. Full of resources and support for those quitting. I didn't end up posting there, but just reading people's experiences, strategies, and tips was helpful... One in particular - the three threes. Physical addiction wears off after 3 days. Mental addiction rears its ugly head worst for about three weeks. After three months of not smoking, the cravings are pretty much gone. You'll sitll think about it from time to time. I still do, for sure, but it's never an intense craving anymore. Just force of habit or occasional boredom speaking, I think.

Keep up the good work! It's worth it and you'll feel so much better once you get past the first few weeks. One day at a time. One day at a time...

EKW in DC

Missed that while typing reply above. You have made it through the first of the threes!!! Keep it up!!!

onastrat

Here's how I quit-
I smoked 2 packs a day when I quit- I started smoking around the age of 14 and stopped at age 45. I had a heart attack Sept. 14, 2005. They had to put a stent in me and there was heart damage. I have done everything since then to build my health back up, and the one thing that works for me is bike riding. I am approaching 3000 miles on my Fuji Newest 4 and plan to go many more. I have a website that keeps track of all the cigarettes I would have smoked if I hadn't quit- it's approaching the 58,000 mark and close to $10,000.00 I would have spent buying the damn things. I wish I hadn't have had to learn the hard way, maybe you can take quit before it's too late for you.
Good Luck!

coldfeet

+1 Yes please. I was gonna ask, but didn't want to seem pushy.

I feel fortunate that an elder Sister let me try a smoke when I was... 7? 8? "Yuck!!" Made it so much easier when the others started trying it at school. 'Nah, tried it. It's disgusting!"

jmcdowell

Hey guys. Day 6, still no slips. I think I might be winning this time. My wife decided last night that she is also quitting. She smokes a lot less than I did, so maybe it won't be as hard for her.
Now there won't be any cigarettes in the house, or anywhere around me. Yay!

CACycling

Awesome for you and your wife. Keep strong and support your wife as her victory is your victory.

MTBLover

Fantastic, OP!!!! keep up the good work. I quit in 1981, cold turkey, smoking my last cigarette right after my dad's funeral service was over. Just shoved 'em in the trash and that was that. It was tough, sure, but there really is something to be said for appreciating having quit a lot more when you go through hell for a bit. It will get easier, but be prepared for a few more rough days ahead- sometimes when you least expect them, they come up after having as much as a month or even several months of good days. Don't give in. You're a non-smoker- just remember that, and keep repeating it to yourself every time you get the urge, and even when you don't. You'll start to see yourself in a very different light.

Best wishes for your wife too. Supporting her will be her strength and yours as well.

BigPolishJimmy

sugar-free gum is a great thing, you can tap the pack to make the gum chew better and origami the wrappers.

RatedZeroHero

i started smoking at age 15 am 40 now. quit several times sometimes up to 2 years during my smoking career.
life happens and I ended up quitting drinking (sobriety not abstinence) almost 2 years ago. 12 step program! about 8 months later i just stopped smoking. I was using nicotene the same way I used alcohol and the effects were all negative, as were the reasons I smoked in the first place, self abuse!. I did chantix and almost lost my mind to psychotic dreams. cold turkey and alot of praying. average craving last 90 seconds. breathing exercises. and will power. funny thing is when i smoked I could never "feel the weight" of them. now i can. odd.
good luck.

Crank57

I started smoking in 1963, when I was 14. Pack a day when I was 17. Up to 2 packs a day by 30. Worked in a foundry for 30 years, around asbestos for most of those years.

Took up bike riding at 212 lbs 3 years ago, still a smoker. Had many friends who rode and encouraged me. After about 3 weeks of riding mostly flat rides the group took me up a local hill. About 2 miles of > 7%. Thought I was going to die. I was absolutely seeing stars. One of my friends came back down the hill and rode back up it alongside me and offered spinning tips, gear suggestions, etc. She offer moral support and convinced me to keep on pumping. When I got back from that ride, which totaled only 15 miles by the way, I loaded my bike in the back of the truck, climbed into the cab, took out a smoke. Stopped, looked at it a few seconds. Recalled what my lungs felt like struggling up that hill. Thought about how everyone else blew that hill away like it wasn't even there. I put the smokes back down and haven't had one since. When ever I start to get that feeling of wanting to light up, I just recall that hill and the craving goes away.

Now, if I could just find a way to get off bread.