KDXRIDER.NET

Hey guys... I'm gonna try to quit smoking in a very slow methodical way on the first of the year. If anyone is interested in trying this with me, it would sure help to have some support. Smoking has taken away my lung capacity when I get in trouble and have to physically turn the bike around on a hill or any time I have to kick it for very many times. What made me decide to do this? Moving this weekend.... My 73 yr old stepdad was helping me move and he had just as much if not more stamina than me. Made me think about a few things....Anyway... If your interested in trying this... let me know....

Im interested. Have you got any methods in mind?

Yes I do... a slow cut down method. This method is based off of a pack a day.

1.Two weeks of 15 a day.
2. Two weeks of 12 a day.
3. Two weeks of 9 a day.
4. Two weeks of 7 a day.
5. Two weeks of 5 a day.
6. Two weeks of 3 a day.
7. Two weeks of 1 a day.
8. Quit!

Cutting out 5 a day to start is easy.... One an hour.... that's the easiest.

Some simple ways to not have them available all the time is don't carry them with you, leave them in your car and don't smoke in the house (plays off of your laziness) Once I get down to 5 or less a day.... I may switch to an inhaler for ease.... that way I am not taking in an entire cigarette when the stress get's to me.

I've smoked off and on since 18, that's 30 years. Right now and for the past several years, a pack of smokes will last me a week. Here's what I did to cut that far back:
1. Never smoke at home. As far as my family is concerned, they have never seen me smoke in the past 10 years.
2. Never smoke around anyone you know. That means at work, or any place that someone knows your name.
3. Set up a day that you buy a pack. For me, it's monday. That way, if I burn through the whole pack early, I have to suffer. BTW since I'm usually around home, family or friends on the weekends, unless I run to the store or something, I go the whole weekend without a smoke.
4. Require a reason to light up a smoke. For example, I have one right after lunch. That's the best one of the day. I also have one when I get frustrated or pissed off about something, perhaps a task that I am doing that isn't going well. I'll step outside, light up and by the time I've finished it, I'm calm and usually have the problem refigured out in my head so I can get the chore done.
5. Never finish a cigarette. When you figure that your down to the last few puffs, crush it out. I hear that's the worst part of the smoke anyway.

Other suggestions: Buy a brand you don't normally smoke. The flavor will taste off and not as pleasureable.
Leave the pack open. By the end of the week, they will be stale or so dry that it will taste like your sucking flame along with the smoke.

You may wonder why I still smoke if I'm down to just a pack a week. I got to tell ya, I really enjoy it as a treat. Like dessert. The times I smoke are: right after lunch, that one's the best. When I need a break from work and I'm too focused to walk away. It helps me regroup and think about the problem I'm currently working on. They make me less hungry. Best of all is when I'm out fishing. Nothing like getting your lines in the water, everything set up, then light up a smoke and enjoy everything around you.
If there was a substitute, it would make quiting completely so easy.
I usually quit for the ski season since skiing at 10,000+ feet and smoking is REAL hard. It isn't fun, and they taste bad up there. But when spring rolls around and I'm out on the boat, or off hunting, all I think about is how I wish I had a cig about now. It's bad, but I suppose I do more risky things in my life than smoke a pack a cigarettes a week.

How many cigarettes are in a normal pack, 20?

It sounds like you have a lot of control of your behaior, skipro3! My problem is soft drinks!

The addiction isn't there, well physically anyway, it's mental. My body doesn't crave nicotine but my mind desires the distraction.

^ LMAO.....Ditto. This is exactly where I'm at after 10months of quitting(have cheated here and there for mentioned reasons).

Jason wrote:How many cigarettes are in a normal pack, 20?

It sounds like you have a lot of control of your behaior, skipro3! My problem is soft drinks!

Yea, I control my behavour alright. You did notice I happend to get myself banned TWICE from D R N?
And I never said smokes were my only bad habit, but since no one asked advice on them, I'll just leave it at that.
Soft drinks are one. Diet Coke. 6 cans a day. And now with that new Lime Diet Coke, wow!

Oh, 20 is correct.

How do you get to the point of not needing that last pack is my question/problem. I pretty much only smoke at work (don't smoke at home--don't have the urge) and it's about 4 a day; so a pack a week. The only time I really slip is when I'm at a party or a bar and then I'll have one. Work is boring and it's a diversion and I'm having problems getting past that.

-G

O.K. everybody:
I've been smoke free since the first week of December. How's everyone else doing?

Don't mind me, I have my head up my a$$. Didn't notice the date of the original postings.

[Edit]

I still reckon there's some weight to the Kawasaki Protocol idea tho...

Since our countries both rejected the Kyoto Protocol, perhaps we can lobby for a credit system whereby we gain a 2-stroke riding credit for every smoke we go without? Surely that would work out fair on the atmosphere. We could sell excess credits on eBay too... hmmm.

Down to a pack a day.... with the help of Zyban and the Nicotrol Inhalers!
I still take the Zyban cause it does help... The Inhalers.... what a joke! First off, the inactive ingredient is Menthol! I HATE Menthol cigarettes! Why would they think this is the norm?
I used to smoke 2 packs a day.... so this is good!

Good to hear!!! There are times..... Oh Boy.

HANG IN THERE, skipro3.

For the data collection efforts, I am still smoke free.

O.K. Checking in: Still smoke free. I have bummed 2 cigs since Feb and they tasted.....ehh.

My main motivation is a very good friend at work started coughing up blood. He quit and got such sever headaches, he can't work. Now, he's having to retire.

BTW I have put on about 5 more pounds but I've much more stamina than before. I don't tire from riding nearly as easily.

How's everyone else doing?

Still down to a pack... Lights instead of full flavors. Gotta work to get down further...

Butt 'em out sooner. Only smoke half a cig, then crush it. It's the second half that's worse anyway. That way your smoking is cut down but the missing activity isn't getting to you.

After a while, crush it out one drag less than half a smoke. Keep doing that and soon your lighting up, take a hit or two, then putting it out.

Congratulations, skipro3. You guys keep at it. Your health is the most important thing in the whole world.

I'm back up to a pack a day

Quit smoking, spend that money on bike hop-ups, then report back.