I QUIT!!
 

I've quit smoking as of today. I'm using the patch and am DAMNED if I'm going to smoke again.

I've been wanting to do this for a while... just kept putting it off. But waking up the other day hacking my lungs out was the final straw. I'm doing this for my 2 year old son... I'm doing it for my wife... but most of all I'm doing it for me.

Any tips or encouragement greatly appreciated.

:)

You have my full support. I just lost my dad a little over a year ago to lung cancer. He was only 55 and smoked most of his life. I watched the man who raised me and go from a very strong person who could do anything to being confined to a bed with no hair and vomiting. There is no doubt the smoking caused his cancer.

I plead with everyone to stop smoking. I know it is your right and I will not degrade anyone who choses to do so but I don't wish for anyone to suffer like my dad did.

Please keep us updated on your progress. You sound like someone who is ready to take on this challange. I believe you can do it.

I believe in you heathen! perhaps make a journal, or some sort of checklist? YOu can write in it when you were tempted, and how you think you can beat that temptation better next time you meet it/

Dude,

Much love and support to you. Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your life Here's my advice from the "stop smoking" thread.

I smoked for 15 years. 3 1/2 years ago I quit cold turkey and have been smoke free ever since. LEt me tell you how I did it.

1. You have to want to. I made the clear and conscious decision to quit smoking. I woke up one day, looked at my family and decided I wanted to live. I could see how much smoking hurt them cause I was hurting myself.

Be disciplined, not half-assed, no excuses.

2. Surround yourself with support - girlfriend, family other friends, clergy, teachers etc. Try to avoid other smokers if you can.

If your friends smoke, get them involved: Start a betting pool, winner take all. Each person contributes so the total pot is $1000 - at the end of the year, whomever is still smoke free takes it. If it's tied, even better, split the pot. If everyone has quit after year split the pot celebrate, you're all winners.

3. Substitute - I snacked on carrots, apples and pretzels when I quit. It helped a lot.

4. Create a stake - I labeled a large jar, "smoke free" with my start date on it.
Since I smoked a pack a day, I would put the money in the jar every day instead. $4.50 (Marlboro Lights in LA). I also kept a calendar so I could "see" the progress.
After a year or so, I took it to the bank. I had approx. $1800 in ones, fives and quarters. The teller thought I was a small merchant! When I told her my story she was so excited and wanted to call her sister to tell her my method. Then she gave me a lollipop. *yay*

I opened an account and may buy a bond or whatever. I really should take the family out, or vacation. Who cares, I've got $1800 that otherwise would have been in the nice deep pockets of big tobacco. And, I am healthier, happier - life is good.

Good luck and spread the word.

There is so much in my life that I could just quit. So many habits. I applaude you - and my advice is, don't fight it on your own. Talk to your wife about your struggles and lean on others for support. That is what others are for. :)

First and foremost, Congratulations! I've known several people who've tried to quit and it's hard, but stay focused on why your doing it and it will get easier and easier...

Please keep us updated on your progress!

Good for you. Proabably one of the best decisions youve made in your life. Hope it all works out for. Im sure itll be hard, but im sure with the support of family and friends, you can do it.

I quit cold turkey from smoking, weed, and heroin (baby steps, heh). Don't let anyone tell you it's impossible. In fact, don't even let people tell you it's hard.

good news its been 6 weeks for our household now and its all good

We wish you very best. It is a hard habit to break. You will be so much happier. Find something to replace smoking like exercise. You will be shocked how much better you can work out, heck for that matter just jog after not smoking. Good luck!!! Keep us updated on your progress. If you get down, just drop us a thread asking for a boost. There are a lot of people who will give you the encouragement you need.

Congrats to you!!! I don't have any tips or advice, just encouragement. Don't give up; when you son is older he'll thank you for it. Keep us updated!

aint no thang, yo

Good for you. I myself quit successfully, but I wasn\'t a heavy smoker at all to start with. Just remember along the way there will be temptations and there will be times when you feel the urge to have a smoke. Never give in, and good luck to you!

Good idea!! I will start a journal.... thanks.

Journal

congratulations! my only advice is to hang tough! good luck!

Good for you HeAtHeN!

I bet you're smelling nicer already, saving some money, breathing better, feeling stronger, and increasing your lifespan with it :)

Awesome decision mate, congrats on the progress so far and look foward to a larger bank account, longer life and no more smelling of smoke!

I always love it when people are pro-active about their health, and more importantly, the health of their offspring. Hang in there brother!

Another day smoke free :)

Way to go. It gets easier every day. This is actually the first time today I thought about a smoke & it's been almost four years for me.

I quit by using Zyban and what a frickin' little trip that whole thing was. I was the happiest, horniest person in the damn world on that shit, and could have cared less about smoking, all I thought about all day was sex. The doc had to look up & dig around for strange side effects of Zyban & increased libido was one of them. Not so good when your wife just had a baby. Anyway, that's another story.

It does get easier every day, but you have to get yourself into new routines where you don't associate smoking with whatever you are doing. Take a week long vacation (the money you are now saving will pay for it). Don't EVER think you can have one cigarette & stop again, that is total BULLSHIT.

I do occasionally smoke pot if it's around, don't know if you're into that but as a two & a half pack a day smoker, it doesn't bother me to do that, but I did wait a year & a half before I allowed myself to do that. I also have the occasional cigar, which beats into your head the fact that smoking sucks. Those things are terrible, but with the right people I'll have one. Just in case you forget how bad your mouth tastes in the morning as a smoker, believe me, it's BAD. A cigar smoked on Friday will make you aware of that fact till Tuesday.

Great choice & good luck to you...

keep it up, and try to avoid situations that you used to smoke in...bars, or bowling alleys, that sort of thing.

I practiced quiting for many years. Finally did it in '89. I could quit for a month, even did so for a year and was running 3-4 miles/day. The thing that finally worked was therapy. You see, I could get motivated and gut it out for a while. However, until I understood WHY I smoked, I could never truely stop for good.

So my suggestion from hard experience and also from understanding addict behavior, which includes smoking, is get therapy!!!!

Best of luck to you.

So I'm back on TFP and I'm still quit.

:D

YOU THE MAN!

Yeah I know ;) I don't care what anyone says... I'm fucking proud of myself.

Excellent news bro!

Glad to have you back....and serious Congrats, you deserve it.

You should be proud of yourself! That's great news, congratulations!!

way to go. Quiting smoking was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I even refuse to go to places where I know smoking is allowed such as bars and some resturants with poor ventelation because it is a seriously disgusting smell and atmosphere

I saw the Thread Caption "I Quit" and was going to post a tough stance saying, 'Sure quit, that's your choice, just, when you do, don't expect to get any benefits from thing you're quitting.'

I think it still applies. ;)

Way to go. I know it's hard, but those who climb the moutain get the view.

Now that is one cool story!!

I used to quit every spring and play basketball until the fall and then start again. So one year I bought a Nordic Track, which was my "stake." I also started drinking tons of water...I had liter water bottles with me everywhere long before it was cool to drink bottled water (I quit in '89).

The most important and effective thing for me, besides desire, was therapy. It helped me understand why smoking was important to me which in turn helped medeal with the mental aspects more effectively.

Now I can't imagine smoking and love the feel of good cardio hurting my legs and not my lungs!!!!