150 days quit
It definitely gets easier. I am now at a point where its easier just to stay quit. I have put on some serious weight but on the bright side I almost never consume alcohol. Used to be a 3 to 4 times a week alcohol drinker.
What I want to share is that cravings do completely recede
Good luck all !
The weight will come off with a bit of effort.I too cut down on the alcohol as not to tempt fate but also the calories involved.
A great cessation and congratulations. Be careful celebrating the New Year in everyone. Be Careful and Smoke Free!
May i ask you to help me understand why if in your posts you say you have never slipped, why would you think it easy to just smoke every other day. You did not accomplish your quit with that strategy. I should think that that would be a very difficult way of practicing to be a non-smoker.
Your 7 days of forced abstinence worked for you because it gave you the desire or motivation most important to you. Goes to show mindset is a great benefit. An inspiring story and a great journey to freedom!
Many years back I used to work with an older gentleman. I used to be a smoker then and this person was an ex smoker.
He said that instead of setting a quit date, do the opposite. Set dates when you will smoke and keep increasing the time between your smile dates.
I was quit for 5 years using this approach. Knowing that I could smoke on a set date made me obsess less. It took me a year to fully quit smoking but it worked.
Wow. So did you ever go longer than 72 hours, where you were actually free of nicotine?
I just know my three days cutting down to 3 and 5 smokes from 30 was challenging, and i knew to go any lower would be very uncomfortable, so why not jump and get it over with.
I knew you had your reason for your advice, i had just never encountered it before. Some thought i made a mistake in telling Pete, a new years eve quitter, to smoke and set a date and learn. He wanted to jump. Some could , but given the date, i didn't think he was serious. I think Smart Turkey is more adviseable.
Thanks so much for the reply. Different strokes for different folks. As long as we get to the same target, it does not matter how.
Sorry, but i have to add that most people can't do what you did. I wouldn't risk losing my non-smoker status now that i am free.
My hubby quit years ago, then rewarded himself every Thursday after hockey when a mate passed out cigars. A few weeks in, he buys a pack because he felt obligated. Sure, why not give the guy the pack, say thanks, .... but no he keeps them and smokes them! He smoked another 5 years/30 a day. Thankfully, he quit right after i did, no cravings.
NOPE. Don't ever regret it by taking the chance! Always be so happy and grateful that you are a non-smoker!
I would never recommend setting a smoke date for someone who is already quit. No Way! however, for someone who is struggling to quit, I'd say this is a pretty effective strategy.
I gave myself every Friday to smoke. So yes, there were multiple periods of 72 hours when I would not smoke. As Fridays passed, there would be Fridays I'd forget to smoke. When that happened, I set a smoke date around major events. Eventually the quit was a non-event. I don't even remember what my date was only that it was sometime after May of 2002.
Sometimes it just helps to control cravings when you know you are going to smoke soon.
My current quit is a strategy of distraction, except that I just stumbled upon it :-)
Hello Aniruddha. I just stumbled upon this reply of yours now. I now understand how you had no problem going smart turkey for your trip . You were well seasoned..lol. It reads like you did this differently from the first, like you said, not advisable to use your first method if already quit!
Isn't it wonderful what we can do if we have the will ! All the best to you.
this time it was suprisingly easy. I went through all the side effects but no major cravings excpet may be a couple of times I had too much to drink. now the streak is too long to just throw away.
good luck to you as well...