I decided to quit smoking. I've been a heavy chain smoker for 12 years and I have a terrible addiction to nicotine, and it's going to be hard, but the benefits are immeasurable and it wont hamper my NBE attempts (I haven't started a program yet, but ASAP). I can't quit cold turkey, so I decided to start the weaning process today. My goal is to quit by New Years day. Are there any other smokers here interested in quitting?

Well done you, for making a start!! :-)

Yes, me too......I would love to quit. Have tried and failed often. I worry about the possible weight gain if I quit and can't stand the feeling of withdrawal when my nerves go into scream mode. There are herbs available to help with this though. Will have to do some research.

I have known lots of heavy smokers who have just stopped like that.......people who I never thought could. Quite amazing really. So it can be done. They all talk about how great they feel and how they wish they'd done it sooner.

Good luck!!! I should really join you and probably will.

Love

=^_^= x

This is a great site for helping you quit.

http://www.quitnet.com/

Lots of great info. You can even get a quit buddy......as well as tons of encouragement and support.

x

i quit smoking about 4 yrs ago. it feels good not having to buy cigs all the time. i use to smoke 1 pack a day. but u know what i miss? going outside and just lighting one up and just leaving everything behind. i started while i was in the army and quit after i got out. it just wasn't me. i never liked the fact that i reeked of cigs when i held my babies. good luck to all who wish to smoke. i just quit cold turkey.

Thanks for the encouragement (and the link!) I switched from lights to ultra lights yesterday. Next Friday (1 week) I will begin the real weaning process. This sounds crazy but I think it will work. I live on the second floor of an apartment building. The mailboxes are located on the opposite end of the building from my apartment, on the 1st floor. I'm going to keep my cigarettes and my lighter locked in my mailbox during the entire weaning process. The idea here is to keep them in an inaccessible place, out of sight, out of mind. I'm packing up all of my ashtrays too. The psychology of all of this is to make smoking difficult and inconvenient. I have to smoke outside, in the cold, standing up!

Then there's the timer. During week 1 I can't light another until 1 has been out at least 15 minutes. Week 2 bumps up the time to 30 minutes, week 3, 45 minutes, week 4 1 hour. Then it will taper off in 3 days, 2 hours the first day, 3 hours the second day, 4 hours the third, and no cigarettes the fourth day. I'm also limiting the number of cigarettes I can take with me when I go somewhere.

Weight gain is not a huge concern for me. I've had trouble gaining weight in the past and because my metabolism is fast it shouldn't be a problem for me. Besides my boobs could use some extra fat! I'm going to start working out again soon anyway, with weights, no cardio, and I'm going to keep plenty of healthy snacks around to curb the nicotine cravings (i.e., nuts, fruit, raw veggies, etc.) I hope I can do this! It's truely a challenge. I beleive my smoking habit is the one thing that will hamper my NBE efforts and I hate to waste all that time and money and not get any results, besides, I need to quit anyway, the reasons are immeasurable. Faery, I'd love it if you'd join me and anyone else interested!

it probably sounds really bad but i've been smoking 7 years and i'm 17 *blush* it has been on and off and i'm not a heavy smoker and i did manage to quite for 3 months before starting again. I usully quite then something bad will happen and i'll turn to ciggies again. I wish you all the luck with quitting. so my advice to to find some good coping strategies for stress etc for when you would usully grab a fag. good luck!

Well, im afraid iv been smoking for 10 years, i tried to quit at the begining of the year, i lasted 3 months.
But since i started back up, 10 fags lasts me nearly 3 days instead of 10 a day, i also smoke lights now.

I have to say i used patches, and they are fantastic!!!-u dont even feel like u need one, its the not having somthing in your hand that did me, i got mine on perscription for a couple of weeks but as i refused to got to the smoking group they wonuldnt let me have any more, but i did keep buying them.
Iv tried the gum-DISGUSTING
Iv tried lozengers-Disgusting
And iv tried the fake fag thing-Also completly disgusting.

I do hope to eventulally stop completly will try again after xmas but stress at work makes me smoke, i dont smoke at home or with the family only at work.
Also i do really enjoy having a fag-I know that weak and sad but, like some one mentioned before, it is a strange sort of release

I have to say i really hope you crack it, i wont lie and say its easy-When you finally stop scratching wall paper off your walls with your bare fingers-and attacing people like the milk man for nothing it does get easyer.-lol

GOOD LUCK!!!!

my husband is a pretty bad smoker, and last week he said he was done. cold turkey no more, he says (i dont live with him right now so all i know is what he tells me). i asked him if he could quit for my birthday this coming april and he said he wants to do better than that cause he doesnt want to be cranky either!

michelle posted a book that i looked at to help him. it has good reviews... the easy way to quit smoking. one of my soldiers may order it because he has to quit too (his run is slow!) and i may give it a glance and get it for my husband if my soldier says it helps him.

hugs and good boobie (and quitting smoking) wishes!

Hey Emmie-Sorry WHO ARE YOUR SOLDIORS? and where can we get one -Lol
Sorry for being nosey-
My bro is in the navy, -another completly random thing to say, but anything to do with the forces and my ears prick up

should i have just writen BUMP or Duurrr for being nosey
Lol GingerD

sorry i cant give up my soldiers... much as i am sure they wish i would from time to time!

i am in the army, and it is habit when you have soldiers you are responsible for (i am a non-commissioned officer) to call them "my soldiers."

hugs and good boobie wishes, and best of luck to your brother, ginger!

i got out as an nco, e-5. and they will always be ur soldiers.lol. i only had one condition for them. tell me no lies, and i will always defend ur best intentions. but his run is slow? my best time was when i was a heavy smoker- a 5 min mile- not bad for a female. sounds like ur soldier might need some more pt. sprints could help? sorry if i overstepped a boundary. good luck to all on ur quests!

well its more because he didnt have nco supervision for almost ten months before i showed up, as well as gradually increasing his smoking so he cant breathe. ive got his run time down to passing and he is almost at the level where i feel comfortable sending him to the promotion boards (i come from a very tactical unit... physical training is still pretty representative of a soldier to me!). i have him doing some sprints but its more long runs... he used to be fast, but he lost his endurance.

and today, i witnessed his last cigarette. he said hes quitting... so now i get to enforce!

so off topic, but still... and of course, any advice is always welcome. hes not a problem soldier (oh boy have i had those before), but input from another source can always give ideas!

hugs and good boobie wishes to all...

any how good luck on ur soldier going to the board. those were always mind wracking 4 me. its nice to have good leadership and it sounds like he is in good hands!good luck!

I don't know about you people out in the UK, but over here in the states, when one says "fag", it's usually a derogatory term for a gay person. So it's kinda funny reading "I just have to have one "fag". Anyway, off topic but funny, no offense to any gay people.

I heard about this clinic on the radio and I really want to try this, problem is, I have no medical insurance and treatment is expensive for my budget. Check it out.

http://www.stopsmokingbirmingham.com/index.htm

A fag can mean a gay person too here in the UK but its rare that we say that in terms of a gay person, its generally means a ciggie.

Well done with geting your soilder on board emmie!