not Cereal Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 day number 15 of not smoking. it feels like forever, not like two weeks and a day. it feels like years since i smoked, and i still feel like i should smoke right now, every minute. my lungs feel much better, but i now realize it will probably take years before they are a normal persons lungs again. i am around a lot of smokers a lot of the time. it smells bad now, and makes me feel icky to smell it, but i long to smoke anyway. even though it makes me cough, congested, and me eyes sting. i wonder what caused my body to revolt against the smoking hting, after 13 years of it and all. i pray i can remain an ex-smoker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Knutson Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Stick with it, buddy! You're strong, not weak! Yes, cigarette smoke STINKS! It's PUTRID! FOUL! CANCEROUS!!! The longer you go, the stronger you get. Get healthy, Dave! https://bunny.bandcamp.com/ https://theystolemycrayon.bandcamp.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not Cereal Posted February 27, 2004 Author Share Posted February 27, 2004 thank you. i feel better already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeleCarlos Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Yeaagh!!! Good luck on that one. QAnd blame tobacco companies for making it as addictive as heroine. I'm a smoker and I want to quit someday; and when I'm ready, I'll be fighting the good fight. Re: craving it. Maybe it's just the nicotine you need... try patches. It's the smoke that harms you, a little nicotine won't hurt. Anyway.. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylver Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 I quit in September, and the thing that keeps me going is that I would have to start all over if I had just 1 cig. I really don't know what to put here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Keep it up Coaster! My grandmother died of lung cancer, and I hate to see all these folks smoking these day, killing themselves slowly. But, it's their right to do that, and I won't stand in their way, but I will encourage them to quit if they express an interest in doing so. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Originally posted by Sylver: I quit in September, and the thing that keeps me going is that I would have to start all over if I had just 1 cig.Indeed. I had it just about beat (3 and a half weeks in) and I broke down just once - then the psychological justifications kicked in (well, only one a day - only a couple a day - only...) Only ended up right back to a pack a day, where I started. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franknputer Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hang in there, dude! I'm with you - I'm around 2 1/2 months now myself, and this time I think it's gonna stick. I took Wellbutrin to help me, and it's done the trick. Just think about all the $$ you'll save. A pack a day habit costs you at least 1 nice piece of gear a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovepusher Sly Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Today is my last day. Just came back from visiting one of my bandmates in intensive care. Wish my luck. Sly Whasineva ehaiz, ehissgot ta be Funky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 You can do it man. Its one of the easiest habits to start and one of the hardest to stop. I don't know how many times I stopped and started before I was finally convinced to quit. RobT Famous Musical Quotes: "I would rather play Chiquita Banana and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve" - Xavier Cugat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 I've been off 'em for 18 years. It can be done. Try using Hall's cough drops once in awhile. Worked for me. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songrytr Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Stay strong! this house is empty now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylen Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hey - there you go - I quit after I got real sick one long weekend (not as sick as you though) and that was 23 years 4 months 12 days and 1 afterlunch break ago. Hehe after 4 or 5 months you'll feel pretty confident. I always notice them in TV, movies, walking down the street, the smell still smells good. I know if I smoke 3 I'll be on it again... Good Job ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrossmusic Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 With each passing day it will be easier. Hang in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffbayson Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Good luck, man. I quit, sheesh, four years ago now. I used to smoke a pack a day. If you get the urge, chew some gum. Do some push-ups or situps. Eat some M&Ms. You might gain a little weight, but hey, it's easier to go on a diet in six months than it is to ween yourself off an iron lung. Make a list of everything you hate about smoking. Every reason why you want to quit. When you start feeling weak, look at it. It helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpel Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 On March 11th, I'll have made it a year, after an embarrassing 26 years of addiction (ages 14-40) Actuallty my favorite way of counting is "number of cigarettes not smoked." I passed 6,000 a few weeks ago. 6k. for me, that really puts things in persepctive. I was never successful using sickness as a reason to quit. The reason, I think, is that quitting because of sickness is not a postive, proactive kind of move. It's reactive and feels like a penalty for bad behavior, not a conscious decision to do something good for yourself. There's plenty of advice I could give, but until I get to Dak's level of abstinence, I think I'll hold my tongue. I still have some really bad moments with it. What I will say is this: allow yourself to be pleased and proud with your growing achievement. Yeah, it sucks, but it can be an exhirilating kind of suck in its own way... Keep on, don't give in. When you're sickness has passed, you'll really start enjoying the benefits. Check out the Sweet Clementines CD at bandcamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylver Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Originally posted by Christopher Kemp: Hang in there, dude! I'm with you - I'm around 2 1/2 months now myself, and this time I think it's gonna stick. I took Wellbutrin to help me, and it's done the trick. Congrats Chris! I did the Welbutrin too. Actually, I'm just starting to get off it now, but it seemed to work pretty well. I really don't know what to put here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowly Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hang in there man, smoking costs me about $150.00 a month. I keep thinking about all the gear I could have bought. Kcbass "Let It Be!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenshoe Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hang in there. I quit over 6 months ago after 13 years of smoking. I used the patch for 8 weeks. Quite the difference in health - I didn't realize how often I coughed and hacked. My singing and speaking voice improved dramatically. I don't stink like smoke anymore. It was hard, but it's a challenge at a time. One of the challenges was going out with friends to a bar or party with a lot of people smoking. Then it got easier. Even though I've been quite stressed lately, the cravings aren't there anymore. And when they do happen, they pass quickly enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intheether Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Coaster: One word - nicorette It saved me from regressing every time. Keep it handy. Quiting was one of the touchest things ever for me. It took years of chronic bronchitis, coughing and what seemed like a never ending cold to finally do it. Congratulations and good luck staying off the butts. * Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBBPaul Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Good luck Coaster! I quit just before Thanksgiving so I'm over the three month mark now. I'm even starting to lose some the weight I dumped on during the holidays. The cravings never go away, just make sure that you remain stronger than them and you'll be fine. Look inside yourself for that belligerent, contrary, cranky side of your personality and focus it on the cravings. Our new and improved website Today's sample tune: Lonesome One Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymar Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I don't smoke(I tried them a few times but they just didn't take) but I have been off the demon coffee(particularlly Starbucks) for about four months now. I've substituted with different teas. It just had to be done. Steve You shouldn't chase after the past or pin your hopes on the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Everytime people talk about quitting smoking, I like to tell them of a short story by Stephen King called "Quitters Inc." or something like that. In the story, you sign a contract with the company, and they help you quit smoking. Their penalties for smoking go something like this: First time--painful shock treatment. Second time--watch your wife get painful shock treatment. Third time--lose a pinky. Fourth time--your wife gets killed. Fifth time--you get killed. How's that for initiative? Good luck! "And then you have these thoughts in the back of your mind like 'Why am I doing this? Or is this a figment of my imagination?'" http://www.veracohr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodlakesound Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Last cigarette was 1976 at Schick Center. A bit of advice. Negative reinforcement. Like when you have the slightest urge to have a cig....slap yourself across the face. I mean actually feel in as a painful experience. This memory and subsequent negative thoughts replacing those positive ones you associate subconciously with smoking will lessen the thought of having one. Don't you ever again have a positive feeling about smoking. That will help you distance yourself from the craving as much as possible. Abstaining two weeks is an eternity with a habit like that so your doing great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not Cereal Posted February 28, 2004 Author Share Posted February 28, 2004 its getting easier everyday not to smoke, but i find i am actually getting fat now. like up to one week ago i had to wear a belt (on the last notch) around my jeans or they would literally fall down to the floor. i had about 3 or 4 inches to spare with the jeans around my waist - now thats closer to 1/2 inch. i'm scared to weigh myself because i think i have put on like 15 pounds in two weeks i have LOONG way to go before i am literally obese or anything like that, still under 200lbs for sure but i hope i can curb this eating thing. i didnt eat for a while when i got sick, then after it started to get better i became an eating machine and havent really stopped. one potentially bad thing i have done is instead of smoking, i buy a jar of roasted peanuts, ya know like the planters peanuts except the generic version is the same at $1.50 a jar instead of twice that for planters. taste the same. so, i hang out with my friends that still smoke and they smoke while i slowly eat peanuts. and it WORKS, because i have something in my hands and mouth and i dont think about smoking. i also think that nicotine is an appetite supressant and after so long on it that once i quit my appetite is going crazy. i can literally eat all day - i have had to get some fruit and juices so i can stop eating junk all the time. i think i might be off the patch now, i ran out of patches two days ago and havent bought more. i'll see how it goes but right now i dont have any cravings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliveloafe Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 i've been in the quitting process for about 9 months now. the first time i went a month without one, then failed, then 2 months, then failed, now it's been like 3 months and each time has gotten easier. i used the gum at first and then switched over to dunkin donuts iced coffee!!! (i don't know which is worse!) as i was living in boston at the begining and there is a DnD on every corner. Perfect for cravings! it really feels good to say "no thanks, i don't smoke" at a bar or party or something. plus my singing is out of control these days... seriously TONS better. I dunno if you sing but that was my main incentive. plus i realized that at the ripe old age of 22 i had already been a heavy smoker for 8 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffbayson Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 Coaster, As I said before, you can always go on a diet later. If you're worried about gaining too much weight, try chewing gum, tic tacs, and flavored toothpicks. Somebody said that the urges never go away. While that's true, it's a little misleading to end the statement there. I would say, while the urges never go away, they happen much, much less frequently as time goes by. Instead of craving a smoke once every five minutes, as I did when I first quit, I now crave a smoke once every couple of months. No big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmieWannaB Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 Stick with it. I stopped about 25 years ago and never looked back. They lessened over time, but it took about a year for the cravings to go completely away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeton Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 Excellent! Coaster, I quit on Sept 9th, (seems a lot of us here on musicplayer did so in sept.) and for me it was 30 days or so after my last "dose of nicotine" until i wasn't constantly thinking about a cig all day. I won't lie- I still do sometimes, and i still have dreams where I'm puffing away and all, but they are isolated incidents. I measure it weekly instead of minute-by-minute. Were you using the patch? Stopping that might make the cravings harder, but it's about 15 days when it starts getting easier. That's pretty short, really. Peanuts is a great diversion. I used a giant tub of black licorice (i love the stuff anyways, but it was just the right amount of chewiness to keep my hands and mouth occupied). You're going to gain weight, period. Don't use that as an excuse to start smoking again (any excuse will work, if you decide to use it). I gained about 20 pounds. Not only are you going to want to eat more, but nicotine also suppresses your body's ability to absorb nutrients in the small intestine. So basically what you eat now is going to count more. Phaeton's current weight-loss plan: 1) Right before you sit down to eat, chug about 20 ounces of water. then eat less. 2) It should start warming up soon. Get a bicycle and exercise. Or even walk. Regularly. Don't be alarmed if you feel like you have bronchitis for about the first month. That is normal. Also, you may feel short of breath a lot, and that is normal too, they say. Some days i just walk up a single flight of stairs and have to sit down and catch my breath. It's really disturbing, but nothing to worry about, they say. Oh and btw, you'll get sick less often, and when you do get sick, it won't last as long Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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