Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine I quit smoking!

Something else else tells me you don't need to be psychic to know their husbands don't love them on shows like that.

Cool milestone (well... to me, at least) today.

Measuring from one day prior (to establish a baseline) to when I started on the Chantix, I've crossed a threshold where - within the quitting process - I now have more days of being smoke-free than not:




I have to say, I am absolutely astounded at how well this method is working for me. I literally went from a pack a day smoker to zilch in just a hair over a week!

The vertical lines represent the start of a pack of cigarettes so, basically, my first pack after starting lasted over twice my baseline time. The second pack was started and never finished... I've still got seven cigarettes left that have just been sitting there for a week.

Initially, I was holding on to them as a sort of "emergency reserve" but... no more... after ten days of putting no nicotine into my system, I would be a lunatic to go for "just one more".

Into the trash with them!

Figures Exnihil would have a graph.

Some people do better psychologically if the cigarettes (or chips, whatever one's quitting...) are still there if they want them. If feeling deprived is an issue that's sometimes the way to go.

But whatever's working for you!

Chuck em. some place far away.

My experience from previous attempts at quitting.

Advantage of chucking them - if you get a craving late at night, after the store is closed or at times when getting to the store is too much trouble you can ride out the craving.

Disadvantage - if you break down after chucking them, you have to buy a pack. If you buy a pack you usually end up smoking the whole thing.


Currently - I haven't had a cigarette or pack in the house for a couple of months and haven't broken down. An incentive I have going, is that I am putting the money I used to spend on cigarettes in an envelope. Saving for a down payment on a new car.

If I remember right I heard of someone who quit and put one cigarette on the mantle, and promised that if he ever smoked another it would have to be that one. I think the idea of smoking the very one you've been turning down for years can help you avoid it, and it being only one can at least avoid the disadvantage Jerry mentioned.

Plus if you show off the cigarette as the one you aren't smoking, the idea of people seeing the cigarette gone could also help deter you.

Just spitballing ideas, you never know what might work for someone.

A lot of psych studies say people have finite willpower (so that's why the Green Lanterns have to recharge!), so if you spend all day turning down the cookies in the pantry you're more prone to having an extra drink in the evening. Little treats like Jerry's setting aside the saved money for a new car help replenish the willpower, so to speak.

CONGRATULATIONS, guys

I wonder where on the Emotional Specrum the Treat Lanterns fall?

Or are they just what kids carry at Halloween?

w00t! A full month down and still on the wagon!


So... what have I learned thus far over the past month?


1. Top of the list, no doubt... is that I am a freaking addict. I would always joke when people would tell me to quit smoking that, "I would... it's just that cigarettes really help me out with my nicotine addiction." Yeah... turns out that's not a joke. A month smoke-free and there hasn't been a single day when - at some point - I wasn't seized by the overwhelming desire to light up. The Chantix helped out with that immeasurably at the outset, but it was really wreaking havoc with my sleep, so I had to go off it a couple weeks ago. Nevertheless, even without it, I've held on... but it has absolutely been a painful struggle.

2. There is no real end point in the process. It's bizarre, right? This should totally be self evident, but "quitting smoking" isn't a definitive goal-oriented thing, like dieting to a certain weight, for instance. It's not like I've hit thirty days and can now celebrate with a cigarette. The only goal is, "Thirty days? Cool... now do another thirty." I'm not sure why, but I almost feel like that realization somehow makes it slightly easier... like I'm not just trying to accomplish some short term thing, but a complete change to my life.

3. Overall... not that many people smoke. This is a really weird realization but, having been a smoker, of course, I would have always been in places where other smokers gathered, so it always seemed to me like smoking was a fairly ubiquitous social activity. But once I stopped going to the gazebo, or the little spot outside or restaurants and bars and such, I suddenly realized what an absolute minority that group really is. Again... it's something that seems like common sense, but was actually pretty eye opening to me.

4. This is a foul-smelling world. One of the first things that changed for me after quitting was regaining my sense of smell and - trust me - for someone who is now acutely aware of scents, this place reeks of artificiality. For every natural aroma of cut grass and freshly grown flowers, there are like ten other scents of perfume and laundry soap and sprays and whatnot that are just assaulting us from every direction. Bleh. I need to start going to more natural places and stay the heck away from stores where crowds shop!

5. It turns out that I really dig yoga. I always knew that exercise was going to be part of my "rehabilitation" program, but I figured I would mostly focus that on running and hiking (as those are the things I've always gone to). While on vacation a couple weeks back, though, my buddy and his wife took me to their yoga studio a few times and I loved it! I'm going to be joining the studio here in my hometown, and I can't wait. Who knew?


Anyway, this post was mostly just for me... it sort of helps me to keep my focus on why I'm doing this if I can look back and see the things I wrote at certain points in the process... but if writing this down helps anyone else going through it (or thinking about it) all the better!

It's great that a couple of these insights you've gained are helping you come to terms with this process and making it easier.

You're right that not a lot of people smoke anymore. In a way, by smoking, you'd be missing stuff by losing out on what the majority of people are doing most of the time, if that makes sense.

And that's great on the yoga! I'm considering getting into it myself, mainly because one of the programs I created is an insurance program for yoga instructors (run by my client, who is also a well known yoga instructor, and now has become a good friend).

You can run daily morning yoga sessions when we get to Chicago!

Day 45 of being completely smoke free but suddenly - for no apparent reason whatsoever - I have been completely seized over these last couple of days by the overwhelming urge to have "just one". I haven't yielded, but... sheesh!

Man... stupid, stupid addiction.

It is so bizarre. I had, for a couple weeks, been fairly well adjusted about it, then - suddenly - there it is, back again.

The worst part is... I don't even feel like there's any specific trigger. I'm not overly stressed, no real problems... it's just... there.

But... it's times like this that I'm glad I've been posting here because... what did I say back in '09?





Well, there you have it. Thanks for the advice, 4-year younger Ex.

Man... so, Peebs or Jerry (or whoever), is this symptomatic of your own quits? I'm at six weeks, but did you guys get your own "dark night of the soul" at a certain point well into the process. Any tricks for getting through it?

Keep listening to X0-4.

I would guess it's very common to have different symptoms as your body goes through different stages of detoxification.

Just remember you don't really want it, it's only a craving and you can put it off for one more day.

Are you still on Chantix?

Keep strong, Ex! We're pulling for you (and Jerry). Remember, I specifically brought the subject up over our dinner! You told me you felt some need to smoke when you made stops over your trip down here because you had always done so in such instances. Maybe that has something to do with it? These coming weeks and months may be extra trying for you as you attempt to fufill your project.

You can DO it, Ex!!!

Thanks, guys!

No, Shiney... I dropped the Chantix after a couple weeks and have just been sustaining on will-power. The Chantix was amazing for the initial quitting. Literally 8 days after the first pill I was smoke free. It helped alleviate the worst of the withdrawal (no crawling skin, achy joints, anger outburst, etc.) but the side effects were pretty severe and were giving me insane insomnia. So, personal experience... it's great for that initial push... but I wouldn't continue more than a few weeks with it.

Paladin, yeah... you're right... the "road trip" effect was a bit harrowing, as - normally - I would have been having a cig at each rest stop. But I think that's definitely something I can overcome with time. Maybe I'll have to start buying a candy bar or something at rest stops. Of course, if I go that route, over time, I might have to adopt a new screen name. I hear "Lard Lad" is available.

It's real easy to trade one addiction for another, but then you often end up with both.

Oh yeah, Ex. That overpowering urge is the hardest part of the process. And, it sticks around for a while. The only advise I can give you is DON'T SMOKE. Not even one. Not even a quick drag. That first drag is the thing that always spoils it.


Still not smoking here and still on the Chantix. I'm going to take the whole six months to buy myself as much time as possible with the urge dulled.

I haven't had a cigarette in 50 years. If I can do it, so can you.



(stick in there guys!)

The Legion was only 5 years old when you quit! You must have been young.

Hang in there, Ex!!

I quit January 3rd 2010, I was a 2 pack a day smoker for over 20 years.

I used the Farmers Almanac to do so, the sign must be in the knees.

Great! I hope Jerry and Ex are still hanging in there...

Ex posted something on FB stating that he had hit the 100 day mark. So he's good.

How about Jerry? We're rooting for you too!

I haven't updated with my "quitting status" for a while because, honestly, at this point it's basically just become a natural state. I'm now eight months smoke free, and I self-identify as a non-smoker (even changed my insurance info... yay!)

But... I sort of felt it was necessary to post on Legion World today specifically, because today makes...


247 days!!!