If I Can Quit Smoking, You Can

Joined
May 11, 2009
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505
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Ada,Oklahoma
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2014 FJR 1300 ES
Re: IF I CAN YOU CAN

Congratulations!

Any tips for those of us considering quitting?
For me it was the cost. I was 30 at the time (started smoking when I was 15), and spent most every weekend at the lake with my friends. We would go on Friday after work and stay until Sunday afternoon. On one weekend I was sitting in my fold up chair at the lakeshore thinking about my income and how to spread it out to cover all the things I liked to do. It occurred to me that the cost of one week of cigarettes was about the same as a weekend at the lake. That was all it took. I was able to quit that day, had no craving problems and after a couple of years the smell of smoking even became unpleasant. That was 36 years ago and every now and then when I see someone smoking I think how much money that it would have cost me to still be a user. There is something (cost, health benefits, inconvenience, maybe your spouse, etc.) that will be worth more than the pleasure of smoking?.you just have to find what that something is and switch your mind off smoking and over to the item of more value and it will be easy.
 

ST1300 Alicia

aka GSA Girl & KLR Girl
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Central California
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I'm a Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner and my Job Relies on people who have breathing problems. I sometimes will thank my patient's for Smoking. As rude as that seems they get the joke and it is often a key point in my teaching. I ran into a patient 18 months later and she said that every time she lit up she thought about me. She had quit for over a year and she never felt better. She gave me a Big Hug. Nicotine is a very addictive drug. It's a tough one to kick. There are several FREE Programs out there. Take advantage of all that you can.
 
Joined
May 4, 2009
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323
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Saguenay QC Canada
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2008 ST1300
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8410
I quit for good in '96. Never touched a cigarette since, but I still consider myself to be a smoker who is not smoking at the moment. I know if I smoked one cigarette I would start smoking again like I had never stopped. It took maybe 4-5 tries over a period of 2-3 years. I get cravings only once or twice a year now, but I still dream about smoking from time to time and I wake up feeling so disappointed with myself...

My way of getting past those first few weeks was to brush my teeth every time I really needed a cigarette. The time it took to go to the washroom and brush my teeth and come back, the craving was gone and my mouth felt all nice and clean.

Really hard habit to get rid of. Hang in there, and if you fail, try again.
 

T_C

Joined
Mar 8, 2012
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4,341
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St. Louis, MO
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2005 St1300
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8568
Quit smoking in late 2000, quit hacking up stuff from the lungs 6 months later. Really... all that stuff was building up down there.

Don;t think I will ever get back the lung capacity I had before I started smoking, but I am still more than happy what I did get back.
And I don't stink (too often) anymore. No wonder I never got married...

Yep, you can be at a stoplight and smell someone smoking on the other side of the intersection.
No more film all over the windows!
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
289
Location
Olympia, WA
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2003 ST1300
I'm a Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner and my Job Relies on people who have breathing problems. I sometimes will thank my patient's for Smoking. As rude as that seems they get the joke and it is often a key point in my teaching. I ran into a patient 18 months later and she said that every time she lit up she thought about me. She had quit for over a year and she never felt better. She gave me a Big Hug. Nicotine is a very addictive drug. It's a tough one to kick. There are several FREE Programs out there. Take advantage of all that you can.
I'm a Nuclear Medicine tech and I operate a PET scanner to detect and stage cancer. Smokers are 40% of my business. If you quit smoking, I'll be out of a job. If I lose my job, all that's left for me will be fishing and riding and BBQ.
PLEASE QUIT SMOKING!!!

As a serious suggestion, a way to help you quit is to enlist your friends to be your support and cheering buddies. Don't wait to get cancer to start a prayer line. Have your friends pray for your strength now!! and show them and your family respect by quitting, now!
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
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144
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52
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Bennet, Nebraska USA
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2005 ST1300
This is one of the coolest threads on this site! I had an almost father-in-law that put the money away the same amount as if he was a two pack a day smoker. He used the money to by his fishing and hunting trips at the end of the year. I think he bought his best hunting dog that way too. :shout1: MUCH BETTER THAN KILLING HIMSELF WITH ACTUAL SMOKING! We want all of you around a long time to ride with, congrats to all those that quit! :yr1:
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2004
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829
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Medina, Tennessee
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2021 Tracer 9GT
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375
I put them down after 10 years in 1982, one pack a day. Cold turkey.
Both of my parents died from complications of many years smoking, dad from COPD, mom from mouth cancer. Both horrioble deaths.
Both of my living brothers are Pulmologists. The dead one smoked.
No one hates smoking more than I do.
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2014
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1
Location
Crossville, TN
Two packs per day for years and years. Always wanted to quit and tried many many times. Always failed, and right back at it. One day I realized that if I ever got sick... that everyone including my kids would chalk it up to me being a dumbass. I didn't want my kids to remember me that way. Quit that same day, April Fool's Day, 2012.

I have never looked back. Besides my kids... quitting smoking is the single thing I'm most proud of. It was hard. And it was worth it :)
 
Joined
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soCal
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Two packs per day for years and years. Always wanted to quit and tried many many times. Always failed, and right back at it. One day I realized that if I ever got sick... that everyone including my kids would chalk it up to me being a dumbass. I didn't want my kids to remember me that way. Quit that same day, April Fool's Day, 2012.

I have never looked back. Besides my kids... quitting smoking is the single thing I'm most proud of. It was hard. And it was worth it :)
Good for you!!! I just lost a good friend who was only 61 who quit multiple times, but always came back. He had a heart attack while exercising. I thought smoking was only bad on your lungs, but learned its also bad for your heart as well. Never smoked myself, so never paid much attention to what negative health effects it had. He was skinny as a rail so I was surprised to see him go so young, he was one of only a few people I know who smoked.
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
51
Location
Cork, Ireland.
Bike
2004, ST 1300
Stopped smoking fifteen years ago. Smoked about 40-50 a day.
Up until then I could never understand why I couldnt afford a motorbike, within three months of stopping I bought my bike, now I have three :) :) :). Jim.
 

bcnu

o&o>
Joined
May 4, 2014
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Cheyenne
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my last one was August 17th 2012
I used Zyban to stop
smoked 2 packs a day for 37 years
there are times I think man I sure wish I had a smoke. wow I enjoyed it.
but so far I have not had one and hope that I do not
 

JQL

Growing old disgracefully :)
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
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207
Location
Essonne, France
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NT700VA
You will only stop smoking if you have a really good reason to do so. Else why stop?

Over 24 years now since I stopped. 60 to zero overnight.
 

Gug

Joined
Mar 6, 2005
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564
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70
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Trenton, MI.
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18' Goldwing Tour
I quit in 92'. Just remember "If you don't light the first one you will never have this problem again" and when you are tempted, play it all the way through rather than get caught up in the moment in a frenzy, i.e. where is it going to get me, what will it do for me...
 
Joined
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Ottawa, ON
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ST1300A
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8498
I quit when my son was born, never wanted him to see me smoke. He's 30 now and has a son of his own.
But the cravings still come and go...
 
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
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292
Location
Vernon BC Canada
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09 ST1300
[quote;1788700]Cant stand the smell or taste...DUH! have to get my head around it...[/quote]
After 23 years of unsucessful attempts to quit my pack a day smoking, I too despised the way that little stick controlled me. I stopped 6 years ago and never looked back. Spend 20 bucks get yourself the little paperback book "Allen Carr's Easy Way to stop smoking" This book will wrap your head around the reasons you smoke. Every smoker knows best why they shouldnt smoke, but this book discusses why they do, and I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone.
 
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