[bblost]

Originally Posted by noopster

That is scary. I have been quit (as in TOTALLY quit) for just over 3 months now. Can imagine how you must feel after 2 years cold turkey.

But take my advice, ditch those sticks! Yesterday was fine, but there will be other times when you feel the urge and cutting off the supply always helps.

No Way. I loved the fact that the sticks are there. I loved the challenge and will be emerge stronger.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Exactly what i'm worried about. Kick the butt, appetite goes up and so does weight.

You need to understand the role of nicotine and metabolism of food. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. I remember very clearly the smoking and hunger connection. Waiting on a street corner/ cafe/ theater I would indulge in a cigarette rather than eat something.
I am stuck in work, cannot have lunch, would rather have a quick smoke instead of a sandwich.

Check yourself, how many times have you chosen a cigarette over food. It is what it does. It makes you forget you are hungry. It suppress your natural needs.

Read any book on weight loss or diet management. They will all mention smaller meals spread across the day rather than 3 large meals.

In the early days of quitting smoking, I started picking up apples.
Simple calculation, 5 smoke is Rs 25. 2 Apples is Rs 25.

My weight has always hovered around 98 -+ 2 kgs.
My waist size now is 36 that is a loss of 2+ inches in the time since I quit smoking.

In fact I am feeling a lot healthier having quit smoking.

Weight increase is a problem if you substitute smokes with bad choices like chips etc.

[Mr_Bean]

Ive tried to quit numerous times till now, off late it is not actually the stress or an heavy lunch which pulls me again into it.

When it is time for natures call I get that terrible cravings to smoke.

How do you deal with this scenario?

[Wolfheart]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bean

Ive tried to quit numerous times till now, off late it is not actually the stress or an heavy lunch which pulls me again into it.

The time when I drink & when it is time for natures call I get that terrible cravings to smoke.

How do you deal with this scenario?

I never had the habit of going to the loo with a cigarette. All my buddies are smokers. So whenever I'm at a party or at a pub everyone around me lights up. And many of these are the same people with whom I had been sharing cigarettes since college. Trust me the temptation is very strong. However when people step out for a smoke, I join them. If I get tempted, I borrow a cigarette light it up (without inhaling) and hand it to someone. This has really helped me control the urge. Now I don't even get tempted and whenever I lit a cigarette for someone it smelled pretty obnoxious. I can't believe how I was smoking that crap for so many years. It's like a spell / enchantment has been broken. I'm finally seeing cigarettes for what they really are-disgusting little smoke sticks!

And trust me guys you dont need nicotine. I feel that it's a purely psychological addiction. Your mind is like a mischievious child or like the devil on your left shoulder that tempts you to smoke even after having quit for 2 years(referring to Bblost's earlier post). Master your mind and you have won the battle.

Though cigarettes contain pesticides, toxins, heavy metals and other known carcinogens new reseach indicates that cigarettes and cigarette ash is radioactive. It seems that this radioactivity is known to cause lung cancer in animals. Those of you who are still trying to quit, may want to ensure that there's no ash lying around at home especially if you have children in your family. BTW here's the link: Tobacco firms accused of hiding polonium danger - swissinfo

[vivekiny2k]

so I read about radon breaking up and sticking to tobacco leaves and then ending up in smoker's bodies. how does it not affect other agricultural products?

I have radon mitigation system in my basement and wondering how it works. Not needed in India because the houses are not enclosed complete thru the winter and the radon is automatically dissipated. Some houses are completely airtight around the year here in US.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

Now I don't even get tempted and whenever I lit a cigarette for someone it smelled pretty obnoxious. I can't believe how I was smoking that crap for so many years. It's like a spell / enchantment has been broken. I'm finally seeing cigarettes for what they really are-disgusting little smoke sticks!

Amen to that! In fact, I used to hate the smell of cigarettes before I took up the habit myself (was a relatively late starter, at age 22 in B-school hostel). Now that I don't smoke anymore, I can bear being around other smokers so long as the ventilation is good. If it's indoors, and it's a stuffy room, I beg them to stop or at least crack open a window! I am actually tapping into my childhood hatred for cigarette smoke to help me quit

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

so I read about radon breaking up and sticking to tobacco leaves and then ending up in smoker's bodies. how does it not affect other agricultural products?

I have radon mitigation system in my basement and wondering how it works. Not needed in India because the houses are not enclosed complete thru the winter and the radon is automatically dissipated. Some houses are completely airtight around the year here in US.

Maybe because other agricultural products are washed and consumed.
Tobacco leaves are burnt and inhaled.

[suhaas307]

I have been a regular smoker since 2007 and I'm 21 now. The problem with me is that my parents smoke too and they did discourage me from picking up a cigarette, but they did not stop me from smoking. In fact, there was a time when my Dad and I used to go to the shop together and pick up cigarettes and we would smoke together as well! My dad has quit smoking, and it has been 5 months for him now. He urges me to quit too.

90% of my friends smoke. And I'm always around it. I've never really thought of quitting, except when something really terrible happened to me. Sometime in December last year, during the day, I started feeling very uneasy and restless. I was, in fact, posting something on Team-BHP when I started feeling weird! And suddenly, I was completely out of breath!

I guess, at this juncture, I should mention that I suffer from asthma/wheezing and it is hereditary. As a child, I was on regular homeopathic medicine and over the years, it had helped me quite a lot. From being a terrible asthmatic, I'd forgotten what it felt like to be breathless, until that fateful day.

My oxygen levels had dropped down to alarming levels and I was immediately shifted to Manipal Hospital on Airport road. After administering high doses of Asthalin and oxygen, I strated breathing easy again. I was on the nebulizer for the whole day.

The reports suggested that my wind-pipe had shriveled to the size of a small straw. After a few scans, the doctor advised me to stop, wait for it, drinking cold water! Apparently, cold water is what did it for me! My asthma worsens when I drink cold liquids. I did mention that I'm a smoker, and she told me to stop that immediately, but she did say that it wasn't because of the cigarettes. It caught me by surprise, to be honest.

I'd given up smoking for two months after that incident. But I picked up a cigarette again. Ever since, I've cut down my smoking and I will give up sometime soon.

[bblost]

Suhaas.

Please check this:
smoking parents asthma - Google Scholar

I am very sorry to say this but your asthma might be linked to your parents smoking.

You will have kids someday, please consider the impact of your smoking on their health.

Your parents did not have the information on how parental smoking can impact children, you do.


QUIT SMOKING.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by bblost

Suhaas.

Please check this:
smoking parents asthma - Google Scholar

I am very sorry to say this but your asthma might be linked to your parents smoking.

You will have kids someday, please consider the impact of your smoking on their health.

Your parents did not have the information on how parental smoking can impact children, you do.


QUIT SMOKING.

Thanks for the link bblost

However, ironically, my asthma has nothing to do with my parents' smoking habits. My grandfather (father's father) suffered from asthma as well and he hadn't touched a cigarette his entire life!

I shall quit someday! And it will be for good. And I know that it will happen sometime very soon. I know that there is no point in 'cutting down' as such. Quitting once and for all is the only solution.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by bblost

Yesterday was a sudden and chilling reminder of how sly nicotine is.

...

Never did I imagine that the urge can hit back with so much force even 2 years after the last stick. We need to be on guard at all times.

There seem to be certain danger points even long after giving up. I've often heard, "I gave up for six months"; "I gave up for two years" etc. Two years seems to be a regular one!

I could sit here now and think about it... Especially, if I imagine the process of rolling my own, from a tin of Golden Virginia tobacco. This is an experiment: I'm writing it to see if it makes my mouth water, and guess what?

For me, I suspect that my first cigarette after 17 years would be horrible, but, about an hour later I'd smoke another one. The next day it would be ten, then twenty again, day after day after day. I'm not going to risk it!

[Jayabusa]

Here you go folks....

[prateek99]

I don't want to write this.

Not all, but whatever posts I read, majority of them are on the lighter note.

Trust me; it is not easy at all to lose some one and smoking should be the last reason. For several months, your mind goes numb. Don't quit it for yourself. Quit it for the ones you love.

It killed someone close to me.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Not all, but whatever posts I read, majority of them are on the lighter note.

Very necessary to include some light touches on this serious subject.

[Jayabusa]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Very necessary to include some light touches on this serious subject.

I Agree.

YouTube - Award winning,funny Indian ad on no smoking for AAJ TAK

[noopster]

@bblost-

I had a close shave last week. We were away at a company offsite and the pleasant company and general high spirits triggered a desperate urge to light up. Just one, I told myself, I'll be fine after that. THANKFULLY, they were only selling by the half-pack at the bar and there weren't any other smokers in the group. Took some deep breaths and drank a lot of water. In the morning I said a silent prayer and realised how difficult this fight is going to be. My 6 month anniversary comes up in 2 weeks time and it's gonna be even sweeter knowing I could have lost it all in an instant!