Giving up Smoking

[ukcop]

Advice required please.

After 11 years of smoking twenty cigs a day, I have finally decided that it is time to quit (again).

I have tried nicotine patches, gum and micro tabs in the past, as well as good old will power. It didn't work.

My fitness is not a problem, I run 6 miles 3-4 times a week but the smoking has got to stop.

Any advice greatly received, has anyone got a secret method out there ?

I'll be back in a minute (just going for a ciggy)

Thanks

Ukcop

[Mitzi]

A friend of mine tried hypnotism and it worked for her.

[SpecOpsWarrior]

I quit earlier this year, I just started cutting back on my daily intake, I did it slowly over a few weeks, one cigarette an hour, then one every two hours and so on, until I was smoking 2 cigarettes a day one in the morning and one at night. Eventually I cut out the morning cigarette and then the evening cigarette.

I'm not gonna lie, it was tough, I mean really tough. Some days it was sheer torture, I felt like a crack head going through withdrawls, but now its not that bad. One piece of advice is to chew alot of sugar free gum, if you dont the duty belt is gonna get real tight.

[goodgirl]

My grandfather went to a hypnotist and was able to quit after smoking 4 packs a day for 30 years and two lung operations.

I however tried a hypnotist and had to stop on the way home for a pack of ciggarettes. I tell ya, when he asked me after he was done (and I was writing a check) "Would you like one?" he was holding the pack I had brought into his office. I said "No" rather weakly and then that jerk threw them into a big bin of cigarettes he had! I almost got up and strangled him!

Basicly if you go the hypnotist route I would suggest going to one that a friend recommends rather that using the yellow pages

I need to quit very much. If you find a way that works let me know

[kateykakes]

I just quit cold turkey. I was having a hard time breathing as it was w/my asthma, so I knew I had to quit.

I tried the patch but had bad skin reactions to it. That ended quickly. Tried nicotene gum, but found it did nothing for me. Tried a hynotist...no go.

I spent a ton of money on products and advice to quit and all it took was sheer will power. And just as SpecOp says, chew lots of gum, or try sugar free mints. Keeps the mouth occupied. I chewed on cinnamon sticks for awhile to keep the hands occupied. I was so accustomed to holding a cigarette.

I also let everyone know not to talk to me unless it was an emergency! I was a major bitch when I quit. Everyone was great through the whole ordeal...patient and supportive.

I wish you the best of luck, UK!



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"There's no place like home."

[Guard Dog]

My neightbor Russell was a two or three pack a day man for years. Smoked unfiltered cigs. He finally quit........when he was too weak from lung cancer to hold the smoke to his lips....Yup he quit alright.



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"We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way." General George S. Patton

[Artie]

I have a mate that is in his late 60's. He has been smoking for most of his life. He is very fit, very active. Goes lawn bowling every day. He is in hospital as we speak, having a triple bi-pass heart operation, brought on (according to his doctor) from the amount of cigarettes he has been smoking.

All I can say, UK is good luck.

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We are the Police! Resistance is Futile!

[ukcop]

Thanks everyone.
I am starting 7 nights shifts on Friday, I'm gonna give it another go then.

I will let you know what happens.
(any other ideas please post them)


Cheers and stay safe

Ukcop

[gazza]

to easy uk drink more grog and be totally ****ed wooooooooo

[lrbrown]

I quit smoking last January after 32 years, usually about 30 cigarettes a day. I was finally successful in quitting by taking Zyban. I'm not sure if it's available where you are but I highly recommend it. There are some side effects, in my case insomnia and a dry mouth were the worst, but the benefits far outweighed the negative in my opinion. I stayed on it for 3 months which got me over the addiction hump. Zyban was originally marketed as an anti-depressant until it was found that smokers were better able to quit while taking it. I had tried to quit before but found the physical withdrawal was a killer. I would literally not be able to concentrate on anything for about 3 weeks after quitting. I was probably technically impaired as far as driving, etc. was concerned because I just wasn't operating at a safe level. In addition, my jaw was sore from grinding my teeth and my muscles and joints would get sore from tensing them. The Zyban alleviated all those syptoms and just generally mellowed me out enough that quitting didn't seem like such a big deal. Also, you start taking it up to two weeks before you quit and I found that I just wasn't get that nicotine "rush" you normally get when you light up. And the cigarettes just didn't taste right either, so combined with not getting the rush, there was no longer any reward in continuing to smoke. Anyway, thought I'd add my two cents worth because I know how difficult it is to quit and stick with it. Believe me, there's still days when I could easily rush out and buy a pack and smoke the whole damn thing. But I did find that willpower and Zyban gave me the edge I needed to get this far. Good luck!!

[The Doc]

This is a tough one. Bare with me.

Almost 4 yrs ago I left my ex. We were together for 5 yrs. One day he decides to put his hands on me, so I left his sorry ***. For the next 8 months straight, I went on a partying binge. I gained 25 pounds in one year. I was too lazy to exercise so I had liposuction, on my mid-section and inner thighs. I then proceeded to go on a diet of Metabolife and Slimfast which has worked great for me! Lost the 25+ !!!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I've always been petite. Belive it or not 36-26-36. That's real! I've been back to my normal weight now for quite some time but I do smoke cigarettes and I want to quit but I'm scared that I will gain weight due to quitting. I've seen it first hand. One of my closest friends quit smoking ,gained 10 pounds and has not been able to take it off. Maybe I'm just being vane, but still, I could not handle gaining the weight back. I'm 5'2, 125 pounds. I'm happy this way. I told myself earlier this week that I was going to try and cut down but talk is cheap. I just hope that for some unexplainable reason I just decide to quit one day. Praying has also made me slow down.

[mp200901]

MIKES METHOD FOR QUITTING SMOKING...

Stop putting the bloody things in your mouth and lighting them!!!!!!!!!

only kidding mate.

Do something else with your hands. My father started tieing flies (for fishing) and would carry a little tin around with feathers and hooks and bits of golden wire... he got some strange looks but hey... it helped him quit. Unfortuantely he started again about 6 months later.

[Niteshift]

I wonder how many people who give advice on how to quit were former nicotine addicts.

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Niteshift-
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far.

[SpecOpsWarrior]

Hi everyone, my name is SpecOps and I'm an addict.

Just curious though, to all the ex smokers out there like me, do you still get that nicotine craving, and how long did the cravings last before they finally stopped?



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[email protected]

[lrbrown]

It's been six months for me and I still get cravings daily but I find that they are not as intense and I recognize the triggers and try to avoid them. However, I have spoken to people who say 10 years and more after quitting they still get the odd craving so I don't know that they ever stop entirely. And to Doc regarding weight gain. I have put on 5 lbs since I quit and most of that was my own fault because I also slacked off on my exercising when I quit. So I now weigh 115 lbs and am 5'3" tall, I can live with that. I'm losing it now and not having a problem. I think you just have to be conscious that weight gain is much more likely when you first quit because your metabolism slows down. But that's temporary and your body adjusts after it's no longer dependent on the nicotine to artificially speed it up. The biggest reason people put on a lot of weight, is they simply eat too much to make up for the loss of smoking.