Frack, it sucks. I'm trying to kick the habit - at 35 I've been smoking for 20 years already. It's time.

But, as typical, I'm porking out on crap foods, and gaining pounds. I've added more cardio to my routine, which I heard is suppose to help, but its not really. I've doubled my suppliments and vitamin C, which also is suppose to help. Nada, nothing. I'm still cheating daily. Etc., etc., etc.

I'm an addict, so, going cold turkey SUCKS for me, virtually impossible. Any pearls of wisdom from those who travelled a similar path?

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@ryanadamdavis

Smoking is probably the worst addiction to try and quit, except maybe eating disorders. You do have to keep eating, no matter how much weight you want to lose.

Some people can actually use the gradual method, where you smoke less and less, but not many. That is where the gums and patches come from. I guess they work for some people, but they're more a money maker for the pharmas than anything else.

It took me three tries to quit, many years ago. My downfall was cigars in one case and my pipe in the other. Each led me back into nicotine. It doesn't help that after a couple of weeks off the nic, that first puff on a butt is nearly orgasmic. I remember that part.

The most important thing to me is don't beat yourself up and don't "should" on yourself when you slip. It will take exactly as much effort as needed, and telling yourself you "should" be able to do this or that is poison. That leads to blame and guilt and all the other emotions and right back to the original dependency.

Oh, and surround yourself with people that support your efforts in a good way. At least for the first few months, avoid smokers and places where smoking occurs. Don't take crap about it. Anybody who doesn't respect and support your decision to quit isn't really much of a friend.

You might investigate sugar free gum, just for the comfort of using your hands and having something in your mouth.

Everyone hates and makes fun of the cutesy sayings and platitudes that come out of 12 step programs, but they actually can help one keep their eye on the prize. Don't eschew anything that might help. In truth, you're saving your own life. Just coming here and owning up is a good start. The more people who know, the more people who will be disappointed if you fail.

Best of luck.

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Talent can get you to the playoffs.
It takes character to win when you get there.

Quitting any habit is very difficult just set a daily goal for yourself something you can achieve and build on that to raise the bar.Your body will trick your mind to give it what it wants so do not enable it.

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Wolf grey all day every day.

Quitting smoking is really easy, I've done it hundreds of times. lol

Some friends I bowled with years ago gave me the key that worked for me. I put my cigs and lighter in the trunk of my car in the garage so I had to go out to the garage to get my smokes and then smoked them outside.

I started by trying to get down to 4 a day. That was a resonalble goal and when I got there for a while I just stopped. No it wasn't easy, but easier. The more often you stop the harder it gets.

I smoked from the time I was about 12 into my late 30s. Quit for 7 years and started back again.(hard to imagine someone that stupid isn't it?) Then in 1988 quit again and have quit for good. I tell myself if I was given 6 months to live, got a second opinion that matched, I would bye smokes on the way home.

But I wouldn't. Now a days there is no way for me to afford to smoke. When I started you put a quarter in a machine and got a pack with a nickle taped on it. Hell on board ship beyond the twelve mile limit I could buy a cartoon of Pall Malls for less than a buck. Lucky Strikes for .80 a carton. But now a days its rediculous.

Good luck Ryan you can do it.

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Still missing you everyday pal.

The problem with stopping smoking is that nicotine latches onto the endorphin receptors in your brain, so as you smoke you make less and less endorphins for yourself. When you stop, your brain is telling you that it has no endorphins and needs them badly... I smoked from age 14 to age 37, when I finally stopped. First, you need a good reason. Not the old "It's bad for me, everyone says so" type of reason, but something you can internalize. For me, I started kung-fu and realized that continuing to smoke was going to be more painful than stopping. Second, you need to realize that smoking has two components - the nicotine addiction, and the physical habit. You are intimately familiar with the addiction part, but the habit part is pretty powerful too. You know, a smoke when you wake up, a smoke at break time at work, a smoke after every meal, a smoke when having beer, a smoke when you're watching TV... I found it worked better to only stop one part at a time. First, I decided to stop the 'habit' part. I got some of those pouches of chewing tobacco to use as a nicotine delivery system, because I find the taste to be disgusting and also because I wasn't willing to spend the rediculous price of nicotine gum. I then would stick one of those things in my mouth in the morning for awhile, in the afternoon for awhile, and in the evening for awhile. Meantime, I concentrated on not habitually reaching for a smoke when I usually would (and found Iwas a lot more productive at work, since I was taking fewer breaks!). After a couple weeks of this, I spit out the last of those vile disgusting tobacco pouches and didn't smoke any more. Instead, I increased my workout level at kung-fu, since hard workouts and other painful stuff stimulates our natural endorphin production and I needed something to fill the receptors that no longer had nicotine in them. I also started drinking a LOT of water, like a 2-liter bottle after luch every day in addition to the normal amount the rest of the day. That was 16 years ago and I haven't smoked a bit since even though my wife still does, so it must have worked. Good luck on your journey! There is no try. There is only do, or do not. Or try not.

I had to go pull up the e-cig thread to figure out how long its been since I had a smoke. Turns out it was 7 months yesterday. Not sure if I would call my self a quitter yet, as I am still sucking on juice, but I'm down to 8mg of nicotine(vs 18mg). Next time I go back to the eshop I will get some juice that is nicotine free and mix it in. I would go out on a limb and say that its working for me and would say give the e cigs a try.

Juice?

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@ryanadamdavis

some (most) buy bottles of e liquid and fill their cigs themselves, cheeper, more flavors etc. so yeah, vaping is basicly sucking on juice.

edit: enjoying a nice banana nut bread vape with a glass of jack on the rocks at this very moment...not that anyone should care.

I quit for 5 years once when I saw my 1 year old daughter watching me through the window. Decided to stop. Started back up again later.

Been quit for over 2 years now, and this one will work... primarily because I developed adult-onset asthma. I know... extreme way to quit... but it worked.

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Okay, so maybe that pass rush is still an issue. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When I quit after 19 years or so it was easy for me doing it this way. There was times when it seemed like I loved the things and couldn't smoke enough. Then there was times where I would smoke and take a couple of drags and put it out for later and a cigarette was kinda meh (I'm sure smokers know what I mean) and one of those times where it was kinda meh I just quit. For like a week I chewed a crapload of gum (normal gum) and after that I was done.

I've been around lots of family/friends who smoke and I've never once been tempted to smoke since I quit 7.5 years ago. After a while you realize how much smokers smell like cigarettes. It's really strong smelling to a non smoker even if the smoker isnt smoking.

I feel emberassed at times thinking how it must have been for non smokers to be around me.
I'm not knocking smokers in this post, if people want to do it I don't care one bit, but if someone wanted to quit I hope these words help.

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The LOLs of the many outweigh the shame of the few

I just had to admit every time I wanted to smoke I was having a moment of weakness and that it would soon pass.
Just the thought of having to admit weakness was enough motivation.
I quit when I was 25, I'm 38 now.
I started chewing full time at 13 and smoking at 17(what a dumbass)
Just tough it out, dont set yourself up for failure by using a crutch.
Just go cold turkey and realize it takes many attempts before you will be successful.
Good luck, you can do it.

Pehawk.. this is not to be mean or disrespectful in anyway(always wonder why people start that way and you know what is coming next?).

I come from a long line of drunks. My dad was the only one to stop. His advice to me was simple. "Stop being a fucking whiny child and own up to what you do and what you don't want to do. If you don't want to be a fucking drunk, like the rest of them and me, then fucking stop. Don't do it. Every time you drink its your choice. You choose to take that drink or you don't".

I only posted this because from your posts I don't think you're a thinned skinned person. Simply man, you either do or you don't.

Your decision.

People will give you excuses, you will give yourself excuses. It always comes down to what you want.

No need to worry fud. I do have thick skin. And, well, I dont know how to love (or something like that).

Fair nuff.

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@ryanadamdavis

Join the military. Dozens of young smokers have told me that basic training was the best quitting program they'd ever seen.

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GO HAWKS!!!

Visit my Seahawks blog at 17power.blogspot.com!

Follow me on Twitter at @17power

I'm on my 3rd time "quitting." The first 2 times I quit smoking and drinking at the same time. While both times the quitting itself wasn't that difficult, after a few months when I decided I wanted to have a drink here and there I couldn't help but start up smoking again too, and then within a matter of weeks I was right back where I was before I quit.

Fast forward to a couple months ago, I'm only smoking at night after work, and after I've cracked a beer. I have almost no urge to smoke during the day and if I don't drink, I don't smoke. So then I'm thinking what's even the point? I should be able to just cut it out completely. So I switch to e-cigs and after a couple of weeks I pretty much lose the urge all together, and am at this point completely nicotine free. I miss it though. I'm smart enough to know the battle's far from over but I feel good about it. So now I'm about 20% through my plan to not dying before I turn 40.

The only thing I've really learned about the process in general is that you really have to decide to quit. You have to honestly want it and you have to believe you can do it. A half hearted attempt won't get you anywhere in my experience.

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Tanzania¹²

I attempted to “quit” smoking several times via various methods during my 20 plus years of indulgence in the habit. Roughly 2 years ago, I just decided that I no longer smoke and that was that. Not saying it was easy, but for me the mindset that I don’t smoke as opposed to “I’m quitting” made me feel more empowered mentally. Today I have no doubt that I would truly enjoy a cig if I lit one up, but I don’t smoke so it just isn’t going to happen. Not sure if I was just fully ready or if my mind trick had anything to do with it but that’s my story.

Good luck!

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"Our Quarterback is a Bad Man!" - Michael Robinson

You got kids? If you do, look at them. If you wanna quit, then quit. Stop being a pussy.

I've never been a smoker, (sure, a friend swiped a pack of Marlboro cigs from his mom when we were like 11, and we sat and smoked the entire pack ourselves; but we both threw up afterward, haha; haven't touched 'em since) but for the people I've known that were heavy long-term smokers, all but one of them said (this was years after they quit in all these cases) that trying to quit only worked once they truly wanted to. Overcoming the physical addiction of nicotine seems to be between the ears. Have to find a way to truly want to quit more than to smoke. Not an easy thing to do, from what I've seen. Knowing you need to quit is far from the same thing as truly wanting to quit inside your own mind. We all know things we shouldn't do but do anyways, pretty much every day of our lives.

Good luck, Ryan.

I was a pack a day smoker for 25 years, I quit the day I got my ecig, it will be 2 years in july! Best of luck to you, just QUIT however you can !

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http://personal-spectrum.com/

How much are ecigs?

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@ryanadamdavis