How did you stop smoking cigarettes?
I started smoking in 2007 and completely quit in 2014. Soon I realized this was a serious self-destructive habit and probably in 2010 I started trying to quit which I found very difficult.I was trying to cut back one by one but that strategy didn’t work.I tried to make Friday no-smoking day, didn’t work for me.I tried few other random ideas but all in vain :(But finally how I did this is still a surprise to me.In 2013 I moved to Munich and met a guy who was training for the ironman triathlon (and finished in 2014). He is one of those rare persons who has taken the fitness evangelism as their religious responsibility and at the same time has a pleasing personality. He persuaded me to run for a marathon. And I did it. Picture as proof from my first half marathon, the person crossing the finishing line is meI may sound illogical but running marathon actually helped me to quit smoking. I had to practice for months before the marathon event and soon I found that if I had not smoked I could run better. Running a half marathon may not a big thing for many but for an non-sporty person like me it was a big step.There were few more like me in the group and we were all very excited about the event. I was so geared up that I started smoking less and less as the event was coming closer.Then suddenly I realized that this was my only chance to quit smoking and if I can’t make it this time I will never be able to do it. And by the time the event was over I had completely quit smoking.I don’t run anymore and I don’t think the one marathon event brought much benefit to my health. But surely it was the key to quit smoking for me. I thank the person who persuaded me into this and I am sure he is touching many more lives unknowingly.
Can nicotine patches make your breath smell like cigarettes?
It's not the nicotine (so not the patch) that causes the smell, it's the tar and smoke. If you're stuck in a room or car with smokers for a while, you can smell of it, otherwise I assume he (or his aura) smoked.
Any tips on quitting smoking?
Mind over matter. Decide what kind of person you want to be and behave like that person. "I am an attractive, healthy, non-smoker." Does a healthy, attractive person smoke? No - so when you think about taking up a cig, tell yourself that you are not the kind of person who smokes . If you screw up and have one, forgive yourself, but don't give up and go back to smoking. Reassure yourself with positive affirmation every night. Look yourself in the mirror before you go to bed and recognize all your accomplishments for the day - "I went for 6 hours without a cigarette, and then I only had one." Or, "I went all day long without a cigarette - I am in control of myself! I rock!" Make sure you recognize your accomplishments and don't beat yourself up for your mistakes. Every day, it will get easier to not smoke because you'll enjoy looking at yourself in the mirror and talking to yourself nicely. If you do that, you will negate any desire to berate yourself for messing up and smoking. You'll find you will feel more powerful and in control of your destiny, rather than a slave to a vice. End your positive affirmations by congratulating yourself for having the wisdom to want to live a healthy life and tell yourself, "I love you." I know, it sounds corny, but it works with any problem I'm working on.
Tips for quitting smoking, Going cold turkey....?
I was a two-pack-a-day chain-smoker who quit cold turkey in 2003. Never touched another one. One night my body just said NO MORE CIGARETTES. It was as simple as that. I had a choice: I could smoke, or I could breathe.
What are some tips for people trying to quit smoking?
E-cigarettes (and lozenges and patches and gum) do not break the nicotine addiction, which is very powerful. They are also expensive. In my view, you need to quit cold turkey, as I did, instead of draw the process out with other items that deliver nicotine. Some things that helped me: 1. Without at first intending to quit, I had cut down to around half of my usual consumption of cigarettes for about three weeks, owing to a minor medical issue that I thought smoking might be aggravating. The fact that I did this more easily than I would have expected is what led me to decide to quit altogether. However, because I'd somewhat reduced my dependence on nicotine during those three weeks probably made going cold turkey easier than it would otherwise have been. 2. Tic tac breath mints. I sucked on these for over a year, a lot of them each day. They involve less than two calories per mint, so they can also help you avoid substituting food for nicotine. I didn't gain a pound, and I think I owe that to the tic tacs. 3. Sucking and chewing on a plastic straw. I kept straws everywhere. As another poster suggests, sipping water through a straw could also be useful. 4. When I told my doctor I was going to try to quit, she offered me about two weeks worth of Xanax to get me over the initial hump. I accepted that offer but didn't end up taking much of it. What was most helpful was simply knowing that the Xanax was there if I needed it. That very fact, I think, kept me from becoming so anxious that I DID need it. I am suspicious of other drugs that purport to help you quit -- some are just anti-depressants under another name, and they've been associated with some very problematic side effects -- but something specifically for anxiety really could help you. 5. Daily exercise. I took long brisk walks every day. You might find another form of exercise more enjoyable. I quit after smoking very seriously for over 30 years, and I am still amazed that I am now a non-smoker. Believe me, if I could do it, anyone can. Bear in mind that the desire for nicotine will always be there, but it will diminish hugely after a while. (It took about a year for me to start feeling that not smoking was normal, for the cravings to become fairly minor background noise.) You CAN do this. I promise you.