I'm quitting today. Quiting smoking. I've tried hard for the last few

[applegrove]

months but couldn't do it on my own. So I'm on Champix. Wish me luck!!! I'm really nervous/excited that it will work. I've smoked for 28 years. What a fool I've been.

[BurtWorm]

1. Good luck!

:toast:

What helped me: carrying a straw cut to cigarette length, which I used to puff on whenever the urges were the worst. "Smoke" the straw as you would a cigarette until the urge goes away. Don't worry about looking like a fool, cause you won't. No one will notice. Best of all, you will be drawing in clean air when you "smoke." And it will make the urges pass more quickly and painlessly.

[applegrove]

2. I've chewed on straws in past quits. That did help. Thanks.

[BurtWorm]

3. I don't know if chewing on them helps, but puffing on them definitely does.

:hi:

[applegrove]

4. I'll try it.

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

5. you just owe it to yourself to do it this time.

I finally got my weight off after 23 years of trying, and failing. I wish you the best success in this

[applegrove]

6. Thank you. I really appreciate your support. and congrats to you.

These long term habits are a *****.

[wain]

7. please, please do better than I did

It took cardiac arrest to finally get me to stop. 13 years ago.

I wish you the best

[applegrove]

14. That's good advice. Congrats on your quit too.

[Roon]

8. This was a big help when I quit smoking

101 things to do instead of smoking...
http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cravingsandurges/a/101thingstodo.htm

[applegrove]

15. That's a great tool. Thanks for your post.

[Left Is Write]

9. Good for you!

It's almost my tenth anniversary of quitting smoking (June 30/July 1, 1998).

[applegrove]

16. Time flies. 1998 feels like yesterday to me. Thanks for the encouragement.

[littlebit]

10. Good for you

I quit about three weeks ago. I have been chewing this nicotine gum like crazy. But I haven't had a cigarette.

[applegrove]

17. Keep it up. Some day soon you'll do without the gum too.

[psychopomp]

11. I tried to quit and failed about five times before I came to this realization:

To quit, you must tell yourself that you will never, ever smoke another cigarette. I know it sounds condescending, but I always made the mistake of thinking that once I had kicked the habit smoking a cigarette "just this time" would be okay. It inevitably led to making more excuses for smoking, which then quickly returned to the full-blown habit.

I quit cold turkey that way.

[applegrove]

18. Cold Turkey - wow that is brave.

[madeline_con]

12. Tootsie Rolls and Jolly Ranchers

They help with both the chocolate and fruity cravings with little to no fat. That, and puffing/chewing on straws got me thru it. Good luck! :hi:

[applegrove]

19. I have a straw at the ready. I found it help in my last quit too. Thanks for the

advice.

[defendandprotect]

13. Black licorice sticks and then moved on to peppermints . . .

[applegrove]

20. I love black licorice. Thanks for your advice.

[zanne]

22. I still munch on licorice sticks.

They're not as fattening as many other foods I was shoveling into my mouth after I quit smoking. If I had known before I quit, I would have had at least a bag of them ready. They're great because you actually hold them like you would a cigarette and if you want you can actually "fake smoke" them!

[defendandprotect]

30. I also got a part-time job and had two kids who were rightfully bugging the

hell out of me for smoking any longer ---

it all worked!

Good luck to you --

:)

[lost-in-nj]

21. If I can do it any one can!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

I used Wellbutrin and have been smoke free since Feb.15, 2007

I had lots of sugar free hard candies
sugar free licorice
and I put rubber bands on my wrist
and snapped and played with them till the urge left....
at one time I had 10 rubber bands on my wrist LOL!!!!


get our and be active also...

go to quitnet.com
it has lots of hints and support

keeps track of your stats to!!!

My Stats:
Your Quit Date is: 2/15/2007 10:00:00 AM
Time Smoke-Free: 478 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes and 47 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 19159
Lifetime Saved: 4 months, 26 days, 8 hours
Money Saved: $3,353.00


I think they are a little conservative on the money saved!!!



:hi:

lost

[applegrove]

25. Thanks for your advice. And hey, you have a GREAT QUIT going on there.

[yellowdogintexas]

23. HANG IN THERE! NT

[applegrove]

26. Thanks. I will.

[Frank Cannon]

24. Here's another trick: Drink a mild hot sauce out of the bottle.

I shit you not. Another DUer recommended it, and by God, it works. Gives your mouth and throat the "feeling" of having smoked, when you haven't! Really helps decrease the cravings.

The brand that was recommended to me was Frank's Original Hot Sauce.

[applegrove]

27. I'm on Chantix. And it is working fine. No real craves. I think I skip the hot sauce

at this juncture but keep it as a backup LOL!

[yellowdogintexas]

34. still hanging in there? GREAT!!! nt

[yardwork]

28. Congratulations! You will do it!!!! Today is the day!

[applegrove]

39. Thanks.

:hi:

[Starry Messenger]

29. I'm on week 7

I've never tried to quit before. I smoked 10 years (started when I was 27 for some damnfool reason). I'm still a little cravy but I'm battling it with cough drops. The first two weeks were insane.

[applegrove]

40. I'm on Champix for the first few months. The craves are very small events. I just

hope that when I get off this drug I don't have to go through Hell week. Thanks for the encouragement and hey! YOU GOTTA GREAT QUIT THERE!

[seaglass]

31. How long have you been on Chantix? I am hoping that my Dr.

will prescribe it to me this Friday - I've waited 6 weeks for this appt.!

I am really nervous because I also have to lose some weight and I know cigs and coffee suppress my appetite. Plus I found out 2 weeks ago that they tested my cholesterol back in 2000 and it's high and they never told me.

So, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed - like I have too many things to start at the same time.

Good Luck to you!

[applegrove]

41. I find the Champix works really well. You have to take it with food and water

or your stomach will feel a little woozy. But the craves are miniscule on it. The easiest quit I ever did. Make sure you get the full prescription from your doctor. This stuff is amazing.

[SnowCritter]

32. Good Luck!

I quit smoking 8 years ago. It was tough, but worth it.

You can do it!

[applegrove]

42. Thanks.

:hi:

[LeftyFingerPop]

33. Good luck applegrove. I wish you the best. n/t

[applegrove]

43. Thanks. It is going great so far.

:hi:

[BarenakedLady]

35. Good Luck!

:woohoo:

[applegrove]

44. Thanks for the encouragement.

:hi:

[OmahaBlueDog]

36. I quit 20 years ago.

Get a watter bottle with a stwaw. Take it everywhere and keep it filled with your favorite soda or water. Everytime you want a drag, suck on the drink. It helps with the hand - mouth thing, and starts cleansing your system. Good luck.

[applegrove]

45. Right now I am chewing on a straw by itself. It helps with the oral fixation. Thanks for the advice.

I will do it.

:hi:

[terrya]

37. Good luck to you!

:thumbsup:

[applegrove]

46. Thanks

:hi:

[Iggo]

38. Good Luck.

I'm for cold turkey, the gum, the patch, the pill, big fat guys sitting on you...anything that works.

[applegrove]

47. LOL! Thanks for making me laugh.

:hi: