I QUIT! The quitting smoking support thread.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

So between the day I quit and today, I would have smoked 2844. Jesus.

[SeoulFire]

Sweet jebeezus

I did not get the app but it inspired a quick calculation - figured that I have not smoked 32850 since I quit!

[CaptainCrunch]

Only 150 smokes missed so far.

But over the term of my smoking career

I've smoked for 16 years, and probably averaged about 17 per day over my career. which is over 105,000 cigarettes

If I go by todays cost, thats $46,413.00

[Otto-matic]

I tried quitting earlier but I fell off the train, its disappointing because I really thought I hit that point where I didn't feel any need to smoke again but hopefully I can rebound in the New years and go on from that.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Otto-matic, I quit quitting a dozen times before success was had.

You'll do it when you're ready! And seriously, consider Champix/Chantix.

[jschick88]

Smoked for over 15 years and I have gone 2 weeks to date without lighting up!! I have been using the patch but each passing day my cravings are getting less. I also quit drinking coffee on the same day. I joined the YMCA to keep myself busy and let me tell you, I feel fantastic.

For anyone wanting to quit, make sure you go into the process of wanting to quit. Keep busy and everytime you get a craving write down the side effects to smoking and how much money it will save you by not smoking. It really worked for me.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

I am starting Champix tomorrow, for the 5th time. I need to quit!

[WilsonFourTwo]

This is (by far) my favorite thread on CP and it makes me sooooo happy to see it get bumped.

Keep up the good work everyone....you will be successful when you're ready, I promise!

As a personal update, I'm just shy of 1.5 years ($4,000 saved) and have never felt better.

[AMG_G]

I was a closet smoker for 23 years although I know my wife probably knows. I had my last smoke on September 24th the day we went on a 2 week cruise/vacation with my entire family (18 people). I picked this event because I knew it would be hard to smoke on the ship for the first week and the second week we all stayed in a vacation home so near impossible to smoke without someone smelling it on me. I did it cold turkey and I really wanted to quit this time because I realized that I have been a smoker longer (23 years) than I have been a non smoker.

I also came to the realization that something just isn't right when a 38 year old man has to sneak around to have a smoke so that his son won't be disappointed in him.

Week 3 I bought Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. The book just gave me a booster to really understand why I choose to quit.

Downloaded an app that keeps track of the days I quit and the amount of money I saved.

6 weeks, 3 days, 7 hours free
By not smoking 724.85 cigarettes I saved $554.96

[pylon]

Coming up to 9 months in a few days here. Feel awesome, and no looking back. I honestly thought about what a cigarette would taste like if I had one right now, and that thought was absolutely revolting.

Anyone who has quit for an extended duration of time, knows that foreign, stinging sensation you get when you have one again for the first time? I never want that feeling ever again.

Some interesting stats for myself:

-I have increased my maximum comfortable cycling distance from 25 kms to being able to pound off 100 kms on a Sunday.
-I have gone from a 170 lb maximum bench press to 345 lbs.
-I lost 35 pounds of fat, and regained about 25 pounds of muscle mass.
-I have gone from gasping for breath after 45 seconds on the ice, to being able to marathon entire periods if needed when we are short skaters.
-I went from a 38 inch waist, a 42 inch chest and 16 inch arms to a 34.5 inch waist and a 48 inch chest and 18.5 inch arms.
- My breath doesn't smell every morning like a cat sh1t in my mouth.
- My confidence has gone through the roof, and I am no longer hesitant around women.

Albeit I did hit the gym 3 months leading up to quitting, these are all changes that would have been impossible without kicking the habit. In 1 year, I totally changed my life, after I let cigarettes ruin it for 17 years.

The one thing I absolutely implore anyone thinking of quitting to do, is EXERCISE, work out, run, anything that involves physical activity. Once you see some progress, you will not want to ruin what you have accomplished with those evil little rolls of paper death. I am 37 years old, and I am in the best physical condition in my entire life. I no longer roll my eyes at the thought of working out, or dread the next big hill on a bike ride. I look forward to and am eager for those challenges. The first couple months sucked balls beyond all belief. But once you get a groove, you will not want to turn back.

To me, the absolute moment of redemption, was running into my ex girlfriend that I split up with last November. She was the one I really liked, and really wanted to settle down with. A major reason we split up was because of garbage lifestyle, my smelly tobacco condo, and my general abuse of my health. She had a suitcase of mine I needed to pick up, and she hasn't seen me in a full year almost to the day, and the last time we spoke face to face, I had a smoke hanging out of my mouth. When I rang her doorbell, she looked at me like like she didn't even recognize me, made a stupid little comment that made this whole year worth of commitment worth it ,"Wow, you look really good." I am not the greatest looking guy on the world, but I felt like Brad Pitt for a minute. I played it off all cool, but when I got back in my car, I was grinning from ear to ear the entire way home.

Quitting changed my life. The 2 months of pain you have to endure out of the gate, has a pot at the end of the rainbow full of riches money could never buy. What are you waiting for? Run that pack of cancer sticks under the kitchen faucet, and just do it.

[BagoPucks]

^ I have nothing to add to this thread as I am not addicted to smoking and dont smoke. Reading pylon's post made me smile as his energy gained from quitting smoking oozes through his words in the post above. Hence making me smile as I read it and I thanked it.

[WesternCanadaKing]

I'm coming back into this thread with my head hanging a little bit. I was pretty gung-ho to quit back when it was started up... but it didn't last. I've tried a few different things, including gum and the patch, but it didn't work. I have cut back from about 7 - 8 a day to 1 - 3, but just can't make the final leap. I have started exercising and I've found on days that I work out I don't crave them nearly as much.

The worst part is how I become such a miserable SOB every time I try to quit. It actually gets to the point where I can't listen to anybody talk without hating everything that they're saying and wish that they would just shut up.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by WesternCanadaKing

I'm coming back into this thread with my head hanging a little bit. I was pretty gung-ho to quit back when it was started up... but it didn't last. I've tried a few different things, including gum and the patch, but it didn't work. I have cut back from about 7 - 8 a day to 1 - 3, but just can't make the final leap. I have started exercising and I've found on days that I work out I don't crave them nearly as much.

The worst part is how I become such a miserable SOB every time I try to quit. It actually gets to the point where I can't listen to anybody talk without hating everything that they're saying and wish that they would just shut up.

I found for a while I was snapping at everyone too. I just learned to go take a 5 minute walk, and the homicidal rage would wear off.

[AMG_G]

If you feel like this then you aren't ready to quit. Once you decided you want to quit you would feel good about your decision. Replacing your addiction with gum and or patch makes no sense. You're substituting one form of nicotine with another form. Cold turkey is the only way to go. Your body will get over the withdrawal in about 3 days. The rest is just mind games with yourself.

Originally Posted by WesternCanadaKing

I'm coming back into this thread with my head hanging a little bit. I was pretty gung-ho to quit back when it was started up... but it didn't last. I've tried a few different things, including gum and the patch, but it didn't work. I have cut back from about 7 - 8 a day to 1 - 3, but just can't make the final leap. I have started exercising and I've found on days that I work out I don't crave them nearly as much.

The worst part is how I become such a miserable SOB every time I try to quit. It actually gets to the point where I can't listen to anybody talk without hating everything that they're saying and wish that they would just shut up.

[AMG_G]

10 weeks, 5 days, 10 hours, 50 minutes free of cigarettes
Savings $943.15

[4X4]

Off the wagon. I have excuses, but they're lame.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Off the wagon. I have excuses, but they're lame.

Never stop trying 4X4, It took many attempts for me before I finally got it.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Get back on the wagon 4x4.

Remember, its only a mistake if you refuse to learn from it.

[woob]

Love reading the stories in this thread! Being an ex-smoker myself, I know what a gong show it can be to quit, especially if you're not ready to. For me, I think I tried 5-6 times to quit without any success until one day, I just stopped smoking and that was it. Once in every few months I'll bum one off a buddy and quickly realize why I quit as it reminds me of how utterly disgusting having a smoke is. It's amazing to me how much I used to love those foul things. Keep it up in here and don't beat yourself up too much if you fall off the wagon.

[AMG_G]

Hearing my 2 year old son say Daddy you smell funny did it for me.