I stay in shape by going to the gym religiously, running in this arid weather, and playing basketball, but I smoke a pack and a half a day. A couple weeks ago, I decided to cut back on smoking to just under a pack a day. I didn't feel any better. In fact, I felt worse. For the first time, I started developing a smoker's cough. It freaked me out so I tried to quit cold turkey. Shortly after, I caught the flu and I was miserable.

Now I'm back to smoking a pack a day and I feel great. What the hell is going on?

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms, like others said, can make you feel sick.

Find something else to occupy your mouth with when you get the urge. Like chewing gum or sucking on candy.

I'm part of an organization that teaches health workshops and I sat in on the Tobacco one. I'm not trying to lecture you but maybe these will give you extra incentive to stick to quitting since you already plan to:

-You feel the health benefits of quitting smoking within 20 minutes of your last cigarette. Within a few months, you lungs become healthier and breathing becomes easier. Within a few years, your risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease decreases.
-Each cigarette a person smokes shortens their life by 11 minutes.

My mom told my dad she wouldn't marry him if he didn't quit smoking. He quit.

I'd go with what other people are saying and try occupying yourself with other things when you get the urge.

Or just picture a healthy lung, then picture a dark black, full-of-holes-and-cancer, slathered in tar, decaying, and disgusting thing shaped like a lung and tell yourself that is what your insides will end up looking like unless you stop smoking.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&...=1&ct=title

f*ck, i just lost 11 minutes

yeah and you're the reasons why my kittens keep dying.

I quit smoking over the summer and it gets pretty hard. Try doing something that makes you focuse on something else =]

dawg aren't you like 14. damn

lmao

So, I'm back to quitting again. I'm doing well. I haven't smoked more than five cigarettes in a given day, in over two weeks.

In that case, NO newports in your care package!

UGH, I hate that name. It's so damn overused. (No offense, I swear)

Brandon, I've tried everything from patches, acupuncture, nic gum, injections, hypnosis... Nothing has totally worked. Thing is, I know I can quit, because I didn't smoke at all when I was pregnant. It's very odd.

It doesn't surprise me that you had some bronchial issues when weening. Your lungs are trying to heal. Ok, it's not exactly that, but something pretty familiar to it.

Give it a couple of weeks. Chew regular gum when you feel like you have to physically do something with your mouth. (Ok, even I can't keep a straight face reading that sentence)

^ well, i don't really think not smoking for pregnancy counts as quitting. because you know that at some point, you'll be able to smoke again.

for me, "quitting" something for lent (no, i'm not religious) was always easy, but i'm starting to realize that the reason it's so easy is because you know the period of abstinence will come to an end.

i was able to give up meat for lent and i actually became a vegetarian for a year, thinking it was pretty easy.

the thing is, actually quitting something means that you'll never be able to do it again. ever.

idk, i think that's a little different.

Dirty, dirty girl.

Try smoking weed as an alternative. I heard it's worked for a few of my friends.

But hey, that might not be an option for some people.

Military + Controlled Substances = Jail time and a bad conduct discharge

Negative, Korea. Negative.

I JUST WANTED TO HELP!


-edit

But in all honesty, though, I picked up smoking again. Marlboro Lights, bro.

There, there.

Studies have shown that weed might be a worse (better?) carcinogen than cigarettes. Meaning, you're more likely to get cancer from smoking weed.

How's the not smoking going?

hope you got a strong will there

you're a bastard, lol

haha i know i know, but you gotta admit, its hard

in with the cuteness


my friend told me how his uncle did it. he collected all his cigarette butts in a jar for purpose of downing it. if he could swallow one whole sip, he would continue smoking but he couldn't.

damn that's intense

Do NOT buy patches or anything that HAS nicotine just to stop smoking cigarettes. Honestly, that's pointless. You need to go cold turkey, if you drive I can guarantee before you even hit the main road, you light up a cigarette. So if you want start with cutting down... do NOT smoke in your car.

Your brain is literally programmed into believing that a cigarette or nicotine for that matter is part of your everyday life.. as if it's like eating a meal for nutrients. The only way to quit successfully and fast is by cold turkey. Otherwise the action of reaching in to your pocket for your pack, the action of reaching for your lighter, the action of moving your hands together to light up a cigarette, the action of puttin your hand up to your face, the action of putting the cigarette up to your lips, the action of taking a drag will inevitably be a physical addiction or in other words, programmed into your mind.

I used to smoke cigarettes, for 6 months actually... then decided to quit them. I realized that I was literally paying $20-$25 a week to only harm my body which will later cause me to have a degrading death.

Agree and wtf 25 a week? Thats basically a pack a day.