quitting smoking

Group: General Diet & Nutrition

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 399, Messages: 16719

With such a topic so broad we truly try to cover the basics from all angles in this group. Nothing too big or too small. Nutrition is as significant if not more as exercise is to reaching your goals so learn all you can.

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Ray2005 Posts: 9 Joined: 2005/06/23	2005/08/04, 10:42 PM i need help!!!!! I have tried everything and can't kick the habit. I have cut down a bit since on the program but can't seem to kick it. can anyone help with some good suggestions. -------------- ray2005

ksmith2474 Posts: 166 Joined: 2005/06/12	2005/08/05, 10:55 AM hi ray i started smoking at 15 and smoked right up until 2 months ago, i am now 28. i tried 1000 times and just didn;t have the willpower. finally, i tried zyban. it worked. i can't believe a pill helped me to quit. talk to your doctor about it. you take it for about 12 weeks. you start it 7 to 14 days before you want to quit. set a 'quit date' the pills took away my anxiety from wanting a cigarette. you have to fight the craving yourself, but the zyban took the 'edge' away from wanting one. talk to your doctor
prayforsurf Posts: 6 Joined: 2005/05/03	2005/08/07, 08:08 PM i went on welbutrin (almost the same as zyban) after 2 weeks or so, it made me unable to taste the cigarettes i was smoking so gradually i cut back until i stopped with no withdrawal, becuase it was gradual that was one year and 4 months ago i don't crave a cigarette and it was the easiest quit i've ever had (usually i turned into a monster) i know there are people who have side effects, but i had none it was awesome good luck
Ray2005 Posts: 9 Joined: 2005/06/23	2005/08/10, 10:21 PM i have tried zyban and it did work for me for 40 days till my step dad died 3 years ago and i started again. I will book an appointment with my doc and get a perscription for zyban. Thanks ksmith for the advice. -------------- ray2005
linatron Posts: 9 Joined: 2005/07/18	2005/08/10, 11:14 PM I quit 2 years ago cold turkey. I got rid of any matches, lighters, ashtray or any other cigarette reminders. I stopped going outside during lunch and occupied my time reading a book or a magazine. The hardest part was not smoking when driving. Drinking plenty of water when craving helped a lot. The thing that helped me the most is going to one of those support websites. Learning that it only takes 3 days to get the nicotine out of your body. That's easy, the rest is habit. Having the " I can and I will" attitude. I started to notice how smokers smelled and that repeled me to smoke anymore. I hope some of my suggestions help. It's one of the hardest things I had to do in my life. Anyone can do it if they really want to. Good luck. Just think one day at a time. :big_smile:
sstump1 Posts: 1,227 Joined: 2005/03/20	2005/08/11, 09:23 AM Zyban and Wellbutrin are the same drug. However most insurance won't pay for Zyban because it's marketed as a quit smoking drug, however Wellbutrin is marketed as an anti-deppresant (which is usually covered. Check with your Dr and ask him if they can prescribe you Wellbutrin instead.
ksmith2474 Posts: 166 Joined: 2005/06/12	2005/08/11, 12:58 PM i just found the nastiest picture.... i never want to be around another cigarette again... http://www.berriman-usa.com/images/hc1a.jpg
kenny_wtf Posts: 195 Joined: 2005/08/08	2005/08/18, 12:32 PM i was never a smoker and never will be. if u love ur body then u wouldnt smoke. if u dont have the willpower to stop it, that means you are not educated enough to know how bad it is for you and what it does to ur body. if u knew you'd stop. i know how bad it is, thats y id never smoke. my dad smoked like 2 packs a day, he died at 60.
destinyd23 Posts: 6 Joined: 2005/08/30	2005/09/19, 04:28 PM I just recently quit smoking myself, it's been almost a month now. I have tried to quit many times before...went on smoke away the last 2 times...it worked for two months...but there is so many pills to take in one day. Then I went to the doctors this last time and got put on Wellbutrin and started with using the patch. At 24 the doctor told me I already had chronic bronchitis and now at 27 I just want to be healthy and be around for my kids. I started working out every time the cravings got too bad...remember the cravings will pass. I also drink a lot of water, cut back on caffiene, take deep breaths and tell myself that I don't smoke. Maybe this will help someone. Destiny:)
michelle9510 Posts: 172 Joined: 2005/07/14	2005/09/20, 07:02 PM I'm a nurse who worked on a ventilator unit in a sub-acute rehab facility and also a former smoker. I quit smoking when I was pregnant and never looked back. Now I can't stand to be around smoke. My husband quit using the patch and has been smoke free for a few months now. You just have to make sure you follow the right steps of the patch. If I can help you with motivation, I could tell you how horrible it is to watch someone struggle for their last breath. I know it's hard to quit but you have to. Good luck!
jd49006 Posts: 24 Joined: 2005/08/21	2005/09/21, 11:57 AM I've been off tobacco for almost 2 years after smoking for 30 years. I made a list of reasons why I wanted to quit and kept it with me at all times. When the craving hit I would take out the list and read it. With me it was a choice to light up or not. I still crave cigarettes but choose not to light the first one. Jerry
Gonzman Posts: 1 Joined: 2005/10/07	2005/10/12, 01:45 PM I noticed a lot of posts on quitting smoking on here. I am new but would like to say one thing for all those out there considering quitting this expensive habit. Some have suggested using Zyban. I personally don't recommend it due to a serious experience a freind of mine had. After starting Zyban and following proper usage she ended up in the local mental hospital for 3 weeks. Turned out it either caused or accentuated a serious mental condition she was not aware of. :surprised: If you wish to consider this option I strongly suggest you look at ALL the side effects it can have before making your own decision. It would suck to turn a bad habit into a life-long illness that you could have avoided by choosing another means.
chiasd Posts: 19 Joined: 2005/09/07	2005/10/12, 02:41 PM A Wise man told me that a good way to quit smoking was to stop buying cigarettes...
Leedogg Posts: 59 Joined: 2003/10/18	2005/10/12, 04:20 PM I found http://www.quitnet.com/ to be helpful!
myoung6470 Posts: 75 Joined: 2003/10/30	2005/10/12, 07:30 PM I tried Wellbutrin, but I started again after a few months. The last time I quit, almost five years ago now, I did it on my own. I got a lot of encoragement from friends and family and that helped a lot. Now I'm smoke free and I can't stand the smell of cigarettes. So keep trying. There are lots of ways to do it and no one way works for everybody. Just keep trying. It can be done! Good luck! -------------- Happy trails, Mike Young "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." — Aristotle
stileish Posts: 31 Joined: 2005/10/17	2005/10/18, 03:04 AM When my I was 13 my dad started chewing the special gum.He did quit smoking but now he is still chewing the gum (I'm now 21)! So find something that will help but that you won't become addicted 2! :big_smile:
mrbuckeye02 Posts: 8 Joined: 2005/10/18	2005/10/19, 01:19 AM I rub snuff, how in the world do you stop doing that?? I cannot stop
deadkenny Posts: 11 Joined: 2002/10/15	2005/11/12, 08:42 AM Guys, i dont post much, actually barely ever, but i had to pos tto this one. I'm 23, been smokin 7 years. In the back of my head i really wanted to stop, no control, I tried the patch a couple times, lasted 1-2 months then started again. Because when i saw people smoking i got jealous, i wanted to feel "pleasure" and everything. People from my work have been getting this book Easyway by Allen Carr (im no way affiliated with him), they all quit no problems cold turkey (i was like what the h**). So i got the book in english (I live in Quebec, most everyone is French here), and i quit on Halloween day, no patches no cravings nothing! Maybe a few pangs* the first three days but nothing like before, before i used to physically shake or i dont know what if i couldnt have a cigarette. Now i dont get jealous or anything, i even go with smokers on smoking breaks to chat, i'm repulsed so much. I wish the government would buy this book and give it to everybody. The book is anti-patch anti-zyban (and explains why), and tells you not to quit smoking until you finish the book (i would smoke and read at the same time). I really really really really recommend it.
jniarhos Posts: 2 Joined: 2005/12/12	2005/12/13, 02:33 PM Anyone got any suggestions on how to quit smoking without the psychotropic drugs? A couple friends tried Wellbutrin and Xyban (I think they're the same thing) and they turned into zombies. They stopped smoking but I think it was because they just weren't motivated enough to do anything. I was out at a bar with one of them one night and I was like, "So it's working? You don't want a cigarette?" and he was like, "Nah, I want a cigarette, I just don't feel like getting one." Maybe it works for some people, it seems some people on here have had success with it, but I just don't like drugs in general. I'm just wondering if there are some herbal suppliments that work, certain exercises you can do that can kick the craving. I've also heard from some people that even if you quit, you're always going to crave them. Is that true? If I kick the habit for a year or so, will I be able to go out with friends and be around smoke without turning into one of those ex-smoking bi-tches?
GuyIncognito Posts: 63 Joined: 2004/01/10	2005/12/14, 02:18 PM jniarhos and everyone else who is quitting... One thing I would really recommend is a book called 'The Easy Way to Quit Smoking' by Allen Carr - please give it a try. It only costs about £5 and it really works. My mum recommended it to me after several doctors in the hospital she works in quit after reading it. I bought it four years ago from a bookshop on a Friday evening on my way home from the office. I read the book on Saturday and have not felt any desire to smoke since then. I have not just stopped smoking - I have not felt any desire to smoke at all since I stopped. Other people I know who have quit after reading that have had a similar experience. I used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day plus 2-3 packets of cigars a week. I would also take snuff regularly and smoke at least one Cuban cigar a week (usually when in a bar on a Friday night - they used to have a humidor behind the bar). In fact, a week after I quit, I went to a bar with many of my friends who smoked. They spent the best part of the first hour there offering to buy me a Cuban cigar then one went up to the bar, bought one and smoked it in front of me, asking me if I wanted one too!! I refused the offer, with ease. You do NOT have to continue craving cigarettes or become one of those ex-smokers who winges all the time. When I quit, I just stubbed out my final cigarette, threw the rest of the packet in the bin and moved on with my life seamlessly. Please give the book a try and let me know how you get on. -------------- Homer? I know no Homer - my name is Guy Incognito You're just a little soul bearing up a corpse as Epictetus used to say.
GuyIncognito Posts: 63 Joined: 2004/01/10	2005/12/14, 02:55 PM Sorry - must mentionthat when I say I read the book on Saturday and quit straight after, I mean the dday after i bought the book 4 years ago. I have not smoked in 4 years. -------------- Homer? I know no Homer - my name is Guy Incognito You're just a little soul bearing up a corpse as Epictetus used to say.
rko Posts: 102 Joined: 2005/10/30	2005/12/17, 01:46 AM Just stop smoking if your dedicated enough you will do it even if it is addictive. -------------- Success rests not only on ability, but upon commitment, loyalty, and pride.
erindoyle Posts: 1 Joined: 2006/11/14	2006/11/14, 11:06 PM I keep trying to quit smoking. I've tried Zyban, and the patch. I'm just so afraid of gaining weight and its really hard to quit because my husband smokes. Any suggestions?
typ Posts: 49 Joined: 2003/09/30	2006/11/15, 07:29 AM The FDA just approved a drug called Chantix that is supposed to be more effective than Zyban (not 100% effective). It works by blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain. It is quite expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it, but would be cheaper than cigarettes in the long run.
KC_72 Posts: 3,249 Joined: 2006/05/19	2006/11/15, 03:14 PM Hi erin...I quit smoking about 6 weeks ago...and I have lost a considerable amount of weight(over 13 inches in 30 days,more so by now)...I happened to start a challenge that is restrictive in diet,and a serious workout load....so the weight gain doesn't HAVE to happen...give yourself the first 3 days...you'll almost feel like you have the flu...it's tough...but can be done...good luck to you!!
BILL06 Posts: 755 Joined: 2006/08/08	2006/11/15, 03:20 PM yea i was turned down by my insurance for wellbutrin, but they said they'd cover chantix, but with a 100 dollar copay, youch. still, stopping smoking is the best single thing a person can to for their health no doubt.... -------------- So long as we are loved by others I should say that we are almost indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2006/11/15, 03:23 PM Um bill are you a smoker? -------------- Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack! 7707mutt@freetrainers.com
KC_72 Posts: 3,249 Joined: 2006/05/19	2006/11/15, 03:39 PM no mutt....bill wants to take wellbutrin for the fun of it...that stuff can give you some wild dreams!!!!:big_smile: J/K mutt....don't ride bill about smoking...we all quit when we are ready...not a second before.....
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2006/11/15, 03:41 PM Yeah right! -------------- Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack! 7707mutt@freetrainers.com
jmknippel Posts: 170 Joined: 2006/02/21	2006/11/15, 03:44 PM I quit using wellbutrin almost 7 years ago.. It was the easiest thing I have done...
jmknippel Posts: 170 Joined: 2006/02/21	2006/11/15, 03:45 PM :laugh:I meant I quit smoking, and I used Wellbutrin to quit...:big_smile:
KC_72 Posts: 3,249 Joined: 2006/05/19	2006/11/15, 03:46 PM quitting smoking was no easy feat for me...it's still a struggle at times...the wellbutrin kept me awake and when I did sleep the dreams were strange to say the least...I've met a few others that quit with wellbutrin also that say it was pretty easy...what works for some doesn't for others.
jmknippel Posts: 170 Joined: 2006/02/21	2006/11/15, 03:53 PM I agree I know people that suffered from migraines and weird dreams as well, and some didn't sleep well. I luckily didn't have any of these, and I wasn't crabby either.
BILL06 Posts: 755 Joined: 2006/08/08	2006/11/15, 04:09 PM yea im about 14 hours into a cold turkey quit, real fun stuff, i feel like clyde the orangutan from the movie " every which way but loose " when he tears the doors and fenders off the cadillac and tosses em across the yard, yea thats me...... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr -------------- So long as we are loved by others I should say that we are almost indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.
BILL06 Posts: 755 Joined: 2006/08/08	2006/11/15, 04:12 PM ohhh man, wish me luck, this isnt going to be fun at all, every little noise and peoples voices are irritating me to no end, i cant believe smoking is legal, this should be highly banned in any country..... -------------- So long as we are loved by others I should say that we are almost indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.
flyonthewall Posts: 1,823 Joined: 2005/01/18	2006/11/15, 04:16 PM Hang in there Bill, you've made the right decision, you just got to get thru it 1 day at a time.....Good Luck (and try not to kill anyone:))
KC_72 Posts: 3,249 Joined: 2006/05/19	2006/11/15, 04:22 PM Wow!!!!!great bill!!!!Thats exciting news!!!!As a recent quitter myself...the first 3 days are the worst...the third day BEING the worst....I just allowed myself time to be quiet...let things in the house go and relaxed as much as possible...I cried alot over stupid things too...it'll pass...just hang tuough...you need to talk just drop me a line....just start typeing away..it helps...keep strong bill...we can do this!!!!
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2006/11/15, 09:54 PM I hadnt been smoking for but a few years but i quit 3 weeks ago and took the money im saving and joined the gym.... i quit cold turkey...i still crave one now and then in stressful situations..but otherwise its good...i can actually smell things again and taste things like they should taste..hehehe -------------- We should conduct ourselves not as if we ought to live for the body, but as if we could not live without it.