I think I'll quit, too...

[BF]

I smoked for at least 24 years (maybe even longer, but I'm afraid to admit it).....and I reeeeealy liked to smoke. I was really hooked. I guess that I was about a two pack-a-day guy...if not more. I liked to smoke after eating, after sex, when drinking, when driving, when doing just about everything....I liked to smoke.

However, I was getting tired of smoking....getting tired of what these stupid things where costing me and I was building up to wanting to quit.  I was thinking this is killing me, this is costing me a fortune and besides that, this is just about one of the stupidest things that I could ever be doing. I was working up to quiting but just didn't have the balls to pull the trigger yet.

Then....I got a really bad flu, and that's when I realized that I hadn't had a cigarette in two days.

That's when I said enough is enough. If I could put 'em down for two days, then I could put 'em down for another...and another...and another, untill day after day starting adding up to quiting.

Yep, I was hooked,.......and I really like to smoke......but if I can quit, anybody can quit.


Here's my advice...for whatever it's worth. 

Just keep ridin' burnin' gas. It's harder to light up in the wind.   


Seriously though, I quit Jan 3rd, '95. Haven't had a drag since. Here's what I have to offer for advice. Tapering down simply doesn't work (at least for me and most people I have know that've quit). The only and best way to do it is just quit.....put 'em down and never pick 'em up again.....ever.

You have to think of yourself as a non-smoker and look at others that do smoke and think to yourself that...."Man, I'm glad I don't do that anymore. Yeah, I'm a non-smoker. " ...And mean it.

Tell EVERYONE you're quitting. If they're good friends, they'll rag you terrible if you start back up again.

Quitting is intense, no doubt about it. At first, the impulses to light up come quick, come often and are very intense. You CAN get through it though....because those impulses, with time, WILL get farther and farther apart, and less and less intense day by day untill one day the light bulb goes off.......you're a non-smoker.

The urge to smoke gradually dissapates over time, but...and there's always a but...every once in a while, you'll still get that urge...even years into being a non-smoker. But don't give in...just get through it and you'll be okay. Even the urge after several years isn't all that intense and goes away pretty quickly and might only last for a couple of seconds or so.....then it's gone.

I can honestly say, that even years into being a non-smoker, that I still had the urge to light up seven or eight years into it...although the urge wasn't that great and that urge only happened just every now and then and was fairly rare. But every once in while, you'll get the feeling that.....man, a cigarette sure would be great about now.   

However, I haven't had one of those urges in years and don't even think about it now. Trust me, the urges DO go away permanently.  I haven't wanted a cigargette in years.  I haven't had an urge to smoke in years.  The last thing I want is a cigarette. 

You'll know that you've finally kicked it when you realize that you can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke anymore.....and when you notice it on other people and realize just how awfull and overbearing the smell really is. Trust me, that day WILL come.

Congrats people......Keep it up.  If I can quit, anyone can quit. 

[fordmano]

69 days smoke free for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HA HA HA!!! I said 69,,, cool


I had quit years ago for over 2.5 years and I remember having cravings EVERY day.. This time I have only had 3 instances of cravings and only 1 almost got me, but I am commited to stay tuff. I gotta keep saving my money to make the payments on my new 2009 Yamaha WR450F.. 


Lets get out and ride something.

[flamingobabe #44]

Day 14th and I think I'm winning this battle. I have finally started telling a few people that I have quit,

[Dag]

Day 14th and I think I'm winning this battle. I have finally started telling a few people that I have quit,

GREAT! I know it`s hard, but life is better.
Everything smells better, it`s a completely different experience to walk in the forest an feel all the fantastic smells.
I don`t have to put the flower into my nose to smell it now 
Food tastes an smell better...   
And I`m sure I smells better 

[Strong Eagle]

Today makes 1 year and 2 months without a smoke for me.  I quit in 1985 and did not smoke until January, 2005, when a buddy and I got so drunk in Singapore (also hadn't been so drunk in 20 years) that I lit one up.  Smoked from Jan 2005 to April 2008.

It was hard to quit... and I am glad I did... hard on the lungs of an ole pot smoker.

[Serk]

Day 14th and I think I'm winning this battle. I have finally started telling a few people that I have quit,

Congrats! Has food started tasting again for ya' yet? That REALLY drove it home to me when I realized now much I had NOT been tasting the last 20 years!

[6jugzz]

It's only been 900 days since I smoked my last one. I take it one day at a time. Still get the "want too's" every once in a while. Hope everyone that has quit is still quit. Maybe we need to put on a ride this fall "I only smoke tires" for the smoke free folks, open for all and maybe we can convert a few more.

[Misfit]

Rock on FB. We are all pulling for ya.

[Willow]

Day 14th and I think I'm winning this battle. I have finally started telling a few people that I have quit,

Congratulations, FB, you're at the point at which the non-smoking train is picking up speed. 

I had a friend once who used to advise those who were giving up smoking with these words:

"One day soon you may slip and light up a cigarette.  When that happens you can say to yourself, 'That's it.   I knew I was a smoker all along.' or you can choose to say, 'How about that?  I'm a non-smoker who just had a cigarette.'  The choice is yours."

Every day without a smoke is easier than the day before.

Be strong, and when you don't feel strong be determined for just a little while longer.

[flamingobabe #44]

Day 20 My son came over yesterday and he and I went out to dinner for Father's day, hg gone off shore, we toasted his dad and had a great time. The funny thing is as we were walking in, you could smell the old cigarette smoke and it was nasty. I guess I'm hooked as a quitter!!!!! Before hg left, his smoking did not bother me, we'll see what happens when he gets home. fb

[vanagon40]

Congratulations FB.  Before you know it, days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months . . . .

Three months for me last weekend.

[Serk]

Congrats FB for making it to day 20! Yeah, over time the smell of others smoking gets pretty nasty...

I never realized how bad I reeked, even an hour after having a smoke, until I'd been quit for a while. A smoker would walk by and I'd hafta suppress the gag reflex...

Can't wait 'till I can congratulate you in person at the BBQ next year!

[vanagon40]

BUMP--ROLL CALL!

100 days for me last Sunday

Let's see, Dag will be hitting 100 this week

fordmano not far behind

Joe ought to be about 4 months

flamingobabe should be 1 month or 30 days this week

who else?

Davred and Rachel not heard from in a long time

I'm sure there are others

How about it?

[flamingobabe #44]

29 days
today

[SteveL]

I quit in April, 1994 and I'm still proud of it!

It is one of the most difficult things I ever did. But also one of the most important.

[Ghost]

107 days tomorrow, I still have some bad days but these jaw breakers are doing a great job. They cost alot less also. I have fake teeth so as long as i don't break em, i am still money ahead. lol.

[flamingobabe #44]

well today is Day 41, it gets easier everyday WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo  fb

[DavRed]

Sorry we made to day 26 and failed this time. 
We will go down that road again soon I hope....

[Serk]

Congrats to FB! And Davred, don't beat yourself up over it, just determine to try again, and soon!

Just passed the 2 year mark a few weeks ago myself! It's been close a few times lately, stress has been getting to me over money, but if I'm having a hard time making ends meet now, trying to make ends meet while I'm spending $50-$100/week on smokes would be even harder, so I've managed thus far...

[Hellcat]

This is an inspirational thread. I read all 11 pages even though I've never been a smoker. I'm rooting for all of you!

[Dag]

No112 is a code from an alien ?

What do you think about this number ?
Is this an art, or a message ?
Who is a sender? A dog or an alien ?



112 is my number today 

[vanagon40]

[fordmano]

Looks like 102 days as of today.

Keep on keeping on "NOT" smokin that is.

I am a bit worried about my will power when we hit Vegas for Bike fest in October. We are gonna be doing a BUTT LOAD of drinking and we all know what happens when we drink our inhabitions drop and so does our will power and brain power. It is gonna be TUFF oh and there are a couple smokers riding with me also.

[Normandog]

well today is Day 41, it gets easier everyday WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo  fb

Way to go FB. I remember not long ago you were struggling to make the 2nd day. 
21 months for me.

[flamingobabe #44]

WOW! I thought today was ####50, but it is day 51 WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Serk]

WOW! I thought today was ####50, but it is day 51 WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats! I was starting to wonder, hadn't seen an update from ya' in a while... Glad to hear you're still a quitter! 

[flamingobabe #44]

DAY 60! WHOOHOO!!!

[Serk]

Cool! You can start counting your time in MONTHS now instead of days!

[jdunique]

I quit in July of 1972 while driving down US 19 in New Port Richey, Fl in a LP gas tanker, through the new pack (26 cents in them days) and my Zippo out the window and have never looked back, quitting was easy, don't know why I ever started in the first place but I will have to agree you have to just be tired of it and want to quit. NOW IF I COULD ONLY QUIT EATING

[vanagon40]

I quit in July of 1972 . . . [threw] the new pack (26 cents in them days) and my Zippo out the window . . . .

Hey, you quit about the time I was smoking my first cigarette.  BUT, when I quit, I did not throw my Zippo out the window, instead I still carry it and keep it filled (although it is often out of fluid because I do not "check" it 30 times each day as I used to).

Check this out:  since my 16th birthday--days smoking: 12,722; days not smoking: 139 (okay, I did not smoke EVERY day since I was 16, but I smoked 99.9% of them, you get the picture).

Money saved since I quit:  $1,042.50 (pack and half a day at $5.00 per pack).

[vanagon40]

Hey, wanted to bump this to the top again.  The new post is good, but Wilow reports that this post is still coming in third behind the "I rode to work today" and "Motorcycle Pictures" posts.

How about we get a few new quitters and see if we can't bump this post up to at least second (and maybe when the weather changes for a lot of us, we can try for first place).

Yes, I understand that this is a motorcycle forum, but quitting smoking is really cool, and I don't care who you are.

[flamingobabe #44]

69 days for me, I know Serk, you said count in months, but I like counting in days FB

[Serk]

69 days for me, I know Serk, you said count in months, but I like counting in days FB

Hey, whatever gets ya' through the day! Congrats again!

69 days...

Assuming 1 pack a day, and $5 a pack, that's...

$345 you haven't burned up so far!

Had any luck convincing Mr. Glue of joining ya'?

[flamingobabe #44]

Serk, hg will make that decision when it is right for him, anything I say or do will not convince him, he owns himself and I just get to share it with him, lucky me!!!!

[Misfit]

69 days for me, I know Serk, you said count in months, but I like counting in days FB

Rock on fb!

[vanagon40]

[vanagon40]

WOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SIX MONTHS FOR ME TODAY.

I decided that with the money I saved for the first six months, I would buy something that I wanted that I could never justify spending the money on--a present to myself.

Well, I was able to buy this:

[vanagon40]

And this:

[vanagon40]

And this:

[Slick]

Well I have decided that Wen. 9/23 will be my last day of smoking- I too wish to be a quitter. So Thurs. 9/24 will be day #1

Wish me luck please !!!!!!!