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I quit smoking 3 weeks ago. Some tips.

likemyorbs

likemyorbs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 20, 2008
1,956
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NJ
Hey guys, i'm proud to say i've been a non-smoker for 3 weeks tomorrow. It's so liberating and empowering, i feel like i can do anything now. Here are some tips that really helped me out.

1) Quit on a Sunday night after a weekend of heavy drinking and smoking.
2) Have you last cigarette before bed that night, and make sure it's the last one in the pack, so you don't have anymore.
3) Monday morning is a new day, new week, and you don't have any cigarettes. Now is your big chance. Jolly ranchers helped me beat the craving, the first few days were the most brutal. Oh, and chocolate, LOTS of chocolate.
4) Reward yourself. When you hit one month, buy yourself something. I'm treating myself to another tattoo next week. With all the money you're saving, you deserve it!

Now whenever i have a craving, i beat it just by thinking i've been smoke free for 3 weeks and it would be stupid to ruin it now. I've also trained my mind to associate cigarettes with poison instead of pleasure. You might gain a bit of weight if you don't go to the gym, but damn, it's so worth it.
 
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likemyorbs

likemyorbs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 20, 2008
1,956
5
NJ
Thank you guys! It's an uphill battle but it's definitely possible. People have to do it when they are ready. I had two failed attempts before this when i couldn't make it past 3 days. This time i just had a gut feeling that this was my time to quit.
 
Huntn

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,476
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The Misty Mountains
Good job, keep it up! I've never had to quit smoking. However, I watched my Dad spend a good 30 years trying to quit. I imagine working out would help or go on a run? They also say changing habit patterns is good. If you typically sit down in the morning in your kitchen to read a paper, drink a cup of coffee, and smoke a cancer stick, your brain is going to be constantly asking you were the nicotine is. Supposedly it's best to do something different. Go to a different room! Chew on a carrot instead of a cig. ;) The challenge will be the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.
 
leekohler

leekohler

macrumors G5
Dec 22, 2004
14,164
26
Chicago, Illinois
likemyorbs said:
Thank you guys! It's an uphill battle but it's definitely possible. People have to do it when they are ready. I had two failed attempts before this when i couldn't make it past 3 days. This time i just had a gut feeling that this was my time to quit.
Click to expand...

I quit in January with e-cigs. It's worked very well.
 
likemyorbs

likemyorbs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 20, 2008
1,956
5
NJ
Huntn said:
Good job, keep it up! I've never had to quit smoking. However, I watched my Dad spend a good 30 years trying to quit. I imagine working out would help or go on a run? They also say changing habit patterns is good. If you typically sit down in the morning in your kitchen to read a paper, drink a cup of coffee, and smoke a cancer stick, your brain is going to be constantly asking you were the nicotine is. Supposedly it's best to do something different. Go to a different room! Chew on a carrot instead of a cig. ;) The challenge will be the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.
Click to expand...

Going to the gym actually makes my cravings worse, but i do it anyway. After a hard workout, a cigarette is the most relaxing thing ever. And when i find myself in a stressful situation, i'll just smoke some pot instead, i've already thought this through! That's another tip that ill have to add to the OP, planning what you will do in a stressful situation. Food seems to work for me.

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leekohler said:
I quit in January with e-cigs. It's worked very well.
Click to expand...

Congrats! You know, i used my ecig the first two times i tried to quit, and it didn't work for me because it wasn't similar enough to a real cigarette, so i went back to the real thing. I find that cold turkey is working best for me. Quitting is a very personal thing and different things work for different people.
 
Caliber26

Caliber26

macrumors 68020
Sep 25, 2009
2,325
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Orlando, FL
It's so strange for me to hear these stories. I've been an on-again-off-again smoker since I was 17 (I'm 30 years old now) but I've always been able to stop without a problem.

I'll smoke for 3-5 months and stop for 6-7 months and do it all over again. I usually start smoking if I'm in one of those phases where I'm constantly going out to bars and clubs, but when I'm not, it doesn't even cross my mind. I think it's more of a social thing for me, versus an actual addiction.

Congrats on your decision, though. My only piece of advice is to avoid being around people that are smoking. We're prone to want one when we see others 'enjoying' one. Going out on smoke breaks with coworkers is a huge no-no for me as it will make me wanna spark one up, too. Hope you keep up the good work!
 
B

BeardedOrc

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Oct 19, 2011
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One day at a time ...

It's a constant ongoing battle everyday and craving will not stop. The craving does gets less and your self control gets stronger.

I'm a former pack/day for about 15 yrs. Haven't lit up for 2 years now.

Congratulations!!!
 
leekohler

leekohler

macrumors G5
Dec 22, 2004
14,164
26
Chicago, Illinois
likemyorbs said:
Congrats! You know, i used my ecig the first two times i tried to quit, and it didn't work for me because it wasn't similar enough to a real cigarette, so i went back to the real thing. I find that cold turkey is working best for me. Quitting is a very personal thing and different things work for different people.
Click to expand...

There are different kinds of e-cigs. I just had to try a few before I found the one that worked best for me.
 
likemyorbs

likemyorbs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 20, 2008
1,956
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BeardedOrc said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

One day at a time ...

It's a constant ongoing battle everyday and craving will not stop. The craving does gets less and your self control gets stronger.

I'm a former pack/day for about 15 yrs. Haven't lit up for 2 years now.

Congratulations!!!
Click to expand...
Wow that's awesome! did you go cold turkey? I never smoked THAT much. I smoked a pack every 2 or 3 days.
leekohler said:
There are different kinds of e-cigs. I just had to try a few before I found the one that worked best for me.
Click to expand...

Yeah i know there are different ones, but none are like the real thing. Vapor and smoke are just two very different things.
 
B

BeardedOrc

macrumors member
Oct 19, 2011
86
0
likemyorbs said:
Wow that's awesome! did you go cold turkey? I never smoked THAT much. I smoked a pack every 2 or 3 days.
Click to expand...
Went as much as 3 packs/day for a few months when I was in college.

I've tried numerous times and this by far is the longest. Hopefully, this is it. I've tried the patch, nicotine gum, Wellbutrin (anti-depressant which also is prescribed as smoking cessation aid). What worked best for me was Wellbutrin for about a week and cold turkey.

Never let down your guard and NEVER have that "just one stick only" celebratory or whatever your brain has concocted that you deserve one. Thats is how I've ended back to smoking before.

I remember that first hell of a week of quitting. Never want to go through that again...

Goodluck!!!

----------
Caliber26 said:
It's so strange for me to hear these stories. I've been an on-again-off-again smoker since I was 17 (I'm 30 years old now) but I've always been able to stop without a problem.

I'll smoke for 3-5 months and stop for 6-7 months and do it all over again. I usually start smoking if I'm in one of those phases where I'm constantly going out to bars and clubs, but when I'm not, it doesn't even cross my mind. I think it's more of a social thing for me, versus an actual addiction.

Congrats on your decision, though. My only piece of advice is to avoid being around people that are smoking. We're prone to want one when we see others 'enjoying' one. Going out on smoke breaks with coworkers is a huge no-no for me as it will make me wanna spark one up, too. Hope you keep up the good work!
Click to expand...

I have a friend like you. He could smoke pack a day for several months and stop for several months whenever he wanted. I guess you guys are resistant to chemical and/or psychological addiction.
 
Tilpots

Tilpots

macrumors 601
Apr 19, 2006
4,195
71
Carolina Beach, NC
Smoke free for over a year now. Gummy worms are/were my savior. My dentist doesn't like them but cavities are more treatable than cancer. Good luck!
 
likemyorbs

likemyorbs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 20, 2008
1,956
5
NJ
Update:
Still haven't touched a cigarette! And I dont miss them. Guess I'm one of those lucky people that was able to quit cold turkey without side effects. Looks like I'm done for good.
 
I

imotionb18

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2011
66
0
likemyorbs said:
Update:
Still haven't touched a cigarette! And I dont miss them. Guess I'm one of those lucky people that was able to quit cold turkey without side effects. Looks like I'm done for good.
Click to expand...

Congrats! I just hit my three week mark today! That first week was brutal, but I managed to get through it.
 
SidewaysTakumi

SidewaysTakumi

macrumors 6502a
Aug 5, 2010
793
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Texas
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Good job! Keep it up!
 
mscriv

mscriv

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2008
4,923
602
Dallas, Texas
Congrats to all of you who are quitting. A friend of mine who quit after 15 years said the the thing that did the trick for him was cutting a straw down to the size of a cigarette and having one with him all the time. He could chew on it or simply fidget with it in his hand. He said it took care of that habitual physical stimulation and sensation that his body was used to getting from smoking and holding a cigarette. Over time he was gradually able to stop using the straws as his "sobriety" maintained. However, he says even after years of not smoking he still gets cravings.
 
BoxerGT2.5

BoxerGT2.5

macrumors 68020
Jun 4, 2008
2,104
14,136
Quit 4yrs ago. Biggest piece of advise I can give is cut out the triggers that you found yourself smoking after. Most smoke more when they drink, I quit in August 2007 and didn't touch a drink until the Christmas party in Dec. Find those few things that always had you reaching for a cigarette and try and eliminate them.
 
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