Team-BHP - Help smoking Team-BHP members quit smoking

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster (Post 2658371)

@suhaas- how's it going man? The first month is the hardest, isn't it? Hope you haven't slipped and reverted to the "dirty" habits of old lol:

Thad was right. New Year resolutions don't work. stupid: I just joined in a mass failure. Had stopped for 2 weeks, and I've had a few cigarettes since the 16th, I think. I'm pretty upset with myself. But it's quite a strong craving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ritayan (Post 2661808)

I have been off the stick on 29th of dec, the first week was the hardest. I am happy to report i have not touched it. Hope i have the strength to keep it out

Remember its one day at a time. Every single time you get the craving / or feel like smoking - Just say may be a little later.

What worked for me? - Every morning, Get up and tell myself I will not smoke today - There has been 645 successful mornings so far, and hope to continue the success streak :D

The only way that worked for me was to supplement the quitting part with some cardio.

When I started running last year, I couldn't manage 500 metres on the road. That spurred me on to cut down on cigarettes even more, and my stamina and breathing started improving. When I gave smoking a break, I was up to 4 kms!! That's when I quit altogether. Now I can manage 10kms on a regular basis, atleast twice a week.

Quote:

Originally Posted by azeemhafiz

Well more than mornings its the alone time i am worried of but i am determined i will not let the stick win

Very glad to report I smoke the last one on Jan 31st. First couple of days were a little tough, but I hardly miss cigarettes these days. Bought myself a strip of Nicotex 2 mg and used a couple of them, but after a day or two, didn't need even the gum. Am actually surprised that the whole process was so painless. I was smoking for nearly 22 years and thought it might actually be very difficult to quit. Touchwood! Hope to stay this way - a non smoker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reswaran

When I started running last year, I couldn't manage 500 metres. Now I can manage 10kms on a regular basis, atleast twice a week.

This is good news, congratulations. Usually fitness schedule and excercising and smoking dont go well together. I learnt it when my very good friend stopped smoking after seriously starting badminton.

Its been a year since he smoked and i am happy he did it without any help from any suppliment etc.

I don't know if it has been posted earlier, searched e-cigarette but didn't find it here. Anyway one of my friend who is a heavy smoker is trying out the e-cigarette which is battery operated and releases liquid nicotine whenever one inhales. He says the effect isn't the same but helpful in avoiding the cig. It doesn't cost much as well so giving it a try won't hurt I believe.

Here's the link

Deluxe Kit - Kits

I searched this thread, but could not find the method I used to quit.

I chain smoked for 15 years of my life. I started in my engineering days. And I thought I would quit once college is over. Then I thought, I will quit when I get a promotion. Then I thought I will quit when I get married. I made a firm resolution when my first son was born. I promised doctor that I will not smoke again, when my son had chest infection. I made resolution every new year. I made at least 10-12 very serious attempts to quit. But sooner or later, I started smoking again. And the period I was not smoking, I used to feel miserable and horrible.

Then one day I read a book called "Easyway to stop smoking" by Allen carr. I quit immediately and have never smoked ever. I lost all my urge to smoke. I don't remember when exactly I had quit, but it must be over 400 days now. Never going down that smoky path again. EVER.

You can watch this video and it is about the same how I feel.

I started smoking in college and have been an on and off smoker ever since, though with more off than on periods. Everytime I have quit has been cold turkey and have managed to keep off it despte a lot of my friends smoking and that tempting me.

It is not even a month since I last quit and I plan to never smoke again.

I have learnt a couple of things that I want to share with all of you.

Quitting cold turkey is a lot easier than reducing it, but it does require an awesome amount of will power. It is not easy.

Nicotine as an addiction is probably one of the strongest out there. Worse, it is legal so people think it doesn't harm them as much as say some illegal narcotic. Not true at all.

Avoid substituting one addiction (cigs) for another. The problem with this is that one day when you try one cigarette again, you will drop your other addiction and replace it with the cigarettes. Not good.

Want to stop smoking for yourself and your own reasons, not because someone is forcing you to. That only breeds resentment.

Remind yourself every morning that it is just one full day you need to go through and it is easier than saying I will not smoke for a year. Short term and visible goals are much better than long term ones.

Reward yourself for staying off the smokes. With something healthy preferably, but do so. It makes you feel good about yourself and about stopping smoking.

Avoid the other habits that you used to do when you smoked as they will trigger memories of the smoking days and try to get you back there.

Try as much as possible to have others involved in your decision so that they give you the strength to stay clean.