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  #1   ^
Old Sun, Jun-05-16, 07:39
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default Kinmount's Journey

Today is Sunday June 5, 2016. I start on a new quit program officially today. This first post will be my history. Subsequent posts will be my weekly goals and progress. I'm choosing to do this in tandem with LC because it doesn't make sense to heal my body from bad food, and kill my body by smoking.

I am 61 years old. I started smoking at age 20 in college. I grew up in a smoking family. My dad died of lung cancer in 1993. My mom had a smoking related stroke in 1987. My husband smokes, and has smoked all his life. He has no formal plans to quit with me.

Most of my life I have smoked 1 1/2 packs a day. I have tried to quit numerous times, with successes of 1 month, 2 months, 3 months and 4 months. My last success was this winter, when I was off for 4 months. I used the pill called Chantix. It is a magical chemical concoction that worked, but the worry of potential very nasty side affects sat on my shoulder like a nag for the whole 3 months I was on it. I don't want that again.

I have tried cold turkey, acupuncture, gradual withdrawal, homeopathic tintures, Chantix, Zyban, Wellbutrin, patches, lozenges, gum, mists, inhalers and electronic cigarettes.

A member here has a signature that says something like "It takes 39 days to learn a new habit" I've heard similar things during my working career. Googling that thought nets results spreading from 21 days to 66 days. I'm arbitrarily choosing 60 days as a goal to learn a new habit, with my own behavioral patterns and twisted logic behind that.

The worst time of day for me smoking is first thing in the morning. I sit in our lounging area in the garage (we don't smoke in the house or in MY car), drink 2 black coffees and chain smoke 8-10 cigarettes. It's a learned behavior that started when we were no longer able to smoke at work. My twisted mind rationalized this as "get as much nic in as you can before work cuz you can't smoke during your commute and have limited smoking opportunities at work". I've been retired for 13 months. That argument no longer holds.

One of my biggest challenges is that I am one of those people that really enjoys smoking. I like the break. I like the taste of menthol cigarettes. I like the quiet time. I like the reward.

The good news is that all of those likes have non-nic replacements. It just takes a change in behavior.

The success I had in the winter was due to 2 factors - the Chantix, and refusal to freeze my butt off in the garage over the winter. I knew that once warm weather hit I would be reaching a weak zone.

I enjoy retirement so much. I want it to last as long as possible. I know I have already done damage to my body. Some of that will never repair. Some of it will, like getting out of breath, and coughing from the irritation of the chemicals in the smoke.
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  #2   ^
Old Sun, Jun-05-16, 07:52
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Week 1 - Sunday June 5 to Saturday June 11

As I journey through this new behavioral path I intend to pull the successful parts of all previous attempts together and tweak a gradual reduction program on a week by week basis. When I make tweaks my goal is that they will be tweaks intended to move me forward, not set me back because it is getting too hard.

1. Do not have your first cigarette until 8 am or later.
I get up between 5 and 6 each morning. Starting smoking later will reduce the number of cigs in a day. It will help to unlearn linking smoking with morning coffee.

2. When I do choose to smoke, only have 1 cigarette at a time, and put at least 30 minutes between each cigarette. This will help unlearn trying to get as much nic in at a time from rationed breaks when I was working.

3. Limit your cigarettes per day this week to no more than 25 (1 pack).


This morning I did not meet goals 1 and 2. As I sat in my chair chain smoking, I was pondering life and developing my plan to quit and hold myself accountable here in public.

I still hope to meet goal 3 today.

It is now 9:45 am. I have already had 12 cigs. I only have 13 left for the day.

Today I will drink water and chew Thrive gum to get over cravings. Today I will focus hard on understanding the difference between the feeling of a craving, and the impulse of a learned behavior. I do not really know what a craving feels like. I smoke so often out of habit and at timed intervals that I do not believe I give in to cravings. I believe I give in to habits.

Last edited by Kinmount : Sun, Jun-05-16 at 07:59.
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  #3   ^
Old Sun, Jun-05-16, 08:02
cotonpal's Avatar
cotonpal cotonpal is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,283
 
Plan: very low carb real food
Stats: 245/125/135 Female 62
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: Vermont
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kinmount
Today I will drink water and chew Thrive gum to get over cravings. Today I will focus hard on understanding the difference between the feeling of a craving, and the impulse of a learned behavior. I do not really know what a craving feels like. I smoke so often out of habit and at timed intervals that I do not believe I give in to cravings. I believe I give in to habits.


When I quit smoking about 15 years ago (I was a pack a day smoker), one thing that helped a lot was learning that a cravng only lasts about 3 minutes so that if you can resist for 3 minutes you're in the clear. Of course that does not stop another craving from developing but it helps if each time you get the urge to smoke you tell yourself you only have to sit this one out for 3 minutes and it will be gone. I have no scientific corroboration for this but it did help me quit.

Good luck,
Jean
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Jun-05-16, 08:10
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cotonpal
a craving only lasts about 3 minutes so that if you can resist for 3 minutes you're in the clear.

Good luck,
Jean


Thank you for that! I think I will put Siri to work today.

"Siri, set timer for 3 minutes"

I am currently drinking water to resist going out to the garage. My pattern is to do something, then go smoke.

Clean bedroom, bedroom and bathroom, go smoke.
Clean livingroom, diningroom and kitchen, go smoke.
Sit for a while at the computer, go smoke.
Pull weeds from a section of the garden, go smoke.
BBQing is a disaster. I'm not good at it. I say to my husband "Do you want a 1 cigarette steak or a 2 cigarette steak?" (rare or medium to well)
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Jun-06-16, 05:16
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Waiting until 8 am for my first is REALLY hard. I'm walking around in circles.

Yesterday I made a list of little jobs to do, things that take 15 or 20 minutes each, when I feel the need to go outside. It helped to keep my mind off smoking.

I think today is going to be difficult.
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  #6   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 06:25
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Yesterday was really hard. I didn't make it until 8 am, but then I went 3 hours before the next. I didn't go over my ration for the day

Today I didn't even come close to 8 am. I have to figure out a different strategy for first thing in the morning.
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 06:33
GreekRibs's Avatar
GreekRibs GreekRibs is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,747
 
Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 212/169/150 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 69%
Location: Saskatchewan
Default

I'm super proud of you - you're doing something really hard. This thread is an excellent way to keep it front and centre of your mind. I love your itemized goals, taking it in steps, smart. Good luck!!
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  #8   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 09:31
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Greek Ribs, thanks for the support. Nothing in my life has been as hard as this.

I did a lot of soul searching and have decided to go back on the Chantix. It worked over the winter. I had ZERO cravings. I could not believe it. It was the easiest thing in the world.

I have been trying to quit since mid April when I started again. Last night and this morning I came to the conclusion that I could continue to fight this on my own, or with gum and patches and be miserable, or take the route that I know worked before. My fear of the side effects is unfounded as I had ZERO side effects the last time.

The doctor's office got me in for this afternoon. I'm taking the easy way out. That doesn't bother me. Any healthy way to quit is better than being miserable.

What I will be doing this time is working really hard at reducing my daily ration as I work up to my quit date which will be 2 weeks from when the prescription is filled. That much I owe myself to make the transition easier.
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  #9   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 10:59
GreekRibs's Avatar
GreekRibs GreekRibs is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,747
 
Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 212/169/150 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 69%
Location: Saskatchewan
Default

Fantastic - that sounds like a perfect decision. I'm so glad you found something that works. Woot! You're going to save money!! And kick this habit to the curb.
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  #10   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 13:24
calgal98 calgal98 is offline
New Member
Posts: 16
 
Plan: Atkins/Bernstein
Stats: 282/213/160 Female 68
BF:
Progress: 57%
Default

Good for you for getting whatever help is possible. I managed to quit cold turkey in February and haven't looked back. Hubby still smokes. I just WANT to be done! For me its habit. If I go out to our smoking spot I seem to reach for the cigs...not even thinking about it. I have to avoid the smoking porch. I'm not tempted, but its such an ingrained habit. Feel SOOOO much better not smoking!
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  #11   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 14:53
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Congratulations calgal! What a huge accomplishment. It's hard to stay away from the "smoking spot". I'm wishing you continued success.

I'm just back from the doctor's and have my new prescription. I got nervy and asked for more repeats on it and told him why I think I needed it. I told him how much I really smoked and what my habits were. He agreed to the longer prescription and told me how to, during the last month, gradually wean myself off the meds instead of abruptly stopping. That will help my body cope with being "normal" again.

They have a nurse there who is a quit smoking personal coach and it is free. I signed up for that. Doc says she has some innovative coping strategies that even he was impressed with. I have to call her tomorrow to make my first appointment.

I'm glad I've chosen this route.
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  #12   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 16:24
MickiSue MickiSue is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 8,006
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 189/148.6/145 Female 5' 5"
BF:36%/28%/25%
Progress: 92%
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Default

KM, this will work, won't it? You've got the help to avoid the chemical cravings, and will have the help to avoid the cravings based in habit.

Sugar was my biggest addiction. I smoked now and then, but never a lot. Lucky, I guess.

Keeping you in my thoughts.
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  #13   ^
Old Tue, Jun-07-16, 16:48
mojolissa's Avatar
mojolissa mojolissa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,494
 
Plan: DDF, Fung
Stats: 247/209/199 Female 66.5"
BF:kickin it
Progress: 79%
Location: Michigan
Default

You go girl!

Yes, you will have extra money to buy new beautiful clothes cuz you'll be smaller too!
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  #14   ^
Old Wed, Jun-08-16, 07:14
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

MS - it worked the last time so I expect it to work this time. Like weight loss, for some it is easy to lose (quit nic), but difficult to maintain. That's where my problem was. With a longer course of treatment and the coach, the pieces are in place for improved success.

MJL - yes! saved money for new clothes!!! I'm certainly going to be doing that math and on a weekly basis moving money into my savings account.

Last night hubby agree to try to quit smoking with me. His challenge will be different. He doesn't want to use meds, patches or gum cuz he's afraid with the blood pressure and heart meds he's on. It would only take a trip to the doc to ask some simple questions, but he's not that kind of guy. He doesn't even ask what his cholesterol numbers are. That's him. No point in fighting it.
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  #15   ^
Old Fri, Jun-10-16, 13:15
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

Picked up the Chantix today. Waiting for the quit coach to call back with appointment date. I'm stoked!
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