I'm now on my last pack of cigarettes. Sometime around midnight tonight, after half a century of smoking, I'm giving them up.

There are two very good reasons for doing this. Health, however, is not one of them. For nearly as long as I've been smoking, doctors have been telling me that smoking is bad for my health.

Bull puckey. There's more old smokers than there are old doctors. I rest my case.

Here are the two reasons why I'm quitting:

1. I'm really, really tired of paying taxes to support the local, state, and federal governments. By my quitting, the federal budget deficit will grow by more than a thousand dollars. Tough. Our government should learn to live within its means. Or disappear entirely.

2. Bad times lay ahead. My ESP has never been very good, so I don't know if it will be an economic collapse, societal collapse, civil war, invasion from outer space, or something else entirely. But regardless, I don't want to try surviving these bad times while going through nicotine withdrawal. It is far better to ditch them now.

I've got my patches, nicotine gum, regular gum, Tootsie Roll Pops, and the motivation. I'll be posting my progress here. Feel free to chime in.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Good work! Hang in there, take care...It's better for you. And you can smell smoke in the field a mile away.

Good for you! All of your reasons for quitting are good ones.

However, I'm sure once you have quit them for good, you will be surprised how much better you feel and realize just how much they are not good for you. My uncle quit after many years of 2 packs a day and was amazed how much better food tasted and how much better he could breathe.

Congrats and good luck!

Good for you Airforce.
You could just smoke pot though, tax free.

I jest of course.
Though I would suggest all of you stop smoking if you would like to be in better shape.
Long life aside, there are clear issues with breathing and cardio involved with inhaling smoke into your lunges.(as most should know)

Good luck and I wish you every success

Way to go Airforce! One good thing to try is those electronic water vapor cigarettes. I got one of those back in november and kicked my pack a day habit in a week.

Good luck Airforce. I've been thinking about quitting myself for some time.

Grats on the choice, Airforce. Quitting now before you are "forced" to quit by calmity sake will increase operational efficiency. Its a tough road you have laid before you. But we all believe in you abilitiy, after all "Onward and upward."

I recommend that every patriot who is smoking consider the same reasons that Airforce stated and work to become smoke free. It will be better for us all.

Now, Airforce, they say if you end one bad habit, you will always start another... so whats your new vice going to be?

Regards,
Folcwine

Funny you should ask. I was just thinking that I'm running out of vices. I quit drinking alcohol 25 years ago, and I gave up my 30-cup-a-day coffee habit a little while ago (after a trip to the hospital emergency room). I don't know what I'm going to replace cigarettes with. I may have to start looking at pictures of nekkid women again.

Anyway, I have now been smoke-free eight hours and fifty minutes. In that time, I have had one stick of ordinary gum, two Tootsie Roll Pops (both happened to be cherry flavored), and I'm now chewing my third 4mg Nicorette gum.

Speaking of which, I had a little trouble at first trying to figure out how long to chew the gum. The directions say to chew "slowly" about 15 times, until you feel a "tingle" or "peppery" taste.

My problem was, I still don't know how "slowly" to chew it, and I wasn't getting any of those tingles or tastes. I think I've figured it out now--I pretty much chew it normally until I get a subtle change in taste. It's still pretty subtle, and I'm not at all sure that's the change their describing in their literature, but it seems to be working. Maybe it just takes practice.

I've had about three tough times so far, and both were predictable. I always light up--er, used to light up--while driving, so getting out of the parking lot at work took some willpower.

Likewise, while doing the outside perimeter security check. I used to sneak in two or three quick smokes while doing this.

And, of course, I always used to eat a cigarette while sitting down at the computer. Well, not this time.

So far, there's a little more than a pack of smokes I haven't smoked. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Onward and upward,
airforce

I'm proud of you Airforce. Hey, if you can kick "demon rum" in the nuts, you can certainly do the same to ciggy butts. I used to smoke 3-5 packs of Pall Mall's a day and if I can quit, I know you can. One day at a time, is what it takes and you are already doing that.

Good luck! I've been smoke free for like 6 months now myself. You will be supprised how much better food tastes. Unfortunatily for me I've re aquirred my sweet tooth.

Has the nic gum bothered you at all? I tried it and it gave me terrible heartburn each time. The patch made me have crazy dreams.

I am waiting for my latest to arrive in the mail. Wild Bills shredded beef jerky. I used it like a sort of copenhagen when I had to work inside a building that didn't allow smoking. Time to get myself off the coffin nails for good as well.

It hasn't bothered me, but I'm still not sure I'm using it right. And I've only used six pieces of it so far, which is less than they recommend. I haven't tried the patch yet. If I continue to use as little of the gum as I am now, I may try the 21mg patch Friday or Saturday.

Onward and upward,
airforce

A little over 24 smoke-free hours now. Six Nicorette gums, five Tootsie Roll Pops, and still only one stick of regular gum. And no one has to tell me that I'm not a real pleasant person to be around right now.

They say the first 24 hours are the hardest. Lord, I hope they're right.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Unfortunaly this will fade after 72-96 hours. Then you crash.

A number of folks have told me about the "crash," but the time frame varies. I'd rather be surprised, anyway.

A little over 37 hours now. About one Nicorette gum every three hours seems to be about right. I think I'm chewing them right.

I can actually drive without feeling an overwhelming urge to smoke now. I think I'm making progress.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Good work!

I quit back when I was in the Marine Corps. I quit drinking sodas at the same time.

I never have any desire or cravings to smoke, but I have a fear of reverting back to smoking. So much so that occassionally I have a nightmare where I nonchallantly smoke. When I wake up I immediately regret "smoking last night." But then I smell my fingers and realize it was just a dream. Its still disturbing though.

Good job, keep it up! Ya got it wupped!

Man, I wish. But I am now 45 hours without a cig.

I've discovered that Sudoku puzzles are a great way to kill my free time where I would have burned one or two. That might turn out to be the new vice Folcwinew01 was asking about.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Man, I wish. But I am now 45 hours without a cig.

I've discovered that Sudoku puzzles are a great way to kill my free time where I would have burned one or two. That might turn out to be the new vice Folcwinew01 was asking about.

Onward and upward,
airforce [/QB][/QUOTE]
Airforce, if you can quit drinking, coffin nails are a walk in the park. As you've discovered, the key is finding another bad habit to replace the one you're quitting!

If you have ever had an ouzo hangover, you would know how easy it is to quit drinking.

Onward and upward,
airforce

More than 48 smoke-free hours now.

When I say I'm not a real pleasant person to be around right now, I'm not kidding. The Tulsa County Jail is home to some of the sorriest excuses for human beings you will ever see. Rapists, Murderers, Crips, Bloods, Aryan brotherhood, and a host of other gangs, and some of the most perverted individuals you will ever hope to not meet. But they all cringe when they see me coming now.

Onward and upward,
airforce

I always found Retsina worse than Ouzo! Of course 151 Rum was my favourite poison. And then there was that Tequila with the peyote in it! :p Took me 19 yrs of sobriety to realise I have an addictive personality. LMAO Your doing good keep it up.

YOU DA MAN!

Yes. Devil booze! Stay strong big guy.

I certainly wish you the best Airforce.
I'm also in the process of quiting smoking. Down to mostly smoking a pipe when I have to,(and it smells better too).

There's a couple of things you might try just in the case you think you have to have a cigarette sometime...

Roll a piece of regular news paper the same size and shape as a cig,(be sure to roll it semi-tightly so that you don't just start a fire in your face), "if" you are going to light anything, imagine that's a smoke, don't have to look at it too much, just convince yourself that's a smoke. Put that in your mouth, light it just like you normally would. It's going to taste like shear crap, and you may even slightly burn your lips if you drag too fast on it while lighting it up. But that's only going to reinforce the urges to quit all the more.
The human mind tends to remember the pain and discomfort long after any pleasures that something like smoking brings.
(No, this is not a joke and I know of many people that have used this to aid in quitting smoking).

Another thing that you might try, is real Licorice Root. Just get a couple of pieces of this about the same size and shape as a ciggarette. "if" you have to have a smoke, just suck on a piece of this root like a smoke instead. If you are around anyone that might be smoking and you have been tasting licorice root, ciggarette smoke tastes and smells twice as bad as ever.
This also helps to reinforce the mental attitude to quit smoking all the more.
Black Licorice Candy also works, but the effects aren't quite as strong because the candy isn't as pure as the real licorice root. (The sugar in the candy doesn't help other than to make the licorice taste a little better and reduce the licorice effects).
{There is a caution to using Licorice Root to aid in quiting smoking for anyone that might be troubled with high blood pressure. Licorice Root can further elevate this problem in varying degrees as the more pure licorice that is used and the more often it's consumed. The effects of licorice root in causeing higher blood pressures aren't lasting and will eventually subside once the root is no longer used.}

There is also a breathing exersize that helps in changing the 'habit' of smoking... whenever you might feel the desire to light up, instead, take 5 to 10 slow and very deep breaths in succession. This will tend to make you feel slightly lightheaded with the oxygen rush. But that is the desired goal. If you remember when you first started to smoke, taking a few drags on a ciggarette made you feel lightheaded too. Some people maybe even felt a little sick to their stomaches.
The habitual craving for a smoke is actually the body telling you that it needs more oxygen and/or that your body is beginning to build up a bit too much CO2,(which is over time been physically and mentally replaced by inhaling smoke intead).
Inhaling oxygen is good, smoke is not so good. Doing this exersize helps with the physical and the mental addiction that smoking has brought on.

I've heard that puting a very small drop of pure cinnimon extract on your tongue instead of lighting a ciggarette helps too.
Ok, I do know that pure cinnimon extract will tend to burn like a very hot pepper will, but you most likely won't be thinking much about smoking anything after using it. At least it tastes and smells better than ciggarette smoke... once that burning dies down some.
Pure Mint Extract works also, but slightly differenty. Pure Mint tends to numb your tongue/mouth instead of burning and it can be just as overpowering a taste. But it's better than tasting smoke and it freshens your breath like few other things can.

I hope this helps and I'll be praying that you succeed in quiting. God's Speed to you.

Michael

Airforce, I layed mine down cold turkey last March 2, 2009 after the heart attack. Eight days in the hospital where I went from 235 to 197 in the eight days I was in there.

I do NOT say I have quit. I just tell folks that ask I have just gone another day without them. They are worse than giving up booze.

With the average cost of a pack here in Tn being almost $5.00 a pack, I am saving $10 a day! That money I am using to buy even more ammo and toys that will be needed shortly the way things are going.

Instead of all the candy, try toothpicks you have soaked in Cinammon or chew a plastic straw. Won't completely kill the urge, but they will not ballon your weight up.

Will be praying for your success in this. If you need to talk about it you have my number.

I've been using Tootsie Roll Pops, but sparingly. I don't particularly care for them, but they last a while and they have that satisfying stick hanging out of my mouth. It seems to kill the urge.

A little over 68 hours now. So fr, it's harder than giving up booze, but easier than giving up my 30-cup-a-day coffee habit. (When you always have a cup of coffee in your hand and then suddenly you don't, the world is a pretty miserable place.)

One thing I've noticed is my mathematical and logical acuity have diminished. The only way I have to gauge this are the Sudoku puzzles I'm doing, and I'm doing a few more of them a day than I used to. Before, I would just do the daily puzzle in the newspaper, and found them relatively easy.

But they seem to have gotten harder. I bought a couple of those Sudoku puzzle books at the supermarket, and I've been working on the easy ones, but on about a third of them I screw up somewhere. Since I don't feel like starting over to find out where I made the mistake, I just start on the next one.

Maybe the puzzles in the book are harder than the ones in the newspaper, but I don't think so. I just think my mind has been diminished somewhat. (That would probably surprise few of my readers here.)

Anyway, I'm sure hoping this is just a passing phase. I would hate to discover that smoking increases one's IQ.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Your doin good bro, keep on truckin! One day at a time,one day a time.

Watching people try to quit was a huge reason I never started smoking.

Keep on doing good!

80 hours now. it isn't as bad as I feared it might be, but this definitely ain't fun. On the Misery Index, I put this at a good solid "7."

Onward and upward,
airforce

Great Job Airforce! The first 72hrs is truely the hardest, keep going Brother.

Just remember that the Trials and Troubles don't end as long as you live, they merely change. But this is what makes you stronger and wiser.
(The real tough part about this is that there just isn't any easy, or other good way, to become stronger or wiser.)
This will pass, ya just have to go through it.

Not to worry about the mental confusion that you might notice from time to time. This is just the brain re-adapting through the addiction of smoking. The body is going through a form of withdrawls and the brain is sort of 're-routing' many conflicting signals it's getting. This is another reason that many people seem 'cranky' when they quit smoking. This will pass too. You will notice in time, as your brain gets used to getting more oxygen, that you can actually think and reason more clear. Just don't stress about anything that you don't seem to think clearly on. That will help alone.

Just make sure that you drink plenty of juices, water, soups, and the like. This will help you flush and replentish your body,(cranberry juice is especially good for this). One of the side effects of smoking is that it thickens a person's blood. By drinking plenty of fluids, speeds the withdrawls process along. Also by retraining your body to breath normally without smoking becomes important at this time. Following the above breathing exersize does help. Be sure to get plenty of rest too.
Eating some banannas at this time may also help a bit. There's a chemical in banannas that is very similar to the fluid that in found in your brain,(one of the reasons it's called "Brain Food"). This will help refresh the electrolites in your brain, so to speak.

If there's anything I can do to help, just say the word.

Michael

"An American Militiaman's First Job is to be an Asset and Not a Liability in any way!"

You all have been a great help already, as I knew you would be. In fact, that was the reason I decided to post this topic--I figured my experience and gained knowledge would benefit the next fellow who quit.

Onward and upward,
airforce

93 hours now. Didn't get much sleep, and I'm experiencing some heartburn. I've been told this is normal.

Onward and upward,
airforce

You're doing great Airforce. I'm really proud of you. Keep on going!

4 1/2 days now.

Last night was definitely the worst. It started with a radio call, "Code Blue (fight) in lobby." Then the lobby officer/receptionist hit her "man down" button on her radio. Every available officer responded, and since I was already in booking, I got there first.

A kid who had been arrested for drunk and disorderly had just been bonded out by his father. Apparently wanting to set a record for shortest length of freedom ever, he showed his gratitude to his father by assaulting him, and when the officer intervened, he punched her in the face, breaking her nose.

Since I'm too old and too ugly to fight fair, I pepper sprayed the punk, took him to the floor, and used pressure point pain compliance techniques to finally cuff him. A half dozen other officers were right behind me, and we soon had the situation under control. An ambulance was called and the father and the officer were both transported to the hospital. But after it was over, I WANTED A CIGARETTE BAD.

I didn't, but it was a bad moment. I had another awful craving when I sat down to work on the reports, and again after I finally had the reports completed. (The reports took me longer than usual to complete. Usually I can whip them out pretty quickly, but anything requiring thought takes me longer now. I really hope this will pass soon.)

All in all, it was a pretty miserable night. But I figure if I can get through last night without smoking, it's a pretty good bet I can beat this.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Keep up the good work Brother!
After physical and mental exertion is going to be somewhat of a hurdle for a while. This is when the body draws on whatever it needs to do the task. It's also a time the old signals of the smoking addiction tend to kick in too.
But you are doing great.

Eating some dill pickles will help with the indigestion. The vinegar is an acid that helps with proper digestion and the pickles have little to no calories in them. This fits well with the hydrocloric acid that your stomache normally produces to digest food.

As far as not sleeping well, it's important that you try to overcome this. Your body needs the rest and the calm. Sometimes working out or going for some good walks helps to tire and relax you enough to rest, especially after larger meals. Try to eat good, protien-rich foods that will help you relax. Turkey is very good for this due to the "tryptophan" content. Tryptophan can be obtained over the counter at many health food stores and taken as a suppliment, but I think it's better to get this naturally from foods. Still, it's a very good option as a natural tranquilizer and sleeping aid.
Breathing exersizes can help here too. When you are trying to rest, breath in slowly and not very deeply, through your nose. When you exhale, breath out through your nose, slowly and let your body relax. Breathing out slowly and completely as is comfortable and relaxing. That will help slow your heart rate and expell the CO2 better. Just sort of melt into a warm comfort. This aids the body to release any stress and the mental exersize tells your brain it's time to rest.

Also, eating a yogert 15 to 30 mins before sitting down to a meal will help too. This will help replace the good amino acids in your digestive tract. Yogert is an excellent, natural pro-biotic that carries very good enzymes and cultures your body really needs.

Keep in mind that the tars and nicotine from tabacco products are mostly assimulated through the stomache and the lungs second. This aspect of your body needing the 'oral gratification' is a common cause of people gaining weight while trying to quit smoking.
This aspect of 'oral gratification' is, in part, also why you are having some indigestion. Actually it's the lack of it that is mostly the cause. As a person smokes, it creates the sensation of eating which signals your stomache to produce more digestive fluids. When a person stops this mouth/smoking exersize, the stomache naturally produces less acids to digest foods. The biggest reason that smoking is so addictive. One of the larger reasons that many people crave a smoke right after dinner. It's better to put a slice of dill pickel in your mouth instead of a smoke. It has the same effect, maybe better.

Try to go easy on the cane sugar products, replacing these with natural Bee's Honey will be far better for you. (Bee's Honey still contains 14% to 17% sugar content, but it's a far better trade than pure refined cane sugar.)
Snacking on fruits and vegatables at this time are a better replacement for eating other things that might not be as good for you. This is also why drinking juices and soups are a good alternative to a somewhat heavier meal. These also help to keep you properly hydrated.

Hunger is 60% Thirst, Drink plenty before and with meals and you will tend not to gain unwanted weight.

There's a lot of chemical "Re-Balancing" that you are going through here, and it tends to require many habit changes too. Just try to stay as calm as possible and focus without stressing or working too hard at it. It will all come together in time and you'll feel much better for it. If you think about it, everything I've expressed so far, is way more to think about and do than it takes to smoke. Keeping your mind and body busy being heathy instead of smoking certainly fills in the time. It's a far better goal too!

I hope this helps. Keep going Brother! God's Speed.

Michael

5 1/2 days. I think I'm over the worst of it.

I decided to put away the Nicorette gun and try the 21mg patch. I've had it on for about 12 hours now, without any problem. It's nice not having to screw around with the gum.

I'm debating various ways to wean myself off nicotine completely. The makers of the gums and patches all have a 12-week program, but I just don't want to have to mess with it for that long. I think what I'll do is wear the patch normally for about a week, then gradually increase the time I wear a single patch. Alternatively, I could go back to the gum and chew less of it, but I'm not sure that sudden rush of nicotine is really a good idea.

Less than a week, and I'm already planning the endgame. This is definitely easier than I thought it would be.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Way to GO! Airforce! Proud of you man. Keep it up! One day at a time, one day at a time.