Author Topic: 2014 - Quit Smoking  (Read 65449 times)

jordanread

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2014 - Quit Smoking
« on: April 02, 2014, 03:27:27 PM »
Been working on this, but some others wanted me to post in here so they can join in.

STOP SMOKING IN 2014

MEMBERS THROWING DOWN

MemberStatusSmoke Free DateMoney Saved (estimate)
jordanreadNon-Smoker 1 Day06/16/2014
face-punchedBadass02/11/2014$865
BlindsquirrelMental PreparationTBDN/A
szmaineVaping04/07/2014$109.20
hoodedfalconSmoke Free - Chantix & Camping04/14/2014$.65
Maria SouthDay 205/28/2014N/A
RezdentMental PreperationN/A - Currently vapingTBD
unix_kung_fuVaping05/30/2014$114.15

RESOURCES

Original Post
I've been smoking since I was 14, and since the 14th is my 29th, I've been smoking for almost half my life. It ranged from 1 - 4 packs a day throughout, with one year long quit, and one 9 month quit. I'm going to be using Cessation Nation to track my progress.

I've had a couple of hiccups, and managed to make it a week before buying a pack. I realized that for me, having no cigarettes increases my cravings, mostly because I smoke mindlessly, and don't need the additional stress of not having any. I know, it's weird. Anyway, since I've only smoked half of this pack, I decided to keep it around, albeit a bit modified. The cigarettes remain untouched, but I do believe I have managed to create...


THE MOST MUSTACHIAN CIGARETTES YOU'LL NEVER SMOKE

Yes, that is MMM judging me with his eyes, followed by MMM getting ready to deliver a face-punch, followed by a face-punch, followed by a reminder to 'Stache Cash.

I currently have 10 cigarettes in this pack, and you are more than welcome to post here (or in the G+ community) challenging me to prove there are still only 10. I know some others here have done this, and others want to do it. Let's use this as a spot to vent, and for support. I also get a fair amount of support in the G+ community (in my signature), so feel free to come over there.

ATTENTION NON-SMOKERS
There is a very real chance this thread will devolve into withdrawal driven excusitis, complainy-pants, angry incoherent rants, so don't be offended or judge us (on this thread). It's just us being more badass than our addictions. Thank you.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2014, 02:14:26 PM by jordanread »

face-punched

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2014, 03:38:26 PM »
Good on you, keep it up.

I smoked my last cigarette Feb. 11 of this year. I have gained a little weight ~10 lbs, but so far I have saved something around 500-600 dollars. This change alone has already paid for my bike in full. I am using the bike to lose the weight I gained from smoking cessation. The point is, you can do this. I got punched in the face and was better for it! Good luck!

charmonkie

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2014, 03:44:24 PM »
My sister has tried to quit more times than I can count.  It's always "after this pack I'm quitting."  I never really understood how smoking more was going to make quitting easier.  If you've decided to quit, but are going to finish a pack it's almost like you've already decided to not quit.  Stopping mid pack seems like the way to go.  Every day you can look at the pack as a reminder that you didn't smoke yesterday. 

When she starts again, it's always "well, I bummed one from a coworker, then this lead to that...".  If you have your own you won't have an excuse to bum one off of anybody.

Anyways, good luck!

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2014, 04:04:58 PM »
I smoked my last cigarette Feb. 11 of this year. I have gained a little weight ~10 lbs, but so far I have saved something around 500-600 dollars. This change alone has already paid for my bike in full. I am using the bike to lose the weight I gained from smoking cessation. The point is, you can do this. I got punched in the face and was better for it! Good luck!

Congrats!! The weight gain is temporary. I've done it before, but I have every intention of making sure that I'm buff within a month or two afterwards. I find that the belly-breathing technique involved in body-weight training temporarily reduces my cravings. That, and my hobbies are going to get more physically extreme as I get more in shape. Last time I quit, I made it 9 months, but had nothing that would provide a really nice sense of enjoyment when I really needed a pick-me-up when some other things in life kind of fell apart. Smoking was the easiest way to get that little bit of pleasure. Now, it's going to be something like rock climbing or slack lining. That way, in case something like that happens again, I can get an endorphin rush without reaching for cigarettes. Plus I should still have those 10, even though they'd be really gross that old.

My sister has tried to quit more times than I can count.  It's always "after this pack I'm quitting."  I never really understood how smoking more was going to make quitting easier.  If you've decided to quit, but are going to finish a pack it's almost like you've already decided to not quit.  Stopping mid pack seems like the way to go.  Every day you can look at the pack as a reminder that you didn't smoke yesterday. 

Anyways, good luck!

It's a justification thing. As far as the half a pack thing, I had really good luck keeping cigarettes around, so I always had the option, and just needed to prove to myself on a daily basis that I was stronger than the addiction. Last time, I had one cigarette on the mirror in the vehicle, one at home on the entertainment center, and one at the office on my desk. I smoke more mindlessly than anything, and having it right up in my face seemed to make it really hard to quit, but even harder to reach out and grab that cigarette.

seanc0x0

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2014, 04:06:37 PM »
Good luck! I know how hard it is to quit.  I smoked from 13-21, and 22-24. It's not easy, but you can do it!  I found the first 3 days hardest, obviously, but after that it got a lot easier. Then around 3-4 weeks, it got hard again.  If you can make it through those, you're almost there, but do keep alert for the unexpected cravings that pop up when you do something unusual, but often enough that you associate smoking.  For me it was finishing wrapping Christmas presents. Even though I had quit in spring, as I finished the last present, I thought "time for a smoke!", immediately followed by a self-facepunch for even thinking that!

Just remember, you CAN do it!

Blindsquirrel

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2014, 04:44:16 PM »
   I am in quitting next week. No more smokes.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2014, 05:12:38 PM »
   I am in quitting next week. No more smokes.
Let's do it!!

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2014, 06:13:15 PM »
Good luck! I'm rooting for you!

NinetyFour

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2014, 06:19:36 PM »
Good luck to you!  You can do it!

MKinVA

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2014, 06:39:16 PM »
Anyone have any experience with Chantix (sp?)?

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2014, 07:16:43 PM »
Ok, I'm in but I am going to use the patch because I have to spend a couple of weeks getting over the psychological part of "doing" the smoking. Yeah, I've been here before and I think the behavioral aspect is the hardest part...finding something else to do. I'll check out Cessation Nation. My quit date will be next Monday because I need a full week before I hit another weekend and can spend this weekend eradicating materials, smells in the car and my coats.
I should probably wash my complainy-pants while I'm at it.

Anyone have any experience with Chantix (sp?)?

I've tried Wellbutrin for it, not Chantix, and felt like I was awake all night long because of the vivid dreaming that bothers some folks. I heard Chantix can do the same. Actually, the patch has a similar effect on me though far far milder.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2014, 07:28:32 PM »
Ok, I'm in but I am going to use the patch because I have to spend a couple of weeks getting over the psychological part of "doing" the smoking. Yeah, I've been here before and I think the behavioral aspect is the hardest part...finding something else to do.

I love the patch. Crazy dreams. They were more effective for recreation for me than for quitting smoking, but nicotine isn't the biggest issue for me. It's a wonderful cornucopia of stupid habits that combine to make me a smoker. :-)

Yeah, I've been here before and I think the behavioral aspect is the hardest part...finding something else to do. I'll check out Cessation Nation.

Cessation Nation is mostly just a tracker. It has a couple of games that are supposed to take your mind off of the cravings for the alleged 3 minutes they last. Personally, as far as a replacement, I can't have just one. Sometimes I use toothpicks, sometimes I work the numbers (money saved), but I've recently started doing some breathing exercises related to body-weight training, and that seems to help more than I expected. I also do some binaural beats for relaxation when I start getting worked up.

[...]spend this weekend eradicating materials, smells in the car and my coats.
I should probably wash my complainy-pants while I'm at it.

Vodka works well on the car and coats (thanks mythbusters!!), while face-punches work for the pants ;-)

Anyone have any experience with Chantix (sp?)?

The science behind it seems pretty interesting. Essentially you quit smoking before you quit smoking. It blocks the receptors that react to nicotine, so smoking does nothing for you on the chemical level. I know quite a few people it has worked for, but I absolutely loathe turning to a pill without exhausting all other options. Nothing against it personally, but it is relatively new on the market. The plus side is that you can't fail as long as you take the pill. You can technically keep smoking, but who would want to if you don't get the rush?

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2014, 07:34:26 PM »
Lol. Are sure about the vodka? What if I get stopped reeking of it?



jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2014, 07:46:16 PM »
Lol. Are sure about the vodka? What if I get stopped reeking of it?
It neutralizes the odor, and doesn't have much of it's own. The stuff that I saw is that it's used more as a prewash. You can always water it down. :-)

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2014, 07:52:15 PM »
I'll try it. Gotta find some really cheap stuff though.

You know, I'm actually feeling in a really good place about this..spring just might be on the way soon, I hope, and the pigsty needs a really good mucking out anyway so I have plenty of stuff I can throw myself at. I'm thinking of a way I can shuttle aside the saved money separately so I can watch it grow on my Mint account since I look at it frequently.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2014, 07:54:48 PM »
I'll try it. Gotta find some really cheap stuff though.

You know, I'm actually feeling in a really good place about this..spring just might be on the way soon, I hope, and the pigsty needs a really good mucking out anyway so I have plenty of stuff I can throw myself at. I'm thinking of a way I can shuttle aside the saved money separately so I can watch it grow on my Mint account since I look at it frequently.
Not a bad idea. I just opened up another checking account to test out the auto-pay functionality compared to my current bank. Maybe I can use it for that, and just transfer $6.00 every morning. :-) Cessation Nation does have a money section under stats as well.

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2014, 08:10:43 PM »
I think I'll set up weekly transfers to a saving account I was just going to clear out because the interest rate is lower than my new checking. Then I'll have that reward at the end of the week. I'll set up a budget line of $0 for smokes in Mint and a competing goal linked to that account...think I'll start the goal at the weekly total so that every time I get there I'll get the Congratulations notification from Mint...then I can reset it for the next week. It will tie in nicely with my general gung-ho feeling about finding this site and employing mustachianism to my finances.

hoodedfalcon

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2014, 08:21:32 PM »
I tried to quit many times, and then Chantix came into my life. It worked wonders for me, as long as I took it. The dreams are nuts but that was my favorite part. The problem I faced with Chantix was weaning myself off too soon. I figure, hey, I don't even want cigarettes anymore...I don't need to take this pill anymore...and then the next thing you know you are at a gas station and two days later you've done nothing but binge smoked.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2014, 08:24:04 PM »
I think I'll set up weekly transfers to a saving account I was just going to clear out because the interest rate is lower than my new checking. Then I'll have that reward at the end of the week. I'll set up a budget line of $0 for smokes in Mint and a competing goal linked to that account...think I'll start the goal at the weekly total so that every time I get there I'll get the Congratulations notification from Mint...then I can reset it for the next week. It will tie in nicely with my general gung-ho feeling about finding this site and employing mustachianism to my finances.
That works!! Good luck. We're all on this journey together. However, as (former) smokers, we get the benefit of having a section of that journey involve a group of booby traps and rope bridges and monkeys with blow guns...and withdrawals! I think that makes us more bad ass :-)


I tried to quit many times, and then Chantix came into my life. It worked wonders for me, as long as I took it. The dreams are nuts but that was my favorite part. The problem I faced with Chantix was weaning myself off too soon. I figure, hey, I don't even want cigarettes anymore...I don't need to take this pill anymore...and then the next thing you know you are at a gas station and two days later you've done nothing but binge smoked.

Glad to hear it. So where are you at now?

hoodedfalcon

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2014, 08:38:45 PM »
I think I'll set up weekly transfers to a saving account I was just going to clear out because the interest rate is lower than my new checking. Then I'll have that reward at the end of the week. I'll set up a budget line of $0 for smokes in Mint and a competing goal linked to that account...think I'll start the goal at the weekly total so that every time I get there I'll get the Congratulations notification from Mint...then I can reset it for the next week. It will tie in nicely with my general gung-ho feeling about finding this site and employing mustachianism to my finances.
That works!! Good luck. We're all on this journey together. However, as (former) smokers, we get the benefit of having a section of that journey involve a group of booby traps and rope bridges and monkeys with blow guns...and withdrawals! I think that makes us more bad ass :-)


I tried to quit many times, and then Chantix came into my life. It worked wonders for me, as long as I took it. The dreams are nuts but that was my favorite part. The problem I faced with Chantix was weaning myself off too soon. I figure, hey, I don't even want cigarettes anymore...I don't need to take this pill anymore...and then the next thing you know you are at a gas station and two days later you've done nothing but binge smoked.

Glad to hear it. So where are you at now?

Well...until last week, my last cigarette was last May. So, I am starting this whole thing all over again. :( I am weak.

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2014, 08:43:58 PM »
Try not to see it as starting all over again but rather picking up where you left off. Your body will have benefited from all that not smoking time and one week isn't going to undo that benefit suddenly. I've read that's a better way to approach relapses mentally instead of whomping on yourself about it too much.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2014, 09:06:41 PM »
Well...until last week, my last cigarette was last May. So, I am starting this whole thing all over again. :( I am weak.
So you with us?

hoodedfalcon

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #22 on: April 03, 2014, 06:47:21 AM »
Well...until last week, my last cigarette was last May. So, I am starting this whole thing all over again. :( I am weak.
So you with us?

I am totally with you! I am glad to have some partners going forward. It really does help with the accountability.

hoodedfalcon

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2014, 06:48:09 AM »
Try not to see it as starting all over again but rather picking up where you left off. Your body will have benefited from all that not smoking time and one week isn't going to undo that benefit suddenly. I've read that's a better way to approach relapses mentally instead of whomping on yourself about it too much.

Thanks. I am trying to think like this, when I am not beating myself up for letting my guard down. I will focus on the positive.

matchewed

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #24 on: April 03, 2014, 06:59:25 AM »
Just about three years ago this month, give or take some backsliding, self face punching, and lots of bicycling.

What worked for me was the patch, rationalization, and keeping busy. Realizing that $200 a month got me to the ability to max out my Roth IRA with current contribution, biking to work would stop the car trigger, and actually following the recommendation on patch usage I was finally able to quit.

Keep trying everyone. I'm sure you can do it.

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #25 on: April 03, 2014, 07:04:30 AM »
Well...until last week, my last cigarette was last May. So, I am starting this whole thing all over again. :( I am weak.
So you with us?

I am totally with you! I am glad to have some partners going forward. It really does help with the accountability.

That's great! I think we will really be able to help each other. I propose we vow to only support each other...no face-punching!
We face-punch ourselves all the time anyway, right? So if one of us stumbles we should feel free to tell each other about it and go from there to help each other get back on track.

NinetyFour

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #26 on: April 03, 2014, 07:06:48 AM »
You have plenty of support and encouragement from the non-smokers here, too!  I'm really glad to see this gauntlet being thrown.  You all can do it!!

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #27 on: April 03, 2014, 07:08:48 AM »
Just about three years ago this month, give or take some backsliding, self face punching, and lots of bicycling.

What worked for me was the patch, rationalization, and keeping busy. Realizing that $200 a month got me to the ability to max out my Roth IRA with current contribution, biking to work would stop the car trigger, and actually following the recommendation on patch usage I was finally able to quit.

Keep trying everyone. I'm sure you can do it.

Thanks! I will actually read the patch insert. I never have...
A Roth is my ultimate goal for the smoking funds too...Roth/Emergency fund, and if I never have to use it,  to be left to my daughter who is 15 now and has mild Asperger's.

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #28 on: April 03, 2014, 07:25:44 AM »
Just to get it on the books:

I smoke a pack a day= $7.80 = $234/mo = $2847/yr = $28470/10yrs

See, that's why we bury our heads in the sand...because the truth is just painful!!

edit: For further perspective: That is 8% of my net income!!!!!!!
« Last Edit: April 03, 2014, 07:28:45 AM by szmaine »

NinetyFour

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #29 on: April 03, 2014, 07:30:44 AM »
And, of course, that's just the cost of the cigs.  Then there is the health cost on top of that.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #30 on: April 03, 2014, 08:57:54 AM »
Okay team!! I just updated the first post to track everyone's progress. I'll come in almost everyday to update it, unless a comment is made. I am subscribing to this thread, so I get an e-mail when anyone posts. Statuses are pretty much arbitrary. I figure that once we hit 3 months without a smoke, we upgrade to a Badass Non-Smoker. Feel free to discuss. Comment here if you want me to update anything.

Also, Blindsquirrel...I made up your quit date. You said next week, so I figured that Sunday counted. ;-)

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #31 on: April 03, 2014, 10:02:34 AM »
Okay team!! I just updated the first post to track everyone's progress. I'll come in almost everyday to update it, unless a comment is made. I am subscribing to this thread, so I get an e-mail when anyone posts. Statuses are pretty much arbitrary. I figure that once we hit 3 months without a smoke, we upgrade to a Badass Non-Smoker. Feel free to discuss. Comment here if you want me to update anything.

Thats great! You are are good team leader! I like it that you put up the team members list with status. I am also subscribed to the thread to be an active member.

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #32 on: April 03, 2014, 01:17:44 PM »
Try not to see it as starting all over again but rather picking up where you left off. Your body will have benefited from all that not smoking time and one week isn't going to undo that benefit suddenly. I've read that's a better way to approach relapses mentally instead of whomping on yourself about it too much.

Thanks. I am trying to think like this, when I am not beating myself up for letting my guard down. I will focus on the positive.

Don't beat yourself up. If you understand why you went back to smoking, then you can make a plan for preventing it from happening again.

I've found that some people forget why they quit in the first place, and think "I can just have this one cigarette; it's not that bad" even though they already worked so hard to get the nicotine out of their system. Something that can help with that is to write down all the reasons why you're quitting, or the top 5 reasons or something, and put it in your wallet so you can refer to it whenever you think "smoking isn't that bad." It'll help if you remember what it feels like to crave a cigarette every few hours, or shell out however many $$s for a pack, or the hacking cough some people have first thing in the morning, etc. Better yet, write it on the back of a picture of your family or children -- that'll really put it in perspective!

Silvie

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #33 on: April 03, 2014, 01:37:29 PM »
I just wanted to say good luck to everyone!

I have never even touched a cigarette in my entire life so I can't imagine what it must be like to give up smoking, but kudos to all of you for trying!

hoodedfalcon

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #34 on: April 03, 2014, 02:19:25 PM »
Try not to see it as starting all over again but rather picking up where you left off. Your body will have benefited from all that not smoking time and one week isn't going to undo that benefit suddenly. I've read that's a better way to approach relapses mentally instead of whomping on yourself about it too much.

Thanks. I am trying to think like this, when I am not beating myself up for letting my guard down. I will focus on the positive.

Don't beat yourself up. If you understand why you went back to smoking, then you can make a plan for preventing it from happening again.

I've found that some people forget why they quit in the first place, and think "I can just have this one cigarette; it's not that bad" even though they already worked so hard to get the nicotine out of their system. Something that can help with that is to write down all the reasons why you're quitting, or the top 5 reasons or something, and put it in your wallet so you can refer to it whenever you think "smoking isn't that bad." It'll help if you remember what it feels like to crave a cigarette every few hours, or shell out however many $$s for a pack, or the hacking cough some people have first thing in the morning, etc. Better yet, write it on the back of a picture of your family or children -- that'll really put it in perspective!

Rebecca- I think that is exactly what happened...I forgot why I quit in the first place, and tried to tell myself that one cigarette isn't that bad. But I KNOW MYSELF, and I am all or nothing. I can't just have one cigarette. I am fooling myself each time.

I will say that after basically 10 months without a cigarette, I have felt HORRIBLE since smoking. My throat hurts. I have that feeling you get right before you come down with a cold. Just BLAH. Oh, and that stinky smell! I can't wait to un-feel this way.

face-punched

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #35 on: April 06, 2014, 11:48:38 AM »
Hey all, I just want to check in and see how everybody is doing on this! Keep it up if all is well, if you had a hiccup, just remember that it is a process and just keep at it!

LouisPritchard

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #36 on: April 06, 2014, 11:58:53 AM »
I quit a 2 can a day dip habit last year (gave the last of the quitting supplies away 5 months ago). I used the new electronic cig/vaping stuff. Made the switch to it and then stepped the nic levels down every couple weeks till I hit 0mg. Found it pretty painless since I still had something to fiddle with, which the patches don't provide. The equipment can be kind of pricey though and the larger higher priced/fancy stuff really does work better than the cigarette look a likes.  If anyone wants to go that route I'll answer and questions I can and give opinions on equipment.

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #37 on: April 06, 2014, 12:20:48 PM »
Hey all, I just want to check in and see how everybody is doing on this! Keep it up if all is well, if you had a hiccup, just remember that it is a process and just keep at it!
Tomorrow is my day, I feel pretty good about it right now...I'll be chiming as the week moves along.

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #38 on: April 06, 2014, 12:23:47 PM »
I quit a 2 can a day dip habit last year (gave the last of the quitting supplies away 5 months ago). I used the new electronic cig/vaping stuff. Made the switch to it and then stepped the nic levels down every couple weeks till I hit 0mg. Found it pretty painless since I still had something to fiddle with, which the patches don't provide. The equipment can be kind of pricey though and the larger higher priced/fancy stuff really does work better than the cigarette look a likes.  If anyone wants to go that route I'll answer and questions I can and give opinions on equipment.
Yes, I picked up one of these too figuring that I blew it on the patch before an need the fiddling aspect...we'll see. It is much more satisfying that the ones that look like cigarettes!

BlueHouse

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #39 on: April 06, 2014, 01:11:04 PM »
I quit a twenty year, two-pack per day habit 11 years ago.  A friend paid $1100 for a five-session hypnosis as a "gift" for me.  I was pissed because I wasn't ready to quit smoking.  All that went through my mind before my first session was "how long will I have to hide my smoking before I can say I gave it a try and it didn't work".  For the weeks before my first session, I wore the patch all day at work, then would peel it off 1/2 hour before I left, then I'd smoke the minute I got into the car, smoke all night and the next day, then slap the patch on again during the day. 
On the day of the session, I wore the patch.  I left the first session with the understanding that I would take the patch off before bed just like always, and when I woke up, if I felt like it, I'd put another patch on, but maybe I wouldn't even need to.  I never smoked again.  I didn't ever need another patch either.  I never felt like I had a withdrawal symptom.  It was bizarre.  Trust me, I was an addict.  I had quit previously and it wasn't easy, but this was just like waking up one day and saying "yeah, I used to smoke.  What else is new?"
I have gained weight - a lot of it.  I can't say I blame quitting smoking.  I think smoking was a symptom of something else that caused me to constantly want to put something into my mouth.  I'm still working on it, but I think if you realize that there's something else going on in your head, you can work on that without smoking. 
Good luck to everyone working to overcome any addiction. 

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #40 on: April 06, 2014, 03:36:16 PM »
I think smoking was a symptom of something else that caused me to constantly want to put something into my mouth.  I'm still working on it, but I think if you realize that there's something else going on in your head, you can work on that without smoking. 
Good luck to everyone working to overcome any addiction.
My experience is that there are always some other underlying things that are uncovered when one quits smoking. I don't know that I agree with the fact that those are the cause, but that's just because it seems like an excuse to me. I don't mean to undermine your discoveries, and you could be right. I've personally found that if I take the approach that it's something I chose to do, I can choose to not do it. That being said, realizations of that nature can definitely be helpful on the road to bettering ones-self. Mad props to you for quitting, and being successful for so long. I know that eating is something people do (shit, I do it too) when they quit. Do you have any suggestions for those who go down that route?

I quit a 2 can a day dip habit last year (gave the last of the quitting supplies away 5 months ago). I used the new electronic cig/vaping stuff. Made the switch to it and then stepped the nic levels down every couple weeks till I hit 0mg. Found it pretty painless since I still had something to fiddle with, which the patches don't provide. The equipment can be kind of pricey though and the larger higher priced/fancy stuff really does work better than the cigarette look a likes.  If anyone wants to go that route I'll answer and questions I can and give opinions on equipment.

Congrats. I do love the vapor smokes, and have decent luck identifying that the feeling of "smoke" entering my lungs is a major part of my addiction. I find it too easy to slip up when I do that, though. For those who are stronger than I am, would you mind posting your experience here? Product Recommendations, Price breakdowns, etc...

P.S. The fluid one uses is mostly vegetable glycerin with flavor and nicotine added. I know a couple of people who saved a shit-load of money making their own.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #41 on: April 06, 2014, 03:47:24 PM »
My update sucks!!! - I did slip up quite a bit. I justified it because my withdrawals were causing some major friction with my significant other, so I justified smoking a bit to better manage the withdrawal symptoms. She is leaving for two weeks next weekend, so I was going to smoke until this weekend, that way we only have one day of withdrawals before she leaves (next Saturday - we don't see each other during the week). I realized I fucked up shortly after smoking a pack. The worst of the withdrawals came back, and caused a bunch of friction this weekend. Trying to make it better, only to make it worse. I'm currently at 2 days now, feeling shitty, but using the thought of managing withdrawals to make sure I'm totally clean by the time she comes back.

I'll update my stats accordingly. Not giving up though.

LouisPritchard

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #42 on: April 06, 2014, 04:25:33 PM »

Congrats. I do love the vapor smokes, and have decent luck identifying that the feeling of "smoke" entering my lungs is a major part of my addiction. I find it too easy to slip up when I do that, though. For those who are stronger than I am, would you mind posting your experience here? Product Recommendations, Price breakdowns, etc...

P.S. The fluid one uses is mostly vegetable glycerin with flavor and nicotine added. I know a couple of people who saved a shit-load of money making their own.

Mods
I used the iTaste MVP ($45ish) its a variable voltage and is all self contained so no batteries to buy. This means if it goes dead you have to plug it in but it lasted me all day so I just charged while I slept. It's nice cause $45 is all there is to spend no batts or charger.

Tesla mod ($70ish) which is variable voltage and/or wattage. You have to buy 81650 batteries ($8ish each and have at least 2) and a charger ($25ish). Expect to be into this one about $125ish.

I liked the variable voltage/wattage stuff just cause I could adjust it based off the tank/juice combo I was using.

Tanks
I tried cartos and iclear 16s and 30s and like the bottom coil glassomizer stuff best, with the iclear 16s being second.

I specifically used the Dbox Puritank ($15ish) with protank heads, would recomend having about 3 tanks on hand as you will drop them or sit on em or something to tear them up. The plus side is you can google around and buy just the bases for a few dollars when they start leaking.

So expect a MVP with 2 puris to run $75ish or a tesla with batteries/charger and 2 puris to be $155ish.

Add $15 for 5 spare heads to either one of those, but heads are also consumable so you'll be buying them as you go. I was getting 5-7 days per head.

It's expensive to get started but just figure what your habit is costing you now (mine was around $200 a month). And while I gifted my kit you can always sell it when you're done to recoup some costs. There's a vaping classifieds sub-reddit on reddit.com if you want to consider used mods and save a few bucks.

Juice.
My favorite vendor by far was http://www.virginvapor.com/ the bed of roses is awesome!
A close second is http://thevaporchef.com/

I liked a 50/50 PG/VG blend but that's personal preference really.

There's lots of forums and a few sub-reddits  with tons of info. It can get really confusing though.

Ohh and for the weight issues you might encounter I used the loseit! app on my phone. Managed to drop 60lbs while quitting, no it was not easy. My fitness pal is also another highly recommended one.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2014, 04:28:52 PM by LouisPritchard »

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #43 on: April 06, 2014, 04:44:23 PM »
I think smoking was a symptom of something else that caused me to constantly want to put something into my mouth.  I'm still working on it, but I think if you realize that there's something else going on in your head, you can work on that without smoking. 
Good luck to everyone working to overcome any addiction.
My experience is that there are always some other underlying things that are uncovered when one quits smoking. I don't know that I agree with the fact that those are the cause, but that's just because it seems like an excuse to me. I don't mean to undermine your discoveries, and you could be right. I've personally found that if I take the approach that it's something I chose to do, I can choose to not do it. That being said, realizations of that nature can definitely be helpful on the road to bettering ones-self. Mad props to you for quitting, and being successful for so long. I know that eating is something people do (shit, I do it too) when they quit. Do you have any suggestions for those who go down that route?

I quit a 2 can a day dip habit last year (gave the last of the quitting supplies away 5 months ago). I used the new electronic cig/vaping stuff. Made the switch to it and then stepped the nic levels down every couple weeks till I hit 0mg. Found it pretty painless since I still had something to fiddle with, which the patches don't provide. The equipment can be kind of pricey though and the larger higher priced/fancy stuff really does work better than the cigarette look a likes.  If anyone wants to go that route I'll answer and questions I can and give opinions on equipment.

Congrats. I do love the vapor smokes, and have decent luck identifying that the feeling of "smoke" entering my lungs is a major part of my addiction. I find it too easy to slip up when I do that, though. For those who are stronger than I am, would you mind posting your experience here? Product Recommendations, Price breakdowns, etc...

P.S. The fluid one uses is mostly vegetable glycerin with flavor and nicotine added. I know a couple of people who saved a shit-load of money making their own.

Hey jordanreads, don't despair we can work on this a long time....
I got this stainless steel model called Double Diamond: two units in a zip case with chargers (USB unit and wall wart) replaceable batteries, and a fill bottle that has a smaller tip than the bottles that contain the nicotine juice. It has a much more satisfying inhalation effect than e-smokes...in fact so similar that I'm not sure that it's really quitting...but we gotta start somewhere so even if we are still nicotine addicts perhaps if we become savings addicts that is a start. And you can't buy smokes with less nicotine as you can with the vapor refills. Mine unit cost $40. The refill bottles cost about $7 and am told by a heavy smoker that they can last at least 1 month, I spend more than that in a day.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #44 on: April 06, 2014, 05:00:51 PM »

Hey jordanreads, don't despair we can work on this a long time....
I got this stainless steel model called Double Diamond: two units in a zip case with chargers (USB unit and wall wart) replaceable batteries, and a fill bottle that has a smaller tip than the bottles that contain the nicotine juice. It has a much more satisfying inhalation effect than e-smokes...in fact so similar that I'm not sure that it's really quitting...but we gotta start somewhere so even if we are still nicotine addicts perhaps if we become savings addicts that is a start. And you can't buy smokes with less nicotine as you can with the vapor refills. Mine unit cost $40. The refill bottles cost about $7 and am told by a heavy smoker that they can last at least 1 month, I spend more than that in a day.


No worries. I'm not despairing. I've got too much invested in this to give in to worrying. :-). Setbacks piss me off, but that's the way it goes. If I get pissed enough, maybe I'll be able to positively redirect it. I've got this, it's just taking longer than I suspected. See my post above. That being said, I now know for sure exactly how bad I get during withdrawals, and the SO being out of town for two weeks never actually happens, so I better get over it before she gets back. :-)

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #45 on: April 06, 2014, 06:00:28 PM »
You are not doing any kind of nicotine replacement at all?

BlueHouse

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #46 on: April 06, 2014, 06:13:23 PM »
I think smoking was a symptom of something else that caused me to constantly want to put something into my mouth.  I'm still working on it, but I think if you realize that there's something else going on in your head, you can work on that without smoking. 
Good luck to everyone working to overcome any addiction.
My experience is that there are always some other underlying things that are uncovered when one quits smoking. I don't know that I agree with the fact that those are the cause, but that's just because it seems like an excuse to me. I don't mean to undermine your discoveries, and you could be right. I've personally found that if I take the approach that it's something I chose to do, I can choose to not do it. That being said, realizations of that nature can definitely be helpful on the road to bettering ones-self. Mad props to you for quitting, and being successful for so long. I know that eating is something people do (shit, I do it too) when they quit. Do you have any suggestions for those who go down that route?
I agree -- being a smoker is caused by smoking and nothing else.  I just meant that something else was going on as well and after I quit, I seemed to replace smoking with eating.  And weight gain is caused by too much eating.   So my suggestion is to find a healthy replacement habit.  For instance, you may want to try eating 2 big apples every day.  Or try to get the most colorful diet ever -- lots of healthy, colorful vegetables.  I've been finding that it takes a lot of planning to get so many colorful veggies into the diet.  It's a great distraction from an unhealthy habit.

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #47 on: April 06, 2014, 06:22:25 PM »
You are not doing any kind of nicotine replacement at all?
Nope. Due to previous attempts, I've realized that nicotine isn't the major hang up for me. It's mostly psychological hangups. The withdrawals bring that stuff out, and I just need to beat it. Bakari had shown this article: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201212/quitting-cold-turkey-better-smoking-cessation-programs. I agree with the premise, and have had better luck quitting cold turkey. It may not be for everyone, but I know that is will be the most effective method for me.

I just meant that something else was going on as well and after I quit, I seemed to replace smoking with eating.  And weight gain is caused by too much eating.   So my suggestion is to find a healthy replacement habit.  For instance, you may want to try eating 2 big apples every day.  Or try to get the most colorful diet ever -- lots of healthy, colorful vegetables.  I've been finding that it takes a lot of planning to get so many colorful veggies into the diet.  It's a great distraction from an unhealthy habit.

To that end, I've been eating a primal/paleo diet for over a year, and have flirted (read that: heavily petted) with body-weight training. Some of the additional things I've learned have been extremely useful as far as cravings go. The specific breathing done while training, along with high-fat snacks, all reduce my cravings. Apparently, sex is also known to treat pleasure cravings. Doesn't reduce the actual amount of calories consumed when they are used for nutrition, but once that's met, snacking is reduced.

I've been trying to convince my SO of this, but she's skeptical. Maybe you'll have better luck. :-)

jordanread

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #48 on: April 06, 2014, 06:30:01 PM »
Ohh and for the weight issues you might encounter I used the loseit! app on my phone. Managed to drop 60lbs while quitting, no it was not easy. My fitness pal is also another highly recommended one.

I highly suggest the My Fitness Pal app as far as tracking caloric ratios. I am not big on calorie counting in and of itself, but uber-useful if you tweak it. Thanks for the recommendation!!

szmaine

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Re: 2014 - Quit Smoking
« Reply #49 on: April 06, 2014, 07:31:11 PM »
I found this website from jordanread's link about going cold turkey...I am finding it powerful good bedtime reading for this quitter's eve.

http://whyquit.com/joel/

If you need  some motivational face-punches on your journey, this is a good place to find it.