Here's how I quit smoking

[_Rush_]

Greetings GFY.

I've successfully quit smoking with no aids, no discussion groups, no books, no pdfs, no patches, no meds, no nothing. =)

I began smoking 10 years ago and I grew up with the habit, probably since I was around 15 years old. This means that smoking was a part of my my life to the point that it accompanied me through my development process. Smokes were there when my pubes starting popping out, had my first 'serious' girlfriend, did hardcore partying, while discovering sex, and who knows how many other things. It was just there for everything.

I was smoking a pack and a half or so per day and cigarettes went with me wherever I went. I wouldn't be caught dead without a pack of smokes. My cigarettes came in cartons, not packs. I liked smoking so much that I had never, not once, attempted to quit.

Having said all this, here's how I quit.

The other night I was working late and I went to have a smoke outside. I noticed that it was my last pack, the carton was empty and I only had 12 cigarettes left. I got worried because that wasn't going to be enough to get me through the night. I grabbed my car keys in preparation to go out and get another carton and just as I was putting on my cap I stopped dead in my tracks and said: "Fuck it. I'm quitting." I took off my cap, unloaded my wallet, lighter, smokes, and cell and went back to work.

As time passed by, I started rationing them and I managed to stretch those 11 remaining smokes until the evening of the next day. When I ran out, I grabbed that last cigarette, stared at it, lighted it up and smoked it. As it burned, I couldn't believe I was actually saying goodbye to the ol' buddy.

Surely enough, I just quit.

I've been smoke free for 2 days now and don't even feel cravings for cigarettes. Considering the amount of time and cigarettes per day I smoked, its hard to believe that I could just stop and forget about it.

My first and best advice to quit smoking is that if you fail to stop at your first attempt, it is probably going to be a lot more difficult to do so in the future. If you fall for that "I'll quit later" you're opening a door that is hard to close because you'll fall for the same trick over and over in the future. It's just like when you started smoking. I wasn't that determined to quit smoking and had little time to plan it, but I know one thing, I'm sticking with it at all costs!

Second of all, consider buying a shitload of straws to drink from glasses. Once the nicotine has faded, you'll need to break the habit. Sucking from a straw will confuse your brain and up until now it seems to be thinking that it is actually smoking =)

Sugarless gum is great if you get really anxious.

Another thing to remember is that you'll feel hungry. Every time you feel the need to head to the kitchen to get something to eat, remember that it is the lack of nicotine talking and don't pay attention to it. Stick to regular meals no matter what!

And yep, that's practically it. This is how I quit smoking. I'll be saving like USD 1000 a year because of this. I'm also saving my health. Don't wait until the doc comes by and tells you you're fucked up. Do it now!

My health is good and I've never been diagnosed with any tobacco-related diseases (or any at all, fortunately) and I don't want that to change just yet.

[Gentle_Ben]

Interesting man. Best of luck staying off them.

I just cut down recently, I was smoking a pack a day, and now I just smoke only when I absolutely really want one, not cause I'm bored, not cause someone else lights up, not for the thousands of reasons I used to smoke. So I'm very comfortably at about 7 a day, which is still alot, but its alot better than a pack a day. I'm getting there

[_Rush_]

Originally Posted by Gentle_Ben

Interesting man. Best of luck staying off them.

I just cut down recently, I was smoking a pack a day, and now I just smoke only when I absolutely really want one, not cause I'm bored, not cause someone else lights up, not for the thousands of reasons I used to smoke. So I'm very comfortably at about 7 a day, which is still alot, but its alot better than a pack a day. I'm getting there

I had cut down from like 2+ a day because I got the A/C installed and it kind of sucks to have the nice cold air clogged up with smoke when its 35 degrees Celsius outside. I was at 1 or one and a half.

Cutting down to 7 is definitely a huge improvement though.

[goldmine]

i hope its the same for me. I once quit for 5 days and i almost wanted to kill any living things i saw

[kowalsky]

Great for you man! Congratulation!
Be careful with the 6th months, that´s the month when many smokers failed.

[dakota1358]

I've been smoking for almost 20 years and just recently cut back from a pack and a half a day to a half pack a day.I feel alot better.I can breath better and have alot more energy.By the end of this month I'd like to be smoke free.I just don't have the willpower to go cold turkey

[he-fox]

dude, two days without doesn´t mean quitting. Stay strong, don´t think about cigs, beware that the hardest timess are still to come.
In my case, been trying to quit for 5-6 times before I did it successfully 1 year and 8 months ago, after 2-3 weeks and in the 3rd month were the toughest times. Don´t underestimate the addiction devil.

[Danny B]

good luck man, you'll need it.

[tgpmakers]

I'de get some 2mg gums just in case but go for it man

[MOxxx]

3 wellbutrin did for me 2 years ago...

[Screaming]

congrads guy..

[CaptainHowdy]

Congrats! I've quitted exactly the same 2 years ago ...

[JakeR]

another way to quit:
move to chicago, cigs are $7+ a pack here, that alone should make anyone want to quit

[ThreeDeviants]

Congratz. Getting through the first month of not smoking is the hardest. Especially during activities that normally go hand in hand with it (out drinking at a bar or club, with coffee, after sex... ). Helps if you don't have many friends that smoke too. G'luck with it, hope it sticks for ya.

[Wanderlust]

If you really want to stop smoking find out about chantix, its the painless way to stop!

[Spunky]

You'll be back..they always try *cough cough*

[Onixia]

I quit a year ago for 9 months, but now i`m smoking again ;(

[WebairGerard]

congrats, keep it going

[BAKO]

Once you drink you would want a smoke one or two

[danaw]

$9.75 some places over ten bucks here in good ol' canada N.S

[BuggyG]

since 15 yrs old.. and there when ya pubs starting coming out??
u a late bloomer?? I had pubs before I was 15yrs old

hehehe no one said something.. I just wanted to say it

[drjones]

Originally Posted by he-fox

dude, two days without doesn´t mean quitting. Stay strong, don´t think about cigs, beware that the hardest timess are still to come.
In my case, been trying to quit for 5-6 times before I did it successfully 1 year and 8 months ago, after 2-3 weeks and in the 3rd month were the toughest times. Don´t underestimate the addiction devil.

Yea its that third month that always gets me... Quit a couple times for about 3 months and then picked it back up again. Usually after having a really bad day, you think you can smoke just one as a treat.. dont give in!!

By that time, its kinda like you've proven to yourself you have the willpower to not smoke, so one or two isnt going to hurt you. Then it gets you again and your buying a pack at the store before you realize your doing it:P

I'm about to quit again... 1 smoke left.

The hardest part for me is just being at work and not having a smoke. Can go smoke free on the weekends mostly, but at work I'm just to into the habit, bigtime. Need to get up everyonce in a while to have one.

Good luck on the quiting and wish me luck too

[jennym]

I quit December 28th cold turkey. I had been smoking for over 20 years, and was up to 2 packs a day. It was hard, but not as hard as it had been when I tried before. The ONLY difference this time was that I really wanted to quit. All the other times I tried, it was because that was what I was "supposed" to do. Good luck to ya.

[jixxi]

Good for you man. I also just quit smoking for 2 weeks now. I started smoking 5years ago. I smoked around 1-2 packs a day. I tried to quit before but it only worked for a month. I tried to quit now because I was advised against it. My blood sugar is high and smoking is one of the things that I should stop to avoid more complications. I hope everything will be ok and I will really stop smoking this time.

[_Rush_]

Originally Posted by he-fox

dude, two days without doesn´t mean quitting. Stay strong, don´t think about cigs, beware that the hardest timess are still to come.
In my case, been trying to quit for 5-6 times before I did it successfully 1 year and 8 months ago, after 2-3 weeks and in the 3rd month were the toughest times. Don´t underestimate the addiction devil.

Well, the fact that I haven't suffered one bit makes me think that I'll be just fine. I really have no urges to smoke. I don't have mood swings either. It's almost as if I smoked.

Originally Posted by WWC-Bako

Once you drink you would want a smoke one or two

I'm staying away from bars, at least for the first month.

Originally Posted by BuggyG

since 15 yrs old.. and there when ya pubs starting coming out??
u a late bloomer?? I had pubs before I was 15yrs old

hehehe no one said something.. I just wanted to say it

It was a figure of speech.

Originally Posted by drjones

Yea its that third month that always gets me... Quit a couple times for about 3 months and then picked it back up again. Usually after having a really bad day, you think you can smoke just one as a treat.. dont give in!!

By that time, its kinda like you've proven to yourself you have the willpower to not smoke, so one or two isnt going to hurt you. Then it gets you again and your buying a pack at the store before you realize your doing it:P

Yeah, I thought about this scenario too. Not going to happen though. I'm not touching those cancer sticks ever again.

[bogo]

2 days? Your not even over the hump yet which is usually 6 mths..

[TG Rebecca]

congratulations on making the decision to quit! and good luck continuing doing an excellent job at it!

i smoked about two packs a day (ugh) for about five or so years. i cannot belive how much i used to smoke, now that i don't at all! i quit cold turkey, sort of the same way that you did, without any assistance/aids/etc. it was a little bit easier though because i was moving from my apartment where i could smoke as much as i wanted to, whenever i wanted to, and into my fiance's house, which he did not smoke in. i got real tired of going outside or in the garage if i wanted to have a quick smoke.

there are times that i wish i had a cigarette, i think just because of the habits i made when i was a smoker. for example, if i ever got too full from a meal, i used to have a "digestion" cigarette. or sometimes i liked to smoke while reading, for some reason. but i haven't gone back to the dark side yet and i don't think i ever will! now i'm old enough to worry about health risks, and the money spent on cigarettes. before, i was just young and having fun.

anyways, again, congrats and may you have continued luck with this!

[Adultnet]

well good luck here your way just begin..

[Pipecrew]

So i got myself into ultimate fighting, it seems pretty easy so far, granted I have only been fighting for 2 days, but I think I got this under control.

[Bruce_Miller]

Congrats man... keep up the positive attitude. It's a pretty hard habbit to quit.

[_Rush_]

Originally Posted by Pipecrew

So i got myself into ultimate fighting, it seems pretty easy so far, granted I have only been fighting for 2 days, but I think I got this under control.

I understand how everyone thinks that two days is really early to proclaim a victory. I guess you'd have to know me.

I'm a very determined person and I know that I can follow through. I'll update this thread every couple of months and let you know how it went.

As I said, I'm not planning on failing on this first and only try.

[shekinah]

COngrats that you quit.. I only started trying some today.. hehe

[tranza]

Congrats dude...

[MsWild]

Good for you dude...congrats

[Yngwie]

Originally Posted by danaw

$9.75 some places over ten bucks here in good ol' canada N.S

I pay like $18 per carton here. (Sudbury, ON) They're reserve smokes, but taste no different than the name brand smokes and way better than the "cheap" smokes like Smoking (stupid name) and all the others.

I'd like to quit, but I have 6 cartons sitting in front of me right now haha

[Lykos]

I am on 3 packs a day,i want to quit...but can't,dont have enough power to do it...

[Tea Money]

Congrats on two days being tobacco free! =)

[ccw1]

That is a hard habit to quit best to luck to you to continue not smoking. Keep strong and positive and I am sure you will beat the habit completely.

[KingK7]

I am lighting one up right now...
Mmmmmmmmmmm

[chaze]

Awesome, I agree 100% the only way to quit is to be strong.

[_Rush_]

Originally Posted by KingK7

I am lighting one up right now...
Mmmmmmmmmmm

I'm almost at the fourth day. No need to smoke at all. This whole "nicotine is addictive" this seems to be complete bullshit, at least in my case. By now I should be crawling the walls or tied down to the bed so that I couldn't smoke, Trainspotting style. However, I'm just leading the same life I had without smoking. It's weird, but it's happening.

It's a shame I thought I was going to suffer more since that's why it took me so long to quit.

[xNetworx]

See if you can last a year and then make this post.

[_Rush_]

I went out with some friends on Saturday and got pretty drunk. Didn't touch a cigarette. The whole drunk thing was my main threat to my plan. Fortunately, I'm still smoke-free and hope to remain like this for a long time.

[gimo33]

good for you....

[_Richard_]

wow dude.. good luck with that.

Although, if you've never quit before, and you were going to have trouble getting through one night with 12 cigarettes, i'm betting you're either a freak for not wanting a smoke, or you still have enough nicotine to last you another year..

Good luck though

R

[Scott McD]

I only ever smoked when i would go out to a club or something. Was stupid though, because i hated the smell from it and always regretted it the next day.

Haven't smoked in months now, and don't ever get cravings for it either.

Keep it up !!

[Richard - Triplexcash]

Congratulations for quitting and good luck. My mother at 61 just went her first month smoke free since she was like 16. She said I was her inspiration since I quit drinking almost 1 year ago ;)

[wyldworx]

best of luck, I too have cut down on smoking alot, and have been feeling much fitter than usual, and have much more energy. I have also been watching the scare campaigns they air on most stations in aus, about the effects and harms of smoking, and they certainly help me think about my next smoke...

[notabook]

Good luck! That's saving 2-2.5k a year right there. Awesome job.

[needlive]

Nice and wise post. Clever to stop while still being healthy...

Anyway, I've smoked only a few cigs in my life...and I won't do it much more