The first day without a cigarette

[radou]

ME TOO! I quit on St. Patrick's Day! GOOD FOR US RADOU!

Congratulations, I hope we keep up the good work!

 

[radou]

Just to check in, it will be two months now that I didn't smoke. I didn't even feel tempted! Amazing, it's easier than I thought it was going to be. Or am I just lucky? Anyways, the point is that I didn't, at any point, say that I have quit smoking. And I think that is the "catch" which helped me the most.

Good luck to everyone else with the same "issue"!

Btw, Tsu, I hope your next reply in this thread will be good news, too.

 

[Evo]

Congrats radou!

Wow Tsu, you quit?? I hope you'll say you're still off of them.

 

[D H]

Good luck to everyone else with the same "issue"!

Thanks. This is Day #7 ... this time. I think I am past the worst of it. I do not want to go through the last seven days again. Quitting is so easy. Staying "quit" is the hard part. I have "quit" smoking many times, once for ten years.

 

[mattmns]

Congrats, keep it up (all of you).

 

[cristo]

Well done radou, and others who have "quit." I am very impressed!

 

[honestrosewater]

Congrats to radou, Tsu, and everyone else! I smoked for about 10 years and quit October 27, 2005. Woot!

How are you doing, D H and anyone else who wants to quit?

The physical discomfort wasn't so hard to deal with for me. I think the hardest part was worrying that I would miss it. I suppose that might not make sense now. But if anyone else is feeling the same way, it's not like it would be hard to start smoking again if you did end up missing it after giving smoke-free-ness an honest chance. It would take enormous amounts of money or some terribly extreme scenario to get me to start smoking again.

 

[radou]

Thanks. This is Day #7 ... this time. I think I am past the worst of it. I do not want to go through the last seven days again. Quitting is so easy. Staying "quit" is the hard part. I have "quit" smoking many times, once for ten years.

Congratulations, D H !

And don't say the word "quit", it may help yoo too!

Btw, I have been smoking for seven years, and it's a lot. I thought of it this way: in three more years it would be ten years, and I would be 26, which is YOUNG, and I'd have a 10-year-smoker profile! Ugh! Further on, in ten more years, I'd be 36, which is still young (well, relatively, but definitely not old ), and I'd have a 20-year-smoker profile, which definitely IS something. And we all know how the years fly past us...

I think the hardest part was worrying that I would miss it.

Yes, this definitely is the hardest part.

 

[BillJx]

Just to check in, it will be two months now that I didn't smoke. I didn't even feel tempted! Amazing, it's easier than I thought it was going to be. Or am I just lucky? Anyways, the point is that I didn't, at any point, say that I have quit smoking. And I think that is the "catch" which helped me the most.

Good luck to everyone else with the same "issue"!

Btw, Tsu, I hope your next reply in this thread will be good news, too.

Congratulations! I found the same thing, that saying I'd quit smoking seemed to be setting myself up. I quit the last time, shortly before my daughter was born. She's 29 now, so that was at a time when non-smokers were a minority and people were always offering. With people I didn't know, I'd just say "Thanks, I don't smoke" instead of "I'm trying to quit". Because the way I saw it, once you stop smoking you're a non-smoker.
The cravings were a passing thing. They were intense sometimes, but pretty soon you realize that they don't last long and you just have to wait them out.

Continued best wishes.

 

[Zantra]

it took numerous tries but after 12 years I quit for good in august of 05. If you truly want to quit bad enough, you'll make it. If you cheat, don't give in, just move on and keep trying to quit.

Do or do not, there is no try

 

[marlon]

I am smoking for 10 years now and although i know it is bad, i like it soooooo much. I like the taste, the smell, the effect etc etc. I want to quit but the problem is just that i like smoking a lot. To me, to quit smoking is like to quit having sex. I would say i am in deep trouble...

marlon

 

[radou]

I want to quit but the problem is just that i like smoking a lot. To me, to quit smoking is like to quit having sex. I would say i am in deep trouble...

marlon

If it's really like that, then you're definitely in deep trouble, marlon..

Hint: quit smoking and have more sex as a compensation. Perhaps that would work..?

 

[mathwonk]

actually smoking diminshes your ability to have sex since it shrinks the blood vessels, and also obviously provides a substitute satisfaction.

It took me a long time to quit, smoking that is. Do not celebrate quitting until it is at least 5 years. After a lifetime of smoking (20+years) I finally "quit" at age 35.

For at least one year after that my fingers involuntarily went into my shirt pocket. And I thought fondly of having a cigarette for many years after that. I think the 5 year mark was when I finally felt little or no desire for them.

There is no habit so strong, except maybe arguing. So hang in there. It will save you, at a pack a day, maybe what?, a thousand dollars a year for tobacco, and much more in health costs.if you do the math, notice that a pack a day for 10 years is as many cigarettes as half a pack a day for 20 years, and 2 cigs a day for what? 100 years? it is never too soon to quit. the only way i know of is to not take that first one. in my experience there are no substitutes.

never give into the desire to have "just one". think of that as not quitting and put that first one off aS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN WHEN IT SeEMS INEVITABLE THINK ABOUT putting it off another day.

i was finally motivated to quit partly by reading an article pointing out the second biggest risk factor for heart attack, after genetics, was smoking. i thought, heyy..., i control that one.

It changes your longevity by several years, some say 7-11, and that's also quality life. But quit and stay quit as young s possible. I still have serious respiratory problems 30 years after quitting, although chalk dust is partly responsible.

for chalkdust, I recommend using a bucket of water and a sponge in the classroom if no other option exists. This is one more little technology that has not migrated from europe to the US.

 

[Astronuc]

for chalkdust, I recommend using a bucket of water and a sponge in the classroom if no other option exists. This is one more little technology that has not migrated from europe to the US.

I think we started doing that when I was a graduate student, but it was more periodically cleaning the chalk tray and washing the board, probably once per week. I noticed the difference.

It did occur to me to wear a dust mask, but I probably would not have wanted to do so anyway.

 

[marlon]

actually smoking diminshes your ability to have sex since it shrinks the blood vessels, and also obviously provides a substitute satisfaction.

I don't have that impression though (i am only talking about the need for sex here). My sexual appetite is big enough (and no i am not bragging here).

What i adore is a cigarette after sex(), luch, in the morning when i go to work, late in the evening in between commercial brakes etc etc...

I JUST LOVE IT. Really, sometimes i fear that i will never get rid off this habit i adore.

marlon

 

[mathwonk]

appetite is not performance.

 

[radou]

appetite is not performance.

 

[marlon]

appetite is not performance.

Did i ever say that ?

marlon

 

[mathwonk]

what exactly are you smoking, if i may ask? (civet poop?)

 

[Cyrus]

what exactly are you smoking, if i may ask? (civet poop?)

zingggg. (that made me laugh out loud :) ) <thats for drinking, and you know it>


I've smoked Cigars and cigarettes before. Honestly, I don't care much for them. There not horrible, but there not a 'great taste' by any stretch. I do love the smell of them though. I think they smell great. Tobacco in general smells good.

 

[marlon]

what exactly are you smoking, if i may ask? (civet poop?)

?

Dont' get it

?

What the hell is (civet poop) ?


I assume this is a retorical question, right ?

marlon

 

[Huckleberry]

I believe a civet is a small rodent that eats coffee beans. The excrement of the civet is collected and used to make a distinclty flavored coffee.

I'm still smoking by the way, and hating it. I'm not ready to quit yet though. It's hard to be focused enough to quit when I'm not particularly concerned with living into old age.

 

[radou]

I'm still smoking by the way, and hating it. I'm not ready to quit yet though. It's hard to be focused enough to quit when I'm not particularly concerned with living into old age.

Hating it is a first step.

I was hating it for a pretty long time.

Regarding the "living into old age" thing, if you think twice, I believe you should get concerned. Perhaps I'm wrong, but don't answer until you did think twice.

 

[Lisa!]

Well done, radou! Congrats on you becuase of your great will power!

Hating it is a first step.
I was hating it for a pretty long time.

Regarding the "living into old age" thing, if you think twice, I believe you should get concerned. Perhaps I'm wrong, but don't answer until you did think twice.

That's a very good point! You know my freind's told me that he used to smoke but he's quit it but he said he'll probably restart it since he really likes it. Now the question is how to make him hate it as you did?
You know it was quite surprising for me when I heard that he used to smoke sinc he seems to be very concerned about his health and he certainly knows that how bad smoke is for his health. I'm afaid that your suggestion wouldn't make him to hate smoking!

 

[D H]

Lisa, ask your friend whether he likes how not smoking makes him breath easier, run faster, taste/smell better, and not burn holes in his wallet, his clothes, and his life span.

My count: I bummed a few butts in the last 1.6 weeks. Danged if I didn't put a new hole in my best shirt with the last one I bummed.

 

[radou]

You know it was quite surprising for me when I heard that he used to smoke sinc he seems to be very concerned about his health and he certainly knows that how bad smoke is for his health.

Typical. This is another apparent smoker-paradox (people being concerned about their health in general, but still smoking). But the point is that you don't feel the harm that smoking does to you instantly. Hence, it perfectly fits into the typical "Blah, I've got enough time to quit, these few cigarettes won't do me any harm!" and "Oh, it won't happen to me for sure, so why bother?" framework of the human mind.

If one, with every cigarette he smoked, felt pain in his throat/lungs and coughed out blood, I assure you that very few people would continue smoking.

Danged if I didn't put a new hole in my best shirt with the last one I bummed.

 

[honestrosewater]

Lisa, ask your friend whether he likes how not smoking makes him breath easier, run faster, taste/smell better, and not burn holes in his wallet, his clothes, and his life span.

Amen.

My count: I bummed a few butts in the last 1.6 weeks. Danged if I didn't put a new hole in my best shirt with the last one I bummed.

Yay! (To the first part.) Congrats. Are you feeling the health improvements already? They should continue getting better for quite a while, methinks.

Someone asked years ago about the huge bottles of water that I brought to work everyday and someone else replied that I'd be a regular health nut if not for the smoking. I suppose there might be some people who genuinely enjoy it, but for me it was just a wickedly strong habit.

 

[honestrosewater]

Hey, how is the smoke-freeness going? D H?

 

[radou]

Hey, how is the smoke-freeness going? D H?

If you're interested in mine, it's going perfectly well.

Btw, I had a dream last night that I lit up, and I felt like crap. So, apparently that's a good sign.

 

[D H]

I had a dream last night that I lit up, and I felt like crap.

Funny! and a good sign.

One of my sons brought a cold back with him from college and gave it to us. Stuffed nose, difficult breathing, stand-ten-feet-back dragon breath --- just like smoking!

 

[radou]

One of my sons brought a cold back with him from college and gave it to us. Stuffed nose, difficult breathing, stand-ten-feet-back dragon breath --- just like smoking!

I believe. Btw, the worst component is the smoking cough. It's specially disgusting, because it has got a cigarette-flavour, literally! I experienced it pretty often, and I thank my lungs and complete respiratory system for being sensitive enough to warn me that cigarettes aren't my type of sport.

 

[honestrosewater]

Gaja, everybody! Glad to hear it's going well.

 

[seirousboutit]

starting tonight

 

[Evo]

starting tonight

Good for you! Let us know about your progress.

 

[Gear300]

I keep smoking with a cold. The lungs feel more clear, though I do know its altogether for the worse.