Just Quit Smoking for the Millionth Time

Hi Melissa,
I don't have much advice for you because I've never smoked but I just want to tell you to keep trying. One of these times it will stick.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Chris

I put the money from a pack of cigarettes into a pot each day and after 1, 3, 6 months I bought something amazing with the cash - perhaps you could promise the kids something with the money then you may feel too guilty to cave!

hey Melissa!

I'd like to suggest you throw yourself into a complete exercise program. It is almost impossible to smoke easily when you are working hard to better your body. The same theory is used with regards to nutrition: if you workout (preferably first thing in the morning) you'll have a harder time cheating on yourself by eating the wrong foods, or putting those nasty chemicals back in your body through smoking since you worked so hard to get yourself "clean".
I'd suggest something with yoga included in the routine. I use P90X and love it :) the hour and a half yoga section gives me a super-toning workout, but best of all it helps my cardivascular system with the breathwork. To me, the yoga workout is worth the price of the entire P90X program...which has 11 other workouts and a complete 113 page nutrition (diet) plan. I love P90X so much that I sell P90X (at a discount, of course :) and coach my customers through their workouts, since I do it every day and know what it is like! I would love to do the same for you :)
My email address is ____@____.com, please know that I'm here if you'd like someone to help you through it.

God bless you in your efforts! Strong women can do anything they put their mind and effort into!

Love K.

K.

My parents were both smokers while I was growing up. Both tried many times unsuccessfully. But my mom quit for the last time about 10 years ago after finally having the will power and deciding to be successful all on her own. Lack of support from friends and family make a good excuse of why it is too hard to quit... but you have to do it for yourself and do whatever it takes to make it a reality. A few things that helped my mother:
1.) She drank grapefruit juice whenever she felt like smoking. Grapefuit juice is loaded with vitamin C and it has such a unique flavor that it helps to take the edge off the cravings. Vitamin C in the early stages of quitting helps to flush out your body of the tar and nicotine and it is great for your circulatory system.This helps you get over the withdrawals faster.
2.)She brushed her teeth right after every meal. Food remains in your mouth stimulate a desire to smoke. Most people have a cigarette after each meal.
3.) She also gave up drinking coffee. She recognized that coffee and cigarettes were the perfect companion to each other for her and with coffee she always wanted a cigarette more than usual.
4.) Lots of prayer. God created our bodies, and wants us to take care of His creation. So, pray for strength when you feel like giving in. With Him on your side, you can do anything that is good.

My dad just quit smoking three weeks ago while being hospitalized for a blood clot in his leg and during the stay the dr. found a tumor on his lung. My mom and dad have been married and together this whole time. I am proud of mom for resisting the urges that come with having a SMOKER live with you. And right now, we are praying that my dad survives.

You CAN quit... even all by yourself. Think about your children. Kids who have parents who smoke are more likely to smoke than kids who don't. It is true in my family: I am the only one of my parents' 6 children that never smoked.

I use to smoke 3 packs a day than I got pregnant with my 9 year old i quit within a week. I than after her on occasion would still smoke. My son was born and occasionally did the same than my daughter paige was born and I still was occasionally or I would hook up with a friend and smoke only with her. It ended up like she was my crutch. Well Finally I never smoked with any of the pregnancy except for the first two month with paige. I was smoking clove cigaretts and I purposly smoke one just to make me sick after the third attempted I quit I no longer really associate witht hat friedn too much any more and I just mad up my mind what I was doing was stupid and seriously I could not afford it. SO I just quit. If you put your mind to it you can do it the biggest opsticle is coffee liquor and boardum. You need to find something to do inreplace of the cigerate like hold a pen chew straw till you don't think of it. Everytime you want to have one say no because I am going to die eventually and do I really want to cough my lung up its dirty and sick. After the first montho r so making it through no smoking you will notice things changing you will be able to smell the frsh scent of your hair and clothes and things will smell different all over. Make sure your partner quits too if he smokes other wise you will fall back you need positivity through the whole thing maybe talk to your kids and have them give you positivity to help you . Good luck

Hi Melissa, It sounds like you don't have a problem quiting, just staying quitting. I had that problem. I now haven't smoked in 6 yrs. I still have the craving and know that if I have one, then I will be back on them. You can't have just one.

I took up knitting, so that my hands would be busy. It isn't just a physical addiction it is also a physical habit. You need to change what you do when you would normally be smoking. It doesn't matter what it is and you have had lots of suggestions. I started with getting my hands busy doing something, changing what I was drinking (if you normally have coffee and a cig, switch to anything else), I sat in a different chair, took a walk, and got my hands busy, if you don't want to do a fiber craft, pick up a different hobby. Don't tell yourself you "can't" have one, tell yourself you "choose not to have one". We all want what we can't have. Wait 5 minutes before having it (while you are getting busy with something else), most cravings only last a min or 2 (physiologically speaking, don't know where I read it).

Sit down and write out where and what you are doing when most of your smoking happens and change those circumstances.

Talk to your husband, honestly tell him that you really are quiting this time and that you need his support, you need him to tell you how proud he is of you. Tell him what you plan is (this will let him know that you are serious) and ask him to help you keep busy doing other things, walk with you, or hold your hand, or whatever.

Good luck and don't give up, you quitting might keep your kids from starting.

Hi Melissa,

Just wanted to say don't quit quitting. Every day you do without is a benifit to your body whether or not you go back to it. Remember, too, you are not alone. I'm working on it, too.

Good luck - S.

I quit 8/8/88 for the trillionth time....so don't stop...just keep workin' it. i started smoking when i was 5...i've stopped and started many times.... only now i pray about it, and once i stop i don't pick back up....i still dream i'm smoking tho...and i wake up and i think, was i really smoking?

hey melissa
best word i can give you is never quit quiting some time it may take trying over and over again but you only fail when you give up for goodso stick with it and keep up the good work

Hi Melissa:

This September was 5 years of NO SMOKING for me. I was a smoker for 20 years and loved it! I quit smoking with both of my pregnancies and went back to it after both. I was like you, I kept quitting and it was very frustrating. Don't quit quitting! Just try to make the next time quitting your last. I will pray for you, that is who helped me quit was God, after serious prayer and inner determination. You can do it!

I've never smoked...but my Mom did. She quit during both pregancies. When I was about 4 she accidently burned me with a cigarete (I ran into her/it). She never smoked again.

Each year she goes out and buys herself a present (she deserves it and it is cheaper than smoking).

You can do it. Good luck!

i'm going threw the EXACT same thing!!! i just had my son 18 days ago & i'm fighting the urge EVERY DAY!!! i started smoking again after my dtr, but it started by 1 @ night as a reward for taking care of her by myself (my hubby travels ALOT). i'm telling myself that if i start it would just be so stupid, so i'm praying i don't start up again. as far as family not being supportive, i feel that too. if it were me, i would quit just to spite them, and you don't need anyones approval to quit!!!! GOOD LUCK & DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

I quit smoking two and a half weeks ago for the millionth time.

I just like you quit when I was pregnant and didn't smoke for awhile afterwards, until I lost my job and I picked it right back up.

I actually did it with little support from people in my life, because I wanted to do it on my own. I read a lot about quitting cold turkey online. It really helped during the day to keep my mind focused on something else and encouraged me to keep going.

Best of luck to you!

i started smoking at 16 and quit when i was 29...i quit together w/ my husband and we took wellbutrin (sp?)...the motivation was purely financial - even thought i knew i wanted to quit when we started a family (which we hadn't done yet)...we just couldn't afford it anymore as my husband went back to school...

i remember at the time wondering how i was going to manage!! smoking was my best friend...it was there for my roughest AND best times...i had so many smoking buddies it was very hard to think about not hanging out w/ my friends...and my breaktime at work was very hard too- there's an actual bell that rings to announce smoke breaks!

i couldn't have done it w/o the medicine or my hubby...i would never be able to go cold turkey - the meds just helped so much for me! i would explain to your close friends and family how much it means to you and get their support...if not - avoid them! i just couldn't be around other smokers...we avoided bars/bowling/drinking/smoking friends for a good 6 months until we were stronger...

at work i ate fruit during the break times...i became a fruit addict! oranges were great because you had to take the time to peel them first! ha!

don't be afraid to ask for help! it's a struggle that will never go away! i still crave them...the feeling never went away for me but i tell myself if i have just one - i'll be right back to where i was...

each person is different - just wanted to share my thoughts and what worked for me! good luck on your journey...YOU CAN DO IT!!

ps...we've been smoke free for 4 1/2 years!

I was a smoker before I had kids from age 15 to age 21 when I got pregnant with my first. I quit cold turkey and always knew that I would when I had kids. I remained smoke free during and inbetween my first and second pregnancy. A few years later I somehow picked up the stupid habit again - not as much though. If I had a glass of wine or two, then I would want a smoke. When my husband would get home, we would sit on the back porch and have a smoke together and talk about our days. I started to gradually increase when I smoke to about 6 cigs a day. My husband continued to smoke and that was a big obsticle for me. Finally, again, after a little over a year of smoking I had enough. It made me sad when my kids were outside playing and they saw me smoke. I knew that was not the kind of mother that I wanted to be. I turned to the patch. My husband continued to smoke (he doesn't anymore) and I had to distance myself from him. If we were all outside and he was smoking, I wouldn't go anywhere near him, no conversations while smoking. I relized that I was moody and kept to myself alot for the first few weeks of quitting. My point really is, is that you can't quit until you are ready - when it finally becomes so disgusting and you relize the damage that you are doing to your children's mother. Picture your children watching you smoke yet you tell them it's the wrong thing to do. It increses the likelyhood of your babies growing up to be smokers too - picture that. When you finally reach the quitting point, you won't need anyones support. You will be strong enough to do what's right and what's needed for the benefit of your children, just like you did when you were pregnant. You make the decision and show everyone how strong you are. You don't need to tell everyone that your quitting either, that would just make it harder if you slip up with all that pressure on you. And if you do slip up, don't let it ruin your plans, just get back on track. It will feel soooo good to be smoke free and then you can tell everyone, "Surprise"!!!

First of all - congratulations on WANTING to quit and trying, even if you havent succedded in the past.

I was a 3 pack a day smoker, and have quit for over 15 years now.

I learned about a calendar method, and it worked enough to keep me out of trouble on the worst craving days. THe key is to know when they are coming up and avoid other smokers, drinking, and any other behavior that is your major triggers on that day, and for extra insurance, just a day before & After around those days. IN my case, I tried to avoid taking phonecalls ( quirky, but that was my best time to smoke) and avoid at all cost a beer.

Heres the calendar:
(from the day of stopping)
days 1-3
1 week from the day 1,
2 weeks day from the day 1
3 weeks (etc)
1 month, 3 months,
*6 months - from the day of stopping (BIG TRIGGER DAY)
* 1 year (BIG TRIGGER DAY)
1 year, 3 months
1 year 6 months
2 years

If the cessation gum helps, try that. But I found for me that I was able to mark these days on the calendar and then KNOW I was going to have a hard time with cravings these days. That helps, especially the one year ones. why? no clue.
Otherwise, stay away from other smokers when you feel you are having a bad day, and try to fit something else in your life FUN to replace the smoking, where there is no way you can smoke (ie swimming) (I joined a gym and lost some weight)

lastly, see if there is a stop smoking online group - like through yahoo, and get your support through there. IT HELPS!!

Good luck - you will be financially better off not buying cigarettes too!! The main thing is not to set a model for your kids, and to stay healthy.

Blessings.
D.

My husband and I quit at the same time, just over two years ago, we both took Chantix. I think the combination of being able to support each other (or compete with each other if you look at it that way)and taking the medicine made it easier than it had ever been in the past. If you have a doctor go ask about Chantix. My husband used to smoke 2 packs a day and I used to smoke at least a pack if not more. It is going to be hard and you will still want to smoke, but there are things out there that make it easier when you really want to quit for good. FYI, I smoked for 15 years and grew up in a family full of smokers.

I began smoking when I was 15 also. I quit when I was pregnant with my first child, but then picked it back up. When I was pregnant with my 2nd child I told myself that I could NEVER EVER take a hit off a cigerette no matter how much I wanted to because all it would take is one hit and I knew I'd be a smoker again.

Last May it was 7 years for me, but I know that if I hung around people that smoked, frequented bars, or if my spouse hadn't quit with me then I'd still be a smoker. I guess I'm saying that I'm lucky the people I hang out with do not smoke!

I see that you work. Can you walk on breaks so you don't feel like you have to go out and have a cigerette? You should keep hard candy and gum with you at all times to overcome those other habits that come with smoking too. It's not just the nicotine, but the habit of lighting up everytime after a meal, or sex, or whatever your habits are. You're going to have to overcome those too. But hang in there and fight through them. The craving will go away after a few minutes and it will just get easier and easier. You'll be so glad once you quit for good!!!

no advice, i'm the only one from a family of 5 who doesn't smoke, but i just want to say ' thanks' for thinking of your kids and yourself as their mom for the perfect reason to not smoke!

BEST wishes! here's to never lighting up again!

Okay please read on after I tell you that I did not smoke. I tried, many years ago, and didn't like the way I felt the next day.

Here is the thing about cigarettes. The tobacco companies have added more nicotine to their product. Which makes them more addictive. They try to combat this or distract people by having ads that are against smoking. UGH

Anyhow, what I know is that when trying to quit smoking B Complex vitamins help tremendously. Your body goes through withdrawals and by getting a pure natural source of B Vitamins, will help your body through the transition and continue to help offset the affects of stress. Working moms have an extra amount of stress. I know I was one.

There are other suggestions I can help you with, if you want to go the natural route and are committed to being a NON smoker.

I wish you well in quitting smoking.

Hi Melissa
I know this is an old request, but I ran across it and wanted to respond.
First - I hope things are going well for you!

My mom began smoking when she was in high school and continued until I was in high school. What worked for her was she went to a group hypnotist session. She explained that it didn't make her NOT want it, but made her feel strong enough to withstand the urge. I do think that she allowed herself to have one in the evening outside. I think maybe knowing she could have one at night made it easier to withstand during the day (?).

Shortly after she quit I bought her a small gold ring because I was so proud of her. I remember her saying "But what if I start again?" I replied "well, I guess you can't!" I know that your kids are too young to do something like that, but I think that if you but yourself something like a ring, bracelet or necklace to remind yourself that you can do it then it would be good. You don't need to tell anyone what it means, it is personal.

Remember, too. You don't need to announce to others that you are quitting. That way if you do slip up, there is no pressure.

Good luck!