Again, stay strong. Remember, get through the first two weeks or so, and you're through the worst of it.

the first three days are brutal... then its a little better, but by the end of the first month it gets bad again...

Doing good man... keep on going...

I do recommend the jogging ASAP... something about running while trying to quit re-enforces the goal of quitting

Yeah I want to start jogging, just keeps raining or being miserable outside somehow on the days I've designated as jogging days for my routine. Haven't felt the need for a cigarette yet today, but I sure as hell still want one. Time to take a walk around the building to take my mind off things. This stupid program I'm writing is starting to annoy the hell out of me.

Hey, if you want something to do and have a few hours to kill, drive this.

You don't smoke in the car, and this'll get you a few hours of real smoke-free fun. Just beware that the road is rough around the dam. Very fun, but very rough.

Weather is awesome today :tup:

This is going to inspire me to quit smoking too! I've been thinking about it for a while and saving the 200 a month I put into cigarettes would be nice to use for gasoline.

Do et Brian!

Think I'm going to have to switch the schedule for this week and run today, just gorgoeus outside.

I'm glad I made this thread, easy way to vent frustrations onto the internet as opposed to people I deal with in person on a daily basis and I've got quite the support network going for me. Thanks everyone for the support and please keep it coming, I'm in this for the long haul! Don't let me down, I won't let you down!

W00t keep it up! :tup:

We're always here for you man :tup:

Day 4 = Success! No real hard moments yesterday. The thought of smoking is starting to become a negative one as opposed to positive one. I'm sure that will flip back and forth as time goes by but at least I'm going in the right direction. Ended up switching the schedule around this week since it was so nice out yesterday and took a short jog around the neighborhood. My cardio is obviously very deficient right now.

Day 5 so far has been pretty busy so I haven't had any real time till about now to think about a cigarette. Still waiting on the supposed weight you gain when you quit smoking, I really could use the extra 10-15 lbs back I lost last month...

The weight gain is caused by two things. Now that the oral fixation of a cigarette is gone, you want to do stuff with your mouth still, which is why gum is a good idea. Also, nicotine aids digestion, so your metabolism will slow down a bit.

The reason you gain weight is as follows:

1. Nicotine acted as a appetite sapressant. It made the liver release glucose into the bloodstream, which in turn made yuor body think it was full. So it crubed your appetite. After you quit you got your appetite back, plus you can start to smell better and food smells good! ;)

2. You had sometime to do on breaks, etc. After you quit, you have to replace that ~5 min "smoke brake" with someone else. Oral fixation like was mentioned. You will feel naked. Most people snack to fill that volid. And this is where you start to eat more and gain the weight.

3. Toxic tobacco smoke causes your heart rate to increase. If your heart is beating faster the whole day, that equates to more calories burned. They say a typical smoker burns like 300 more calories a day from just smoking. So when you quit, you are already not burning those calories. That is why woman who want to loose weight will take up smoking! :facepalm:

It will get easier and easier as the days go by, already, I bet you dont think about smoking as much as day one, I didnt really even think about it unless I saw someone smoking. The cardio really helps to, It will give you a sense of accomplishment and I actually look forward to getting on the stair machine every day now lol

hardest part of quitting was seeing the weight gain... I went up 11 lbs or so... and i was trying really hard to eat right...

After the 3rd month or so... I managed to sort my exercise schedule and eating habits, and have lost the lbs...


I did notice since I quit... i grew a sweet tooth... I would never used to order a piece of cheese cake after a meal... now I am ordering desert like a girl.

You use to smoke a cig after a meal right? You had to replace that habit.

Maybe have a breathmint, or gum after a meal. Some people go brush their teeth after their meal. Keeps them busy and it's good for your mouth! Problem is for a guy, you would have to carry your toothbrush etc when you are out and about. We don't have a purse. lol

Subscribed. Keep it up man, You now have solid proof that you are bigger than that habit. Keep those updates coming, I showed this thread to my coworkers and they are now following it too ;)

And then they keep doing it. Nothing sexier than a 45-yr-old barfly that smells like an ashtray wheezing and motioning you over, just to introduce herself with a deep, raspy voice that could be male.

:roflpuke2:

^^^lol

:tup:

I've been packing the same lunch essentially for the past year or maybe longer and I think taste is starting to come back. I feel like today was the first time I've ever eaten what I usually bring. Looking forward to making tacos tonight for dinner! :happydance:

Hey man. Haven't checked into the forum in a while. Congrats on quitting, that's great! If you ever want to take your mind off things feel free to call me or stop by my house for a beer or two. We could also go for a jog around the neighborhood or even over to the cemetary down the road from me (it's actually quite nice).

On another note, I'll be around this weekend and if the weather cooperates I'll see you at the York road cruise.

Jog around a cemetary sounds fun :ugh2:

I've done it, although if I'm honest, I had to stop half way and crack open a cold one.

Yeah, the only problem is that you may feel a little stiff afterwards (Bad-Dum-CH).

:rofl2:

day 5 = success. I find myself on occasion, like after dinner, walking subconciously over to where I used to keep my smokes at home, look in the basket and see no smokes, and then think to myself "oh yeah, I don't smoke anymore." Still breaking the mental habit thats for sure. I know I'm only on day 6 and these things take time.

So this morning I totally forgot to put my patch on. I stepped out the door started the car, and I sat that there. Something didn't feel right and it took me a few minutes to figure it out. Thankfully I caught myself before it was too late and went back inside and put the patch on. Today could have been a pretty rough day had I truly forgotten.

Keep it up man :tup:

How's it going bud?

I hear ya man. I've met a few of these women and it is repulsing. I dated one and she had the nerve to use a lot of perfume. I told her, um perfume and tobacco smoke don't mix too well--you stink. :bowrofl:

A little irratible today but overall I'm trying to stay in a good mood. Just have to keep reminding myself not to take it out on the people around me. They are not the real reason I feel the way I do right now and lashing out at them is not a good thing to do. Even if I have made it clear to them when I started to quit that I might be edgy and if I become short with you don't take it personally. But yeah still no smoking for me, I'm still sticking to my guns. I found a nice quote to help me through the long term on a site someone earlier in this thread suggested.

The law of Addiction:
"Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependance upon the addictive substance."

Then I added a no smoking sign under it so when people come into my office they don't think I was a former heroin addict or something like that lol I like the phrase, its a nice reminder that all it takes is one slip up to be back to cigarettes ruling my life which is inspiration for me to not even think I'll be okay with just one drag here or there.

You should probably put a spare patch in your wallet or your car. It would suck *** to leave for work having forgotten to put a patch on.

You have to remember that you will have to get off those patches at some point, as they are still giving you your nicotine fix... They are just a different vehicle. Cold Turky is the best way man... You can do it.

probably a good idea.

TJ - I've tried cold turkey a few times and failed miserably, like only a few hours miserably. The patch is designed with 3 steps, each step gradually reduces the amount of nicotine your body receives. So weening off the patch is built into the system. In total its a 10 week process: 6 weeks step 1, 2 weeks step 2, and 2 weeks step 3. I've been debating cutting 2 weeks off step 1 but I really want to be comitted to this so I think for once I am just going to follow the directions to the letter. I mean seriously 10 weeks is a drop in the bucket compared to smoking the rest of my life.

If anything you can take a week off step 3, stick to step one all the way, step 2 will seem just like step 3 as it weans it off a tad, and step 3 is a small patch, by the time you are at step 3, The urge to smoke should be gone. I myself was a little scared to go without patches, but its all mental by step 3, You should now be in total control and going without the patch wont affect your mindset or give you any nicotine urges...dont fall victim to any " one smoke wont hurt " it will lead you all the way back to step 1 ...keep it up!

bleh not a good start of the day, hopefully things pick up here pretty quick so I can focus on other things other than smoking...I haven't slipped yet and I really don't want to but on the other hand its funny how quick the mind forgets other physical reasons for quitting. Yes my mind is screaming for a smoke right now. I can do this though, tonight at 10pm will be my one week anniversary of quitting.

You can do it, man. Be strong. It's not easy, but it can be done. You've got to know that about yourself. Believe in your willpower and take control of your life back.

I have a coworker who is trying to stop smoking. He has this silver thing that almost looks like a pin light but when he gets the urge for a smoke he grabs it and apparently it has nicotine liquid (gel maybe?) and he can take a "hit" of it and even blow out what appears to be smoke. Not sure what this is, I've only seen him use it once but I can ask him about it, if you want.

I tried searching the internet for it but couldn't find it. Anyone else ever heard of this or know what I'm talking about?

Very similar to this:

The E-Cigarette, An Electronic Cigarette That Helps You Quit Smoking

And the "smoke" is just a vapor.

My coworker has one. It looks like he's chewing a pen. The "smoke" is just mostly odorless water vapor. It's still a crutch, like a nicotine patch. You're still an addict. But it's healthier than a cig, much like a patch, because it's a nicotine dose without all the tar and carcinogens that come with the other. Still, I'd probably stick to the patch method in hopes of kicking the habit altogether.

GRRRAAAAWWWWRRRR! :mad:

:eekdance: