|
So yeah, I plan on quitting smoking for good but I can't seem to do it. I always end up getting a stick or two each day because of all the shit around me. A lot of my friends smoke too so that contributes to the problem.
Before I was addicted to smoking, I was team captain of the track and field team of our college. That was more than two years ago by the way. In those two years, I was just smoking so much. I want to rejoin just to be more fit and healthy. Meaning, I will just train with the team for health concerns and not for competing.
I want to ask what is the right way to stop and go back to the team?
PS: If the blog entry didn't make sense, it's because I was a little drunk when I typed this.
|
Marshall Islands104 Posts
Well, we wish the best of luck to you. Smoking really does bad things to the lungs and can (as you know ofc) hurt your ability to run.
Where I live there is a TON of heavy smokers and so most of the local athletes just compete for short things like the 400 M because their lungs can't handle prolonged runs.
|
I wrote a contract for my friend to sign to help him quit smoking. Want to see it?
+ Show Spoiler +Contract for Quitting Smoking The following program is designed to help the undersigned cease use of all tobacco substances. It is to be read by the undersigned in its entirety during any point of uncertainty as to any part of its contents. To quit smoking, the undersigned must find motivation. Said motivation cannot wane with time, and thus must be both self-reliant and recurring. The undersigned can only quit for himself, and no one else. The undersigned must know himself, and more importantly, know who he will be in the future. The following method is mandatory for this program.
The undersigned will pick a date in the next month where he wants to be able to honestly say “I have not smoked in over a month.”
This date is: ___________
At any point when the undersigned thinks of smoking, he will also think of this date. When the undersigned has the desire to use a tobacco substance, he will:
1: Not use tobacco 2: Think about how miserable he will be on said date when he reflects on his failure and feels guilty 3: Find something else to do
Furthermore, when the undersigned sees a place where the only purpose is to use or purchase tobacco substances, he will:
1: Not go there. 2: Think ‘there’s nothing there for me, so there’s no point in going there.’ 3: Find something else to do.
The undersigned will also avoid events and activities in which the focus is on the use of tobacco substances. He will not rationalize or justify going to said events. When he catches himself in the act of trying to reason an activity isn’t just about the use of tobacco substances, he will cease immediately and do something else. If there is a second thought about whether or not an event is just about tobacco use, it is just about tobacco use. In order to ease the undersigned’s ability to resist the use of tobacco, he will avoid activities that will put his thoughts heavily on the topic. He will avoid surfing the internet about smoking (quitting or otherwise), avoid talking about smoking (quitting or otherwise), and avoid reading about smoking (quitting or otherwise). This will encourage the undersigned to have more productive thoughts about what he will do with his time that isn’t related to tobacco substances. It is not necessary or encouraged to ask the world around the undersigned to change, just for the undersigned to feel that he is not sabotaging his own success. There will be a fine of 50 CAD payable to [me] for breach of contract.
Signature: ________________
You can print it out and try it if you want. Can't comment on my friend's success because I haven't gotten a chance to give it to him yet. But the principles are the same things I used to quit drinking (a very different a addiction, but that doesn't mean this method can't work). I didn't need a piece of paper to sign, because I have a strong sense of responsibility to the things I want to do. Pick a date in the future you want to be able to say you haven't smoked in over the month. That's the mentality you have to have. It's different from picking the day you want to quit smoking, and you'll see why. Of course after that day has passed you just keep going, but on that day you can feel proud of accomplishing a mini goal that's gotten you past the worst parts of withdrawal.
gl gl.
|
I guess we all have our own vices. Best of luck to you.
|
While I appreciate the nature of cravings, is it actually that hard to just not do it anymore?
I mean, is it that automatic that it becomes uncontrollable?
|
On June 18 2010 23:29 Chef wrote:I wrote a contract for my friend to sign to help him quit smoking. Want to see it? + Show Spoiler +Contract for Quitting Smoking The following program is designed to help the undersigned cease use of all tobacco substances. It is to be read by the undersigned in its entirety during any point of uncertainty as to any part of its contents. To quit smoking, the undersigned must find motivation. Said motivation cannot wane with time, and thus must be both self-reliant and recurring. The undersigned can only quit for himself, and no one else. The undersigned must know himself, and more importantly, know who he will be in the future. The following method is mandatory for this program.
The undersigned will pick a date in the next month where he wants to be able to honestly say “I have not smoked in over a month.”
This date is: ___________
At any point when the undersigned thinks of smoking, he will also think of this date. When the undersigned has the desire to use a tobacco substance, he will:
1: Not use tobacco 2: Think about how miserable he will be on said date when he reflects on his failure and feels guilty 3: Find something else to do
Furthermore, when the undersigned sees a place where the only purpose is to use or purchase tobacco substances, he will:
1: Not go there. 2: Think ‘there’s nothing there for me, so there’s no point in going there.’ 3: Find something else to do.
The undersigned will also avoid events and activities in which the focus is on the use of tobacco substances. He will not rationalize or justify going to said events. When he catches himself in the act of trying to reason an activity isn’t just about the use of tobacco substances, he will cease immediately and do something else. If there is a second thought about whether or not an event is just about tobacco use, it is just about tobacco use. In order to ease the undersigned’s ability to resist the use of tobacco, he will avoid activities that will put his thoughts heavily on the topic. He will avoid surfing the internet about smoking (quitting or otherwise), avoid talking about smoking (quitting or otherwise), and avoid reading about smoking (quitting or otherwise). This will encourage the undersigned to have more productive thoughts about what he will do with his time that isn’t related to tobacco substances. It is not necessary or encouraged to ask the world around the undersigned to change, just for the undersigned to feel that he is not sabotaging his own success. There will be a fine of 50 CAD payable to [me] for breach of contract.
Signature: ________________ You can print it out and try it if you want. Can't comment on my friend's success because I haven't gotten a chance to give it to him yet. But the principles are the same things I used to quit drinking (a very different a addiction, but that doesn't mean this method can't work). I didn't need a piece of paper to sign, because I have a strong sense of responsibility to the things I want to do. Pick a date in the future you want to be able to say you haven't smoked in over the month. That's the mentality you have to have. It's different from picking the day you want to quit smoking, and you'll see why. Of course after that day has passed you just keep going, but on that day you can feel proud of accomplishing a mini goal that's gotten you past the worst parts of withdrawal. gl gl.
Give this to me! I'm one of his real life friends and I can definitely use that 50 bucks if he ever smokes!
Haha, to lolaloc, I've already stopped smoking but the thing is that when I have clients that smoke cigs, that's the time I smoke as well. So, it's kinda unofficially quit but at least I'm not craving for it anymore
Btw, what's going to happen to all the plans we are currently making mate? Like the tourneys and stuff we going to plan for the small SC 2 community if you ever go back to the track and field guys?
|
Piy, it's not just the act of not doing something. It's the act of getting through life without what it gives you.
Quit music. Is it that hard? You just have to stop listening to it. Sure, you can't relate to a lot of people anymore you knew, and you've lost something that made you happy, but you can just do it, right? Fill that void. Watch other people on the bus listening to music and don't get jealous. Force yourself not to dwell on memories of how good it made you feel.
When you have to quit something that's become a part of your lifestyle, yeah, it's pretty hard to let go. You really reinvent yourself in the process.
|
I haven't tried quitting, but this helps me slow down. Buy a really nasty pack of cigs and when you have a craving, you'll realize you have to smoke those. It is working for me.
|
SNUS ^_^ helped me. The nicotine addiction is still as bad as ever of course, but it doesn't affect your lounges at all and have very few effects on your general health.
|
I think replacing your nicotine addiction with a positive habit such as exercise might do you a lot of good. Every time you get an urge for a cigarette you should jump rope or a ride a bike.
|
cold turkey might be tuff... I reccomend cutting down gradually. Not sure how much your smoking now, but say you smoke a pack of marlboro reds a day. Well.. cut down to light, then ultra light. Then try to limit yourself to half a pack a day, then a quarter... and so on.. if you can get down to like 1-2 ultra light cigarettes a day then's the time to go cold turkey. Try to make it 3 days without smoking at all... once you make it over this "3 day hump" it will get easier and easier.
|
Get rid of your ciggarettes, don't accept them from others, and don't buy more seems pretty obvious. But you will want to smoke again in a few days. Can't really prevent yourself from buying more cigs, get a friend to not let you smoke.
|
Just stop is about the best you can do (and as others have said theirs many things to help with that) my father after 40 years of smoking stopped over night, now he didn't have much choice in the matter (docs orders) but a few weeks after he was like no the docs right and that was it.
If you don't have an iron will like that id try all of the above and good luck to you, i quit myself and just smoke socially now, i found cutting back by filling the time with other things best i found was my partner telling me how bad i tasted to kiss and kept spending money i would set aside for my smokes until i just stopped craving due to not having anything to smoke.
I only smoked for 10 years myself not sure how much worse it would get for people that have smoked for longer, but either way i wish you the best of luck at it.
|
There are a bunch of people where I work who smoke and a few ex-smokers. One of them was talking about quitting yesterday. He went cold turkey at 35, after about 15 years of heavy smoking, and it took him six months before he felt like he had truly kicked the habit. He said that smoking messes with your potassium levels, so every time he felt like smoking he ate a banana. He also had to sever a lot of relationships, since being around some of his heavy-smoking friends was really difficult without smoking. His wife divorced him because he was "the meanest sonuvabitch in town" for 6 months. It's tough. He says the biggest benefit is being able to climb stairs again without resting at the top.
|
As a smoker for 7 years, I've tried to quit once and I went without smoking for a month. The only way to quit smoking (I believe) is to:
1) Do not go to bars/clubs 2) Do not go to school 3) Do not go to your job 4) Do not see your friends who smoke 5) Surround yourself with non-smokers 6) Eat a balanced diet + lots of water = you will feel better (by the first week, your lungs feel "cleaner") 7) Exercise A bit drastic? Maybe. But if you really wanna quit it's all on you man.
|
My friend said that whenever he got a craving, he went to the gym instead. He got pretty buff.
He also said that the craving never goes away, so you just need enormous will power.
|
kainzero, I think that's a self-fulfilled prophecy. Cravings will go away if you let them, but it's just such a huge cultural cliche that it ends up making itself true.
|
When you quit smoking, the times you get cravings are when you see people enjoy a smoke outside. That's usually when most people cave and buy a pack. =(
|
I've been smoking on and off for a few months now.
Sometimes it's 4 ciggs per week, sometimes it's half a pack a day, but I NEVER get cravings. If I had to quit for some reason I'd be able to do it in an instant with minimal withdrawal symptoms. I've stopped 2-3 times for a week or so too, so I guess nicotine has no addiction effects on me?
|
On June 19 2010 07:53 SoManyDeadLings wrote: I've been smoking on and off for a few months now.
Sometimes it's 4 ciggs per week, sometimes it's half a pack a day, but I NEVER get cravings. If I had to quit for some reason I'd be able to do it in an instant with minimal withdrawal symptoms. I've stopped 2-3 times for a week or so too, so I guess nicotine has no addiction effects on me? You say never get cravings, you say you have minimal withdrawal symptoms, yet you still smoke, and only managed to quit for "a week or so"...? How exactly is it again that you're not addicted?
Any, kudos, OP. Quitting any habit is hard, unhealthy or otherwise. Throw in addictive substances like nicotine, and that's war.
|
|
|
|