[ilidawn]

Anyone have any tips for quitting smoking? Ways to curb the desire? I can't afford medications and such. Can't even afford smokes anymore lol this last pack of mine came from my change jar! I've decided it's time to quit but just wonder if there's any free tricks anyone has tried that has helped. Thanks!

[krampus]

Hang around people with lung disease and listen to the noises they make in the morning. That's what did it for me - also, feeling like a giant hypocrite eating and exercising and doing all this healthy stuff while still smoking cigarettes.

Barring that, e-cigarettes aren't free like quitting cold turkey, but quitting tobacco without quitting nicotine is better than smoking.

[Sinoia]

In Britain you can go to your gp and get nicotine patches and gum etc for free, is there nothing like that where you live?

I do not think I would have succeeded without the patches.

However, there are some little tricks that really help. The first is to know when you most crave a cigarette ie first thing in the morning, or with a cup of coffee, or when you are sitting at the computer. You need to change those things ... for instance, when you get up and crave one, do some exercises instead. Always keep a glass, or bottle, of water, by your keyboard, and when you have a craving, take a sip. Do something else while drinking coffee, like get a worry stone or beads and keep it in your smoking hand so it is occupied and not reaching for the ciggy.

There are great communities online for giving up smoking and you can find a buddy on them, so when you have a craving you send your buddy a whisper or tweet and get support ... and reinforce yourself by supporting your buddy.

If you can get through two weeks you have a good chance of making it. The physical cravings will have reduced so much. Then it is down to the psychological cravings. That is where you need your buddy and the internet to keep focussed.

I was a very very heavy smoker for thirty years. I gave up in May 2001 and have not smoked or even leaned over to inhale someone else's smoke, since then. My reason for giving up was not grand and I make no excuses.... I fell on hard times and it was between eating or smoking. At the time my then partner had early onset dementia, we were at the end of an intensive period of litigation (nothing sinister ... pensions issues) which was highly stressful and costly. Then our house burned down and I learned my partner had let the insurances expire. So you see there was nothing really else to lose and I was in such a bad place that giving up smoking was about the least of the problems.

So that is the last tip ... look around your life and gain perspective on smoking. In the run of things it is likely that giving up may look huge but it is probably the least of the problems.

On a really positive note, you are a person who is accustomed to discipline, being someone who is on the losing weight wagon, and really discipline is what it takes to maintain a no smoking course.

[Clumsy]

Avoid friends who smoke untill you are a few months smokeless. If you break down and buy some, buy a kind you hate. It will be easier to stop after a couple puffs in and with any luck you'll start to associate smoking with a gross taste. For me it was Colts, but if you don't like menthols those should work. Don't do anything you know triggers the desire, like drinking. Avoid situations and people that make you stressed or irritated.

If you have kids of neices and nephews, really guilt yourself and do it for them. Kids are wwaaaaay more likely to smoke themselves if they see it is normalized in the family.

Try for cold turkey, but if you mess up, don't quit quiting.

Good luck!

Eta- Quit since 2004.

[thewalrus0]

Since I spent most of my day at work and that's where I smoked most(outside on breaks and in my car there and back) I'm take a couple cigarettes and put them in a ziploz bag and I'd leave them at home. Basically I rationed them out. I usually smoked 6 a day so one day I rationed out 4. I wasn't uncomfortably deprived, I just had to decide if it was worth it to smoke at certain times. I usually found it was best to smoke one in the car on the way there, and then skip one break before having another.

Eventually I was only bring three, then two, then one...then I'd go a day without on, then have one, then a day without. Eventually it just tapered off and I stopped.

I also learned a lot about what a cigarette does to you. Not just after many years but after one cigarette. For about an hour after you smoke the circulation to your legs is cut off by about 75%. People can actually lose their legs from smoking too much. There are other things as well.

I am slightly spiritual and I believe in not harming others intentionally, but I also believe in not harming yourself intentionally. That sentiment also helped.

But you have to find the right reason for you. I didn't use a support group. In fact, all my friends smoke and still do. After a few months of not smoking I had a cigarette after a few drinks and the next day my lungs felt awful. I hate the smell of cigarettes now.

The E-cigarette might be beneficial to you as well. My gas stations sell them in single, disposable ones for about 7$. They are supposed to one pack's worth each, so not much more expensive.

I've been quit for more than a year now! If I can do it, anyone can. I smoked for 7 years, every single day.

[thewalrus0]

And don't believe the 'you'll gain weight' thing! You'll only gain weight if you allow yourself to eat to replace smokes. Do something else you like instead. Drink a cup of tea or black coffee. Go for a walk and leave your smokes behind. Get in the bath with a book. Go to the gym.

Anything but smoking or eating out of boredom, lol. You'll want to do something with your hands and mouth, so maybe chew regular gum. I personally dislike gum, but love tea and coffee so whenever I wanted a smoke at home I'd make some and just sit and google side effects of smoking while I drank that cup. I usually didn't want a cigarette afterwards.

[happynottsgirl]

I also used to smoke. I noticed a clear difference on the appearance of my skin (face) when I smoking vs not smoking. For me, it would also do something to the texture as well. It ages you.

Think about smoker's breath too! You can't smell it but everyone else does and it's the most disgusting, repelling smell ever!

And yellow teeth.

[Fatness]

Originally Posted by ilidawn

Anyone have any tips for quitting smoking? Ways to curb the desire? I can't afford medications and such. Can't even afford smokes anymore lol this last pack of mine came from my change jar! I've decided it's time to quit but just wonder if there's any free tricks anyone has tried that has helped. Thanks!

I am a smoker and its hard.. What I do is eat a lot of gum. When not smoking and you have the urge to smoke because you need the feel of that stick to touch lips; gum will take the feeling away because your mouth is constantly moving. Also keep yourself busy.

For me; I would only smoke in the house. I never smoked in a public place or anywhere outside of the house. I have to fight my urges once I get in the house.

Also, I eat walnuts, when u have the urge to smoke; it's really about the need to put something in your mouth, the sensation that you get from smoking can be replaced by good habits. Walnuts are heathy,or any type of nuts. When you have the urge to smoke just eat some walnuts. You will not gain weight from eating nuts! Just a note!

[BrownEyedVeggie]

Chantix helped me and was the best investment. If my daughter wanted to try it to kick her nicotine addiction, I'd purchase it for her. It's that good. If you have family members and friends nagging you to kick the habit, ask them to put a financial contribution in a jar.

Changing your habit before trying to quit is helpful. For me, the biggest hurdle was not smoking while driving and not having a cig with my morning coffee. I stopped smoking in the car and in my home to stop the habits before my quit date. I also stopped drinking coffee, which was a trigger.

Quitting isn't easy. You'll need a strong motivation to be successful. For me, it was vanity. Smoking stinks and yellows teeth. The other reason was knowing that employers prefer nonsmokers.

I wish you every success.

[ilidawn]

Thank you all so much for all the replies, tips, and well wishes! I've got an ecig somewhere I think I'll use it when I get the massive cravings but I'm going to give cold turkey a shot. (My mom used to always complain that I somehow wound up with both hers and my fathers stubborness lol so I should put that to good use) I've noticed the times I reach for smokes the most so I'm thinking I might make myself drink water since I'm generally dehydrated. I've worked with so many people suffering from the effects in their old age so I have seen how horribly painful it will be someday if I don't quit now. Besides, I'm in school to be an LPN and I don't want to expose future patients to the odor in case it sets off asthma attacks. Thanks again!

[Teresa66]

It is one of the hardest addictions to kick, but when you do you will be amazed that you ever had such a nasty and expensive habit. I was fortunate that when I quit smoking (after 23 years and two packs a day), the very smell of smoke on someone made me ill.

Good luck and don't ever give up on yourself!

[ilidawn]

Thanks! Good news is that I don't even enjoy smoking anymore so I hope I can just quit the habit.

[ALM2000]

I was a 2 pack-a-day smoker for 21 years (I started when I was really young). Terrible habit.

I quit on July 4, 2011 by using an e-cigarette. Since then, I have never picked up, nor had the desire to smoke an analog. (that's what we vapers call traditional cigarettes)

When I started vaping, I started on a high dose of nicotine. (24 mg) Now, I am down to 8 mg and I plan to go 0 mg in less than a year. After that, I am completely done.

If you want to me PM me, I can give you more details.

[CrepeSuzette]

I quitted smoking since i started working out with JM dvds (3 weeks ago).
My breath was weak due to the cigarettes and i felt very sore after a single jumping jacks repetition.
Now my breath is stronger and i can stand the workout completely

[Clumsy]

Can we get an update? How is the quitting coming along?