James-Italy Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 I quit last January 20th and have not had a patch, gum, cigar, or cigg since. I'd always said I'd quit when I got to 40 yrs old, and February 20th of last year was my birthday. I decided to give it a trial run one month early and never looked back. Totally unaware when I made the decision, a new law banning smoking in all public places went into effect at the same time. This was a big help. FWIW, here's a little advice. I smoked OVER 2 packs a day of Merit for years and went from 2 packs a day to 0 ciggs. (I stopped counting when I realized I was smoking more than 2 packs a day...) Reducing never seemed to help me, and probably just made me crave ciggarettes even more. I bought the gums and figured I'd chew them if i really needed them, but I had one the first day and it was so horrible I never wanted another one. 1. Whenever I craved a ciggarette during the first few weeks (after it passed totally for me), I'd just think about that tight-chested throat-burning feeling I always got from the LAST ciggarette before bed (unpleasant smoke). I always focused on THAT ciggarette and not the first one of the morning or the one with a cup of coffee (enjoyable smokes). Seemed to help me a lot. 2. Drink lots of water. And more water. I kept a bottle of water where the ciggs usually were and forced myself to drink everytime I reached over there. 3. Get ready for a HUGE appetite during the first couple of weeks. I don't mean wanting some snacks to satisfy the pychological hole left from the ciggs. I mean MONSTER-HUNGER! I've never been so hungry in my life. I would eat 3 times what I usually ate and still look around for more. The only thing that stopped me was that I couldn't swallow any more food. Stock up on some good wholesome high-protein, low-carb food. You are going to put on a few pounds, but try to limit the impact. BTW- studies show that if you restart smoking you will NOT lose that extra weight. So stick with it! I ended up gaining about 4 pounds but probably wouldn't have if I'd been prepared for it. 4. I had a fall-back plan in case I was going to cave in. I used to carry cigars to dinners out with friends or parties, just in case I was gonna fall off the wagon. But after 3-4 months that I never smoked one I just stopped bothering. Here's what I remember going through. Day 1: Shakes, difficulty concentrating, headache. Days 2-3: Drastically reducing symptoms from Day 1. Trouble sleeping. I'd wake up at like 4am and be totally wide-awake. Days 4-7: All the initial Day 1 symptoms were gone. HUGE HUNGER. Trouble sleeping. Having made it this far I was pretty determined to stick with it. Days 7-14: Huge hunger. Less and less sleeping trouble. Felt better overall. People kept telling me that the first two weeks are easy and after is when the real craving begin. I found this to be total B.S:! For me, the first two weeks was 99% of the pain and willpower. From then on it's been really easy the last 10 months. I wouldn't even be thinking about it if someone didn't bump this thread every day! Overall I feel great. Oh, and my wife's happy because I don't snore anymore. If I can help, just let me know. My Gear My Attempts at Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Originally posted by James-Italy: I smoked OVER 2 packs a day of Merit for years and went from 2 packs a day to 0 ciggs. 1. Whenever I craved a ciggarette during the first few weeks (after it passed totally for me), I'd just think about that tight-chested throat-burning feeling I always got from the LAST ciggarette... 2. Drink lots of water. And more water. I kept a bottle of water where the ciggs usually were and forced myself to drink everytime I reached over there. 3. Get ready for a HUGE appetite during the first couple of weeks. I don't mean wanting some snacks to satisfy the pychological hole left from the ciggs. I mean MONSTER-HUNGER! I've never been so hungry in my life. I would eat 3 times what I usually ate and still look around for more. The only thing that stopped me was that I couldn't swallow any more food. Stock up on some good wholesome high-protein, low-carb food. You are going to put on a few pounds, but try to limit the impact. BTW- studies show that if you restart smoking you will NOT lose that extra weight. So stick with it! I ended up gaining about 4 pounds but probably wouldn't have if I'd been prepared for it. 4. I had a fall-back plan in case I was going to cave in. I used to carry cigars to dinners out with friends or parties, just in case I was gonna fall off the wagon. But after 3-4 months that I never smoked one I just stopped bothering. Here's what I remember going through. Day 1: Shakes, difficulty concentrating, headache. Days 2-3: Drastically reducing symptoms from Day 1. Trouble sleeping. I'd wake up at like 4am and be totally wide-awake. Days 4-7: All the initial Day 1 symptoms were gone. HUGE HUNGER. Trouble sleeping. Having made it this far I was pretty determined to stick with it. Days 7-14: Huge hunger. Less and less sleeping trouble. Felt better overall. People kept telling me that the first two weeks are easy and after is when the real craving begin. I found this to be total B.S:! For me, the first two weeks was 99% of the pain and willpower. From then on it's been really easy the last 10 months. I wouldn't even be thinking about it if someone didn't bump this thread every day! Overall I feel great. Oh, and my wife's happy because I don't snore anymore. If I can help, just let me know. [/QB]Thanks James - hope you check in with us to inspire people. Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Originally posted by James-Italy: I smoked OVER 2 packs a day of Merit for years and went from 2 packs a day to 0 ciggs. You know, I've WONDERED who the heck smokes Merit. (or used to smoke them, in your case. They're always there in the tabaccaio but I've never met anyone who actually bought them. MY symptoms when giving up were completely different. I wasn't used to all the air so by the second day I'd become quite manic. Slept like a log though. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/smoking/rauch25.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Originally posted by Haga: http://www.websmileys.com/sm/smoking/rauch25.gif Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar Geezer Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Hi James!!!!!! Thanks for the info, good point, I probably need to pack away all of my Pipes, that was my downfall last time. Fifteen days to go before the Meds Lynn G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted December 1, 2005 Author Share Posted December 1, 2005 It's a good idea to give away all of your lighters, ashtrays and other smoking paraphernalia. Once you quit, you won't need them and keeping them around is like saying that you are going to fail. I know it's difficult to do, giving up all of those "toys" seems like such a final step, but if you are serious about doing it, it is the best way to start. Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/smoking/rauch01.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Originally posted by Haga: http://www.websmileys.com/sm/smoking/rauch01.gif Cough... ack...hack.. Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/obscene/eck31.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 Originally posted by Haga: http://www.websmileys.com/sm/obscene/eck31.gif Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 I'll probably go ahead and get my patches this weekend. I'm going to miss hanging out with the smokers before work but I've got to quit sometime. Looking forward to Jan.1. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/traurig/sad-smiley-046.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 Originally posted by Haga: I'm going to miss hanging out with the smokers before work but I've got to quit sometime. I had that "problem" too, but in the end it turned out that whoever was a real friend accepted that I didn't smoke any more. And continued to be friends. And the rest were people with whom I shared a bad habit. Big deal Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 3, 2005 Share Posted December 3, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/mad/boese028.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 3, 2005 Share Posted December 3, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 3, 2005 Share Posted December 3, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Originally posted by A String of Lights: It's a good idea to give away all of your lighters, ashtrays and other smoking paraphernalia. Once you quit, you won't need them and keeping them around is like saying that you are going to fail. I know it's difficult to do, giving up all of those "toys" seems like such a final step, but if you are serious about doing it, it is the best way to start. Excellent point! Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/smoking/rauch12.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar Geezer Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 BUMP and this one's for Haga http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/geezer123/keefsmoke.gif Lynn G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/kdchat/correct.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/comp/comp13.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 Originally posted by Haga: http://www.websmileys.com/sm/comp/comp13.gif A little fidgety, are we? Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/lachen/laughing-smiley-012.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass Effect Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 http://www.websmileys.com/sm/mad/boese033.gif quote:Originally posted by mdrs: It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy. John Petrucci > Johnny Winter The Edge > Ted Nugent Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer Slash > Carlton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 They're finally making Chicago restaurants smokeless. Bars have until 2008 to comply, so maybe then I can start to go see live music again! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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