Update

I'm now two weeks nicotine free. Body and brain are getting adjusted. Cravings are manageable. I'll get a twinge at the normal trigger times, after meals, driving, etc. Nothing I can't stand. The first week I ate a lot of M&Ms. Second week I traded the M&Ms for baby carrots.

The biggest surprise to me was the weird ways the nicotine had been affecting my brain. I knew that nicotine was a stimulant, but always thought of that as a physical jittery type thing which was not something I experienced. Instead what I realize now is that my brain was never "off". I was always HAD to be thinking about something and if it wasn't something positive or some kind of distraction I fretted over things I had little control of. I watched tv(bad I know) or listened to audio books or music for a distraction to go to sleep. Now I find that I can sit and think about nothing. I can actually relax.

On the physical side my wife says my color is better and I can breathe (duh) so much easier. There are times now where I will become aware that I haven't taken a breath in a while. I'm not exactly forgetting to breathe as much as I think I'm becoming aware of my need for fewer respirations.

14 days and $120 bucks saved. Woot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: thunderson,

Wonderful news! Stay with it!

First and most important....Congratulations!

Be sure to tell yourself how stupid it is. I spent 6 months telling myself that before I quit. I smoked for like 30something years. Now (9 years later?) I get to tell myself how much I enjoy being a non-smoker.


Rick

Good work! Stay strong!

Carrot sticks is a good call. I went on a toothpick binge for a while, now that I think about it.

Congratulations. Keep up the fight.

Sweet, good job on the baby carrots.
Also the male "nothing box" is a sweet place. Absolutely one of my favorite places. My wife understands it which is a huge plus. Keep it up brother.

If I had known how easy it was going to be to quit smoking I would have done it much earlier, instead of waiting 30 years. Have helped several other people quit since I did. Wish I had not waited so long.

Keep up the fight. I kicked cigarettes and chewing tobacco all at the same time years ago.

It's crazy how I still have a craving for it once in awhile but not to the point I'll go out and buy some or bum some off a buddy.

I will even have dreams once and awhile that I'm having a smoke or a chew and it seems so real that I'll wake up and just say "What the F**k?" to myself.

Have you noticed how you can instantly smell someone smoking yet? I started noticing the smell of people smoking in passing cars.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and well wishes. Especially RIC.45- dude thanks for wasting one of your six yearly posts on me.

quote:

Have you noticed how you can instantly smell someone smoking yet? I started noticing the smell of people smoking in passing cars.

Yeah that was a bit of a shock. I went to a Walgreens the other day. I parked on one side of the building and walked to the door which was centered on the corner of the building. As soon as I exited my car I could smell smoke. I looked around and didn't see anyone. When I got too the corner of the building and could see the parking lot on the other side I saw a parked car at the other end of the lot, opposite side of building from where I had parked. The car was running and the person inside was smoking, with the windows up.

Funny thing is I don't really get major cravings when I smell it. It's more of an irritation.

Any other former smokers get pissed off when you smell it?

One thing I noticed after quitting was how bad a smoker smells!

The cheaper the brand of cigs, the worse the smell. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by thunderson:
Funny thing is I don't really get major cravings when I smell it. It's more of an irritation.

Any other former smokers get pissed off when you smell it?

Yes, your sense of smell and taste return with a vengeance.

You can definitely smell smoke quickly - it really didn't make me mad, just disgusted really.

I think this is partly because your nose is no longer ignoring the smoke smell as it did when you smoked - just like it dulls any smell you have around you all the time. Growing up we had a pig farm not too far away - over time you could barely smell it, and then only on really bad days. Guests would show up and be complaining about the smell right away.

quote:

Originally posted by BigWhup:
One thing I noticed after quitting was how bad a smoker smells!
LOL

The next thing is how bad they taste - an exGF was a smoker (I was smoking at the time), but then I quit smoking while she tried and failed. It was like kissing an ashtray!

The cousin that I was closest to and my oldest friend both have terminal cancer after smoking since teenage years. I talk to both of them regularly, trying to make up for too many years of neglected relationships.

Sounds like you’re doing great. Stay with it. Stay strong. There are people around you who love you and want you to stick around.

quote:

Originally posted by thunderson:

14 days and $120 bucks saved. Woot.

You may want to keep that last little tidbit to yourself, because you could use those funds to start a nice Fun Money account.

BTW, not being married means I could spend my Fun Money as I saw fit. So some family members now enjoy some limited edition Bourbon or Scotch as a Christmas gift and for two years after I quit I acquired some nice 1911's and built myself 3 AR-15 Sporting Rifle.

Since you are married you may want to just stack that cash up and treat yourself and the better half to a nice romantic trip to someplace spectacularly Green like Ireland. BTW, the sister and BIL did 2 weeks in Ireland and state it's the most beautiful country they have ever visited and the BIL came back with some Jameson's Single Cask Special Reserve only available at the Factory that has to be the smoothest sipping whisky I've ever sampled.

PS; I can assure that in my experience those urges that pop up get weaker with every year that passes. I would also suggest that you make note of the day you quit and make that a special day of celebration every upcoming year.

Woot! Tomorrow makes 30 days free. Cravings are still a struggle but only for a few minutes at a time. In the beginning I substituted peanut M&Ms and had a couple of sodas a day. I got rid of the M&Ms a while back. Sodas are now gone as well.

There was a time when I never thought I'd be able to quit. I tried several times and failed. I don't know why it was different this time but it was. I was somehow able to ignore the mind games that I wasn't able to in the past.

One thing that I think helped was I deliberately changed brands three times over several days before quitting.

I know for sure that all you folks helped immensely. All the support here as well as the folks who have contacted me outside the forum truly made a difference. Thank you.

Wonderful news!

Congrats! M&Ms are a temporary fix. I crave snacks all the time but keep none of that stuff in the house. Just a Coke and a bag of chips is considered a 'treat'.

My buddy, he's 60, he is bitching about the cost of cigs. Trying to get his head around the idea of quitting. Two packs a day now. Says he could buy a new truck if he quit. It really is a pain in the ass working with him, his constant smoking, lost productivity, and the effect on workmanship.

Me, I pretty much quit the casual smoking over two years ago, but had to let go of the beer to do it. Still feel run down. The doc says it is called 'getting old'. Last year it was about half a pack, and the doc says, "Why don't you quit even that?"

Up your intake of the B vitamins.

quote:

Tomorrow makes 30 days free.

That is GREAT!

Enough time that you have de-toxed from the physical addiction. Now, it will be just dealing with habits. That should get easier as time passes. You will probably find that the smell of cigarette smoke becomes unpleasant, or even downright disgusting.

Good work. Keep it up.