How did you quit smoking?

[jcsbama]

I have been an on/off again smoker for several years. I have been "on again" for 5-6 months. Before that, I went a year without smoking. I really want to quit for good. In the past, I have just always gone cold turkey. However, I'm finding it more difficult to do that now. I'm smoking more than I ever have before, about a pack a day. Maybe that's why it's so hard to stop. It's crazy because I smoke on the way to and from work (3 each way), if I go to lunch, which, is maybe once or twice a week (2 per lunch) and then after DD goes to bed. This is the part that kills me. I'm like a dang chain smoker after DD is in bed. I don't like what it does to my sinuses or how I smell and I know it's not healthy. I'm having a hard time putting them down again. I had told DH I was going to quit after Christmas, but haven't been able to yet. I want to be quit before our Disney trip at the end of April. Any suggestions, helpful hints? How can I quit and not gain a lot of weight?

 

[Mom-to-3]

Zyban. I told the doc I didn't think it was possible for a pill to lessen my desire to smoke. It did that, but it also made the smoking itself unpleasant.

Quitting smoking is the #1 thing you can do to extend your life expectancy.

 

[andromedaslove]

I wish I had advice, unfortunately I am in a similar situation. I can not smoke ALL day long, but as soon as the kids go to bed and I sit down to watch TV I start jonesin' for a cigarette. I haven't made it a full 24 hrs without a cigarette in 6 months.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

To smoke or not? It is a choice. I call myself a cig-a-holic.
Just as someone with a drug or alcohol problem has to stay quit, a smoker is no different.
You are a drug addict. It is harsh but it is an ugly truth.

Some people can quit and be fine. Some are like me and want a cig everyday until you die.

That was my first hurdle. I had been quit before for 3 years and started back up. The "wanting a cig" never left me.

Now I am at almost 3 years again. Still want a cig, everyday.
I thank God it is not alcohol or heroin or something like that. It is what can get me through some days.

My DH just quit using Welbutrin. It worked very well for him. He is at 6 months now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Forgot part 2 of your question..weight gain. What I did was exercise, I took step classes.

DH unfortunately, did not do a darn thing and ate. He has gained ALOT of weight.

We just joined a gym and plan to get back in shape. I am going YOGA tonight....

 

[mainewmn]

I quit cold turkey, I was at a stage in my life where I wanted to more to quit smoking more then I wanted to keep smoking. Yes when I have a very bad day I want a cigarette, but I don’t give in, I go running or cook, or do something else to keep myself busy.

I can tell you tough the once or twice I strained and smoked I hated the way it tasted, and the way I smelled afterwards. Just not worth it in my book. Beside that the price for a pack of smokes in Maine is around $7.00 a pack! That alone will keep you from smoking!

Yes, I did gain weight, this is the stage I’m at right now, trying to loose it. But you know I can run again! I can go running and I don’t feel like my lungs are exploding and I can’t take another step. That alone is a great feeling!

 

[luckywife]

I smoked for 12 years and decided one day that I was done with it. I used the patch and it was the best thing I ever did. I found it to be incredibly easy with the patch so that's what I always reccomend when people talk about giving up smoking.

Also visit www.quitnet.com. I found their message boards very helpful and I still visit the site. April 1st it will be 15 months since I kicked the habit.

Good Luck!

ETA: I know a lot of people deal with weight gain after they stop smoking but I didn't have too much of a problem with it. I think I maybe gained 5 pounds. I looked at it like this, after I ate is when I wanted to smoke the most so I tried to stay away from over-eating because that alone made me want to light up faster than anything.

 

[kat3668]

Well first off I had to watch my Nana a chain smoker die due to cigarette related illness...
Was not a pretty sight and pretty much it scared the hell out of me.
I promised her I would quit and I did..
Anyway.....
The first thing I did was set a date.... made it 3 months in advance so I could get use to the idea..
Then I took the whole week off work so I could be as ugly as I wanted and had no one to bother....(work in daycare center)
Then the night before around 1100 pm I pretty much smoked a whole pack nonstop.. till I got green in the face..
Really did'nt want to smoke for the first 2 weeks made me ill even to think about it.
Then just strong old fashioned will did it for me
Distracted myself from wanting a cigarette by taking walks.. riding my bike... and just keeping busy.
Certain things did change though ( cant talk on the phone like I used to because I loved to smoke and talk).. driving in the car was tough too.
Now I have been a nonsmoker for 12 years now and there still are times I would love to light up and have even had nightmares about picking up a cigarette but as the years went by it started to make me ill just to smell smoke on peoples clothing or anywhere...
It was tough but I feel so much better and have'nt been sick nearly as much when I smoked..
Good Luck! You can Do it!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I swear by the patch. I smoked for over 20 years and just knew I couldn't quit cold turkey. I used the patch, drank a lot of water, stopped drinking coffee for a few weeks (that was a trigger) and bough tic tacs by the pound! Its been several years and just recently I finally stopped thinking about wanting a cigarette.

Good luck - I also used the money that I used to use to buy cigarettes for Disney trips. That's a true motivator.

 

[MoniqueU]

My smoking was starting to cause problems with my gums and my teeth. Smoking is VERY bad for both your gums and your teeth if you don't know that. Anyway I hate the dentist more then anything. I would rather have surgery on any part of my body and any amount of pain then simply get my teeth cleaned. I cry when I go to the dentist. I have to get anti anxiety medicene to get me in the door. The scraping, the sound of the drill just set me on edge and give panic attacks. So I used that as my ultimate motivator. There was just no question in my mind I had to quit. I had to give up the habit I LOVED LOVED LOVED more then anything. I was not a casual smoker by any means. I smoked all the time in every situation I could, around my kids, while pregnant every imaginable horrible way I could. Bad me. But as soon as I found out I might lose my teeth or have to have additional dental work that was it. I did whatever I had to do to quit. I quit cold turkey and just did it. No excuses. I might of not been at my nicest alot of the time and I might of been on edge but oh well I quiit and I am staying quit. I put on quite a bit of weight too but again oh well at least I am not in that dentist chair. I am just now approaching my weight loss the same way I approached quitting smoking and I have no doubt I will reach my goal.

My best advice is find whatever works for you to keep you motivated beyond belief to quit. All the stories you read on this board alone about lung cancer ought to be enough right there.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Good for you. I smoked 4 packs a day for about 20 years. I would wake up in the
middle of the night for a cigarette. I used the patch. It's been over ten years now
and I never even miss it. It's my most notable accomplishment!

Good Luck! You can do it!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I just quit cold turkey. One day I said thats it. I never thought I could do it. I LOVED to smoke. But after DS was born I really cut back. Then when I got pregnant with DD, I quit and never looked back.

I did gain about 15 pounds and joke with DH that I'm going to start smoking again so I can be skinny, but I know I won't. Its a struggle. Everytime I drink a beer, I crave a cigarette. DH and I leave for Jamaica soon with another couple, both of whom , smoke. I know it will bother me to no end. Drinking alot more than usual plus being around 2 people constantly who smoke. But you just got to put your mind to it and do it.

 

[PixiPwr]

Me, not a smoker - grew up with parents who smoked (having to listen to all of that hacking first thing in the morning was deterrent enough for me )

DH, on the other hand is 40 and started smoking when he was 20. Up until Sept. 16, 2005 he was smoking 1-1/2 to 2 packs a day. On that day my "healthy", relatively young husband had a heart attack. Were the cigarettes entirely to blame, no, but were a major contributor.

Fortunately, there was no damage to his heart and the blockages are being treated with lifestyle changes and medication. His Dr. wrote him an Rx for a patch - as of today, that Rx sits in the console of his truck, rubberbanded to the last pack of cigarettes he bought on 9/16 - he never filled it and he hasn't had a cigarette since.

We now look upon that day as a day of celebration and blessing. Anything less than that heart attack would not have gotten his attention. I am so proud of him - I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it has been for him. But if you ask him, he'll tell you it hasn't been nearly as difficult the thoughts he had of not being here for his four girls and I.

So, my advice...take a good look at that beautiful little girl in your signature and do whatever it takes to make sure you're here to see her as a beautiful young woman.

Good Luck!

 

[eclectics]

Anything that contained nicotine (patch, gum, etc.) always caused me to go back to cigarettes. I finally tried Quest nicotine free cigarettes and it was like going cold turkey but smoking at the same time. My body finally said why are you bothering to smoke these things and I just stopped one day. Already had the withdrawal so it wasn't that bad. Anyway, that's what worked for me after 30 years a smoker. Watching my sister die from emphysema gave me extra motivation. Good luck to you!