Ex-Smokers

[Kieran123]

I'm 24  and have been smoking now for 6 years and want to quit ASAP....not only for health reasons, but because it costs too damn much. I use to be very fit ( very much into athletics, soccer, rugby etc ) and my fitness now is terrible.

I have quit before but it only lasted a few months before starting up again...sadly, golfing is one of the times I smoke the most ( maybe 6 or 7 smokes per 18 holes )

Has anyone here quit successfully? And what did you do to quit?

Thanks!

[Elvisliveson]

I finally quit smoking for good 5 years ago,  It was about the 5th time I seriously tired to quit, but only the 2nd time I went cold turkey. Your chances of quitting for good go up with each attempted quit. I was also a big smoker when golfing, so I quit at the end of December where I had about 4 months to go before I'd be picking up a club again.

[Stretch]

Quit about 10 years ago after smoking for maybe 15 years. Got to the point where I was truly sick of it, stopped cold and then it's just the old saw of one day at a time. Wasn't easy at first, but the good thing I can tell you is after a year or so it was like I'd never started at all. Have never had any desire for a cigarette since. Good luck!

[NEOHMark]

I quit about 20 yrs ago after smoking for 15 yrs or so.  What did it for me was the lack of opportunity.  I was married to a wife (still am) who didn't want me smoking around her and our two sons.  We took a two-week vacation where I was - quite literally - with them 24/7.  No work to go to, no 'sneaking away' for ANYthing.  I was serious about quitting - and that vacation gave me the jump start I needed.

If you can figure out how to eliminate your 'opportunities' to catch a smoke, you're more than halfway there IMHO.  Ultimately you have to REALLY want it.  And it doesn't hurt if you have someone close in your corner to help you through it and be the hard-ass when you might have the odd weak moment now and then.

[ghalfaire]

I quit smoking 20 years ago.  Had to try several times but finally managed.  I think maybe it was when I made my mind up it was an addiction not a habit and that I could never smoke even one if I wanted to stay clean.  My biggest reason for quiting was both my parents died of lung cancer, not a good way to go.  But even with that it wasn't easy.  But today I seldom even think about it and maybe have an urge once a year or so.  A friend of mine gave me a little card that said "the urge to smoke a cigarette will go away whether you smoke one or not".  I carried that card in my shirt pocket for a long time.  It is true.  Stay strong and good luck.

[jmanbooyaa]

I am coming up on my 1 yr no smoking. I was a heavy smoker since 16 (33 yrs old now) and was finally able to quit cold turkey last end of July. I found golf which I took up around the same time was the only thing that kept me from not thinking about smoking. So now I am addicted to golf but not smoking. I think its a good trade off.

[meenman]

I started smoking at 15 and quit at 41.

Towards the end I was only smoking at work and I never smoked when I drank. One method that seemed to work was switching brands every time I bought a pack - totally ruined the taste buds - especially with menthol because they all do it a different way.

The toughest part was with my morning energy drink - I tried to stay on the phone while driving in the morning so I wouldnt have a free hand to crave.

I will still enjoy a fine cigar during a night on the town, but my cravings for cigarettes are more than manageable.

[Kieran123]

Thanks guys.

I struggle with scenarios where I really want a smoke.

i.e. my morning coffee, my entire work day I seem to watch the clock for the next smoke.

I think I will take my watch off for work and hide my computer clock so I can't see the normal smoke break times I have.

Wish I had never started!

ghalfaire: I am making my own one of those cards

[jamo]

After about 30 years my parents both quit. For my mom it was the nicotine gum, which she eventually used to transition to regular gum (which gives you something to do with your mouth and is much cheaper), and for my dad it was the nicotine lozenges. Best of luck man.

[ochmude]

I started at 18 and quit cold turkey when I was 24.  It's really easy to do if you use my method.  Here's a simple step-by-step procedure that you can follow.

1.  Enlist in the Marine Corps

2.  Select a job that involves lots of field training (I picked artillery)

3.  Go on a training exercise to somewhere extremely remote for two months (I went to northern Thailand, it was all jungles and rice paddies)

4.  Only bring 1 carton of cigarettes with you because you think that will be enough

5.  Run out in less than 3 weeks and start bumming smokes off your friends...a lot

6.  Piss off all your friends for mooching off them so much, causing them to cut you off

7.  Go about 5 weeks without a cigarette and no option to buy any because, well, you're in the middle of a fricken jungle.

8.  Go home at the end of the exercise, buy a pack, take a puff, and discover that they taste like licking an ash tray.

9.  Sell the rest of the pack to someone or just throw it away.  Congrats, you just quit smoking.

Seriously, though, it's really tough and the trick is to disassociate smoking with other activities.  You have to stop thinking coffee=cigarette or beer=cigarette or driving to work=cigarette or whatever.  I still have trouble with it and I haven't lit up in nearly 5 years.  My trigger activity was inactivity.  I smoked whenever I was just waiting around.  To this day, if I'm just waiting around for something, like the other day when I brought my car in to get the oil changed, I want to step outside and grab a smoke to pass the time.

[Mattplusness]

I just went to the doctor and mind you I only smoke 1-2 packs a week. He said he would like to see me quit smoking and when I feel I am ready to go in and he will give me something that might help me fight the cravings, I'm looking forward to that come August or so

[rogerw]

I quit cold turkey during Desert Storm and haven't looked back. When you are ready to quit, you will quit, that is how I have always seen it. Those that failed aren't really ready. You have to tell yourself that no one is forcing you to light up and can you let that stupid cigarette win. That is what I used and it worked really well. It's just a case of will and when you look at it from that point, you can beat it. We all play arguably one of the most difficult games in the world. The fortitude required to do well in this sport is the same fortitude it takes to quit smoking. You can do this, you just have to tell yourself that you "know" you can.

[Kieran123]

Smoke free for 24 hours so far....I think I'm gonna get some nicotine lozenges.

Went out for some drinks with friends last night, craving was horrible, but it felt nice not having to go outside and have a smoke ( by myself ) then come back in knowing you stink like tobacco.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Smoke free for 24 hours so far....I think I'm gonna get some nicotine lozenges.

Went out for some drinks with friends last night, craving was horrible, but it felt nice not having to go outside and have a smoke ( by myself ) then come back in knowing you stink like tobacco.

I quit smoking 3 years ago cold turkey after trying everything with no success. The best piece of advice I can give is try to avoid drinking because it just makes cravings 10 times worse. If you want to drink try mixing it up for me I used to drink beer so instead of having beers I tried vodka on the rocks. It seemed like if I drank something that I didn't associate smoking with my cravings weren't nearly as bad. Honestly I wish you luck because it's certainly a tough road but it's amazing how much better you will feel after a couple months. Also try riding a bike or running I took up running and it helped a lot plus I ended running marine corps marathon the last 2 years.

[Cossackred]

I quit after a good 15 years. I just said, " I don't want to do that anymore " and made myself stop. Hasn't been easy, but it's mostly based on the fear of death. That's an easy motivator. at least it should be.

[the19thhole]

Started smoking at 15 and quit at 37 which was 3 years ago. My first atttempt (complete failure) to quit was 9 years ago when my eldest was born. My wife quit at the time she became pregnant and I thought I should as well although I didn't really want to - hence the failure. Difference 3 years ago was looking at my 2 kids and thinking I want to be around for them in the future. Basically just woke up one day and stopped. No gum or patches. For me the big thning was I really wanted to, so I did. Look back now and think what a waste of money. Think of all the extra golf things I could have bought over the years. Good luck you can do it, you just have to want to.

[wmiller]

Quit about 6 years ago. Was never a heavy smoker, and towards the end, only smoked about a pack a week. Just got tired of pissing away more and more money for a nasty habit. Then I realized that habits can be broken/altered. Threw my lighter in the trash and simply told myself "I don't smoke". It was more of a mental switch that I threw that simply said I don't smoke.

Haven't wanted one since that day.

[harryhamlin]

omg...I really tried to quit smoking but no luck.. I did stopped for 1-2 weeks but later I again started smoking :-( and decided not to give it another try. I use to smoke almost 10 cigars a day but now somehow I have managed to smoke 5 a day. Chewing gum really helped me a lot in controlling it.