Day 1

Been a pack a day smoker since I was 18, so dang near 20 years. Been weening myself off for a week or 2. Getting down to 5 or 6 a day was relatively easy, then down to 2 or 3 a day the last few days got a lot harder. Smoked my last 2 of hopefully my last pack last night. So today is day 1. Wish me luck.

What I think I'm going to struggle the most with is the habit more than the actual nicotine withdrawals. My first cig was always right when I got in the truck to go to work. Always had one right after any meal. Been finding myself getting to a stopping point of work or a TV show or something and getting up for no reason. MY mind and body just recognizes those times as points I would usually go smoke. So I get up and sometimes start walking to the door before I even realize I'm not going to smoke. Weekends I would always have my coffee with a smoke on the patio, but now I'm having it in my recliner and typing this.

I've even been feeling my pants pocket and noticing my keys are the only thing in there and thinking I'm missing something. Almost feel naked without that little box in there.

Any thoughts on when some of this might subside? I've quit smoking before but never quit nicotine before, just traded smoke for dip a couple times.

It's passed midnight so I guess this is day 2. Day 1 [censored] sucked!!!

I've never smoked, but I have faith you can do this! Keep at it! I've always turned to food when stressed and had a lot of stress these last several months, but I'm still holding strong and losing weight. Cigarettes are often a way people deal with stress. Yes, there can be a physical addiction to nicotine, but there's also the mental aspect. If you can learn new ways to handle what it is that triggers your desire to smoke, you'll conquer this for good. I learned I'm a grazer, so I eat when I'm bored, when I'm stressed, when I'm happy, when I'm breathing. Intermittent fasting limits my ability to eat to within a 6 to 8 hour time frame, which in turn helps me to find new ways to deal with stress. My favorite is just to get up and change my surroundings. I'll go outside, or go do laundry, or clean my car. I just have to get my mind to refocus and the craving is gone. I also ask myself why am I wanting food. Is it a physical need or my mind freaking out, or am I bored? If I'm actually hungry and it's within my time frame, I eat. 9 times out of 10, though, it's mental.

Best of luck , possibly the fight of your life . I smoked weed for over 20 years , thinking it helped me with anxiety . I did a set of detox process's back in early March . Primarily for detoxing my liver , colon and skin .
I had read where it would be easier to stop smoking or drinking if you do a detox ---kinda like resetting your body . My last smoke was 3/13/22 . I didn't have any cravings , no bad responses and haven't looked back since . Never felt better and and the feeling of anxiety are totally gone .
Best of luck to you ---you got this !!!

Thanks for the support fellas.

Day 3 coming to an end. First smoke free day at work and i can't tell if work helped because I had distractions and something to focus on or didn't because my work can be stressful. Either way, I made it through. One day at a time and all that.

That's progress, man. The physical addiction takes 7 to 14 days to overcome from what I've read...the mental takes longer. You can do this!

Congrats, praying and believing in/for you to quit.

Thanks Kenner.

Day 5 - Total money saved = $35

I'm not at all concerned about not being able to do this. I've made up my mind and that's that. But I'm struggling in the mental department. I've started to get irritable and moody. I've snapped at a couple people, IMO justifiably but still out of the ordinary for me (luckily not my wife, she's very supportive and quit herself almost 3 years ago) They weren't some crazy outbursts or anything just a little short-tempered kind of response. I've been making overly sarcastic comments, to the point of being somewhat rude to some people but luckily, they know I'm quitting so they understand. So far it's remained outside the workplace, and I hope it stays that way.

This really REALLY sucks. I won't fail, but it sucks big ol donkey balls. I hope I don't feel this way for very long.

What's scary to think about is that I've been a smoker essentially my entire adult life. Could there possibly be permanent personality changes? I've never heard of that happening with smoking but since I don't know my adult self as anything but a smoker, I don't know and that's scary.

I could write a book in this one post but I've got more important things to do than to complain and rant. I think I'll just be using this thread as a sort of pseudo-diary to get things off my chest. I've heard writing stuff down like this can be helpful. Feel free to read along but I don't expect continued responses, though they aren't discouraged by any means.

Peace out homies!

Day 6 - Total money saved = $42

Nice! Keep at it and you can afford to take a nice trip in the next year!

just keep the idea that after one full year ---$2555 savings

How's it going so far?

WTG sir, keep the strength up.

Day #11

Total Money saved - $77

Goin strong. Still getting cravings but they're not lasting as long as week 1 and not happening as often. Mood/personality stuff seems to be leveling out as well.

Thanks again for the ongoing support!!!

Good luck…..stay strong. I quit in 1988, still want one today, but it doesn’t control me anymore. There will come a time for you also where you just want one, don’t crave it anymore.

Day 17 underway. Literally been dreaming about smoking cigarettes. 2 nights in a row. Wow the addiction runs deep. Good riddance!

You got this, man! Your brain is just having a dream about smoked turkey!

13+ years now quit, I sell cigarettes over the counter every day to people just like me.........

Cravings still hit me, I still dream about having a butt in my hand but then I wake up and remind myself I am done with them.

Search out my postings in this forum, you might find something useful.

You CAN do it . . . . . Now it's all between your ears........

Comin up on a month. Happy but not happy still. Ugh...

You'll get there...I think. I have been doing the intermittent fasting thing for 16 months as of tomorrow, even though it does not work as advertised (I do it because it keeps me from mindlessly eating), and I HATE it, but I hate it 1000% less now than I did the first month I did it. You'll get there. Keep it up!

Thank you good sir.

1 month down, all the rest to go...

I never paid over $8 for a whole carton. Last pack was $0.85.

Was down to about 1/2 pack per day and had my last one was on October 11th before I had significant back surgery on October 17th. It had not been terribly difficult until Dr. cleared me to drive this week on Tuesday which I did by myself on Wednesday. I bet I didn't get out of the driveway before the craving came crashing down on me. Smoking while driving was part of my thing so that was a HUGE trigger but got through it and will keep fighting the good fight. I know the craving will be even worse once I am able to get back in the boat. When I am fishing the 1/2 pack limit didn't seem to apply. I just need to keep reminding myself that I no longer have any wheezing issues and I am giving myself more time with my family and to fish.

Day 146

Grrrr...

Well, I am proud of you! That's a long freaking time! I still get stressed and crave salty foods...like just today in traffic. I got home and instead of reaching for some tasty chips, I sliced a cucumber and salted it...craving dealt with...

Thank you. Still struggling with dealing with stress. Thinking I need to pick up a new or old sport again. Never boxed before, that could be fun. Or maybe disc golf or just going to batting cages or something. I don't know but lately work related BS has been putting me in bad moods that don't go away for days. Calming down with peaceful music and letting it just dissipate doesn't seem to be working. I think I need a more forceful way to let the stress out.

Boxing, kickboxing, ax throwing (I know there's a place in Arlington), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Muay Thai might be good options for you...

Or you could try a Rage Room...

https://thesecretchambers.com/escape-rooms/rage-room/

A true relationship with our Lord and Savior would tremendously help you on this unrelenting battle you face. True peace only comes through the Word. I pray that you conquer this addiction and the hold it has over you. May you continue to fight the fight. Stay strong sir.

How's it going? You still nicotine free? Have you taken an axe to anything?

Still going strong. Day 284 or something like that. The stress did seem to become more manageable but then my next disaster struck... I got fat. I've been a skinny dude my whole life; even up into my early 30s I was in the 150-160 range most of the time which is pretty thin considering I'm 6'-1". Was still at a reasonable weight of around 180-185 up until I quit smoking. I'm on the cusp (if not already) of breaking 200lbs for the first time in my life. Decided a few weeks ago that enough is enough so I'm exercising, dieting and getting more active. Not foolish enough to fall for any weight loss gimmicks or trends so I'm following the science. Calories in vs calories out + exercise = weight loss. To be clear, it's not so much the weight that bothers me as the stagnate lifestyle and lack of energy. I'm sick of being out of shape. Just like with quitting smoking, this isn't some half assed new year's resolution type of "attempt"; this is a fundamental lifestyle change that I'm making and fully committing to. I started playing disc golf again (I still got it), and I've been doing some of the home improvements I've wanted to do for awhile so it's already paying dividends. Built a raised bed last night and filled it with a yard and a half of dirt by hand so that was some exercise while also increasing the value of our home. I'll stop ranting now. Anyways, thanks for the support.

Glad you are still hanging in their. I'm 6' 3" and weighed around 165 for most of my adult life. But I smoked. After I stopped smoking I also put on weight. I have leveled out at 190 which is not bad for my height. At 67 years old, I do eat and drink less than I did when I was younger. Maybe that's helping me keep my weight in line.

Stick with it. I smoked for 40 years. Quit 13 years ago and gained 40lbs. I had a heart attack 3 years ago and decided to be healthier. Currently I’ve lost 37lbs and maintain a pretty steady 175.

Forgot to stop in and mention that I hit 1 year a few weeks back. I think I've reached escape velocity.

I failed after 5 days going make another run at it after Thanksgiving but I'm stretching a pack to 2 days

Nicotine free at 13+ years.

Still fighting an addiction to sugar-free cough drops, but a supply in the center console keeps me from going in to a convenience store and saying:
Marlboro Silver 100's please.

PCP says my lungs are clear, that is my goal.

Well I'm fat again. Going to try a different approach. Goal get down to 200 lbs.

I am sorry you're struggling. I have been able to keep the 128.2 pounds I've evicted and although I still have 19.8 pounds to my goal, I'm almost to my waist goal (I'm at 34 inches want to be at 32 inches) and my chest is 44 inches, but wanted it to be 46 inches, so working on that...It's not an easy thing to lose weight. Main thing that has helped me is watching my macros more than anything. I get 33% of my calories from fats, 33% from proteins, and 33% from carbs (vegetables, not processed carbs). It's the food I've always eaten, minus pastas and breads. The high protein/low carb thing didn't work for me, but essentially I'm doing a Mediterranean diet, but didn't know that's what it was. I was just watching my macros. It's worked for me and I'm eating more food (volume wise) than ever.

I do wish you well and feel free to reach out if you need to vent.

Dude that's freaking awesome!

Thanks! Also got my weight under control. Lost about 35-38lbs in a couple months. Almost all of it came from my beer gut. I cut my drinking down by about 90% which was a huge source of empty calories. I'm naturally a thin person so losing the weight was fairly easy.

My old ankle injury from football was hindering my exercising (squats were impossible with any real weight) so I just got that fixed last week. Gonna be another several months of recovery and rehab but I'm gonna hit it hard. I'm approaching 40 and I've decided that I don't want to be a decrepit old person. I want to be an active and in-shape old person. My goal is to get to the point that I can run a mile every day (which was impossible for me as a smoker) and when I get there, I'm going to do it every day for the rest of my life. I'm the kind of person that needs and thrives under a routine so as long as I can get it established, maintaining it shouldn't be a problem.

Quitting smoking is the single best thing I've ever done in my life (don't tell my wife I said that). Words cannot express how much better I feel.

Do whatever it takes. Failure is not an option.

I was only able to be successful with help from a prescription, the generic brand of Chantix. I know it gets a bad rap for the side effects and they shouldn't be taken lightly; but I would implore anyone, which includes you, to figure out how to get through the side effects to facilitate quitting. I was only on it for a couple months.

Oh, forgot to mention... My orthopedic doc said she probably wouldn't have done my ankle surgery if I was still a smoker. Said smoking destroys the body's healing potential which was enlightening.