Quitting Smoking

reddog

I live in NYC. A month ago I took advantage of a promotion the city was doing where you call 311 and answer a few questions, and they send you the nicotine patches to help you quit smoking. I never really smoked that much (a pack and a half a week...more on weekends when out at a bar, playing a show and rehearsing with the band).

So I started the patch and i'm up to the last stage of the patch. I must say that they've help me out a lot. My girlfriend says that I'm hardly grumpy, I don't crave (cept when i'm drunk which isn't often). There have been days where I forget to put the patch on and i've gone almost a week without the patch on fine.

My question to you guys is, has any of you quit smoking? I'm a little worried when i'm done with the patch that I might go back which I don't want to. During the time that i've been on the patch, I've only cheated 2 times (not having the patch on) and I never finished the cigg cause I didn't like it. What do you guys do to not smoke?

happyshark

Don't buy packs. Throw out all your lighters. Think about how much better you smell and feel.

Djeet

don't smoke, don't cheat, chew gum, buy carrot sticks and celery sticks, when your friends go out for a smoke break do not join them. going out to clubs/bars that permit smoking (do these exist in NY?) will make things harder, cut down on that.

don't beat yourself up if you do cheat, just don't cheat. you'll probably gain a little weight, but that's better than smoking. work out.

and good luck, i've quit several times, even if you fall off, just quit again, smoking is bad for you.

Aurin

I've gone five months now, after smoking a pack a day.

My dad has gone almost 2 years now, after smoking 2 cartons a week.

You can do it!

Just keep after it, and start planning what you can buy with the money you're saving by not smoking. That's what we did, ended up buying a whole lot of toys to mess with to reward ourselves for stopping. :P

reddog

Djeet wrote: »

don't smoke, don't cheat, chew gum, buy carrot sticks and celery sticks, when your friends go out for a smoke break do not join them. going out to clubs/bars that permit smoking (do these exist in NY?) will make things harder, cut down on that.

don't beat yourself up if you do cheat, just don't cheat. you'll probably gain a little weight, but that's better than smoking. work out.

and good luck, i've quit several times, even if you fall off, just quit again, smoking is bad for you.

There are some bars in Brooklyn that still permit it (even though you're not supposed to). I've actually found that i miss going out for that smoke break more for the fresh air than the smoke.

Also, I've found that I've been drinking an insane amount of water lately. Maybe i'm replacing smoking with drinking water. I do feel better and my cloths don't smell.

Aurin wrote: »

Just keep after it, and start planning what you can buy with the money you're saving by not smoking. That's what we did, ended up buying a whole lot of toys to mess with to reward ourselves for stopping. :P

I've actually already done this. I'm saving up to get myself a 360


The hardest thing for me is at rehearsals because the rest of my band smokes and sometimes I don't feel the urge, sometimes I do. I'll try the celery/carrot sticks. This is my 3rd time really trying to quit since I started smoking when i was 16 (i'm 26 now).

Tube

You're not someone who's trying to quit, you are a non smoker.

When someone offers you a cigarette, you do not say "I'm trying to quit" you say "I don't smoke"

Six

I've quit smoking a couple of times, the last about a year ago and it was for good (so far).

Basically I just decided one day I didn't want to smoke any more. Didn't buy cigarettes, didn't accept cigarettes. Every now and then I'd really want one, especially if I was out drinking, but that passed once I'd successfully gotten through a few nights without a smoke. eventually I just didn't want one any more, and now I hardly think about it.

You'll gain weight, though.

reddog

Is the gaining weight from eating more cause you don't have a ciggarette going to your mouth anymore? I've actually found myself just eating less and drinking a lot of water...

powahslave

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-Smoking-Nonsmokers/dp/1402718616/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-6864274-2368400?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183051143&sr=8-1
I quit with that, and I can't recommend it enough. It really helped me a lot more than any patches or gum ever did, and it's a lot cheaper. I smoked a pack a day for a year and a half, then read the book and quit cold turkey with no problems at all. You can even keep smoking until you finish reading.

browneyedsquirrel

I quit smoking almost three years ago!

When I quit, I told as many friends and loved ones as I possibly could. It helped me because when I wanted one, I'd think about all the people I'd let down and how excited they all were to hear I was quitting.

Someone advised not going out with buddies for cigarette breaks, but once you get past the first week or two it's not a bad idea anymore. I forced myself to still go out on the porch with my buddies like we used to and just chat with them while they smoked. Purposely not going out can sometimes suck because you might feel a lil isolated or left out from the social aspect of the cigarette breaks you used to take.

Other than that.... sounds like your well on your way. The water is definitely a good thing, it actually helps when quitting so keep up the good work. All the advice so far has been pretty excellent as well.

Best of Luck and in a year you'll be like "Man... I can't believe I actually smoked"

japan

ecapsknalb wrote: »

You're not someone who's trying to quit, you are a non smoker.

When someone offers you a cigarette, you do not say "I'm trying to quit" you say "I don't smoke"

Good advice. As long as you still think of yourself as "quitting", you'll end up breaking down and "just having one". You'll justify it to yourself in all sorts of ways (had a bad day, celebrating, one won't do any harm, etc).

I always found it helped to quit when I went through a big change in my routine (like a new job). It makes life easier because you don't end up obsessing over times when you would normally be smoking.

NB: I have quit and taken it up again, like, three times now. Take that as you will.

Djeet

a couple of my friends found the book powahslave recommends very helpful in quitting. it's circulating on the nets i think.

i'm not sure the whyfor for the weight gain. it could be the oral fixation. also smoking tended to kill my appetite, perhaps weight gain is just the result of appetite coming back? water may be helping you avoid weight gain cause it keeps you feeling full.

i highly recommend working out regularly, it will give you something to do, stave off the weight gain, and make you feel good.

Aurin

I've heard a lot of people say that food just tastes better when you stop smoking. I know I've ended up snacking a lot and being hungry almost constantly since I've stopped smoking. One addiction or the other, I guess.

I'd much rather be munching on carrot sticks than smoking though.

themightypuck

I quit smoking. I never had a real problem quitting but then again I was never a hardcore smoker. I'm still extremely weak-willed when drinking and confronted with another smoker.

Fireflash

I don't smoke, but one of the most important things I've heard from ex-smokers is this: Sometimes, maybe years after you quit, you will get this craving for a smoke and you might tell yourself "bah, just this once". That one cigarette is often the cause of ex-smokers becoming smokers again.

Might not be that bad in your case tho, since you don't seem to smoke that much.

reddog

Thanks guys for all your advice. The water thing seems to help a lot...except for the fact that i'm going to the bathroom like CRAZY! I might check out that book after i'm done with the patch if I still feel any urges. Everyone in my apartment is happy that i'm not smoking and those who do smoke in my apartment have kept it to their room now which I'm happy about.

I have rehearsal again tonight. I think i'll be able to make it 2 hours in a room of 4 other smokers.

Crimsonmonkey

I have quit smoking for about a year and a half now, previously having quit like 2 or 3 times.

I believe the key to quiting is your motivations. The first couple times I quit I was doing it because I either couldn't afford it or being under circumstances where I wasn't able to smoke, such as getting over a cold where I hadn't smoked for a week. Each of these times I was still in the mindset that I liked to smoke, I just knew it was bad for me, or simply could no longer afford it for the time being. The last time I quit I had finally made up my mind that lying in bed wheezing when you wake up and coughing up phelm and tar is definitely not something I want to do for the rest of my diminished life span, I had finally stopped enjoying smoking. Since then I have not had even a single puff and do not even think about smoking even when surrounded by smokers.

If there is any advice I can give to you, it would be to honestly examine your life and decide whether or not you still enjoy smoking, because at least in my as far as I have seen, you will go back to it if you do.