Anyone quit or quitting smoking......

[cgarr]

With all these quitters how are we going to fund our Schools?

[crustychief]

Originally Posted by RacerX1166

Today will be one week for me, sans smokes. I'm using Zyban and low dose patches and have found they really take the edge off the desire to smoke.

Zyban is pretty awesome in that it not only helps take the desire to smoke away but it also removes the pleasure from smoking. You start taking it a week before your quit date so you're still smoking as it builds up in your system. By my planned quit date, I still 'wanted' to smoke (habit) but found lighting up gave me none of the familiar pleasure. Heck, I found I was walking away after smoking half a cigarette.

I had tried multiple times to quit over the past several years, using the patch, gum, cold turkey (ouch!) but nothing 'took'.

After 23 years of smoking, I'm having to re-learn how to eat, wake up, go to bed, etc. By effectively mitigating the effects of nicotine withdrawal, the patch and zyban have allowed me to more easily modify my life.

I believe the biggest (and most effective) tactic for me this time is how I'm viewing what I'm doing, since I'm admittedly not terribly motivated to not smoke. I'm not 'quitting smoking', rather 'I'm becoming a non-smoker'. The former has connotations of sacrificing something you enjoy whereas the latter is a lifestyle change.

After 7 days, the cravings are still there but it's more of a twinge and I'm no longer seeing having a cigarette as a way to satisfy what's bothering me.

Hell, if I can get through being bitten by a dog I was training at the SPCA without reaching for a smoke, I figure it's downhill from here.

Awesome! I agree with the lifestyle change perspective.
Craig, that is pretty funny. In California we have lottery proceeds that take care of all of our schools needs and wants.

[rnln]

I did, more than once. Nothing worked for me beside the "mind set". When the mind is set, and plus the environment, the kind of work you do, it'll help. The problem is I came back after I quit, for several years.

[crustychief]

Well it has been over a month now! Not one backslide. I had a couple of close calls though. I really appreciate everyone's inputs! Evidently the price has gone up for Marlborough's here in San Diego to about 6 dollars a pack!

[Rick V]

Congrads CC. I am about 6 months out from quitting and if I can do it you can too.

[lm6y]

Good Job guys! I just passed 3 years. Went from 1 1/2 packs of Camels a day to quitting cold turkey. It's all about the mind set.

[chuckw951]

Originally Posted by crustychief

Well it has been over a month now! Not one backslide. I had a couple of close calls though. I really appreciate everyone's inputs! Evidently the price has gone up for Marlborough's here in San Diego to about 6 dollars a pack!

Keep it up. It's been 8 months for me. Not spending $6 or $7 a day on cigarettes really adds up too.

[Rick Lee]

I'm about a year into not smoking, haven't cheated at all, but really, really miss it still.

[speeder]

Almost 5 months since quitting, (again), I sometimes miss smoking but I don't miss spending ~$200 a month on cancer.

[chuckw951]

It's been over a year now (13 months) since I quit.

Keep going!

[crustychief]

I am still not smoking. I feel a hell of a lot better.

[peppy]

Almost 2 years here. Just bought a bike and trailer and can't believe how little I am huffing and puffing on the hills, legs hurt though.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by cgarr

With all these quitters how are we going to fund our Schools?

Dang right! Light 'em up! It's for the children.

[cgarr]

I met the surgeon general - he offered me a cigarette. (Rodney Dangerfield)

[silverc4s]

Well, I have been a non smoker for over 15 years now. Quit virtually cold turkey after 40 years of pack a day smoking.
I was in California at the time, made it easier because the anti smoking police were very active there already, so it was a PITA to have a smoke.
One very important thing- you must really want to quit, or you will fail. I tried the patch for about 5 days, but was having really bizarre nightmares, so I decided to carry a patch in my pocket, in case I started dying for some nicotine, I could run in the loo and slap it on real quick. Never needed to - just knowing I had it was enough.
My other crutch was Ricolas. I carried a box of those tough little gumdrops and popped one whenever i started thinking of smoking. Worked for me; a few months and all I had to do was taper off the Damn Ricola habit. I will never smoke again, and in some ways I really enjoyed smoking at the time. It's over for me.

[WIL84911]

Congratulations crustychief!

I quit cold turkey 7 months ago after 30 years. The decision just came ...

I feel good but now I'm battling with my appetite. I gained back all the weight I've lost and more.