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Posted: 3/16/2011 8:05:02 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I'm gaining weight, I want to kick anything that comes into view.

stop shoving more calories into your mouth

I don't really have the urge to smoke just to perform the ritual. Watching other people smoke doesn't bother me. The nicotine cravings are like being underwater and needing to breath in.

get an electronic cigarette

So you think he should go back on nicotine, after having successfully quit for 3 months.

Genius.

Don't quit your day job. I don't think addiction counseling is your forte.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:10:49 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
I tried, but no matter what I did, I simply could not get hooked. I smoked, I chewed, I dipped, hell, I even snorted, but tobacco just would not grip me. To this day, I have no cravings at all. I envy you.

I smell sarcasm.
My gut feels like a volcano and my brain thinks Mel Brooks is holding a "High Anxiety" film festival in my head.

Envy away.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:11:21 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
I still smoke and I still love it. Show me some proof that shows smoking is bad for me.

Let's go run a mile or two friendo.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:15:08 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
I smoked about a pack a day for 35 years.
Quit three months ago.
Are the nicotine cravings ever going to let up?
I'm gaining weight, I want to kick anything that comes into view.

I don't really have the urge to smoke just to perform the ritual. Watching other people smoke doesn't bother me. The nicotine cravings are like being underwater and needing to breath in.

I want to breath in, but I'm 20 feet under the surface!

I was about a pack/pack and a half a day for 15 years and quit about 6 or 8 months ago. Unfortunately man, I still get the cravings everyday and same as you, it's more to complete my ritual then actually smoke, I find myself twittling my thumbs and playing with pens and such at work a lot to keep my hands busy. According to my grandfather who hasn't smoked in like 10 years but did for like 40 years, he still gets cravings about daily as well but they are less intense then they used to be. Oh and I'm up about 12 pounds as well but that could also partly be because of the usual winter weight gain.

Stick with it man, you got this. Unfulfilled cravings are a million times better then paying $6+ a pack to slowly kill yourself. You make the decision what goes in your body, no one else.

P.S.: I put 5 or 6$ a day into a big jar each day like I would spend on cigs, 2 weeks ago I took that money and bought a beautiful VZ-58. Intrinsic motivation goes a long way, at least it did for me.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:18:23 AM EDT

[#5]

I quit two years ago this week. I gained 30 pounds but I'm a lazy SOB. I smoked three pack a day for 20 years. I rarely have a craving anymore.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:27:29 AM EDT

[#6]

Quit a month ago.

Have you seen the commercial for nicorette where the guy is sitting on the pier and a shark is chewing on his arm. He doesn't even notice because all he can think baout is "Cigarette....cigarette...cigarette..."

Yeah, thats me.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:39:47 AM EDT

[#7]

You can do it!

I smoked a pack a day for 20 years, through two cases of pneumonia, yearly bouts of bronchitis, and three wisdom tooth dry sockets.

I quit (again) in 2009, have been good so far, and expect to be for a long time.

The cravings decrease over time.

I find toothpicks are useful.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:50:30 AM EDT

[#8]

Quit 2+ years ago.

Exercise is your friend; it gives you something to distract you and you'll feel great.

No, I don't have cravings anymore.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:52:11 AM EDT

[#9]

I quit about 5 years ago after getting pneumonia, the doctor gave me prescription for bupropion. It seemed to work pretty good. The first week was the worst. I still get an urge but now when I smell one or smell somebody thats been smoking, the urge goes away.

I told myself that I wouldnt let a cigarette beat me. I still have the half pack of cigs when I quit. I take them out of the drawer once and a while to remind me of how stupid it is to smoke. Now I am the cig police, I can smell someone that smokes from 50 ft.

You have already got past the worst part, dont throw 3 months away. Hang in there, you wont regret it.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:54:47 AM EDT

[#10]

Pack-a-day for nearly 10 years.

I quit cold turkey around 17 months ago.

I want one every now and then but for the most part, I don't really care any longer.

For the first few months after quitting I was a mean, miserable prick. Now I'm just a prick.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:56:14 AM EDT

[#11]

I just hit my 2 year mark and I could not be happier. I run for miles now, I used to bring a couple of smokes with me when I walked the dogs it was sad really. I can hike higher and farther. I did put on some weight but that came off with the running and exercise. You will not miss it I thought I would but I do not. Remember to reward yourself also, take a little bit of the money you would have spent on smokes and buy yourself a little reminder that you are making the right decision. Oh by the way I was close to two packs a day and I quit do to political reasons, I was not going to give another dime if I did not have to.

Posted: 3/16/2011 8:56:58 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
I still smoke and I still love it. Show me some proof that shows smoking is bad for me.

Me too. Hacking up phlegme in the shower in the morning is about the only aggravation that comes from smoking.

Posted: 3/16/2011 9:06:44 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I still smoke and I still love it. Show me some proof that shows smoking is bad for me.

Let's go run a mile or two friendo.

Only if we can run it at 12,000ft

Posted: 3/16/2011 9:14:28 AM EDT

[#14]

goin on 2-3weeks without a cig, haven't been counting days since that never worked in the past. I cheated 1 time during week 1, but I was hammered drunk on cheap whiskey & only took 1 puff of a menthal (i smoked non-menthols). most recent craving, i was at grocery store finished shopping waiting on a ride outside thinking how nice a cig would be to kill some time/boredom, but I just ignored it & it didn't keep nagging at me like it did during the 1st week. it definitely gets easier over time. I smoked about a 1/2 pack a day for 10 yrs, whole pack or more per day if drinking. I am going cold turkey, since I think it's idiotic to keep taking nicotine in the form of a gum or patch if you are trying to stop using nicotine. that whole step down thing is bullshit if you ask me. you gotta just quit, it's all mental will power & 0% physical dependence. nothing physically makes your hand grab a cig, light it, & inhale, that's a conscious mental decision & you gotta beat it in your head, not with a crutch like a pill or gum. those "crutches" may help you avoid one in the short term, but they ain't doing shit for the long term in my opinion. just my $0.02

edit:

Quoted:
I still have the half pack of cigs when I quit. I take them out of the drawer once and a while to remind me of how stupid it is to smoke.

i actually have my 3/4 pack in a drawer, bummed one to somebody @ the house the other day just so they'd STFU. i might have to use that pack like you said as a reminder

Quoted:

Quoted:
I still smoke and I still love it. Show me some proof that shows smoking is bad for me.

My father. He's 6 feet under thanks to his 3 a day habit. Lung cancer and emphysema.

over 80% of diagnosed lung cancer occurs in people who smoke cigarettes.

google "lung CT scan" if you want some details

Posted: 3/16/2011 9:16:47 AM EDT

[#15]

Quit over 30 years ago. Was told at the time that you will always get the urge.. Tough habit to break . Congrats!!!!!!!!

Posted: 3/16/2011 9:31:06 AM EDT

[#16]

Remember the commercials about quitting smoking when "it's your time"? That's it. That's the key.

You have to decide it's "your time" to quit and simply do it. Trying to quit because you can't afford to buy smokes will not work. Trying to quit because someone else is pressuring you to do it will not work.

You need to finally say to yourself, "That's it, I'm done. I am now a non-smoker."

Having your head straight about why you are quitting is the most important thing. If you can do that, you will succeed.

Posted: 3/16/2011 9:43:29 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quit 2+ years ago.

Exercise is your friend; it gives you something to distract you and you'll feel great.

No, I don't have cravings anymore.

this is my plan. I started back in the gym last week. I'm preparing to quit in about two months.Gotta have something to occupy my time after work.

Posted: 3/16/2011 9:46:14 AM EDT

[#18]

I quit in 1998 about 15 years of smoking. I still smoke a cigar now and then - fishing, camping - but I could not go back to habitual smoking.

FWIW, I quit cold turkey.

Posted: 3/16/2011 10:03:31 AM EDT

[#19]

You guys are my inspiration. I switched to an e-cig last fall. That lasted 3 months until I convinced myself an occasional cigar would be fine... which turned into a daily cigar, which turned back into cigarettes. Now I'm back on the e-cig for about 2 weeks.

It really is a self-discipline thing. I know that I need to drop nicotine for good or I'll just be back where I started. In the meantime, at least with the e-cig, I can breathe well again (I have a light case of asthma).

If you've been off cigarettes for 3 months, the worst is already over. Just keep on going. I quit in 1993 and started again in 2000. Stupid, stupid stupid. I guess I just needed to remind myself how terrible those things are. Pretty crappy reminder, took me another decade to start quitting again.

Posted: 3/16/2011 10:24:05 AM EDT

[#20]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1152118&page=7

two days now. this eGo-tank is the coolest thing ever.

Posted: 3/16/2011 10:37:54 AM EDT

[#21]

Cold turkey @ 12 years ago.

For the first few days there is the mental obsession and physical craving. In the following weeks there will be a gradual slackening to where it becomes one (obsession or physical craving). Expect these "episodes" with some frequency, but they will be isolated moments instead of the constant condition in the first few days. Throughout the years, an "episode" can manifest unexpectedly, but they happen rather infrequently at this point, often triggered by an occasion, a smoker lighting up or stress. they pass quiclky.

Posted: 3/16/2011 11:21:28 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Cold turkey @ 12 years ago.

For the first few days there is the mental obsession and physical craving. In the following weeks there will be a gradual slackening to where it becomes one (obsession or physical craving). Expect these "episodes" with some frequency, but they will be isolated moments instead of the constant condition in the first few days. Throughout the years, an "episode" can manifest unexpectedly, but they happen rather infrequently at this point, often triggered by an occasion, a smoker lighting up or stress. they pass quiclky.

Cold Turkey for me 22 years ago. I smoked four packs a day. Parents smoked for years.

I quit 9 years before mom was diagnosed with severe lung cancer. Mom died 9 months after her diagnosis. Gee mom, your shoulder pain for the past two years turns out to be cancer growing into the ribs and arm.

Dad died 5 years after mom. Emphysema and loneliness did him in.

I have no cravings.

As Yul Brynner said "Don't smoke.........What ever you do, just don't smoke."

Posted: 3/16/2011 11:22:05 AM EDT

[#23]

I smoked a pack a day for 23 years and quit cold turkey 14 months ago.

The first 3 months are hell.
Between the 4th month and 6th month, I finally got used to being a non-smoker.

After a year it gets easier, and I very rarely think about smoking or have a craving anymore.

Hang in there. The rewards are worth it. I can breathe so much better now, and never cough anymore.
I have more money to spend on ammo, and my truck, clothes, fingers, and breath don't smell like an ashtray anymore.

It is the best thing I ever did for myself.

Posted: 3/16/2011 11:24:20 AM EDT

[#24]

smoked half a pack a day for 7.5 years. Stopped cold turkey 3 weeks ago. Still have no idea what a craving for nicotine feels like.

Posted: 3/16/2011 11:26:13 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
I smoked about a pack a day for 35 years.
Quit three months ago.
Are the nicotine cravings ever going to let up?
I'm gaining weight, I want to kick anything that comes into view.

I don't really have the urge to smoke just to perform the ritual. Watching other people smoke doesn't bother me. The nicotine cravings are like being underwater and needing to breath in.

I want to breath in, but I'm 20 feet under the surface!

I quite 11 years ago and haven't had a craving in years & years. I wouldn't smoke another cigarette if my life depended on it.

Posted: 3/16/2011 11:40:16 AM EDT

[#26]

I smoked a pack a day for about 12 years. I quit cold turkey back in January. The first week was pretty hard. I took a vacation the week I decided to quit, I felt it would be easier since there wouldn't be the smoke breaks that I would be craving to light up. Now if I didn't have year round allergies I would be able to smell a lot better than what I'm able to now. You basically have to say that's it, I'm done and stick with it. Quitting will be very hard, but stick with it and you'll beat it. Good luck!

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:04:39 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
smoked half a pack a day for 7.5 years. Stopped cold turkey 3 weeks ago. Still have no idea what a craving for nicotine feels like.

Hold your breath.
Keep holding it.
Ready to pass out yet?
Let your breath out and count to ten before breathing.

It's sort of like that.

Ever suck on a 9 volt battery?

It's sort of like that.
Almost all day long.

I can do it another six months.
I can't do it another ten years.

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:06:10 PM EDT

[#28]

A pack a day for 5 years. Quit 9 years ago last month. One of the few healthy things I've ever done.

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:08:45 PM EDT

[#29]

I was a carton a week smoker and gave it up cold turkey as a New Years resolution in 1997.

I haven't smoke a single cigarette since. Cold turkey is the way to go.

I had tried and failed to quite MANY times before...so to those of you who struggle with this ...NEVER QUIT TRYING TO QUIT!!!

IIRC it was about 6 mos to a year before I quit having any desire for a smoke

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:20:33 PM EDT

[#30]

Quit Marlboro's last Sept & switched to the 510 style e-cig. The e-cig eliminated the tar and carcinogens from a cig. Its pure nicotine. No smell of a cig also. Costs about 20.00 a month to refill the liquid smoking about a pack a day. I can now smoke in my vehicle & house or bathroom while flying since there is no smell or real smoke. It expels water vapor.

My cravings have been reduced. A craving now is nothing like a craving while smoking. Its now sort of a dull want nicotine that doesnt hit hard like a real cig craving.

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:32:12 PM EDT

[#31]

I think cold turkey is the way to go. All those patches and gums may work for some people, but they would just make me want to smoke more or remind me that I'm not smoking. After the initial roughness goes away in a few weeks, it's not so bad if you have quite cold turkey.

I haven't smoked in a long time and I am much happier this way. You'll thank yourself for the feeling of freedom, not being a slave to the tobacco.

They still smell good, though. Mmmm mmm.

My best advice to quit and how I did it: find something to replace the ritual with that's not nicotine related, imo. Anytime you get a craving, do whatever the replacement activity is. It helps if it's the kind of thing that will sort of 'take the edge off', if you know what I mean. Shooting, push-ups, herbal tea, etc...

You can do it!!!

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:39:13 PM EDT

[#32]

Cold turkey 25 years ago.
Next day my grandmother died from lung cancer.

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:50:00 PM EDT

[#33]

I was one pack a day for 20 years.

I have been free of it for almost 23 years now. I still want a smoke after a good breakfast though.

Keep up the good work.

Posted: 3/16/2011 12:50:24 PM EDT

[#34]

I smoked between 3/4 to 1 1/2 packs a day over 6 1/2 years. I had thought about quitting and happen to light a stale cigarette. Got pissed and quit cold turkey. That was last August

Posted: 3/16/2011 1:17:13 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:

Quoted:
smoked half a pack a day for 7.5 years. Stopped cold turkey 3 weeks ago. Still have no idea what a craving for nicotine feels like.

Hold your breath.
Keep holding it.
Ready to pass out yet?
Let your breath out and count to ten before breathing.

It's sort of like that.

Ever suck on a 9 volt battery?

It's sort of like that.
Almost all day long.

I can do it another six months.
I can't do it another ten years.

If you can hang in there for another month or two, it will ease up.
By the one year mark, you will have beaten it and will thank God you didn't give in to the cravings.

Trust me on this.