Any former tobacco users??

[JDean3204]

Since getting out of the military and pursuing this goal of becoming a pilot I have put my health on the back burner. Aside from spring/summer 2013 which I worked out hard to drop some weight, I have steadily gained weight and every time I start working out, I let a life issue stop my routine. I am a week away from finishing training at Horizon, and have a goal of working out and eating healthier. I know, everyone says that they want to lose weight and etc, but this I need to do because I've just been feeling like dog dung lately and I know my lack of healthy living is the main contributor.


The main issue I want to squash this summer is a dirty habit I picked up when I was in the military, that is chewing. I have found myself lately going through about a can every two days and about a can a day when I was in between jobs last month. I use that garbage as a crutch, and it irritates the hell out of me. It is a gross habit that I'm embarrassed of, but it has gotten to the point where I was even putting a chew in during our 5 min breaks in sim training last week. I also cannot drink more than a beer without a chew going into my lip anymore. No good for the wallet or my jaw.

I have read back into this section to gain good tips on eating healthy on the road, bought a strong bags setup with a cooler to aid with that once I hit the line. I know lifting will be out of the question on the road, but have resistance bands and running shoes for my exercising activity on the road.

Not yet sure where I'm going with this post, other than maybe wondering if anyone else has quit chewing? I have tried to quit many times, making it about a week at the most before I stop by the store and grab a can.

I'm hoping that if I can start getting into shape again, that will ad to my motivation to quit chewing. Because the way I'm going, I'll be out of the game long before 65 without a mouth, high blood pressure and other health issues related to bad diet and no exercise..

 

[killbilly]

This is about motivation.

I quit smoking after more than 20 years. Pack a day average, but pack + 10 at the heaviest.

Tried dozens of times. The thing that got me to finally quit?

1) New relationship with my now-wife. During that honeymoon phase, realized that sex without nicotine/tobacco was VASTLY improved.

Quitting was....not exactly easy, but attainable, after that realization.

2) Money. Figure out what that stuff costs and it's downright embarrassing.

Coping with cravings was a task in mantras: 'it's a craving, it will pass - just hold out 20 minutes and see if you still really want a smoke...' - and, invariably, the craving would pass.

Had to cut down the drinking because tobacco and booze go together like peanut butter and jelly. Had I quit drinking altogether, I might have quit faster and not gained some of the 20 pounds I put on. That being said, I needed at least 10 of them. But curbing alcohol definitely helps.

Exercise does help in that it reduces stress levels, and that keeps you on the mental game of dealing with the cravings. And as you get older you need more exercise just to maintain.

So. Find out what will motivate you to stay nicotine free. For me it was sex and money. In that order.


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[BigZ]

Switching to a different way of consuming tobacco helps. Preferably something that requires time to be enjoyable. For me it was a smoking pipe vs cigarettes. I still smoke, but nowhere near as much as I did. Used to be at least pack and a half a day (figure $250-300/mo), now it's more like $40/mo, stinks way less, takes up less time etc. Still not ideal, but I haven't bought cigarettes in over a year and a half and the couple of times I bumped one off of a student (was teaching Turks how to fly and those guys create local IMC when they have a break) cigarettes tasted like crap and left me with zero desire to pick up smoking them again.
Alcohol is a factor, drinking will make you reach out for tobacco - so keep that in mind. For "burning tobacco" coffee works the same way.
Resistance bands are awesome, helped me get back into exercising since you can pack them anywhere you go and I generally prefer working out in peace and quiet vs gyms.
If by chance you do decide to switch to pipe, Missouri Meerschaum corn cobs work best for starters, are cheap, and you won't be smoking them to show off.
Tobacco - pipesandcigars.com offers best selection and prices. And you get in the habit of not running off to a store when you run out.

 

[milleR]

Quitting sucks.

I dipped for almost 20 years and was going through a can or more of pouches every day at one point. I finally got scared enough of the long term health effects on my mouth that I switched to e-cigs and finally a vaporizer, rationalizing that I would be able to wean myself off nicotine that way.

What actually happened is I started increasing the nicotine content in the fluid until finally, after about 3 years I just said enough is enough and quit completely when I ran out of coils one day.

I still have cravings. It takes effort to not run around the corner to the gas station and buy a can some days. If somebody else is dipping or smoking I want to join. Every once in a blue moon I'll treat myself to a cigarette but I never wind up enjoying it as much as I thought I would. Stress and/or boredom are my triggers so I just try and be aware of that and fight the cravings when they act up.

Good luck man, quitting is hard but it's worth it!

 

[jskibo]

This is about motivation.

I realized that sex without nicotine/tobacco was VASTLY improved.

"Do you smoke after sex?"

I don't know, I never looked at it.........

 

[bimmerphile]

Important thing to remember is that if you fall off the wagon after a good stretch of being tobacco free, don't go into a tailspin and dive back into a regular habit. If you bum a dip off someone one night, don't wake up the next morning thinking "I failed, well I guess I can't quit" and go buy another can. Forgive yourself and realize that you'll probably have several hiccups during the process, shoot, maybe even the rest of your life. Don't make it an excuse to dip, though.

My strongest cravings usually occur when I'm away from home a while. I read somewhere that habits are harder to kick when you're alone, as you have no one to keep you accountable and it's a coping mechanism for your brain when it's in an unfamiliar setting (eg, away from home). So this job doesn't exactly make it easier.
Good luck, cold turkey works best! Exercise will help. If you used to dip at night, your sleep quality will improve dramatically.

 

[SKYROCK]

You can do this. I've tried 1000 times but I've got a run of luck lately. This thread is helpful. Try to look at smoking and cancer as one of the plagues. ASH ASHERAH ASHCROFT.

By the way, the tobacco industry lied about trying to coerce young people with cartoons. They never admitted this in court but they were trying to seduce young people into lifelong suffering.

 

[killbilly]

Important thing to remember is that if you fall off the wagon after a good stretch of being tobacco free, don't go into a tailspin and dive back into a regular habit. If you bum a dip off someone one night, don't wake up the next morning thinking "I failed, well I guess I can't quit" and go buy another can. Forgive yourself and realize that you'll probably have several hiccups during the process, shoot, maybe even the rest of your life. Don't make it an excuse to dip, though.

This is really good advice, too. You might backslide. It might take several attempts. But you'll get there. Just keep at it.

 

[SKYROCK]

I agree. The identity and the label, furthermore counting days, are most unhelpful in my opinion. Forgive yourself and move on. Label yourself as a nonsmoker...that's been helping me lately. Labelling is so much abusive psychiatry in my opinion. Its about the money and keeping you in repetitive cycle of needing treatment.

 

[JDean3204]

Wow, I was contemplating even creating this thread last night as it is just an embarrassing habit to admit. But I'm glad I did, thanks for the words of encouragement. It really helps when I know others are going or have been through the same situation. Quitting tobacco is such a mind game, for the lack of better words

 

[bimmerphile]

Wow, I was contemplating even creating this thread last night as it is just an embarrassing habit to admit. But I'm glad I did, thanks for the words of encouragement. It really helps when I know others are going or have been through the same situation. Quitting tobacco is such a mind game, for the lack of better words

It feels great over time once the frequency of cravings decreases. You may be grumpy when you're in an initial withdrawal period, just take a few super deep breaths, drink some water and think about what your brain is doing to you. You can do it!

 

[poser765]

Wow, I was contemplating even creating this thread last night as it is just an embarrassing habit to admit. But I'm glad I did, thanks for the words of encouragement. It really helps when I know others are going or have been through the same situation. Quitting tobacco is such a mind game, for the lack of better words

Dude, no, you are not alone. I've been trying to quit smoking for awhile now and it aint easy at all. Stuff like this helps...seeing others struggle and knowing you aren't alone.

 

[BigZ]

It feels great over time once the frequency of cravings decreases. You may be grumpy when you're in an initial withdrawal period, just take a few super deep breaths, drink some water and think about what your brain is doing to you. You can do it!

This and stay TF away from anything with ammonia in it. For some obscure reason smelling that stuff ups the grumpy tenfold. Wife cleaned bathroom mirror with Windex and that sent my Quitting 2009 into I-hate-everyone mode.

 

[NickH]

Important thing to remember is that if you fall off the wagon after a good stretch of being tobacco free, don't go into a tailspin and dive back into a regular habit. If you bum a dip off someone one night, don't wake up the next morning thinking "I failed, well I guess I can't quit" and go buy another can. Forgive yourself and realize that you'll probably have several hiccups during the process, shoot, maybe even the rest of your life. Don't make it an excuse to dip, though.

This x1000. You are not an addict. You are not incapable of controlling your life. It is up to you and your desire and strength to succeed. Just as in every element in life, we are not perfect, but the goal is always worth it.

 

[SetClimbPower]

I've quite smoking about five times in my life. Usually it's smoke for 1-2 years, quit for 1-2 years, etc. Nicotine is an evil crutch. Unfortunately, I run into something depressing or incredibly frustrating and I'm back on. This time around I am back on, but plan on quitting soon as it's starting to make me feel like crap again. Once you're off, you'll feel better. Like the other posts say, find your triggers and stay away from them. My best advice is to also note what habits trigger the need for a nic fix. The cravings never bothered me as much as the habits. Stop smoking (in your case, chewing) in the car. No after meal fix. No after flight fix. You get the point. I also found that the longer in the day you can put off that first dose (and yes, it is dosing as nicotine is a drug) the better. Eventually it's so long into the day you decide to not use. Quitting cold turkey is not the best for everyone. Just ease into it. As I mentioned, wait as long into the day as possible. If you can get into the evening, that first hit will be so strong it will make you dizzy and you won't want to finish it. Keep that going and you quit in no time. But if it takes two months, than so be it. Don't stress over quitting. The stress will make you want to use more. It's just a process. Your body will adapt, you will feel better, and your wallet will thank you.

If you need another motivator, stop buying rolls and buy them as individual cans. Even consider waiting to buy more until you're in somewhere expensive like New York. When your body says it's ok to quit, DO NOT feel bad about throwing away a half used can. This is not something you're trying to get your money's worth. If you can bring yourself to throw away tobacco because you don't want it, you just beat the tobacco company. Good luck!


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[gne in prog]

Plan an awful weekend to go cold turkey. Buy a ton of gum and chew the hell out of it. After a couple days the urges become fewer. Buy bags of sunflower seeds. when you want a chew have some seeds instead. Giving your mouth something to do will drastically reduce the urge for chew. A few weeks of that and you won't really want chew anymore. And when you are eating sunflower seeds a lot less people will look at you like you're filthy as when you're chewing.

Don't start vaping or some other non sense, that isn't quiting, it's just changing the delivery method.

 

[matthew]

I quit chewing and the two big things that helped me were gum(cinnamon gum worked best) and seeing the degradation of my teeth and gums. The only way to do it is cold turkey. It took about 4 days for the crippling addiction to go away and then another month or two for the urge to go away. It was the hardest thing I've ever done.

In my mind nicotine was the perfect stimulant. Chewing made so many of my hobbies much more enjoyable. It really helped to give those hobbies up for the 2 months it took to truly quit so there was no urge. Before I quit chewing I also quit smoking. The key there was to give up hobbies that triggered the need for a cigarette: eating until you're very full, drinking, being around other smokers.

Bonus tip: when chewing gum alone isn't working, start packing the gum in your lip after you've chewed on it for a bit. If that doesnt work, take it out and cover it in decent heat hot sauce and then pack it in your lip. For me the burn really helped the first week go by. Also, exercise can replace the endorphines your body is craving. Recommend that as well.

 

[bimmerphile]

They make herbal chew or coffee dip pouches to keep the habit without the nicotine, I've never used them though. If the oral fixation thing helps you through withdrawals, normal gum or the fake dip may be worth a shot

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[ahw01]

oral fixation

Giggidy

 

[Bear]

For me so many years ago in the military, it was the triggers. All said and done, the feelings and sensations of zero nicotine has been so worth it. Today, just a whiff of tobacco is revolting. I do get my fix with many cups of coffee.

"Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the situations where you smoked or chewed tobacco most often, such as at parties or bars, or while feeling stressed or sipping coffee. Identify your trigger situations and have a plan in place to avoid them entirely or get through them without using tobacco.

Don't set yourself up for a smoking relapse. If you usually smoked while you talked on the phone, for instance, keep a pen and paper nearby to occupy yourself with doodling rather than smoking."
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/nicotine-craving/art-20045454