First off Congrats to YOU! As a previous smoker myself it is No easy habit to quit. I basically followed your same path and the vape mod was the Only one that stuck and ended my leash of cigarettes in just One Day! Never picked up another since going on 8 years. Anyone that thinks quitting is easy should never try. I strongly promote the vape to friends that smoke but I do not push as stopping is Completely up to them when They choose. So simple and costs pennies compared to smokes. Good for you I hope you gain Many additional years with your family and friends!!!

I would probably still at the very least be a social tobacco smoker to this day if it weren't for my wife and children.

Smoked for over 20 years...I was the stereotypical detective with one in my mouth and one in the ashtray while burning the midnight oil. (yes, back then we smoked in our offices) Quit cold turkey and after a couple of relapses, I finally gave them up for good about 7 years ago. Hands down the hardest thing I have ever had to willingly do. Can't stand the smell of them now and wonder why it took me so long.

Congrats sir. My mom and dad both smoked. My mom gave into my sister and I’s pressure to quit when I was around 13. My dad only quit once he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He didnt make it much past a year after that.

My uncle chain smoked all the way through bone cancer to the grave.

You have done a great thing not only for yourself but everyone around you. I applaud that.

Glad I never started. Always thought they were nasty and they still make me nauseous to even smell them to this day.

When my kids ask Dad why do so many older people smoke?

No doubt once you quit cigarettes are disgusting. I have smoked for 30+ years & really need to quit. I'm 51 years old in great health/shape, but my one & only crutch is cigarettes. There are very effective ways to quit as one is Chantix. I refuse to take any medications due to the side-effects that are associated w/ that poison. Dizziness, suicidal thoughts & nausea, etc. are just a few.

This is a well needed post just to motivate & have an idea how others have quit. So far the vaping method seems like a great alternative to weaning oneself from the control of nicotine. Thanks cottonm4, as I'll definitely be following this post throughout.

Congrats on quitting! I quit cold turkey about 20 years ago...best thing I ever did! I think cigs are about 10 bucks a pack now here... plus the health thing

smoked for 10 years. Quit 10 years ago

http://prdupl02.ynet.co.il/ForumFiles_2/15119301.pdf

that was the answer for me and many others I have passes it on to.
Everyone here is smart enough to know how stupid a habit it is... Once I read that simple book it really cemented for me that the only thing I was getting out of a cig, was the lack of craving for that cig (hence why when drunk I was known to light up a second while smoking a first already, lol)

Then I quit and the amount of money in my pocket, largely paid for 1 NIB pinball per year since.

That realization really made it all stick. It is as simple as no smoking means I can buy X more pins each year

Just remember, that when you quit there is no more "just 1" Once a smoker, always an addict. Kick it and stay off for good.

I never smoked, but I was addicted to sugar. The way I see it, an addiction is an addiction.

The way I got over my addiction, was every day when I'd wake up, I'd remind myself that today's goal is to live a healthy lifestyle. There were days by noon time, I was craving a soda, candy bar, anything. I'd need to keep reminding myself that today's goal is to live a healthy lifestyle.

I kept my focus to one day at a time. Before I knew it, one day turned into a week, which then turned into several weeks, which then turned into a month. Even after a month, I was still craving sugar. I felt since I was a month in, I couldn't turn back now.

Before I knew it, I hit the 5 month mark...and I no longer craved sugar.

What I went through wasn't easy...I sympathize with people trying to quit smoking. I really believe if your focus is a healthy lifestyle, you'll be able to quit without using substitutions.

I smoked years ago. I quit and never looked back. Never had a desire to smoke again. Can’t stand to be around smoke anymore

do you avoid ALL? sugar

I was a 2-pack-a-day smoker for almost 15 years, quite 18 years ago. everyone is different but I truly believe you have to want to quit and actually not enjoy smoking in order to do so. Saying I want to quit is easy but the act is very difficult. For myself, I knew I could not like or enjoy smoking or else I would be drawn back to it so I went to 3 packs a day for 2 weeks. The 4th week was partially at 4 packs a day and through that week I started to really hate smoking. On the drive to pick up smokes at 1AM, smoking my last cigarette on the way, I was ready. I threw it out and turned around. Haven't had one since. trigger events were tough, times I always had a smoke. Going to the bar, drinking, driving somewhere... tough for maybe a week or 2 mentally but the urges all faded rather quickly. Had some weird dreams, sometimes smoking in them, and I would wake up pissed I had a cigarette after al those years only to realize it was just a dream. So realistic!

I do occasionally smoke cigars (maybe 1-3 times per year) but that is it. Back when I quit, cigarettes were $2.81 a pack. I remember saying I could never smoke if it reached $3 a pack. back then, I was spending $2k per year on smoking. A cheaper pinball machine per year. I have no idea how people smoke and have lives now at $8-12 a pack. That is $5800-8700 per year if I was still smoking 2 packs per day. That is a brand new LE pinball every year!

I never smoked, though my dad liked his pipe. Grandfather pipe smoked as well, everyday. He lived into his 90s. My dad has mostly given it up.

I credit my high school tennis coach for telling us as freshmen, if you're caught smoking in or out of school, around town, etc. you're off the team. Permanently.

I think what he was really doing was giving us a solid excuse to use if confronted with a peer to smoke. Once in college, being a non smoker was easy enough. As a result, no pot use with either.

Let me tell you, when I landed in the hospital last year at 45 with pneumonia and the doc said, "You're not a smoker, you'll have a quick recovery once the antibiotics do their thing.", I felt really good about my choices.

Smoked for 18 years, last cig 4-8-98. At 33 years old, I was struggling to breath and get a good nights sleep. Just 2 or 3 days after quitting, I was feeling 10x better and could see that the cigs had to go for sure. Whatever method works for you is the right method. I went to the doctor and a plan was set up. A combination of Welbutrin (zyban) patches, gum, and most importantly, wanting to quit at that point. Quitting is very do-able and well worth doing. I cannot imagine paying 9-10 bucks a pack like they are today. Mine were 1-1.50 a pack at the time. The money is one thing, but your health is most important. Their are hundreds of good reasons to quit and no good reason to continue smoking.

Had my 1st cigarette the summer between grade 5 and 6. By high school I was a pac a day. At 18 or 19 had my 1st joint. Quit tobacco about 17 years ago. I tried to quit for a long time, eventually I used a pill called Zyban to quit tobacco. I still smoke cannabis daily, although I’ve switched to vaping for about a year.

As soon as I quit smoking tobacco I began to feel better. I don’t cough like I used to, even though I heavily use cannabis still.

Do you have any negative side effects from smoking weed everyday?

I avoid added sugars, pastas, bread, flour, and most grains at all costs.

If I make pasta, it's bean or edamame pasta. If I have pizza, it's with cauliflower crust. If I have chips, it's bean chips. If I need a snack, it's a quest bar.

The other night, I saw Spider-Man in the theaters. I had popcorn. In the past, I'd eat burger king in the food court, then get popcorn, with soda and candy. Now, I'll eat something healthy in the food court, and on rare occasions, I'll get popcorn.

Saturday night, I'm at a party. Everyone was having sausage and pepper on a roll. I just ate it straight. Everyone was attacking the cookies, cupcakes, chips, etc...I didn't touch any of it.

Since I gave up sugar (pretty much junk food in total) 2.5 years ago, I've lost 140 pounds, allergies went away, haven't been sick once, recover faster from my workouts, and look younger.

Do I cheat? Once a month I do. It isn't a cheat day. 1 Meal...that's it.

When I do the Disney races, I'll treat myself after the last race. I do carb up before the longer races. I never carb up during any of my training.

When I was a small child,one night my Dad came in to kiss me good night>When he leaned over to kiss me, a Chesterfield,no filter,fell out of his shirt pocket and landed in bed with me unnoticed!! About 1a.m. I woke up violently sick to my stomach! Parents came in to see what was up! Found the cigaret all crushed up and me smelling like a ash tray! Since then,I was 4,I cannot stand the smell of tobacco!Been smoking weed since I was 15 !! better for you imho

good for you!

My parent's smoked for years, though they quit when my mom was pregnant with me. I never once had the urge to even hold a cigarette in my hands, and never started. Most everyone else in my family smokes though: Aunts, uncles, cousins, they all smoke. I see how tied they are to their cigarettes though. They'll regularly excuse themselves from a dinner, movie, family event, party, etc, etc, to satiate their craving. They all have awful bouts of coughing fits, their cars smell, they don't always look terribly healthy, and I can't imagine how much they spend on them with a pack being nearly $10 these days in NJ.

However, I do completely understand how their addiction works, as I too, was addicted to sugar. It was so bad, that I would sometimes go to the store, grab a pack of little debbie snack cakes, and eat almost the entire box in a single sitting. I would eat mountains of pasta, fast food, and hoagies constantly. I took a hard look at myself in the mirror one day, and I hated myself. I was 27, and I had high blood pressure! So, I went cold turkey. No more white bread, rice, pasta, foods with ANY amount of added sugar, nothing with carbonation, started at the gym, and I've lost 15 pounds in a month. I already feel stronger, I sleep more soundly, I have more energy throughout the day, and I plan on training for the MS Bike to Shore to keep me motivated and my goals on track.

Everyone handles addiction differently. For some, weaning off a habit is easy, for others, it might be one of the most difficult tasks they attempt. But if you set little daily goals for yourself, and accept occasional mishaps as being inevitable (and not at all detrimental to the bigger picture), then I think that's a great place to start.

Cigarettes? No
Marijuana? Yes

Haven't had a cigarette in 19 years. The smell disgusts me now. Smoked a joint with a friend of my dad's a few years back and he put some tobacco in with it. I threw up 10 seconds after exhaling

Thank God I never started cigs, mom was a pack per day or more smoker and I think the smell of it kept me from starting. I mean I never even stole one of hers to try. I started drinking alcohol however at age 16, was a daily drinker at 21, had my last drop 5 January 2014 I was 43.
Don't think I can quit my pinball addiction though. Meh.

Oh boy, addictions and affects.
Ill keep it short, maybe.

On smoking, I have had friends who couldnt quit....Patches, hypnosis, nothing worked.
I gave them a one hitter. A metal cigarette that holds a pinch of smoke for one draw.
I asked them to break open a pack of cigarettes, and empty all the tobacco in a bag, so they could see what they were paying for.

Using the one hitter, they could enjoy the taste the were familiar with, and the physical and optical, of a cigarette in hand.
Friends went from a 1/2 a pack a day down to half a cigarette, to eventual quitting.....Slow, over a couple months rather than cold turkey.
Some used a patch in between, to help with Nicotine withdrawal.

Sugars, Carbs, Dairy. The More you eat, the larger the Bacterial gut colony to digest. We now know and agree these bacteria spread, and can control hunger signals in the brain to feed them more! Trekkie has a good way...plenty of substitutes, and reduce the intake and intestinal growth.

Starving the bacteria cold turkey, of course works. The Last method is to fix gut issues, by adding what we have lost.
There are enzymes, fungus we used to get in our diet, and more that if taken enteric, eat up bad bacteria.
Natto comes to mind as an example to look into.

Ive had to spend now 10 years learning, researching...especially overseas medicine to find my solutions, which has saved my life 6 fold.
Doctors have recommended many surgeries, that now in hindsight, were not needed, and I fixed with dietary changes.

Seriously guys, if any of these, smoking overweight, are plaguing you, now is the time to find your own best solution,
There is a lot of good advice, and bad out there, as money rules.....

Smoked from 16-21 - quit for 3 or 4 years - was fat and in college so started smoking again(lol), then smoked for the next 10 years or so - quit 3/19/99 for good - just over 20 years now. When I quit I said I'd spend the $10(!)/week I spent on cigs on lottery - I still stick to that, but no millions yet...less head colds though! Haha

I quit using candy both times...peppermint life savers the first time, everlasting gobstoppers the second. Interestingly I'm like the only ex-smoker I know who doesn't really mind smokers around me...the smell doesn't disgust me or make me particularly want one.

Smoked Camel Lights and lotsa other kinds...not menthol, unless I had a cold. Cause it FELT medicinal...

Smoked off and on for years but quit for good years ago. Was not easy. My method was to put a days counter on my phone. Every time I had the urge to smoke I would look how many days I had been smoke free. Then I would tell myself if I had made it that many days I can make it one more. I kinda made it a game. And I hate losing.

I’m actually doing the same thing right now with coffee and soda.

FB238C16-0F6B-4C9C-8538-CF2809AA03DE (resized).png

I smoked and chewed for 20 years, then quit 15 years ago. Doing the math on what that habit cost was the final kick I needed to quit.

With the cost of nib pinballs im considering starting to ease the stress of a new pin purchase.

I quit smoking before my stroke and three brain surgeries.

I used chantix. Be very careful with it.

So I used to smoke a pack a day but quit about 15 years ago.

I used to buy cigarettes when I went to Vegas. I would smoke a pack for the weekend then just not smoke back home.

This went on for a decade or more. 1time per year. 1pack.

And then I found harder to stop when I got home. The urge was stronger.

My doctor suggested chantix. But I had all of the bad effects.

I wanted to mention chantix though even though I had all the bad effects.

What chantix did do was take away the urge to smoke. It literally wipes it from your mind by taking the pill.

But then the side effects. A last resort. IMO. But powerful. I never smoked cigs again.

Good luck. It was Marlboro reds for me.

My wife and I smoked for 9 years. Marlboro Menthol and Camel Menthol. We were spending almost $200 a month on cigarettes (cheaper than most because SC has the lowest prices in the nation). After we got married, we both agreed to quit before we had children. We wanted kids more than we wanted cigarettes. Did the patch and have been smoke free for 4 years. Just being able to not get out of breath while playing with my kid is worth it. Also, you don't realize how bad you smell until you quit.

Well I'm not running a marathon anytime soon, but went for a medical at 40, the Dr said I'm in good health.

I originally quit when my son was in school and he asked me why I smoked if it could kill me?

Both me and my wife quit at that time for the rest of thier childhoods.

Kids...

I dont drink much pop, maybe once a month. My coffee consumption has dropped from a pot a day, to maybe twice a week. No more heartburn.

Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it hundreds of times

I’ve been a closet nicotine addict for almost 10 years now (and I’m still <30) and finally phasing that part out of my life. Few people, including my wife, know how bad I struggle with it and what a crutch it has been in my life. Unfortunately that has made it much more challenging to quit, as my problem wasn’t as visible.

Good vibes to anyone reading that is quitting or wanting to quit. The struggle is worth the freedom from the grip that this addiction can have over you.

I smoked a pipe for 20+ years and then one day I just quit. To be fair, nicotine levels in pipe tobacco are usually pretty low compared to cigarettes and it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. Now I have 500 tins of pipe tobacco to uncouple from.

this, but for alcohol

chocoholic (resized).png

Smoked off and on for 20 years, quit to be a father.
Looking forward to her leaving for college so I can pick it back up.

I can't believe kids actually pick up the habbit today. Where are they getting the money for it? I bought my first pack in 1990 for $3.25. When I quit in 2001 it was $10 a pack. Now it's $20 a pack here in Saskatchewan for brand name smokes. That's just fukn stupid.
What really blows my mind is Copenhagen is $33 for a tin here

I smoked from ages 15 to 43. Ended up smoking 4 packs a day. Unfiltered Kools. Quit cold turkey in 1995 after flicking a butt towards an ashtray at the Las Vegas airport and having it land in the crook of a lady's arm in front of me. It was not pretty.

Had cravings for years and to this day I occasionally reach for my shirt pocket when I leave the house, making sure that I have a pack with me as I used to do.

Ha well they don't cost anywhere near that here.... Thats insane.
Anyway minimum wage goes up to stay close.

Used to smoke for years, quit for years, had a cigar with a neighbor & started smoking again.
Around Christmas, my girlfriend got sick so she didn't go to the reserve (store smokes are waaaay too expensive) then left for a few months when her granddaughter was born. I was too lazy to go to the reserve myself so I haven't had a smoke since around New Years.

We get hosed up here in Canada. They tax the shit out of products. Our minimum wage in Saskatchewan is only $12/hr which is probably the worst in Canada.
Natives get 40 or 50% off tobbaco but they cut back on how much they can buy also. Think it's a carton a week now when before it was unlimited.

What does it mean when you smoke after sex?

I smoked for 7-8 years 2-3 packs a day. Quit when I got married (power of poontang) and picked it up about 10 years ago for 2-3 years. Very happy I quit both times and not sure why I started back before other than being bored. I used Wellbutrin/Zyban first time. Chantix the second run. Cold turkey never worked for me. Chantix has some bad side affects, but it totally neutered the nicotene buzz and seemed easier.

Good on everyone that can quit any addiction!

You found a drunk women or one that has low standards! lol

Smoked for 13 years, 3 packs a day at the end. Quit cold turkey 31 years ago.

If you smoke after sex, use a better lube.

I think the old joke is "You need more lubricant."

What does it mean when you smoke after sex?

You're going too fast