Giving up tobacco habit

[East Texas Pine Rooter]

Decided today that this tobacco habit has gotten to expensive for me. The tobbacco industries can't be trusted on what addictive drugs, or additives or in the stuff. Anyone have any home remmidies to make the withdrawel easier?

[countrygrrrl]

Candy.

I quit last year very easily by stuffing myself with candy for three days. You'll need to up your carb intake for a while after you quit, as well, but don't keep eating the candy! :yeeha:

One thing no one bothers to tell anyone is the reason people get so insanely hungry after they quit smoking is because tobacco kicks glucose right into the bloodstream. Smokers' bodies tend to be kind of lazy, as a result, so until your body adapts, make sure you eat high quality carbs to compensate.

The immediate sugar in the first couple of days makes a HUGE difference, but you really don't want to continue eating that way for very long!

I ended up starting again because I didn't up my carbs adequately in the first month or so after I quit. I'm planning on quitting again here pretty quick, though.

For non-natural and non-homemade support Commit lozenges rock! But they're pricey!

[blhmabbott]

Dh chews on whole cloves.....said it works wonders, though I've never tried it. We need to quit too becuase there's just to many other things we could be spending the money on. I'm out of estrogen too, so add to that the lack of nicotine, and I won't be a nice person for awhile .
Heather

[pcdreams]

I wasn't aware of that CountryGrrrl. I'll have to give that a go.

for me at least quitting is more mental than physical. If you can get past your mind screaming that you need a smoke your ok.

The first 3 days are the worse. I made it 13 days then lost it. I need to try again though, that extra $4/day could be better used elseware (heck by the end of the month thats almost enough to make a land payment).

[fordy]

......................It just isn't an easy process or it wasn't for me. That ---- Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances in the world and some folks simply can't Quit. It took me 6 months . You have to look in the mirror and remind yourself that you wouldn't voluntarily "poision" yourself and pay for the pills to boot . I equate smoking with taking small doses of poision several times a day .......voluntarily.....it seems crazy when you reflect on what you're really doing to your health . The more objectivity you can muster about smoking the "MADDER' YOU SHOULD BECOME" . Anger creates a type of Tunnel Vision that allows you to Focus upon one solitary concept and to react to it and IT alone .....which in your case will be your "Habit\Weakness" to Smoking.....and then to tell yourself that tobacco will NOT rule Your life......that's How I derived the Internal Resolve to ....."QUIT" . Kind of like a Prisioner of war being held in a Single cell ...telling himself that he will Be going HOME........It's that type of Resolve that allows us to Transcend the Compulsion to Smoke.......fordy.....

[Meg Z]

I was a menthol smoker...so mints were a BIG help. I used the patch, which helped alot, too. I had time to change my habits before I was really off the nicotine. And then the mints. I'm still doing a pack a day, but they're Tic-Tacs!

I also never said I was quitting. I was just choosing to not smoke...today. I gave myself the option each day. Since I wasn't committing myself to more than one day at a time, I managed. A life time is forever, but a day is only 24 hours!

Still doing it a day at a time!

Meg

[pcdreams]

I smoke menthol too. Hadn't though of mints.

I do like the day at a time method though.

If I can find enough to keep my mind and hands busy I usually do ok. Its the mornings, evenings and after meals that get me.

[Miz Mary]

I agree with FORDY !!! Stay angry at cigarettes for ruling your life,determining your every move, and it makes you more determined to quit !!
I quit 4 years ago after smoking 15 years. My husband says "just don't". Want to smoke ? Just Dont ! Do something else - the craving passes !!
DONT LET THE GOVERNMENT WIN AND CONTROL YOU THIS WAY !!!!!!
Whatch thoes commercials from "CRAZY WORLD"........
GOD will help you - pray instead of lighting up !!!!

[chickflick]

Good advice so far! Especially the 'mind over matter' ideas. It has been over 22 years ago that I quit, but I used raw spanish peanuts the week I was quitting. It seems those little papers on the peanuts made up for the taste of the nicotine.? Anyway... the worst part of quitting smoking is after the nicotine craving is over! The HABITUAL responses.. having it in your hand, after meals, after sex , on the phone.. all those times you are in the HABIT of having one in your hand. Just be read for that.. it will last about a year. (That's why the mind over matter part is important!) GOOD LUCK

[fordy]

.......................So, just remember....if someone asks if you .... if you still smoke??.....Say..."Yes ,.....but ONLY after SEX".........fordy.... :yeeha:

[Old John]

Hi Y'All,

Well, let's see? I quit, the first time, in 1964, after smoking for 7 years,
smoking 1 to 1&1/2 packs a day.
No problem, I started out watching the clock & doing it 1 hour at a time,
and tapering off. I'd make it a few hours at a time. Ended up smoking 4 cigarettes a day, for a week or two. and then just quit.
For 15 years.

Then I got playing in a trio, on guitar, in barsa,and started smoking on our breaks. Soon I was up to a pack a day, of menthol. I still love Menthol cigarettes. I smoked the four & 1/2 years I was with the trio. Then, I tapered off again, the same way, in '84.

I was okay, 'til I turned 55. The pipe tobacco got smelling SO-O-O-o-o-o
GOOD! I bought a pack & a pipe & began pipesmoking on my 55th birthday.
I love french-inhaling aromatic pipe smoke. It does smell SO-O-O-O-o-o
GOOD.
I smoked a pipe 'til in Spring 2000, I had a freak asthma attack. I could
not BREATHE.
I'd never had asthma before. Allergies once in awhile tho.
After 2 trips to a Pulmonary specialist,he told me I needed to quit
smoking again. I had already quit, cold-turkey. I have tried a couple of
pipesful a time or two since. But they don't just taste good.

Yup, I still miss it. I think about getting a pack of pipe tobacco, from time to time. Still have about 25 pipes, wrapped up & put away in the bottom drawer.

I guess the moral, for me is:"You just need to do, what you need to do."
O'course, I have always been in control, of me. If I want to smoke I WILL.
When I want to stop, I WILL. Maybe when I hits 80, I'll try it again.
Can't hurt much then, hunnh.

[CraftyDiva]

Never tried this, but heard it does work.
1 tsp of Cream of Tartar mixed with 8oz glass of juice (orange) at bed time.
edited to add........ this is for a week only, no longer.

Cream of Tartar is suppose to help cleanse the body of nicotine, so when you wake up you don't crave that first "oh so good tasting first cigarette of the day".

But this alone won't do it, you have to WANT to quit, this only helps you to do so by lowering the body's nicotine build up.

[j.r. guerra in s. tx.]

What CraftyDiva said - you gotta want to quit for good if its going to work. I was a medium smoker (1/2 pack Camel Filters a day) for 18 years, and quit at least 117 times before the final time. My first born was within three months of being born, and my wife asked me to stop - didn't want to risk giving him ashthma. It wasn't an order - it was a request. And it was a fair request - the health of our newborn.

So I quit. Cold Turkey. It wasn't nearly as hard as the other times, because I decided it was time to quit NOW. Being nagged by others to quit and doing so just to placate / shut them up won't work - the smoker has to decide for themselves and make up their minds to do it.

Its been six years six my last cigarette - I miss it occassionally. But I won't go back - no sirree bobcat.

You can do this - time to get that 'monkey off your back' for good.

[Blu3duk]

take up kickboxing, we had several smokers who had to quit cause they just didnt have the wind power if they kept it up.....

ok so maybe kickboxing isnt your cup of tea, then running , jogging, fast walking.... once around your house [outside of course], twice, three times, whatever it takes to get you absolutley exhaling and spitting the crap outta the lungs, next day add one round, and so on until you are up to running a mile or so..... Anyhow exercise is the key to focusing ones willpower, a goal to acheve in the short term not set so high as to say @#$%@% and go baack to the old routine.

herbs that help expell the junk outta the lungs, slippery elm bark, Myrrh, capsium [cayeenne pepper] taken together will help to get it out.....

smoking Mullen will also get it out and will for a time help you to not want to burn your lungs anymore.


hope i did not insult you.

William

[ckncrazy]

Everyone always talks about quiting smoking. What about chewing? Any ideas on how to quit that?

JAKE

[coalroadcabin]

Right on East Texas Pine Rooter!
Let us know how you do with your quest to kick the habit! Maybe you'll even inspire me to quit. I've smoked for 30 years (quit when I was pregnant 'cause the thought of a cig made me want to urp, but I took the habit back up again when the kids got older) Some days the only thing between me and punching some arrogant client in the nose is a cigarette. But it is an expensive habit. So it would be really nice to quit. Best of luck to ya!

[Anniebek]

I haven't smoked in several years, but this is how I quit...I purchased cinnamon mouthwash, toothpaste, and mints. I brushed my teeth immediately after waking up, and as soon as I ate anything. If it wasn't convenient to brush my teeth I swished with the mouthwash. If I got a craving in between I used the cinnamon candy. I also found that the clove candy sticks from Cracker Barrell were good. Drink at least three to four glasses of grapefruit juice (for the sourness, can use any citrus juice) to up your vitamin C. Nicotine keeps your body from effectively using vitamin C so you need to get it back into your body.

Like most others said, the first three days are the worst. There are still times when I think...hmmmm, cigarette...then I remember that I don't smoke and that I have been a healthier and happier person since I quit. Keep busy...clean your house, read your scriptures, write letters to friends...just do anything that will take your mind off of it.

Good luck!!

Anniebek

[pcdreams]

Think we're going to give it a go again. Wife quite for 3 month (cold turkey). I made it 13 days on zyban. School should keep me busy enough I won't think about it....

You gotta wanna!

[bare]

Aww heck, why bother. You'll probably quit and right away get cancer or have a heart attack.

::bare, liftime smoker... regretfully::