I just decided to quit smoking.

[Ariana Celeste]

I just went through my apt and emptied every ahstray into a coffee can. Threw the rest of my pack in there. And filled it with water.

I feel like I'm developing asthma or something. I have to quit.

Wish me luck. :)

[KitchenWitch]

1. Best of luck!

I quit about 16 years ago. And I am so grateful to be free of it.

[Ariana Celeste]

2. Got any tips?

Last time I quit I made the mistake of replacing smoking with eating, and after gaining 15 lbs I went right back to it. x(

Thanks :)

[KitchenWitch]

5. If you need to eat

buy baby carrots and other veggies.

[Ariana Celeste]

7. right on...

I can do baby carrots :)
Any other veggies I'm too tempted to dip them in ranch! haha

[KitchenWitch]

10. Another tip

Start a mild exercise routine...good walks etc. Helps to clear out the lungs and get you breathing

[Ariana Celeste]

14. Yes!

That's a must... and I have a dog who is just going to love me for it... another reason i need to quit... I can't run around with her as much as I want to, because I lose my breath too fast

[radwriter0555]

29. Carrots and wrigleys.

Embrace the craving to have that cigarette. Acknowledge it. Say to yourself, DAMN I want a cigarette and agree you just won't.

When you wait 5 minutes the craving just goes away. It also helps to actively create a nice thought in your head about something you REALLY love, to replace the thoughts of wanting a cigarette.

Such as the cutest puppy you ever saw. Visualize the puppy, remember the smells, how cuddly and soft he was, how he licked your face, etc.

You're taking control over your thoughts and cravings with this method.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[radwriter0555]

32. BTW the patch IS an excellent alternative for the first couple weeks.

I had downgraded my cigs to a very low tar and nicotine, then used a full strength patch cut in half. I bought the store brand patches, they were fine of course.

It really did help, but MAN, do NOT wear it at night! The dreams are WILD.

[redwitch]

42. the dreams!

:scared: I posted one here, it was amazing and wierder than wierd. Take the patch off a few hours before bedtime or you will wake thinking you are demented. The patch really helped though- I used it for 6 weeks.

[radwriter0555]

45. Absolutely, it was the bedrock of my being able to quit. At least I could

control the amount of nicotine going into my body and step it down as I felt I needed to. I didn't quite follow the directions, I did what I felt would work for me, such as wearing the patch for shorter and shorter times, etc.

But oh the dreams!!!! Yee hah and not FUN yee hah!

[Ariana Celeste]

33. Just bought some wrigleys

I was at the counter right in front of the cigarettes :scared:

:).

[sarge43]

35. Drink lots of water

Don't worry too much about weight gain. It'll happen. You can deal with that once you beat the weed.

If you're a coffee drinker, switch to decaf. Green tea is a good alternative.

What everyone said about low-cal munchies.

Exercise, if nothing more than a good walk every day.

Whenever the urge starts on you, remind yourself why you stopped.

It's a tough battle, but worth it.

:bounce:

[Ariana Celeste]

37. Got tons of tea

I think my "Tension Tamer" tea will become very important over the next few days. ;)

[indy_azcat]

3. good for you - desire is the first step

and don't forget DU's support group:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=326

(16 months here :)

[Ariana Celeste]

6. thanks, i'll check it out

:)

[SteppingRazor]

4. Quitter!

WWHTD?

(What would Hunter Thompson do?) :evilgrin:

Seriously, though, good luck!

[Ariana Celeste]

8. thanks LOL

I've done this before, I just didn't stick with it.

[SteppingRazor]

12. No prob. My one piece of advice:

If you're a heavy smoker, find a -- ahem -- smoking alternative over the next couple of days. That got me through the cravings both times I quit for any reasonable amount of time. Of course, I'm still a smoker now, so my advice should be taken with several fistfuls of salt.

[Ariana Celeste]

15. Actually, that's how my SO quit.

And we've got plenty of the alternative ;).

[BikeWriter]

9. You may have just extended your life for years!

:)

[Ariana Celeste]

13. exactly why I'm doing it

I'm 2 months away from turning 21, and I should be feeling so much healthier than I do.
I picked up smoking 8 years ago- so it's no wonder I feel like crap every day.
And my grandma has cancer. I have to quit. And I know I can do it this time. Boy am I getting shit faced drunk tonight. :)
Fortunately my SO is a non-smoker- I will have his support to get me through

[BikeWriter]

17. Superb, you have my best wishes for a long life and good health!

:)

[LaurenG]

11. Great good luck with that.

[Ariana Celeste]

16. Thanks!

:hi:

[Roon]

18. Are you using anything?

Patch? Gum?

[Ariana Celeste]

20. Absolutely not

I quit cold turkey before. It was because I wasn't ready, and I felt like it was forced on me, that I started to do it again. This time it's *my* decision.

:hi:

[Roon]

23. Wow!

Good luck with that! I quit using the patch. One year smoke free here.

[Ariana Celeste]

24. Congrats!

I'm getting excited, to be honest. I remember the last time I quit, I could already breathe better, smell better, and taste better after only a couple of weeks!

[Roon]

28. The first thing I noticed

was the extra buck in my pocket.

[radwriter0555]

30. You can save more than $3000 a YEAR by not smoking.

Holy crap.

[Ariana Celeste]

31. Yeah for real, lol

This will be $20 a week better spent on other things. :)

[radwriter0555]

46. Take that money you would pull out and spend on butts, and put it in a

savings account for a GREAT vacation!

That would be a fantastic reward!

[Scout1071]

19. Yahoo! You can do it. I quit on Feb. 1st.

I'm using Wellbutrin and it's working like a charm.

Have you smoked for a long time? Either way, I would highly recommend discussing this with your Doctor. I've been following the advice of my Doc and this is the first time in 20 years that I really feel like I've kicked the habit.

[Ariana Celeste]

21. For several years

I quit a year ago, and I can do it again, for good, I'm absolutely positive of this.

If I have trouble I will discuss it with someone.

[LSK]

22. good for you

I wish you the best of luck! :thumbsup:

[Ariana Celeste]

25. Thanks!

:hi:

[jane_pippin]

26. Good for you!

Be tough and hang in there.

:toast: to your soon to be smoke-free self!

[Ariana Celeste]

27. Thanks

:toast: It's gonna be tough, but I'm determined this time. :)

[bigwillq]

34. Oh Good Luck Sweetie!

:hug: I hope it sticks for you. I so wanna quit too. Let me know how you do. I know you can do it.

[Ariana Celeste]

36. Thanks, babe!

:hug: :hi:

I'm positive it will stick this time! I'm feeling pretty good about it this time around. :)

[tibbir]

38. Good luck!

I quit over 30 years ago. It was the best decision I ever made in my life.

[BlueIris]

39. Good. For. You.

Best thing you could do for yourself right now. It's rough, but: we're here for you.

[caty]

40. I found that by

trying to replace smoking with something else, made me think of smoking even more. Every time I used the replacement, I would think about why I was using it. I just put up with the withdrawal the same way I would handle having a cold. I would tell myself that the symptoms would go away and I would soon feel much better.

[redwitch]

41. excellent!

I quit in November ( great american smokeout) and I can breathe deep breaths again. It feels great. Today I started an exercise program- I feel pretty energized. You can do it, takes a bit, but you'll be happier. I crunch strong mints and take deep breaths when I get tempted (esp. when I'm driving), it's a rush and smells way better. :-)

[JohnLocke]

43. Try this

http://quitmeter.com/

[Katherine Brengle]

44. Awesome!!! It's 15 days for me!

And today I decided to try it without the patch--told myself I would put one on if the need arose--and so far, no smoke, no patch.

:)

Rock on!

[radwriter0555]

47. WHOAH, congratulations, you've just gone through the RAPIDS!

How incredibley excellent! Big hugs and yay and keep up the good work!

It's still a hard road ahead, but the first couple of weeks are the worst, you've done the hardest part and everything from here is a piece of cake!

[Katherine Brengle]

48. Yeah, it's weird--

that it only took a couple of weeks, and nothing makes me want to smoke anymore--other than seeing people smoke on tv. In real life, seeing people smoke just gives me a crystal-clear picture of how stupid and pathetic I looked when I was huddled outside trying to light a smoke...