2 weeks cigarette free, anyone else used to smoke? How do you find it?

Mentally I got sick of something having that much control over me. I quit when I was laid up recovering from ACL surgery. I just made the decision before and stuck to it. I was about the same15-10 for about 5 years.

Really my life has changed. At the time my job didn't pay well, I worked from 10-7, shut the doors and worked my side hustle from 8-2, during 8-2 it was beers and smokes building handmade motorcycle parts. No wife, kids, dog, house, etc.. The beer and smoke breaks where a time I actually miss. I was worried about being a looser but those breaks and lack of distractions played a major role with getting all my things in order.

A old dude told me how to quit though, he said "Put it down". That simple.

I smoked for 20 years almost a pack a day. I loved it. If it just made you stink I'd still do it. It was so relaxing after meals, while drinking, in the AM, at night.... Buuuuuttt....they are nasty and you are almost guaranteed to get cancer or something just as bad so I had to quit.

I quit by taking the patch AND weening myself down. I know the patches say not to smoke when taking the patches, but I did it anyways. I was like "OK I can smoke 10 a day" then after a week or two or so made it 8....then 6...then 4..then 3.....2.....then I quit.

I remember "3" being the toughest because they were the main mental addictions. I would smoke one when I woke up, one after dinner then one at night before bed. Those were the most difficult. Then I ditched the after dinner smoke and I was pretty much done at that point.

Maybe every few years or so I might be in Vegas or something drinking a beer and chilling playing slots or whatever and bum a smoke while drinking a beer. But no urge to pick it back up. In the past 15 years I might have smoked 10 cigarettes or so.

Get a bicycle and go for a pedal. I smoked at least a pack a day for over 25 years and that's what I did to get out of them. Day or night I was riding a bike when the craving was on. Only regret in life I have is smoking for so long. Probably about 9 years since I quit right now. Not a smoke, not a dip, not a cigar since that day. Can't have any. It's over. Smokes have been the longest road. I still think about having one all the time but my lung function is still compromised to this day because of smoking. Quit now.

Screaming into pillows helps

But seriously, smoked for 5 years. Pack a day, I still have moments when I want one, don’t give in, the urge goes away. And each time u beat the urge, you become that much mentally stronger

I went to Shick around 1970.

I smoked for about 5 years. Dipped for a good 15 years. I used nicorete gum to quit.

A couple years ago I decided to have one cigarette one night while having a few drinks. Literally the next day I bought a pack. Smoked a pack a day for 8 months. Then switched to vapeing. Did that for about two years. Weened myself down from 12mg, 6mg, 3mg, 0mg nic level. Then just quit.

Currently nicotine free for The last year or so. I’m 90 days in without a drink at all. That feels pretty good. Started to drink too much too often. Had to step back completely for a while. Not sure when I’ll drink again.

Good luck man!

I just stopped (it was rather spliffs where weed & tabacco is mixed, but smoked rolled tabacco also) to get healthier. Replaced smoking with running / cycling / swimming ... now i detest any kind of smoke inhalation lol.

Been well over a year at this point and no cravings or anything to be honest. I just went cold turkey on all of it...

I smoked a pack-pack and a half a day for 20 years. Quit because I wanted to race my dirt bike. Started using smokeless tobacco to get over the cravings and ended up with a worse nicotine addiction than before (higher dose, longer duration). Then one day I got sick of it and just stopped cold turkey. I found that all I had to do was resist the cravings for 5-10 minutes, then I'd forget about it till the next time the cravings hit, and repeat the process. After a bit, the cravings slowed down and got further apart. Then one day I realized I hadn't had a craving in a month or so. I still get a craving every so often, but it's easy to ignore at this point. So I quit smoking in 2008, and I will be completely nicotine free 4 years this coming July. My only regret is that I wasn't able to stop sooner. Although, I can make it through a 3 hour GNCC, or a 4 hour team race running it ironman style, or jump on my road cycle and pedal 60 miles any time I feel like it, so I guess I've been lucky so far.

What does a carton go for these days?

I would discourage anyone from alternative methods like vape. That stuff is destroying lung tissue faster than cigarettes. Steam/boiling vapor kills off the alveoli at An aggressive rate. We are gonna see some serious health impacts from individuals who think vaping is safer.

Take 30 days to build a habit. One you stop telling people how many days it’s been your over it and good to go i smoked 40 to 80 a day for better part of 30 years loved it I loved smoking and didn’t quit for health or because it smells ( stinks ) but here in Australia it’s $45 AUD ($33 USD) a pack and i smoke 2 most days so almost $100 a day just to burn. Key is you have to want to quit if you don’t you won’t !!!! It’s all in the mind. Its been almost 2 years now and can hang out with smokers go out drinking with smokers and not feel the urge to smoke. I got up one morning and just quit no gum or Any other nicotine subs cause swapping one habit for another is bullshit. Build a new habit that’s good for you go for a walk work on your bike anything will do remember it only takes 30 days to build a habit and day 3 of quilting is the hardest, if you’ve done that once don’t start again and getting over that is the hardest! Good like mate and hope you stay of the smokes.

My mom smoked for over 40 years, tried to quit unsuccessfully a couple times. Then she got acupuncture and quit cold turkey. She said she didn’t know if the acupuncture was 100% of her cure or a combo of that plus being pissed she had to pay to get stuck with needles to stop. Regardless she quit after the acupuncture and hasn’t smoked for 30 years now. (She’s 95)

I chewed on toothpicks for about a month. I quit toothpicks because they gave me splinters in my throat.

I smoked for about 15 years on and off. Finally decided it was time to quit and thought chew would be a good alternative to smoking and help with the cravings. After 3 years of chewing, my dentist started to notice and said i at least needed to cut down. I used patches to help, but i swear quitting chewing was worse than the times i had quit smoking, so don't go that route. Used the patches for a few weeks and now have ben nicotine free for about 3 years. Definitely feeling the health benefits non just in daily life, but in moto as well.... Good luck and congrats on making the choice to quit!!

I quit 6 years ago when we had our first child, just didn’t seem right any more to me. While my wife was pregnant I still smoked and the community midwife was telling me to stop. Got to do it on your own terms I think. On New Year’s Eve 2018 I decided to have a celebratory cigarette while my friends went out for one, had 2 drags and felt like throwing up so that confirmed I had done the right thing!

What an inspiring and encouraging thread. Thank you to each of you that told your story. Nicotine is a wicked bitch and a hard monkey to get off your back. Next time I'm in front of my desk top I'll tell my tale. Typing on my phone now and don't care for it.

I smoked For 20 years and Quitting was the hardest thing ive ever done, i have an addictive personality, here in MN they are $9 dollars a pack now , i notice a big difference
I couldn't run more than 1 block, and after 6 months i can run around a small lake. Probably a mile.
To Quit i first tried Patches, than Patches and The strongest Gum, and neither was working than i Did Both of those and Added Anxiety Pills. And between the 3 i was able to Quit.
I crave once in a while still, but have had zero in almost a year.

Quitting smoking was easy, I thought the taste was horrible and switched to chewing. That was harder, but the patch helped me. The patch gave me crazy dreams which I looked forward to in some weird way. If you use the patch, rub the spot with rubbing alcohol to clean it to make sure it sticks and apply in the morning or else it really messes with your sleep.