Quit smoking

Wendy said:

Throw those 2 packs away. It's a lot harder to drive to the store and pay $6 for a pack than it is to go get that pack that's right there in the kitchen. I tried several times but was never able to quit if there was a pack close by.

You said 'we' ... is this a joint effort? Support is good.

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Nope, I'm the only stupid one in the house!  The reference to 'we' was just that my DW was in the kitchen when I brought them up and put them on the counter unopened, that's when I told her I decided to quit!  If they remained unopened, then I'm still on the wagon!

JIM.. what do you mean IF they remain unopened?? consider yourself an ex-smoker from now on, then the decision for you is to start smoking or never smoke, just like the first time you picked one up. Knowing then what you know now would you have smoked?? You made the hardest decision...to put them down. Proud of you, hang in there buddy!!!!

Quiting the ciggie is the hardest, easiest thing you will ever do.  I smoked for over 50 years.  I quit after my first heart attack in 95 and picked up the ciggie again when my wife Linda died in 03.  I married Willa in 06 and kicked the habit again.  Went cold turkey and the first week was tough.  Every day I would promise myself that I could smoke tomorrow but NOT TODAY.  I still live by that.  ''Tomorrow I can smoke a ciggie,,,,,,, BUT NOT TODAY''.
Don't replace the ciggie with 'spit' or ''chaw'' either or a ''unlit cigar'' in your teeth....... DONT DO IT...
Be tough there Marine..... If a ''Stinkin Squid'' can do it,,,,,,, it should be child's play for a Marine.

ps.  I got two packs of Pall Mall reds hid in the basement and if i hear that the Russians ever ''launched'' a first strike against us, I will go light up and hope the first bomb hits on my head.....lol..... 
Thank you for your service to our country.......  God bless the vets........

well put there CJ...if a flatfooted grunt can do it I think a Marine could!!

It's great when these threads pop up.  One more person to kick the habit.  I quit September 11th, 1992.  Had my last one during the eye of Hurricane Iniki in Hawaii.  I didn't really plan on that, but it was easy to remember that date, that's for sure.  I woke up, told myself I just didn't need this anymore, and never looked back.  Never had cravings and never had any problems holding to it.  That's when you know for sure it's time to quit.

By the way, I stopped for a rest break on the way home yesterday and the guy in front of me at the checkout counter bought a carton of Camel's.  $52.73!  Oh, mah, gawd!  If that alone doesn't kick you in the head, nothing else will.

edjunior said:

It's great when these threads pop up.  One more person to kick the habit.  I quit September 11th, 1992.  Had my last one during the eye of Hurricane Iniki in Hawaii.  I didn't really plan on that, but it was easy to remember that date, that's for sure.  I woke up, told myself I just didn't need this anymore, and never looked back.  Never had cravings and never had any problems holding to it.  That's when you know for sure it's time to quit.

By the way, I stopped for a rest break on the way home yesterday and the guy in front of me at the checkout counter bought a carton of Camel's.  $52.73! Oh, mah, gawd!  If that alone doesn't kick you in the head, nothing else will.

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And to think I got them at ships store for $1 a carton while underway...Don't remember just when I quit but I remember paying under $2 a pack...and at 3 packs a day ...that would be unbelievable.

Well, i jumped on board, just to see what the ride is like. Not quiting, but haven't lit one since last night when I discovered this thread. Let me see - that's like 18 or 19 hrs. I do have one ready to light, as soon as I make my plan. It's in an open pack, in my shirt pocket, which still contains 20 cigs. Gonna leave it there.

Got 6 packs on the kitchen counter and 4 more in the door pocket in my car. Wouldn't do to run out. I plan to cheat at every opportunity, in every way I can dream up. I plan to stand downwind of smokers, and see what I can pick up.    I have the gum, which I really don't like.  Got a good supply of E-Cigarettes, which seem to help - but there's still something missing. They have a heck of a nicotene kick, but no smoke - no fire - none of the satisfying good stuff!  :-\

Any good ideas on cheating?  :

Yeah Ray - You CAN do it! For me, it was stick candy that helped - guess I needed something in my hand. Think about that new motorhome you can buy with the money you'll save!

You can do it!  I started smoking when I was 14.  Every time I walked in the door Mother would smell them on my clothes and get after me - with me, of course, denying I was smoking.  Yea, sure - kids are so dumb.  Then at 21 I got the measles and was in a coma for five days.  When I came to I asked for my cigarettes.  Then asked how long I had been in the hospital.  When they said five days I knew I'd already gone through any physical withdrawal and told them to throw them away.  Never had one since and now know I'm allergic to the smoke!  By the way, I don't recommend getting measles to break the habit, but it sure worked for me!  :

Anyway when I returned to school I told all my smoker friends not to give in if I begged them for a cigarette.  I was so lucky!  I had really good friends.  The first year was tough, but my friends never once gave in to my pleading and after a while the desire was gone.  Sixty years later I can't stand to be around them, especially when they make my face itch!

ArdraF

This is so cool!  Another day going down smoke free an' others jumpin onboard!  OORAH!

Part of the real problem with quitting is stopping the ''mechanics'' of smoking..........  Think about it .......
When you smoke you do a lot of physical stuff. 
Open the pack by pulling the zipper and pulling the foil back.
Knocking out the first ciggie...
Grabbing the ciggie and putting the right end in your mouth...
Finding your lighter/ matches/ or pushing in the lighter....
Taking that first drag and waiting to flick the ashes.....
Toaking the ciggie down to a butt and crushing it out in the ash tray.......
Putting the ciggies in your pocket or over the sun visor and putting away your lighter......

The ''mechanics'' are about as hard to break as the actual habit of nicotene in your system. 
Your ''hands'' feel lost and you can only pick your nose so much ...............
Try this .........    Git you a big bag of Life Savers and keep them with you at all times.........
When you get the ''urge'',,,,,,,,,,,, whip out  a life saver and patiently unwrap it....

Stick it in your mouth and use your tongue to roll it around in your mouth,  stand it on your lips and whistle thru the hole...
This sounds stupid but it will give your mouth something to do.
Promise yourself that ''TOMORROW, I CAN HAVE ONE CIGGIE''.........  And when ''TOMORROW'' gets here, just repeat the phrase............
DO NOT CHEAT,,,,,,,,,,,,,, NOT EVEN ONE PUFF,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, NOT ONE,,,,,,,,,,,,,EVER,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The first week is the toughest.  After that, its pretty much downhill all the way and remember this....
The NAVY is watching you Marine and we are all behind you all the way.    DO IT MARINE and everyone else that is on the bandwagon...........

Marines are tough and they can do anything they put their mind to..... (good Lord, I am bragin' on jarheads)

Freedom aint free................ It is bought with blood................God bless our troops ..............

$50 bucks a carton for Camels??  It would cost you $110 here!  I switched from Marlboro to a $30 generic something or another.  Saved us some money, but they are a little rougher to smoke.  I find drinking a glass of water when I want to smoke is helpful...as well as shoving food into my mouth.  ;D For me, it's string cheese, DH prefers sweets (I am unfortunate enough to NOT be able to eat pastries, doughnuts, cakes, brownies etc)..Carrots and celery are BORING...Maybe I should go back to chewing pencils!  Tee hee hee
Thanks for the support and for the thread...we just started our own support group!  Great stuff!!

Stuff the celery with peanut butter or cheese-whiz or Nutella. And think of all the wonderful things you can do with the money you save.

I used peppermint lifesavers.

Chewing gum helped me get over that "light up when you start the car" phase.  It's hard to smoke while you're chewing gum. 
Another tip I read at that time:  give yourself permission to sit down and do absolutely nothing.  Seems smokers often use lighting up a cigarette as an excuse to stop when tired and needing to rest for a few minutes. 
When all else fails, take a shower and cry.  That's what I did for the first week when I quit.  It gets easier as time goes along!  :-*
Margi

I hope you had full hookups lol!

This is so cool!  Another day going down smoke free an' others jumpin onboard!  OORAH!

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Hey, we have a Marine walking point. How could it go wrong?

Pretty darn good cheering section, too!

My first day is anti-climatic. No problem at all. Now, I did cheat, and quite well. Plan to continue. I have nursed an E-Cig all day, as needed. Miss the light up routine, but no Nicotene withdrawal. Don't know if this will continue to work, or not. Better than chewing the gum! The mechanical ceremony is an important part of the addiction/habit. Learning a lot from folks, here.

Ray, puff puff, D  ;D

stormbytes said:

I hope you had full hookups lol!

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That was 23 years ago.  Still working and living in our house.

Margi

I read a story one time about a guy that really hated his brother in law.  He said the guy was lazy and worthless and lived off his wife working two jobs to support the house hold.  In the story, the guy was a smoker and he had tried several ways too stop smoking without success.  In desperation he came upon an idea and went to his lawyer and drew up a contract something like this.
I........................... do put on deposit this check for one thousand dollars that it be given to my hated brother in law, Mr............................... in twelve calender months from the date of this contract.  Said check will be mailed by my lawyer unless I successfully complete the following.
I will stop all tobacco use on or before three months calender date of this contract.
I will stay stopped from all tobacco use for the remainder of the contract period and if I fail to stop or return to tobacco use after I have successfully stopped in the first three months, I authorize my attorney to double the amount of the check to my hated brother in law, Mr .................................... as per this contract with myself.....
signed ..................................................

As I understand it, the guy has made several contracts with himself and has never lost a bet.  He stopped smoking, lost weight, and has broken other bad habits as I understand....
It is food for thought.............. Pick someone you don't like and give your lawyer a check for them.  Do like the guy did and if you hate someone enough .....  you will quit just to spite them.

This valuable information will cost you ten cents and you can pay me the next time you see me .....cj..
ps.  I volunteer to be the person that you dont like and you can make the check out to me and I will go to Vegas and have fun on your money while you smoke ciggies and cuss ......lol.....  (I are such a nice fella'.....

Jim, It took me years until I did not have the craving. If I can add a little insight. 
1. Any time that you have invested in quitting is lost if you ?light up? and you will need to start all over, If you have invested a day or year the result is the same.
2. The mind will play tricks on you, after a time you may think that you have concord your craving and that you can reward yourself by have an occasional smoke. Watch out this is a sure way of failing.
3. Some people can quit on the first  try but don't count on  it, learn and gather your resolve and start over.
4. Quitting is a way of life. Some of us look at it as alcoholics do, we will always be smokers that are trying to quit. (Hello I am Paul and I'm a smoker. I have gone XXXX days/years without a cigarette).
5. As you free yourself from tobacco, a wonderful thing happens to your taste buds and every thing smells better, steeping out on the porch early in the morning and the air smells so refreshing. The congestion (smokers cough)  starts to disappear and breathing takes less effort. You will find that you will stop chewing your food and realize that the flavor of your food has really improved. You start feeling like a winner.

?The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people.?
― Randy Pausch,