Regular Smokers

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

37 years of smoking and dipping Copenhagen. I added a cap full of bourbon to my Copenhagen. That was the berries. I quit both 4 months ago. I have been bicycling for years. Have excellent cardio considering I would smoke a cigarette at the end of a 50 mile bike ride with an average speed of 17 mph. Flick the filter and stick a dip in my mouth.
Any way I walked past a lady smoking today. I knew it was a Marlboro red from 10 feet away. I commented on how good it smelled and she offered me one. It wasn't a second thought. I replied NO thanks though. It smelled good but no desire to have one. I gained about twenty pounds in the first month. I have now shed that 20 and have a goal to cut another 20.
I didn't drink beer for the first couple weeks of quitting. But I have been testing a few new bourbon brands.

 

[Nik H]

I am reconnecting with a few things

My bikes - MTB and Road
My Rowing Machine
The weights

I have to go slow and steady. I let things go for a bit too long. I am really happy that it is recoverable.

The human body is pretty amazing...even at my age

 

[tna9001]

2.5 weeks now

Having fucking dreams about smoking

Nicotine should be banned more so than everything else

I have a friend who got addicted to heroin when she was in college, she said it was harder to quit smoking than to get off heroin. Hang in there!

 

[ArmyJerry]

If Army guy can quit cold turkey you fancy pants marines can quit.

Dam impressive stories of determination and never stop in this thread.

 

[Tims]

To all of you quitters CONGRATULATIONS! Keep up the good work. I quit a can a day habit of copenhagen 20 years ago. I hate the stuff now. I don't even like watching others chew either.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Copenhagen, Patch, Gum, whatever; it's all just trading one addiction for another. There is no way in Hell anyone can quit nicotine by taking nicotine in another form.

Just do it. Keep a promise you make to yourself; something less is morally vacant. Smoking; knowing it is slow suicide, is simply another means of lying to oneself. Git 'er done.

Greg

I disagree. Tapering the nicotine while breaking the 'habit' of smoking works very well. Relief from nicotine addiction comes shortly after your last intake. Something like 48 hrs and your body no longer craves or requires nicotine. Therefore it would seem that most have issue giving up the "habit" of smoking/chewing. Your first cig/dip in the morning, after a meal, sex, etc. It brings solitude and the nicotine only reinforces the action. Eventually, the action is completely part of the satisfaction of addiction. The comfort so to speak. It actually becomes the difficult part to quit, not the nicotine. Hence the tapering of nicotine while breaking the habit over 6-8 weeks. Worked for me at least. Your results may vary.

 

[Tims]

The slow withdrawal method didn't work for me. I was going to try not chewing for one week. The first day was tough. The second day was not easy either. The third day I had no cravings at all. If I new it would only take 2 days for the cravings to stop I would have quit alot sooner.

 

[Nik H]

Nicotine replacement did not work for me. That is why I failed so many times.

You need to suffer the withdrawal so you really understand the control it had over your body AND your mind. Although the physical withdrawal and anger that comes with it dissipate markedly after 3 or 4 days, that is only the first set of shit. A few days into it, you lose focus and concentration. Your dreams and sleep are affected, etc. For me the cravings didn't last two days...they are still present just not as strong.

If you can make it through 10 days, you will likely make it IF you never take another puff. That was another reason I failed, I always felt that I could have ONE during a social event and I would be OK. What an idiot.

I view smoking like alcoholism. People call themselves a recovering alcoholic. Same with smoking. You are always a smoker...whether you choose to believe it or not

 

[Wildfire1550]

Recently quit after 20 years, after having to bury my father from lung cancer. Watching my best friend get so weak and helpless was terrible. the thought of my kids having to witness me in that condition was enough to get me to stop. It all comes down to the right motivation.
That being said , if a meteorite is headed to earth first thing I will do is get a carton of cigarettes. Fuck now I want a smoke

 

[corey4]

keep it up guys! i dream about smoking all the time too. not dreams strictly about smoking, but i'll be smoking in them.

i still have cravings, mostly out of mental habit. i work outside, so i could smoke anytime i wanted and there are a lot of triggers for me. but the cravings are not strong are all, not like when i quit cold turkey. those cravings were real hard core nic fits, all day every day. with chantix, i have brief moments then they pass. i found one of my marlboro 27s under the seat of my truck the other day. i was at the range too! my eyes were about as big as a 6 year olds on christmas day! i smelled it, put it my mouth and almost lit it. i quickly shook my head and broke it in half...fuck those things.

quitting habits are going to be different for everyone. like TNA said, when i went in for my chantix the doc said nicotine is harder then heroine.

i struggle every day with alcohol. if i have one, i'm having 10. i was drinking at least a 6 pack every night. most of the time it was 8-10...every night...flu/fever sick as a dog, didn't matter, i was getting drunk. it's been 2 weeks so far. ive been off and on with the beer for about a year, since i started chantix. the less i smoked, the less i drank. i'll go a few weeks without a beer, but then ill crack and get all shlammered, then it''s a few week battle to try and avoid it where i don't crave it all day every day. i usually make it about 2 weeks then the cycle continues...

im with wildfire, if there's an asteroid (meteorites are small and fairly harmless ) im having a beer and a smoke!

 

[oneshot86]

good post corey...

everyone remember, alcohol will kill you just as miserably as smoking...

luck to all

 

[corey4]

Thanks oneshot. I wish I can control myself with one or 2 beers like most people can, but I lack that quality in my personality.

 

[Rthur]

Keep after it gents, haven't had the desire for quite a while.
Breathing well is kinda cool also.

R

 

[corey4]

it's been about a year since i quit but i don't have an exact day. i did look thru old work orders were i know i was smoking, talked to a few friends and the consensus seems to be mid june. the wife and i are pretty sure i wasn't smoking anymore on father's day '17, i am taking that as my anniversary.

how's everyone else?

 

[EddieNFL]

Cold turkey. 1105, 17 APR 81. Promised myself I would never touch another. Except for the soles of my boots, I've kept that promise.

 

[Maggot]

I have a friend who got addicted to heroin when she was in college, she said it was harder to quit smoking than to get off heroin. Hang in there!

Ive read the same. There are some factors though. YOu cant buy heroin in every convenience store and your friends dont stand around the cooler running up smack like they do smoking cigs. They are so easy to get and socially accepted.

 

[Maggot]

Nicotine replacement did not work for me. That is why I failed so many times.

You need to suffer the withdrawal so you really understand the control it had over your body AND your mind. Although the physical withdrawal and anger that comes with it dissipate markedly after 3 or 4 days, that is only the first set of shit. A few days into it, you lose focus and concentration. Your dreams and sleep are affected, etc. For me the cravings didn't last two days...they are still present just not as strong.

If you can make it through 10 days, you will likely make it IF you never take another puff. That was another reason I failed, I always felt that I could have ONE during a social event and I would be OK. What an idiot.

I view smoking like alcoholism. People call themselves a recovering alcoholic. Same with smoking. You are always a smoker...whether you choose to believe it or not

Ieep at it brother. I smoked 2 packs of Camel non filters for a long time and went cold turkey. I felt the changes for 2-3 years.