Author Topic: Quit Smoking- November 10th  (Read 6451 times)

essjay43

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Quit Smoking- November 10th
« on: November 05, 2013, 03:12:36 PM »
I am going to quit smoking cold turkey on November 10th. This will be at least my tenth attempt at quitting. So far I've tried the patch, pills, gum, and cold turkey. I have been smoking more than a pack a day for the past 10 years which adds up to around 25k.

I have a 1 year old daughter and another on the way. Recently I've been waking up feeling like I have pneumonia. I've decided I will quit forever on November 10th. I don't have a plan except to stick it out and remind myself that it needs to be done.

I'll let you know how it goes.

KulshanGirl

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2013, 03:36:45 PM »
There is nothing, but nothing, that will make your life better in every way more than stopping smoking will.  Congratulations!  It's the hardest thing that anyone in these forums will do.  You will do it!  Check in!  We've got your back.  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

TGod

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2013, 04:26:42 PM »
Awesome!!! Trust me, you can do it!

My husband and I quit smoking for the very last time about 4 years ago and we haven't looked back. The trick for us was reading the book Quitting Smoking the Easy Way by Allen Carr. We have had many friends who quit before us or have quit since and ALL of them have gone back to smoking. The biggest indication that this would be a struggle for them was how they approached it.

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I don't have a plan except to stick it out and remind myself that it needs to be done
Much like you they had the idea that they were giving something up, that it was going to be hard but they would push through, take it one day at a time, . Honestly, the book was the best thing we had ever read, and we got it from the library so it was free.

 The idea is negative reinforcement I guess or positive depending on how you look at it. He tells you to keep smoking until you finish the book,  (my husband has a photo of me smoking while I'm actually reading it). It took both my hubby and me 2 weeks to read it (and it's a short book!), he finished the day before I did, said to himself, I'm gonna roll my one more cigarette, and in the end just didn't because he didn't want to because he wasn't a smoker anymore. I stopped the next day.

The book keeps telling you that you don't want to be a smoker, and eventually you believe it. There is not a day that goes by that I want a cigarette. Mainly when I see other people smoking I think to myself, man, i'm so glad I don't have to go out in the crappy weather and have a cigarette just to come in stinking. It seems cheezy, like really how could a book help you quite. But the mind is a powerful thing, and for the 2 of us, and my mom, it I has worked.

You're not a smoker anymore. You don't need cigarettes and you don't want to smoke. Rock it! 

Mr. Minsc

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2013, 10:16:31 AM »
November 10th, my birthday.  What an awesome birthday present your giving me. :)

Another Reader

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2013, 10:24:28 AM »
Why wait?  Why not right now?  As in, I have HAD my last cigarette.  Take the money you would have spent on the 5 packs of cigarettes between now and November 10th and open a savings account for your older child.  For every pack you don't smoke, put that amount of money in envelope.  At the end of the week, take the envelope to the bank and deposit it in your daughter's account.  Do that every week.  When the second child is born, split the money.  That way, you have a tangible reward for every cigarette not smoked.  Not smoking is a real investment in their future and yours.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2013, 10:42:38 AM »
Why wait?  Why not right now?  As in, I have HAD my last cigarette.  Take the money you would have spent on the 5 packs of cigarettes between now and November 10th and open a savings account for your older child.  For every pack you don't smoke, put that amount of money in envelope.  At the end of the week, take the envelope to the bank and deposit it in your daughter's account.  Do that every week.  When the second child is born, split the money.  That way, you have a tangible reward for every cigarette not smoked.  Not smoking is a real investment in their future and yours.

Ooh I love this idea!

OP, we're all rooting for you!!! I am excited for you and your life as a non-smoker :)

essjay43

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2013, 08:36:26 AM »
2.5 days without a cigarette. First 12 hours were real rough, but now it's just breaking habits. Wish me luck.

hoodedfalcon

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2013, 08:42:14 AM »
Way to go! I've been there, so I know what you are going through. Every hour and every day you are putting distance between you and those gross cigarettes, and you should be proud! It's not an easy thing to do.

essjay43

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2013, 07:21:22 AM »
Still haven't had a cigarette. It's crazy how changing one habit can have such a large change on your daily life.

I literally have not spent any money this week.

footenote

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2013, 07:25:31 AM »
Woo hoo! Congratulations!

Let us know more about how changing this habit has changed your daily life.... Is it just the spending? Or more of an attitude shift?

olivia

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2013, 08:11:17 AM »
AWESOME!  Keep up the good work!  I also quit cold turkey about 10 years ago.  Once you decide you're done and truly want to be done, it's a lot easier to stick with it.  It sounds like that's where you're at now, so I have a feeling you will remain smoke free! 

I did find that it was easiest to avoid my old haunts for a while (smokey bars, certain friends' houses where everyone smoked indoors). But now smoking in bars is rare and smoking inside a house is even rarer, so maybe that won't be as tempting for you?

You CAN do this, and you will feel SO MUCH BETTER.  Keep up the good work!

NinetyFour

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2013, 08:40:33 AM »
Keep at it, essjay43!! We are all rooting for you!  Do something nice for yourself like investing the $$ you would have otherwise spent on those nasty things.  Actually, you are already doing an incredibly great thing for yourself (and all of those around you) by quitting the smoking habit.  Yay!!

essjay43

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2013, 09:14:45 AM »
Thanks for all the encouragement. I don't have a huge support system- most of my friends/family get afraid of me when I quit haha.

I quit drinking 6 years ago, so I'm using the same tactics- avoiding people who smoke, places where people smoke.

As for habits, I don't have to run to the store once or twice a day, so I don't buy candy bars or soda. And I'm not outside my office smoking, so I don't run next door to Dunkin Donuts for a coffee and a muffin. And since my wife is holding onto my cards and cash, I don't go out for lunch.

So all in all, I'm saving around $20 a day easy.

Another plus is that I'm channeling my nervous energy to being more productive- whether it's work, walking the dog, or fixing things around the house.

footenote

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2013, 09:50:56 AM »
$20 per day is a metric crap-ton of money!

Even if you save that much only on workdays, that's roughly $400 post-tax dollars per month. And that is doing wonders for your monthly balance sheet.

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #14 on: November 16, 2013, 04:31:12 PM »
Awesome work!

Many states have free "quit lines" for people trying to quit smoking -- see if yours does, just in case you have any questions along the way.

I used to help people quit smoking, too, and those first 2 weeks are hard, because your body is detoxing, but after 2 weeks the nicotine should be fully out of your system and the only thing holding you to your addiction is habit and psychological addiction. If you can get through the first 2 weeks, it will get easier.

One thing that did trip people up after 2 weeks quit is that they forgot why they quit in the first place -- their hacking cough was gone, they forgot about shelling out $$ for cigs, etc. If you can write down your top 5 reasons for quitting right now, while it's fresh in your mind, it might help you whenever you feel like you should just have 1 cig because it's no big deal and "you could use one" ;) The people I counseled would write it on a small piece of paper and carry it in their wallets, then refer to it as needed.

essjay43

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2013, 06:47:04 AM »
9 days in and going strong. This forum really helped.

NinetyFour

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #16 on: November 19, 2013, 07:55:42 AM »
Great to hear!

Got in a taxi yesterday and was grossed out as it was obvious that the driver was a smoker.

In a training session this morning.  Some guy sat at our table, and I almost fell over as it was clear that he had just been outside for a smoke.  Yuck!!!

So you are doing a huge favor not only for yourself but also for those around you!!

Winter's Tale

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #17 on: November 19, 2013, 08:00:33 AM »
Just wanted to say good luck and congratulations on taking such an awesome step for your health and well-being, financial and otherwise.  I'm rooting for you!

olivia

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #18 on: November 19, 2013, 10:19:36 AM »
9 days in and going strong. This forum really helped.

AWESOME, keep up the good work!  You've got this!  And think how much money you've saved: 9 x $20=$180!!!

Reboot

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #19 on: February 07, 2014, 01:59:06 PM »
Curious: This caught my eye back when I was just creeping the forums.

I've got a quit date coming up. Did you manage to maintain that freedom? My last run went for five days. I thought I was good. Three vodka red bulls at a bar said otherwise. So on the next go of it, I'll be staying out of bars, PERIOD, for at least a month. But that just plays into the "hair on fire" thing I'm working on right now. So it's magical. :)

Eric

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #20 on: February 07, 2014, 03:57:36 PM »
Curious: This caught my eye back when I was just creeping the forums.

I've got a quit date coming up. Did you manage to maintain that freedom? My last run went for five days. I thought I was good. Three vodka red bulls at a bar said otherwise. So on the next go of it, I'll be staying out of bars, PERIOD, for at least a month. But that just plays into the "hair on fire" thing I'm working on right now. So it's magical. :)

Maybe you've noticed this if you've attempted to quit before, but if not, this is one thing that helped me quit.  Obviously it's tough at first.  You're fighting physical and mental addiction.  However, after the first 3 days or so, you've kicked your physical addiction and everything left is mental.  And here's the trick.

If you smoke after meals, the first meal is going to be the hardest, and then after that, it gets progressively easier.  If you smoke while drinking, the first night drinking will be the hardest, and then easier.  BUT, the catch is that your mind attributes all of these activities as separate things.  So if 3 months down the road you decide to take a road trip, and you always used to smoke on road trips, your craving will be strong because you're back to breaking this part of the addiction for the first time.

Obviously use your own triggers in place of mine, but I'm certain you'll feel that strong urge many times when attempting activities where you'd previously smoke.  However, recognizing what is happening can really help fight it.  So even if you stay out of bars for a month, realize that the first time back you're going to have a strong urge.  And then conquer that sonofbitch!

Reboot

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #21 on: February 18, 2014, 03:15:41 PM »
Word. :)

RPreston007

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Re: Quit Smoking- November 10th
« Reply #22 on: May 22, 2020, 04:53:14 PM »
Dude, actually quitting smoking is pretty easy and I don’t understand why you are already making your tenth attempt. There are certain difficulties, but if a person has willpower, then he will not encounter any problems. I quit smoking myself and I know from my own experience that this is possible. I did this in three weeks and it was hard for me and I was constantly haunted by the desire to try a cigarette, but I was able to overcome this desire. Honestly, I managed it only thanks to the vape and if I hadn’t stumbled upon the vape and decided not to Buy Vape Liquid UK, I couldn’t completely get rid of the nicotine addiction. So try to find an alternative!
« Last Edit: May 30, 2020, 04:59:46 AM by RPreston007 »