Quit smoking without using any medication

[Heathcliff]

Is it possible to quit smoking through natural methods, I mean without using those nicotine patch or medications. I don’t have much faith in medications.

 

[dedlifter1]

I been smoking sooooo long. Cant stand it. Very difficult to quit. I put down everything else, but this is the hardest.

 

[spartan300]

it'll be difficult but it can be done. obviously ur body gonna crave nicotine but another part is oral fixation. just have strong will power and finding something else to chew on might help like tooth picks. I think i read an article about a lady that quit smoking and when she get the urge she would brush her teeth. she was able to stop and well her teeth were very clean and showed improvement on shade.

 

[PublicEnemy]

I used to smoke a pack a day and then quit... Toothpicks help a lot as do sunflower seeds.

Now I just smoke occasionally to enjoy it, usually when I'm drunk, but I know Zyban has been approved for smoking cessation. I bring this up because I take Wellbutrin (SR) which is exactly the same medication as Zyban just under a different name. I definitely noticed when i first started taking it that cigarettes neither tasted as good or gave me quite the buzz they should have for not smoking often.

 

[joebo]

I had smoked about a pack a day for about 13 years. One day I began to search online and came across a site that had some heart felt horror stories about people who smoke. Truth is, it could happen to any smoke regardless of age. Here is the site http://whyquit.com/ . Read the "we died young" articles. For me, thats all I really needed to convince me, I needed to stop. I also motivated myself, by understanding the amount of money I would save by quitting. I've been smoke free for about 4 years now. Each year since quitting, it has afforded me a carribean vacation. Cold turkey is your best be, you just need to find something to satisfy the oral fixation and above all determination. I drank tons of green tea, chewed gum, lifesavers, cough drops, anything really. Bottom line, it comes down to willpower and determination. Its not easy, but now looking back, there is no way I would ever pick up another disgusting cigarette again.

 

[krogtaar]

wtf grow a pair and make up your mind or get off a site about bodybuilding and health. just punch yourself in the nuts every time you smoke from now on...bet you dont make it through another pack

 

[AllMaxBrian]

It's possible, but it will be difficult. I applaud your decision. Chewing gum is good, sucking on hard candy helps. Another good strategy is to just distract yourself every time you feel a craving coming on, with a stress ball or watching tv, anything. Focusing on how much money you're saving is also a nice distraction.

 

[wrasslin116]

First few days is the only time your body really wants it still.. after then it's all in your head so basicly and not offensively.. man up.

If you want it bad enough you can do it, that's all I'm saying.

 

[bigironkiller]

ive quit and restarted many times. i havent smoked in over 2yrs, and the best way to do it is to only smoke when the cravings are about to kill you. do that for a while and gradually your tipping point will get higher and higher and then your free

 

[joebo]

ive quit and restarted many times. i havent smoked in over 2yrs, and the best way to do it is to only smoke when the cravings are about to kill you. do that for a while and gradually your tipping point will get higher and higher and then your free

I hardly agree that this is the best way to it..... How about when the cravings are about to kill you, you district yourself with something, rather than reward yourself with a cig everytime the cravings get bad..

 

[RenegadeRows]

There's no way easy around it, no matter what you do.

Just grab it by the b@lls, quit pu$$yfooting around the subject.

 

[RichardF12]

i quit after 5 years of smoking every day. cold turkey. just put your mind to it, and you can do it.

 

[joebo]

i quit after 5 years of smoking every day. cold turkey. just put your mind to it, and you can do it.

Best way to do it and the best success rate too in the long term

 

[suncloud]

Is it possible to quit smoking through natural methods, I mean without using those nicotine patch or medications. I don’t have much faith in medications.

yes, its possible. i had to quit coffee (though not caffeine) to make it happen. if you're at a pack a day, you'll notice a few interesting things :

1 - most smokers don't eat breakfast
2 - nitrogen retention + protein synthesis is shot (NO boosters don't do much)
3 - you smoke :
with your first cup of coffee
after your shower
within 5 minutes of getting into a car
as soon as you get to your destination
before lunch
after lunch
right before the gym
right after the gym
before/after dinner
2 before bed

pretty much textbook. i could give you so many reasons to quit, but you probably already know them. what i would suggest is to cut out the coffee (i'm assuming here), and start breaking those habits - smoke before your shower, don't smoke in your car, etc. as soon as the habits are broken, its easier to lay them down, because the routine has changed already.

i needed a ton of breath mints to pull off quitting, but i didn't need any meds.

 

[nemo]

There's a book by Allen Carr on how to quit smoking,.. it was the best thing I ever tried,.. I mean in the book, he tells you, "you can have a cig now", it's rather comical in a way,.. but effective. Those who have a weaker will power would def benefit from this book!!!

 

[suncloud]

or you can buy cigarettes from canada, with their demented labels....

 

[dedlifter1]

yes, its possible. i had to quit coffee (though not caffeine) to make it happen. if you're at a pack a day, you'll notice a few interesting things :

1 - most smokers don't eat breakfast
2 - nitrogen retention + protein synthesis is shot (NO boosters don't do much)
3 - you smoke :
with your first cup of coffee
after your shower
within 5 minutes of getting into a car
as soon as you get to your destination
before lunch
after lunch
right before the gym
right after the gym
before/after dinner
2 before bed

pretty much textbook. i could give you so many reasons to quit, but you probably already know them. what i would suggest is to cut out the coffee (i'm assuming here), and start breaking those habits - smoke before your shower, don't smoke in your car, etc. as soon as the habits are broken, its easier to lay them down, because the routine has changed already.

i needed a ton of breath mints to pull off quitting, but i didn't need any meds.

Dude, are you hiding in my closet?? lol.

 

[lennoxchi]

Dude, are you hiding in my closet?? lol.

no, i told him you are doing those things.....i mean, gotta go, nevermind:biglaugh:

 

[alwaysgaining]

one way that mi friends did is to smoke yer self sick then u wont want to smoke the next time
warning tho u will feel like death

 

[dedlifter1]

no, i told him you are doing those things.....i mean, gotta go, nevermind:biglaugh:

Scary!! Today is the day. No more nasty puffers.

 

[SilentBob187]

We sell these things at work called Australian chewing sticks. Ultimately they're just tooth picks soaked in tea tree oil. I think they help with that oral fixation and the tea tree oil will kill any bacteria in the mouth.

...And knowing is half the battle, G.I. JOE!!!!!

 

[lennoxchi]

Scary!! Today is the day. No more nasty puffers.

congrats on your decision. i never had a problem quitting.....the problem for me comes later, around the 8 to 10 month range, all of a sudden i think i can have one, that turns into a pack and so on. my point is, do not let up, remind yourself that having one means your a smoker again, cause normally that is what it turns into. i just went through this, i'm quitting today as well. and not just for 8 to 10 months either.....it's not going to be pleasant, but i know i can do it, and so can you......YOU deceide to pick up the smoke not visa-versa, no smoke has ever jumped into my mouth....i always made the decision.

 

[lennoxchi]

Scary!! Today is the day. No more nasty puffers.

i forgot to mention something, most cravings only last 5 to 10 minutes. so keep that in mind when you're having a nic-fit. "i can make it 10 minutes, i can make it 10 minutes". you'll be fine in about 2 weeks or so......that has always been the "hump" for me

 

[suncloud]

Scary!! Today is the day. No more nasty puffers.

congratulations. this is a huge step in the right direction to you too lennox.

 

[dedlifter1]

congrats on your decision. i never had a problem quitting.....the problem for me comes later, around the 8 to 10 month range, all of a sudden i think i can have one, that turns into a pack and so on. my point is, do not let up, remind yourself that having one means your a smoker again, cause normally that is what it turns into. i just went through this, i'm quitting today as well. and not just for 8 to 10 months either.....it's not going to be pleasant, but i know i can do it, and so can you......YOU deceide to pick up the smoke not visa-versa, no smoke has ever jumped into my mouth....i always made the decision.

Thanx man. gonna be tough but lots of household support wife and daughter

 

[AllMaxBrian]

Thanx man. gonna be tough but lots of household support wife and daughter

And a lot of support on here too.

 

[conwict]

Hey,

I have quit several times and when I started back using tobacco, it was just out of sheer stupidity. Get this...basically, I started smoking cigs after I smoked pot at age 16. I stopped smoking cigs and continued smoking pot. Then a while later a friend and I would put tobacco in the joint...I actually got addicted to smoking 6-10 of those a day. Ridiculous. That was actually harder to stop than anything! I quit smoking weed, then for some reason talked myself into getting into fine cigars. That was expensive and frankly not even all that good. I was in it for the nicotine, and it was friggin up my throat and upper lungs worse than cigs did probably.

I used the patch the first time...then I used lozenges the last time. I liked the lozenges. I just told myself "I am going to buy a certain amount, and when I'm out I'm out." I didn't even finish all of 'em!

Cold turkey works, but there's nothing wrong with other methods either.

I would also recommend making yourself accountable on this thread - check back like once a week and update us on your status for the next couple of months. You can even tell your gf/wife/kids you're quitting.

I read in an article a goal setting suggestion to get a ton of people together and promise to eat a can of alpo in front of them if you don't meet your goal (in your case, not smoking). If you have some good guy friends who would hold you accountable, and you are willing to promise to do that, I bet that would keep you from smoking....

+1 to the australian tea tree sticks too.

 

[conwict]

Man how could I forget! Rational.org, rational recovery, works great for drugs alcohol or even cigs. The core of it is saying "I'll never smoke again," then recognizing any internal opinions to the contrary as your Addictive Voice...it's called Addictive Voice Recognition Therapy. I would advise anyone interested in addiction or struggling to check that site out...fabulous resource.

 

[suncloud]

what flavor alpo?

 

[conwict]

I dunno man. Probably fish or something...haha. The article also advised smelling it when you felt like reneging on your goal. It's called Goal Setting for Hard Asses, Google it.

 

[suncloud]

i vote for lima bean and liver flavor

 

[conwict]

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_NicodemonsLies.html

That page is great. AVRT over @ rational.org helps you recognize those types of statements...it is really effective but you have to be honest with yourself.

 

[thaOrleanyte]

cut your face off


seriously i quit about a week ago when my daughter was born and nicotine gum helps. It's better than patches for me at least

 

[conwict]

Lozenges give the same effects as gum but I found 'em cheaper (by getting the 3mg ones, the larger dose - I think 3mg was the dose) and easier to tolerate...that gum was like cardboard and had a peppery gross taste.

 

[thaOrleanyte]

lozenges i havent seen those. Where did u get em?

 

[conwict]

Wal-mart. Commit cherry flavor, 3mg. Not great tasting, but really not too bad at all. I was smoking 1-3 big cigars per day which is a lotta nicotine, and having a 3mg lozenge about every 3-4 hours was a big help in quitting. I didn't follow the directions at all, I just had a lozenge every 3-4 hours and then cut back slightly on them, then cut down to 1-2 per day toward the end and when I ran out I didn't buy or want any more lozenges. I did get a big package deal, though, so I had several containers worth.

Oh, you can carry like 20-30 on you at a time, too - they are in a little plastic tube.

 

[dedlifter1]

I dunno man. Probably fish or something...haha. The article also advised smelling it when you felt like reneging on your goal. It's called Goal Setting for Hard Asses, Google it.

sounds pretty interesting. Im using the gum right now. tastes terriblr. Better thrn a marb tho. day 2 smoke free.

 

[lennoxchi]

day 2 myself

 

[purebred]

or you can buy cigarettes from canada, with their demented labels....

it's funny cause america is constantly making fun of canada. i mean, i'm sure there's plenty of other good reasons to but uhh, yeah...we're actually a lot dumber than a lot of countries when it comes to a lot of things. smoking being one of them. you would think with the amount of research and information we have available, at our disposal, at our fingerprints, that the nation of america would be a bit smarter. no, cause we're probably the dumbest fattest nation considering how much we know yet our inability to apply all that we know. we therefore, render all that great information useless b/c our collective, intentional ignorance. it's a beautiful thing :usa2:

i apologize for sounding so unpatriotic but hey..i don't think anything i've stated is untrue. can't beat truth.

 

[Irish Cannon]

Grandpa quit cold-turkey after 40yrs.

 

[suncloud]

sounds pretty interesting. Im using the gum right now. tastes terriblr. Better thrn a marb tho. day 2 smoke free.

day 2 myself

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

 

[dedlifter1]

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

much appreciated!!:bruce3:

 

[conwict]

Good work you guys. If you're anything like me...it will help to quit counting at some point. Counting is positive at first, but you can have people hold ya accountable without tracking the days off. If you have quit and will never smoke for the rest of your life, why keep track of how long it's been? Just my opinion. Good work though!

 

[dedlifter1]

Good work you guys. If you're anything like me...it will help to quit counting at some point. Counting is positive at first, but you can have people hold ya accountable without tracking the days off. If you have quit and will never smoke for the rest of your life, why keep track of how long it's been? Just my opinion. Good work though!

dually noted my man.

 

[Dyou]

i believe its all about will power. granted i have never smoked, i simply asked my girlfriend to stop smoking and she quit cold turky.

 

[dedlifter1]

honestly, im on day three or four, and this isnt that difficult. i smoked a pack a day or more for 15 yrs, and i really felt i could never even go a day. But i was sooooooooo F!!!!n sick of it. Done.

 

[purebred]

It's called Goal Setting for Hard Asses, Google it.

lol classic. how did i miss this?! sounds like a self-help gone hardcore

 

[conwict]

ded, that's what it takes man. If you really want to stop and hate doing it you can. That was my deal: it's just a filthy habit altogether. Just watch out for situations where you might let your guard down and give excuses like "I can have just one" (for most people, drinking in bars etc).

 

[dedlifter1]

ded, that's what it takes man. If you really want to stop and hate doing it you can. That was my deal: it's just a filthy habit altogether. Just watch out for situations where you might let your guard down and give excuses like "I can have just one" (for most people, drinking in bars etc).

No kidding! I dont drink so thats no worry. Tonite i had a pretty good craving, held on strong tho. my boy was smokin. smelled good, and bad at same time.

 

[AllMaxBrian]

Hey man, you've got the power to resist this...it's not even something you want in your life.