i quit for 2 years cold turkey, but picked it back up, and haven't been able to quit yet again. its hard
Hi everyone...
I was wondering if anyone on here has smoked before and have had an experience trying to quit. I've been smoking since 2007, and I'm regretting the decisions I have made to pick it up. All my friends used to smoke and I was the one who was old enough to buy them so I used to buy them for everyone at the time, after a while I said to myself well if I can buy them for everyone else why not buy myself a pack, and it all started from there. lol!!
Over the years my smoking habit just keeps getting worse, meaning I smoke more and more. It's getting to the point where it's costing me a lot of money, even buying the cheapest I can get. I'm just getting sick of it, and I know I can save myself a lot of money, and any future health problems caused by smoking.
I tried last year, quit cold turkey.. the first few days were horrible, but I did feel better, a few months later I started work and picked it back up again, and am now smoking almost twice as much. I tried before that too with Patches and the same thing happened, I had a relapse and smoked more than I did before. It doesn't end, and I'm worried if I do try to quit again I'll end up smoking more and more.
Trying to weigh out the pros and cons is tough, because I'm also in the process of losing weight, which is going well. I've noticed before that if I don't smoke as much, I eat more. That is also something I'm worried about because I don't want to jeopardize my weight loss. But with that being said, the longer I smoke, the longer I put my internal, and outer health in jeopardy.
Anyways... Have any of you tried to quit smoking before? How did it turn out for you, How long did it take? How was your overall experience? Do you have any tips for me?
I am more than happy to get as much tips as possible. I have one pack of smokes left and I am hoping I will have the motivation to quit this time.
i quit for 2 years cold turkey, but picked it back up, and haven't been able to quit yet again. its hard
I have personally never smoked, but I have had friends who have done it and quit. What they told me, is that getting past the mental block is the toughest part. Gonna do a little biology analysis on this, but when you form a habit, essentially, pathways in your brain are forming, which become bigger with more use. Because of the addictive properties of smoking, both physically (because trying to quit can cause withdrawals) and mentally (because these pathways become so strong over time), it is going to be hard. By now, your brain is essentially wired to the point that putting your fingers up to your mouth is habit, so the best way I have heard is through just slowly trying to get off of them. For example, if you smoke a pack a day right now, maybe try cutting it down to 3/4 of a pack a day, continuing this for however long it takes your body to adjust. Continue this to the point where you are smoking hardly at all. You will feel like crap as you quit, and that's a guarantee because your body "needs" smoking to function normally. But if you slowly cut it down like this, it will be slightly easier for your body to adjust. Also, another thing is you want to make sure as you are quitting that you don't begin to eat too much which is a problem for some people, because as I discussed earlier, bringing your fingers up to your mouth is nothing but natural for you now, and some people fill that gap in their lives with eating since it has sort of the same motions as smoking. Good luck, and just remember, we're here for youOriginally Posted by ohelephant
Hi everyone...
I was wondering if anyone on here has smoked before and have had an experience trying to quit. I've been smoking since 2007, and I'm regretting the decisions I have made to pick it up. All my friends used to smoke and I was the one who was old enough to buy them so I used to buy them for everyone at the time, after a while I said to myself well if I can buy them for everyone else why not buy myself a pack, and it all started from there. lol!!
Over the years my smoking habit just keeps getting worse, meaning I smoke more and more. It's getting to the point where it's costing me a lot of money, even buying the cheapest I can get. I'm just getting sick of it, and I know I can save myself a lot of money, and any future health problems caused by smoking.
I tried last year, quit cold turkey.. the first few days were horrible, but I did feel better, a few months later I started work and picked it back up again, and am now smoking almost twice as much. I tried before that too with Patches and the same thing happened, I had a relapse and smoked more than I did before. It doesn't end, and I'm worried if I do try to quit again I'll end up smoking more and more.
Trying to weigh out the pros and cons is tough, because I'm also in the process of losing weight, which is going well. I've noticed before that if I don't smoke as much, I eat more. That is also something I'm worried about because I don't want to jeopardize my weight loss. But with that being said, the longer I smoke, the longer I put my internal, and outer health in jeopardy.
Anyways... Have any of you tried to quit smoking before? How did it turn out for you, How long did it take? How was your overall experience? Do you have any tips for me?
I am more than happy to get as much tips as possible. I have one pack of smokes left and I am hoping I will have the motivation to quit this time..
I used to be quite a chain smoker but have been cutting down in the past 2 years or so and I can say I can be considered to have quit. I used to take a whole pack a day, sometimes maybe more depending on the work that I had to do. Now I take a pack every 4-5 days, about 4 sticks a day?
I found it really hard to cut down instantly, so instead of setting unrealistic goals like not smoking at all for a week, I limit myself to the number of cigarettes I take a day. I started with limiting myself to 3/4 of a pack, then slowly over time, reducing more sticks until I'm where I am today. I find it especially helpful if you find yourself a hobby, maybe playing an instrument, playing computer games, cooking food etc. to be helpful in helping yourself to quit smoking. Every time you feel the urge to light a stick just try to distract yourself.
Determination and perserverance bro! Don't give up
Thanks everyone! It's so tough, I did try yesterday after my post, and I cut down a lot, to less than half a pack. I do smoke a pack a day pretty much, so it's a big difference. I still didn't find much to do to occupy myself. I used to draw a lot but have lost a lot of my inspiration for it lately, though I have a feeling it will pick back up again soon. I know I'm bound to get irritated and probably angry so I can use that to my advantage when drawing. Right now I have a goal of one smoke every hour. Hopefully it works!
Something else you might want to try is to fill it with snacking on healthy foods. I.e. eating a few carrots or fruit/veggies when you have a craving.
That's a good idea, thanks!!
Ive quit before, it really is hard to quit. Im gunna give it another go though! Wish we luck
Also, apparently when you do quit, all foods taste 100X better XD.
BEDDOEDv, Good luck!!!!
learningtoneopet1Omg! It could be a good thing for me because I am a picky eater, so I might start liking some healthier foods. It could go two different ways, hopefully it works in my favor. haha
I was told I could try making a diary, or keep a note of my progress. I'm sure it will help blow off some steam when I am craving.
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