I have only been smoking for about a year and a half which I unfortunately picked up while studying abroad in college. My problem is I like it during special times such as after coffee, a big meal, sex, etc. I feel like I am doing myself a favor because I smoke American Spirits which are 100% natural tobacco without any of the additives of other cigarettes. I am trying to stop smoking for the new years as I am a health nut and love working out but smoking is my biggest problem. I do love smoking but constantly tell my friends to tell me why it is so stupid. I have had literally zero health complications all my life. For those who have quit successfully please give me advice for 2009.
well for starters you just cant stop. You have to take steps
1. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can quit. Think about
some of the most difficult things you have done in your life and
realize that you have the guts and determination to quit
smoking. It's up to you.
2. After reading this list, sit down and write your own list,
customized to your personality and way of doing things. Create
you own plan for quitting.
3. Write down why you want to quit (the benefits of quitting):
live longer, feel better, for your family, save money, smell
better, find a mate more easily, etc. You know what's bad about
smoking and you know what you'll get by quitting. Put it on
paper and read it daily.
4. Ask your family and friends to support your decision to quit.
Ask them to be completely supportive and non-judgmental. Let
them know ahead of time that you will probably be irritable and
even irrational while you withdraw from your smoking habit.
5. Set a quit date. Decide what day you will extinguish your
cigarettes forever. Write it down. Plan for it. Prepare your
mind for the "first day of the rest of your life". You might
even hold a small ceremony when you smoke you last cigarette, or
on the morning of the quit date.
6. Talk with your doctor about quitting. Support and guidance
from a physician is a proven way to better your chances to quit.
7. Begin an exercise program. Exercise is simply incompatible
with smoking. Exercise relieves stress and helps your body
recover from years of damage from cigarettes. If necessary,
start slow, with a short walk once or twice per day. Build up to
30 to 40 minutes of rigorous activity, 3 or 4 times per week.
Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.
8. Do some deep breathing each day for 3 to 5 minutes. Breathe
in through your nose very slowly, hold the breath for a few
seconds, and exhale very slowly through your mouth. Try doing
your breathing with your eyes closed and go to step 9.
9. Visualize your way to becoming a non-smoker. While doing your
deep breathing in step 8, you can close your eyes and begin to
imagine yourself as a non-smoker. See yourself enjoying your
exercise in step 7. See yourself turning down a cigarette that
someone offers you. See yourself throwing all your cigarettes
away, and winning a gold medal for doing so. Develop your own
creative visualizations. Visualization works.
10. Cut back on cigarettes gradually (if you cut back gradually,
be sure to set a quit date on which you WILL quit). Ways to cut
back gradually include: plan how many cigarettes you will smoke
each day until your quit date, making the number you smoke
smaller each day; buy only one pack at a time; change brands so
you don't enjoy smoking as much; give your cigarettes to someone
else, so that you have to ask for them each time you want to
smoke.
11. Quit smoking "cold turkey". Many smokers find that the only
way they can truly quit once and for all is to just quit
abruptly without trying to slowly taper off. Find the method
that works best for you: gradually quitting or cold turkey. If
one way doesn't work do the other.
12. Find another smoker who is trying to quit, and help each
other with positive words and by lending an ear when quitting
becomes difficult. Visit this Bulletin Board and this Chat Room
to find a "quit buddy."
13. Have your teeth cleaned. Enjoy the way your teeth look and
feel and plan to keep them that way.
14. After you quit, plan to celebrate the milestones in your
journey to becoming a non-smoker. After two weeks of being
smoke-free, see a movie. After a month, go to a fancy restaurant
(be sure to sit in the non-smoking section). After three months,
go for a long weekend to a favorite get-away. After six months,
buy yourself something frivolous. After a year, have a party for
yourself. Invite your family and friends to your "birthday"
party and celebrate your new chance at a long, healthy life.
15. Drink lots of water. Water is good for you anyway, and most
people don't get enough. It will help flush the nicotine and
other chemicals out of your body, plus it can help reduce
cravings by fulfilling the "oral desires" that you may have.
16. Learn what triggers your desire for a cigarette, such as
stress, the end of a meal, arrival at work, entering a bar, etc.
Avoid these triggers or if that's impossible, plan alternative
ways to deal with the triggers.
17. Find something to hold in your hand and mouth, to replace
cigarettes. Consider drinking straws or you might try an
artificial cigarette called E-Z Quit found here:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezquit.htm
18. Write yourself an inspirational song or poem about quitting,
cigarettes, and what it means to you to quit. Read it daily.
19. Keep a picture of your family or someone very important to
you with you at all times. On
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 am
it's the cigarette that's stupid, not you right?
References :
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:28 am
you can't just wake up the next day and say I stopped , instead try to postpone every cigarette for five minutes when you feel that you need to smoke , and if you success with that in the 1st two weeks try to postpone for 10 minutes and so on ,,
I reduced my smoking from 3 packs to 6 cigarettes
References :
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:29 am
I quit just one day when I woke up. I had had enough for some time of being controled by a cig. When is it appropriate to smoke? Who is it appropriate to smoke in front of? Where is it appropriate to smoke?, on and on.
I got sick of the stinky breath and clothes. Having to freeze my butt off to smoke outside and waste the money cause 99% of the time I only took 4 puffs of it cuse it was too cold outside or too hot or something was cooking and I only had this chance before company came over. Gosh! the control.
But if you not SICK of smoking then use the patch. That worked for me once but… I let my urge of wanting a cig control my thoughts. If you use the patch you have to fight the THOUGHT of wanting a cig. Not fight the thought of WANTING a cig. Just the thought. If you are health conscience then shouldn't be a prob. Good luck
References :
I smoked from 17 to 37 yrs. old. I am now smoke free for 2.5 years and couldnt be happier.
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 am
well for starters you just cant stop. You have to take steps
1. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can quit. Think about
some of the most difficult things you have done in your life and
realize that you have the guts and determination to quit
smoking. It's up to you.
2. After reading this list, sit down and write your own list,
customized to your personality and way of doing things. Create
you own plan for quitting.
3. Write down why you want to quit (the benefits of quitting):
live longer, feel better, for your family, save money, smell
better, find a mate more easily, etc. You know what's bad about
smoking and you know what you'll get by quitting. Put it on
paper and read it daily.
4. Ask your family and friends to support your decision to quit.
Ask them to be completely supportive and non-judgmental. Let
them know ahead of time that you will probably be irritable and
even irrational while you withdraw from your smoking habit.
5. Set a quit date. Decide what day you will extinguish your
cigarettes forever. Write it down. Plan for it. Prepare your
mind for the "first day of the rest of your life". You might
even hold a small ceremony when you smoke you last cigarette, or
on the morning of the quit date.
6. Talk with your doctor about quitting. Support and guidance
from a physician is a proven way to better your chances to quit.
7. Begin an exercise program. Exercise is simply incompatible
with smoking. Exercise relieves stress and helps your body
recover from years of damage from cigarettes. If necessary,
start slow, with a short walk once or twice per day. Build up to
30 to 40 minutes of rigorous activity, 3 or 4 times per week.
Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.
8. Do some deep breathing each day for 3 to 5 minutes. Breathe
in through your nose very slowly, hold the breath for a few
seconds, and exhale very slowly through your mouth. Try doing
your breathing with your eyes closed and go to step 9.
9. Visualize your way to becoming a non-smoker. While doing your
deep breathing in step 8, you can close your eyes and begin to
imagine yourself as a non-smoker. See yourself enjoying your
exercise in step 7. See yourself turning down a cigarette that
someone offers you. See yourself throwing all your cigarettes
away, and winning a gold medal for doing so. Develop your own
creative visualizations. Visualization works.
10. Cut back on cigarettes gradually (if you cut back gradually,
be sure to set a quit date on which you WILL quit). Ways to cut
back gradually include: plan how many cigarettes you will smoke
each day until your quit date, making the number you smoke
smaller each day; buy only one pack at a time; change brands so
you don't enjoy smoking as much; give your cigarettes to someone
else, so that you have to ask for them each time you want to
smoke.
11. Quit smoking "cold turkey". Many smokers find that the only
way they can truly quit once and for all is to just quit
abruptly without trying to slowly taper off. Find the method
that works best for you: gradually quitting or cold turkey. If
one way doesn't work do the other.
12. Find another smoker who is trying to quit, and help each
other with positive words and by lending an ear when quitting
becomes difficult. Visit this Bulletin Board and this Chat Room
to find a "quit buddy."
13. Have your teeth cleaned. Enjoy the way your teeth look and
feel and plan to keep them that way.
14. After you quit, plan to celebrate the milestones in your
journey to becoming a non-smoker. After two weeks of being
smoke-free, see a movie. After a month, go to a fancy restaurant
(be sure to sit in the non-smoking section). After three months,
go for a long weekend to a favorite get-away. After six months,
buy yourself something frivolous. After a year, have a party for
yourself. Invite your family and friends to your "birthday"
party and celebrate your new chance at a long, healthy life.
15. Drink lots of water. Water is good for you anyway, and most
people don't get enough. It will help flush the nicotine and
other chemicals out of your body, plus it can help reduce
cravings by fulfilling the "oral desires" that you may have.
16. Learn what triggers your desire for a cigarette, such as
stress, the end of a meal, arrival at work, entering a bar, etc.
Avoid these triggers or if that's impossible, plan alternative
ways to deal with the triggers.
17. Find something to hold in your hand and mouth, to replace
cigarettes. Consider drinking straws or you might try an
artificial cigarette called E-Z Quit found here:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezquit.htm
18. Write yourself an inspirational song or poem about quitting,
cigarettes, and what it means to you to quit. Read it daily.
19. Keep a picture of your family or someone very important to
you with you at all times. On
References :
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:33 am
I chew gum for as long as i would smoke about 5 minutes then throw it out. I would roll outside wrapper up and suck air though it like i was smoking for real hard times. It is deep breaths that you miss
References :
My experience I have not smoked for two years after being a smoker for 30 years
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:46 am
i know this is weird but my grandma quited smokin this way :
she puted packs of ciggarets all aorund her and she would try to not take 1 of them ,
the funny thing is that.. it worked !
References :
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:38 am
If somehow you could transport yourself a few years into the future and then smelled how horrible you smell now, along with your house and car, and clothes and hair, etc, you would have no problem. I smoked for 24 years and never realized how bad and stupid and costly it was. I finally was able to quit 35 years ago. My tip on quitting is that you have to accept you will have a relatively short period of SUFFERING. Big deal. You don't need a lot of tips or medication, etc; Just suffer a lot or a little and get over it.
References :