I've Quit But Now ? .. ( Comments Welcome!! )

IT66T

Hi guys n girls !,

I stopped smoking just under 12 days ago now after 24 years of smoking between 6-40 cigarettes a day which is great and i'm really chuffed about it as after the last failed attempt back in 1994 i had doubts that i'd ever stop as i did really enjoy it ..

Now i've got the problem of wanting to munch on biscuits of a night which is making me frustrated as i've put half a stone in weight on since i stopped smoking :oops: so i've got some apples for munching on for the time being and because i've never been a big lover of fruit i'll tire of it eventually so the cravings will end and i won't have any nasty habits either so what do you guys n girls reckon and has any else that's read this quit recently and if so how you getting on ? ..

cr250noob

When i quit i used the nicotine mints and gum. Kept my mouth busy. Then went to normal gum, still have it now but at least it aint smoking. Also started doing more cardio work so i could really see and feel the benefits. Good job on quiting, one of the hardest things i ever did. Does get easier tho so just stick with it

IT66T

Well done mate as it's really encouraging to hear of others that have kicked the habit and chewing a bit of gum is a huge plus compared to being stuck on the patches so how long now have you been nicotine free ? ..

I'll be honest in admitting that i didn't believe at 1st that i was going to get to the point i'm at now as originally i was quitting because of cost and not because i wanted to but just a couple of days after i'd started to quit i spoke to a member on another forum who had stopped smoking 2 weeks before me and he had been on 40 cigarettes a day so i decided their and then that if he could do it then so could i and i never really looked back from that point on and i just went down the cold turkey route which led to me nibbling on biscuits at night but i've now swapped to apples and found myself feeling more energetic and even waking up early in the morning which i've never done before :shock: so i'm now feeling rather positive about myself ..

cr250noob

Wow mate, respect for going cold turkey. I had patches and the mints to start with then down to just the gum. Still took me 3 attempts on the smoking cessation scheme at my local pharmacy. Nearly 5 years free now

IT66T

Cheers for the compliment mate . You may have started with the patches and mints and then finished off with the gum but i've still got to admire your determination for not giving up even if you did take 3 attempts on the cessation scheme you still got their at the end of the day and 5 years on you've got plenty to be proud about as it isn't easy but you got their mate 8) ..

I went down the cold turkey route because i'd decided that i didn't want any form of nicotine near me at all and it seemed the quickest way to get it out of my system so my body could start the recovery process sooner rather than later ..

Polf

Congrats on the quitting. I gave up on new years day this year and haven't looked back. I also went cold turkey. Each to their own, but I dont believe that you can give something up, (Nicotine), by replacing it with the same substance, (Nicotine in a different vessel). I found that the biggest motivation was to keep getting out on the bike and seeing the improvement day by day. I honestly noticed a significant difference in my riding after only two weeks of giving up. I think that I had previously plateu'd when I was smoking and I wasn't going to get any fitter. Actually seeing the improvement is the biggest motivator to stay away from the evil weed. I no longer have to push my bikes up the hills and am now riding without using the granny ring on all but the steepest and longest of climbs, (Twrch Trail, Cwmcarn still not conquered without the granny ring) The money I have saved already is going to pay for an Alps adventure. Now if that isn't reward, I don't know what is. You are way past the hardest stage of giving up. Keep going and make sure you reward yourself.

stubs

Never smoked but a freind who quit a few years back drank a small glass of water every time he got the urge for a puff. He was peeing like a horse but it got him through the urge.

IT66T

Polf wrote:

Congrats on the quitting. I gave up on new years day this year and haven't looked back. I also went cold turkey. Each to their own, but I dont believe that you can give something up, (Nicotine), by replacing it with the same substance, (Nicotine in a different vessel). I found that the biggest motivation was to keep getting out on the bike and seeing the improvement day by day. I honestly noticed a significant difference in my riding after only two weeks of giving up. I think that I had previously plateu'd when I was smoking and I wasn't going to get any fitter. Actually seeing the improvement is the biggest motivator to stay away from the evil weed. I no longer have to push my bikes up the hills and am now riding without using the granny ring on all but the steepest and longest of climbs, (Twrch Trail, Cwmcarn still not conquered without the granny ring) The money I have saved already is going to pay for an Alps adventure. Now if that isn't reward, I don't know what is. You are way past the hardest stage of giving up. Keep going and make sure you reward yourself.

No i think you deserve to be congratulated more than i for going that long as i take it yours was a NEW YEARS RESOLUTION then which most people don't see through to the end but you've actually managed it so well done mate and that's a hell of a reward you've got their mate but well deserved for all that effort and it sounds like you've already reaped a very important reward by the sounds of how your cycling ability has improved 8) ..
so i'm looking forward to my eventual reward which will be a new bike as long as the Wife don't pinch the money for it lol :shock: ..

IT66T

stubs wrote:

Never smoked but a freind who quit a few years back drank a small glass of water every time he got the urge for a puff. He was peeing like a horse but it got him through the urge.

I gotta admire your friend for succeeding with that technique :shock: but i'm glad i didn't use it as i can pickle enough as it is ..

MrM

I quit 251 days ago (cold turkey) after smoking 20+ years. Used the money saved from not smoking to buy a bike which is now helping to trim the fatty bit of the belly. Well done for quitting

IT66T

Cheers mate , You've done really well to have been smoke free for 251 days now 8) and i take it you've put a bit of weight on like i had after stopping which shouldn't be a worry now you've got the bike which is a really excellent choice if i may say so and i'm thinking of getting a rockrider next year or maybe a voodoo but will have a test ride before i decide lol ..

MrM

Put on just over half a stone which I thought was good as I more than doubled my food consumption since quitting the smokes. Since I've had the bike I lost 6lb in weight and done about 450 miles. I do eat more to help with calorie loss and I sometimes take a pack of biscuits for pit stops

benpinnick

Ride more. Lots more. That way you can eat your a**e off and not worry about it. Simples.

IT66T

benpinnick wrote:

That way you can eat your a**e off and not worry about it.

I think i'd actually worry about doing that :shock: ..

IT66T

MrM wrote:

Put on just over half a stone which I thought was good as I more than doubled my food consumption since quitting the smokes. Since I've had the bike I lost 6lb in weight and done about 450 miles. I do eat more to help with calorie loss and I sometimes take a pack of biscuits for pit stops

That seems quite impressive but how long has it taken you to do 450 miles and when did you get your bike lol ? ..

MrM

Couple of weeks. Ive been doing 25 to 45 mile rides

IT66T

I use to ride 125 miles a week a few years back but now i don't have a decent bike and i'm a lot more tide up with the OH health issues so i'm lucky if i manage between 25-30 miles a week but i'm hoping to get up to at least 60 given time lol ..

MrM

Can be a mission trying to squeeze in the miles. Most of my mileage is done in the evenings

IT66T

Yep i got to agree with you on that MrM as i've only managed to get around 7 miles in this week which is leaving me feeling well disappointed but at least i've got some new shoes just arrive today for the old stead as the originals have all cracked so i just need the chance to get them on now ..

AlexJo

congratulations on quitting, definitely keep up riding your bike, stay hydrated and if you're getting bored of the fruit and worried that you're putting on weight as a result of replacing the craving with food then I can suggest having health bars, they will fulfill your craving for food, whilst keeping you fuller for longer so you shouldn't get the desire to eat more. Another bonus is they will give you loads of energy so it should mean if you can go riding or walking whatever you're feeling up for! I've recently started munching on some 9Bar products, have a massive range, savoury and sweet so not getting bored of them!You should definitely check them out and good luck!

IT66T

@Alexjo,
Thanks mate and cheers for the tip regarding the 9Bar as i've not tried them as yet as it use to be all power bars and energy drinks when i was last in to mountain biking and i learnt many moons ago about hydration the hard way :shock: and i've never been down that road since as it's just a plain horrible experience that i wouldn't wish on any body ..

I must admit that i'm loosing the craving for the munchies so it won't be long and i'll be totally habit free 8) ..

AlexJo

No problem! Hope you enjoy them, they have just released some new flavours I'd seen in the supermarket! That used to be such an issue that some brands would never update their products and it would just get really repetitive then my cravings would kick in! I'm still not sure on the best 'sports' drink that really works. They all try advertise themselves that they rehydrate you and replenish you but then what's wrong with water??

IT66T

Thanks again mate but i can't seem to find the 9Bars in my local super market so i'll have a look else where and as for sports drinks it's a tad tricky to find one that i'm happy with although tbh i normally stick with black current and apple fruit juice and rely on the old energy bars and banana's and i totally agree that their has always been a lack of choice when it comes down to energy bar flavours and those 9Bars aren't a particular shop brand by any chance are they ? ..

AlexJo

Noo I got mine from Holland and Barrats, you can also find them online! Not sure which supermarkets stock them, I think Tescos do! Not sure about the rest!Yeh I think i'll have to test try some drinks see which works best!

IT66T

Cheers for that as i'll ask my youngest daughter to pick me a few 9Bars up if she sees them in Tesco as she goes in tesco extra on a weekly basis and let me know how you get on with the energy drinks . I'm thinking of giving the latest lucozade a try as it's been a long time since i've had one and it should be interesting to see if it's as good as they make it out to be on telly ..

bolingbroke

I quit in the new year too! Once you get past three months you forget you ever smoked. That may differ person to person but I'm sure in every person all the withdrawal symptoms get easier the longer you've quit.

Keep going.

IT66T

Congratulations on quitting in the new year 8) but i find the fact you were binging on food only to make yourself sick quite a concerning matter and i think what you mean is that you forget you ever had the urge to smoke as no one ever forgets they ever smoked and it's been a quick 6 weeks for me which is a good sign as i'm finding my urge to eat more is slowly diminishing and the urge for the stinky coffin nails is no longer ..