It has now been officialy 5 days

katiemae1277

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Since I had my last cigarette
I really did not want to quit, as strange as that sounds, but I really needed that money
I have more of a habitual addiction, and there are definitely some times I am seriously jonesing, and being on the puter is one. I swear I am literally salivating for a cigarette right now
According to the "experts" the nicotine takes 3 days to get out of your system, so that is long gone, but it usually takes about a moth to 2 months to end my habit twinges. I have quit before a few times, and 6 months seems to be my breaking point, I always restarted after that long
 

zissou'smom

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OMG ME TOO!!!! No really, it has been five days for me as well. And also, I didn't really plan on it or anything, I just was so busy I actually didn't have time / was too exhausted to go outside... and then I realized and decided to keep going.

I'm jonesing today too, because it's nice out and also I'm a little bored.

They say that any time you have a craving it will subside in five minutes. So drink a glass of water and do something distracting for five or ten minutes, and soon you'll forget all about it.

We can do it!
 

breal76

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Well I am on day 60 and I still want one. Jesus..What I wouldn't give for one! Well, I won't give my left lung, or my right one..Lol..

It's for the greater good.

Keep it up!
 
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katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

OMG ME TOO!!!! No really, it has been five days for me as well. And also, I didn't really plan on it or anything, I just was so busy I actually didn't have time / was too exhausted to go outside... and then I realized and decided to keep going.

I'm jonesing today too, because it's nice out and also I'm a little bored.

They say that any time you have a craving it will subside in five minutes. So drink a glass of water and do something distracting for five or ten minutes, and soon you'll forget all about it.

We can do it!
Yes we can!!! I was very sick over the holidays and was barely smoking, like down from a pack a day to a pack lasted me a whole week
so I decided that I would take the plunge. I have been chewing gum like a maniac, it seems to help a little. I've also been coughing up crap
not fun
Originally Posted by Bella713

Sending you strong vibes to stay off the CIGS!!
Thanks Helen!!
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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Ahhhh you guys are great. I am still smoking.


I smoke like, four cigarettes a day and I CAN'T QUIT. It's totally habitual for me because I can go ages without one.

I am actually getting some hypnosis for this in February. It's ridiculous to not be able to stop smoking four cigarettes a day, and patches made me really sick.
 
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katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Breal76

Well I am on day 60 and I still want one. Jesus..What I wouldn't give for one! Well, I won't give my left lung, or my right one..Lol..

It's for the greater good.

Keep it up!
That's the rough part I think, those cravings last forever!!! Congrats to you!!
Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Your doing great Katie, keep it up
Thanks Natalie, I'm committed right now, so I know I can stay off, but in 6 months
 
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katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

Ahhhh you guys are great. I am still smoking.


I smoke like, four cigarettes a day and I CAN'T QUIT. It's totally habitual for me because I can go ages without one.

I am actually getting some hypnosis for this in February. It's ridiculous to not be able to stop smoking four cigarettes a day, and patches made me really sick.
I just went cold turkey, when I want to I can do just about anything, my willpower doesn't get used a lot so I have quite a bit in reserve for times like this
you can do it Sarah!!
 

zissou'smom

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I've been considering the quit line sponsored by the state of Ohio. It does really improve your chances statistically. 800-quit-now.

I am very familiar with the coughing. Believe it or not, if you smoke and have asthma your asthma gets worse when you quit temporarily (before getting permanently and drastically better, that is) so I actually haven't been able to breathe all week.

Go Katie, Go!!!
 
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katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

I've been considering the quit line sponsored by the state of Ohio. It does really improve your chances statistically. 800-quit-now.

I am very familiar with the coughing. Believe it or not, if you smoke and have asthma your asthma gets worse when you quit temporarily (before getting permanently and drastically better, that is) so I actually haven't been able to breathe all week.

Go Katie, Go!!!
I may give it a ring too
My sense of smell has improved dramatically, that is one of the first things I noticed, I can smell a cigarette in a second, but I can also smell a lot of other scents much better too.

ooh, hope that improves for ya quick! Go, Julie, go!!
 

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I officially quit a year ago, and I STILL get the cravings! The only reason I don't give in is that no one that is immediately around me smokes, and it would actually require effort on my part to get a cig. So in this case, being lazy works.


My doctor said that right after you quit, you'll get worse smoker's cough than you ever did when you were smoking. But it will subside. Honestly, I haven't noticed a difference in my asthma between smoking and not smoking. I actually think my asthma is more sensative now.
But it has saved us a bunch of money, and I know it's more healthy and all that. So I've persevered with quitting.


Go Katie and Julie! You BOTH can do this thing!
 

zissou'smom

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Originally Posted by valanhb

I officially quit a year ago, and I STILL get the cravings! The only reason I don't give in is that no one that is immediately around me smokes, and it would actually require effort on my part to get a cig. So in this case, being lazy works.


My doctor said that right after you quit, you'll get worse smoker's cough than you ever did when you were smoking. But it will subside. Honestly, I haven't noticed a difference in my asthma between smoking and not smoking. I actually think my asthma is more sensative now.
But it has saved us a bunch of money, and I know it's more healthy and all that. So I've persevered with quitting.


Go Katie and Julie! You BOTH can do this thing!
My asthma's always been wierd. Maybe it is just me... My allergies are all the type that get better with exposure (and I have some really strange allergies) so I think that the more crap gets put in my lungs the less they overreact to little things. So when I quit smoking they go crazy-go-nuts, but then they readjust to all the little crap in the air (ah, cat dander).

The sense of smell thing... honestly, around here (like on the sidewalk and stuff, not in my house) there are lots of things I'd rather not smell
Blech. Nothing like early-morning-vomit on your way to work Sunday morning to make you wish you had noseplugs.
 
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katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by valanhb

I officially quit a year ago, and I STILL get the cravings! The only reason I don't give in is that no one that is immediately around me smokes, and it would actually require effort on my part to get a cig. So in this case, being lazy works.


My doctor said that right after you quit, you'll get worse smoker's cough than you ever did when you were smoking. But it will subside. Honestly, I haven't noticed a difference in my asthma between smoking and not smoking. I actually think my asthma is more sensative now.
But it has saved us a bunch of money, and I know it's more healthy and all that. So I've persevered with quitting.


Go Katie and Julie! You BOTH can do this thing!
great, just what I wanted to hear
my whole family smokes, so that's gonna be a really rough part
my sister is supposedly quitting, but I'll believe that when I see it. I wish my parents would quit, maybe I'll be their inspiration!! No asthma here, but I do have borderline high blood-pressure, so I'm hoping this reduces that


Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

The sense of smell thing... honestly, around here (like on the sidewalk and stuff, not in my house) there are lots of things I'd rather not smell
Blech. Nothing like early-morning-vomit on your way to work Sunday morning to make you wish you had noseplugs.
yeah, there are definitely smells that I don't weant to be stronger that are

Originally Posted by LokisMum

Good for you! Come one Katie and Julie - keep with it! You can do it!
 

crazyforinfo

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Congrats!
I have 1.5 packs left and going to quit I hope. I am running out of cash....I quit my job 3 months ago. I need to do it for health reasons too. How do you keep from smoking? Nuts worked for me in the past but that really upset my tummy. Anyone try smokeaway? Hubby quit 2 years ago from using the pills. I didn't work for me. The gum didn't either.
 

natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by katiemae1277

Since I had my last cigarette
I really did not want to quit, as strange as that sounds, but I really needed that money
I have more of a habitual addiction, and there are definitely some times I am seriously jonesing, and being on the puter is one. I swear I am literally salivating for a cigarette right now
According to the "experts" the nicotine takes 3 days to get out of your system, so that is long gone, but it usually takes about a moth to 2 months to end my habit twinges. I have quit before a few times, and 6 months seems to be my breaking point, I always restarted after that long
Congrats!

I quit smoking in 1990.

If I may offer you some tips?

For me I found that I tended to smoke more at certain times than at others: talking on the phone, after a large meal, after a restaurant meal, while drinking coffee, sitting idle watching TV etc.

I found that I had to stop spending so much time on the phone, gave up eating in restaurants, switched to tea and did something like a craft or folding laundry, or painting my nails while watching TV. Changing my smoking triggers really helped.

Stay clear of people who do smoke. They will only tempt you.

Don't count the days since you "quit".

Make short term goals. Go day-by-day. You didn't smoke today, so when tomorrow comes, work on not smoking. Keeping track of how many days usually sabotages success as it makes it seem like "a really long time". Cigarettes are like alcohol and you have to go day-by-day. If you need to make shorter goals, use an hourly one to start.

On April 14th it will be 17 years since I quit smoking. There are still times when I could just kill for a cigarette. Most days I don't even think about cigarettes but sometimes out of the blue a craving will strike and then it's an internal battle to not cave into the craving and have a cigarette. It's like an alcohol addiction. A recovering alcoholic is one drink away from falling off the wagon and as a reformed smoker, I'm one cigarette away from smoking a package a day again. However it's not a constant daily battle now, but even after 17 years I still get hit with the urge to smoke a few times a year.

If you do happen to break down and have a cigarette, don't beat yourself up over it. Just put the cigarette out and start again.

I used plastic coffee stir sticks as my crutch. They gave me something to occupy my hands. I nibbled at them, I chewed them and by the time I was finished with one it was totally inside my mouth and I was chomping on it like gum, LOL I went through a whole lot of plastic coffee stir sticks!!!

Reward yourself with a gift every few months in the amount of the money you saved from not smoking. I still buy myself something every year. Sometimes it's large like my livingroom set, other times it's small like a new kettle. But buy yourself something!
 

MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Reward yourself with a gift every few months in the amount of the money you saved from not smoking. I still buy myself something every year. Sometimes it's large like my livingroom set, other times it's small like a new kettle. But buy yourself something!
I was going to suggest doing something like that too!

I had a student who was saving the money she normally spent on cigarettes for a Harley, something she's always wanted. She had it calculated out exactly when she should have the money and even put pictures of it up around to keep it in her mind.

She also used the quitline for our state. With that and the Harley incentive, she did really great!
 

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I quit July 2nd. I just counted it up, and it's been over 6 months!


I used Commit lozenges. I have to say they worked great. You have to let them dissolve in your mouth, and it takes about 30 minutes, so it definitely gives you something to "do" when a craving hits.

I have to say, I really don't get cravings anymore, which I can hardly believe.


You guys can do it! It's not a matter of "if" or "I hope"...you can and you will!
 
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