trying to quit smoking

[TUnit]

So I have finally decided I want to try and quit smoking. I got a blood test done for other reasons and it showed I was in danger of devolping blockage in my arteries. It said I had some inflammation. That has really given me a reality check and kind of scared me so Im going to really try this time.

I was just curious, I see all of these benefits that happen when you quit but was wondering how it would effect my muscles and workouts? Obviously it will be better, but I want to know will I see any changes in my workouts and muscle building.

[RangerDanger830]

I'm no smoker but I'd imagine as the smoke is inhaled into your lungs it costs your lungs with tar. This isn't new information to most people.

However, you have small sacs in your lungs called alveoli. This is where gases are exchanged when you breathe in and out. No doubt the tar coating the lungs must hinder this some. I imagine you would respire much better some time after quitting and the tar has dissipated.

Pretty cool info graphic I found one time here...there's a lot of this info out there if you google.

[Mp859]

I smoked for 6 years. One day I said screw this. Got to where I only smoked when I drank. I then quit drinking and was able to quit smoking all together. Feel SO much better now days. I tend to be overwhelmed though if someone is smoking around me. Makes me damn near gag. I have ZERO desire to ever smoke again.

Good luck man.

Ps- your appetite will increase as well. Which is a huge plus for me in regards to bodybuilding.

[bloodchoke]

I smoked for 6 years. One day I said screw this. Got to where I only smoked when I drank. I then quit drinking and was able to quit smoking all together. Feel SO much better now days. I tend to be overwhelmed though if someone is smoking around me. Makes me damn near gag. I have ZERO desire to ever smoke again.

Good luck man.

Ps- your appetite will increase as well. Which is a huge plus for me in regards to bodybuilding.

January 6th marked my eleventh year off of tobacco after smoking for 20 years. Same here, I can't breath in I'm in a room with a lit cigarette. And kissing a smoker tastes like rimming a dragon.

OP -- stick with it, boss. No matter what, it's no longer an option.
I don't know what direct benefit to hypertrophy, if any, exists. But, tangentially, your cardiovascular health and performance will improve, which seems like would lead to better sets, which would lead to better results.
(Bear in mind that ^this is just conjecture from a dilettante.)

[73rr]

I chewed tobacco for years. When I stopped I actually gained weight. Not much but I did gain. Not sure if that was fat, muscle, or started holding more water.

Hope that helps your question in someway

[MrFreshmaker]

I smoke since 15 yo,it means 25 years now!I usually smoked 2 packs per day,but it's been 5 months since i reduced to 1 pack,but i still don't have the guts to quit it

[jimmyinkedup]

My uncle did the ecig thing and it worked amazing for him.
He started with ones that had full nicotine and went all the way down to ones with zero nicotine.
Anyway I am no expert but I know after years of trying a bunch of diff things from patches to gum to even hypnosis I think (no BS) the ecig thing did the trick.

[DrewZ]

...And kissing a smoker tastes like rimming a dragon.

I lol'd - stealing this one.
Congrats

[NACH3]

I smoke since 15 yo,it means 25 years now!I usually smoked 2 packs per day,but it's been 5 months since i reduced to 1 pack,but i still don't have the guts to quit it

I chewed(dipped) for yrs when playing Baseball... Then got into drinking switched over to smoking... Quit/started back up was at 2pcks a day before and in the beginning of me becoming a member.

I'm now down to 3-5 cigs a day - wtf... I know I can do it but it's been b/c I didn't want too, but now I do(idk why I haven't just stopped it's completely not for this lifestyle or any imho)!

I'm certainly going to commit to this, now... I think either the patch(at a lower dose than the starting patch but it still makes me wired) cold turkey? Or maybe the Ecig as Jimmy stated... I'm putting it out there in the Universe so it's not something I can take back! Words are very powerful...

[MrFreshmaker]

I chewed(dipped) for yrs when playing Baseball... Then got into drinking switched over to smoking... Quit/started back up was at 2pcks a day before and in the beginning of me becoming a member. I'm now down to 3-5 cigs a day - wtf... I know I can do it but it's been b/c I didn't want too, but now I do(idk why I haven't just stopped it's completely not for this lifestyle or any imho)! I'm certainly going to commit to this, now... I think either the patch(at a lower dose than the starting patch but it still makes me wired) cold turkey? Or maybe the Ecig as Jimmy stated... I'm putting it out there in the Universe so it's not something I can take back! Words are very powerful...

3-5 cigs a day?Thats nothing bro,i wish i could do that!! But i think i need to try to quit it at once,cold turkey,cuz reducing it like this,it's pain in the arse,i mean counting cigarettes wtf?!Lol

[TUnit]

Thats what Im down to, about 5 or 6 a day. I use to be a pack a day and slowly cut one out at a time, and have been this low for about a year. But now its time to give it up. Im considering trying one of the e cigs, but I dont want to do them for too long because of all the mixed reviews

[GirlyGymRat]

Thats what Im down to, about 5 or 6 a day. I use to be a pack a day and slowly cut one out at a time, and have been this low for about a year. But now its time to give it up. Im considering trying one of the e cigs, but I dont want to do them for too long because of all the mixed reviews

Be very pleased with your progress. You can do this!!!!

Are you aware of your triggers. Focus on identifying and removing them. You will do well. Just decide to make a lifestyle change and protect against the triggers.

Bars, friends, anger, boredom....

Look at that cigarette and decide whats more important. I pick you!

[MrFreshmaker]

Be very pleased with your progress. You can do this!!!! Are you aware of your triggers. Focus on identifying and removing them. You will do well. Just decide to make a lifestyle change and protect against the triggers. Bars, friends, anger, boredom.... Look at that cigarette and decide whats more important. I pick you!

I wish it was so easy!After 25 years of smoking 2-3 packs per day hmm.. I don't know what will make me stop thinking of cigarettes...that's for me,but for the OP,i guess it's easier!

[bloodchoke]

I had the best luck using patches. I HIGHLY recommend quitting with a two-part approach; step one, break the habit; step two, get clean from nicotine. Trying to conquer them both at once is where people fail.
Step 1: use patches and just get used to not smoking. I recommend patches over gums because, with gums, you're still treating a nicotine craving with a behavior: crave then satisfy. But, to me, that's what's at the heart of the problem!
Step 2: once you've gotten use to not smoking and you've adjusted to the smells and tastes of your life, begin to step down your nicotine dose. I found that nicotine was easy to kick AFTER I had broken the habit of smoking.

How naive of me to think that none of our stacked members smoke cigs!

[David LoPan]

If you want to stop smoking there are a lot of options. You will feel much better and smell better. Do whatever you can. Try everything. I can say I was an on again off again smoker and the e-cigs helped me stop smoking within one week. I have tried a few cigs over the past few years and each time I had to go brush my teeth, wash my face and hands and felt horrible the next day.

I would say the best part of stopping smoking you will see is in your workouts. You will have more O2 and less CO. You will have better workouts and see better results. All and all its the best thing you can do for your health. Good luck.

[NACH3]

3-5 cigs a day?Thats nothing bro,i wish i could do that!! But i think i need to try to quit it at once,cold turkey,cuz reducing it like this,it's pain in the arse,i mean counting cigarettes wtf?!Lol

Yeah I hear you on the just quitting part(cold turkey)!! Although I don't necessarily count them daily...mouth the one thing that helped me to get to where the OP is and myself was smoking 1/2 or less of a cig at a time... I don't think I even like it anymore it's the hand to mouth fetish thing for me...

I think I'm just not going to buy any anymore.... When I'm busy I don't think about it - it's like GGR said - Bordem/who your around/where you are etc... GL OP and I'm with ya - really wtf is 3cigs doing for me... nothing good still lol

[73rr]

I don't no if it will help with smoking but when I stopped chewing tobacco, what I did was everytime I wanted to chew I would eat a hot pepper. Then I if I had the balls to put in a chew it tasted like sh** and I would just take it out. Next thing I new everything time I tried to chew it brought me back to that nasty taste.

[Sfla80]

Suprising some of the names I see that smoke.

I'm a smoker :/ never cared to admit it.

It's been a little worse recently. More efficient I am at work...the faster work gets done. Then it's just nothing to do for literally 6-8 hours at a time.

Tried Chantix recently. But I don't think I was full blown ready to stop....or at least in my head

[NACH3]

Suprising some of the names I see that smoke.

I'm a smoker :/ never cared to admit it.

It's been a little worse recently. More efficient I am at work...the faster work gets done. Then it's just nothing to do for literally 6-8 hours at a time.

Tried Chantix recently. But I don't think I was full blown ready to stop....or at least in my head

Im surprised but not... We're not perfect... We all have things we need to overcome(I think by putting it out there it helps! Hell, we can all start helping each other!

[DROY]

You will see changes, be patient. I smoked for 18 years, 1-2 packs per day. I finally quit in (ahem) 1989. It is tough but if you can get through the first three weeks you should be g2g.

[irlkev]

I smoked from age 12. Got up to 2 packets a day in my mid 20s when I was doing door work. Wanted to stop for years but couldn't, so went and ordered a new car in 2001. Monthly repayments on the car were the same as what I was paying for cigarettes and wasn't earning a huge amount back then so knew I couldn't afford both. Had my last cigarette as I walked into the car showroom to pick up my new car. Never smoked since. Never even think of it. First few weeks were hard, but once you get over that it's easy.

[bigdil511]

I smoked 2-3 packs a day for 15 years, I tried everything to quit. Patches,gum,e cig, chantix, hypnosis, only way to quit is cold turkey. Been quit over 4 years, sometimes you just have to man the fvck up.

[Honkey_Kong]

I started smoking as a kid when I was about 13. It went from a cigarette (when hanging out at a party or kickback) to a pack and a half per day habit by the time I was 25. But I quit then and I haven't had one since in 11 years.

Patches and nicotine gum, I don't really think work well. And we know that progressively smoking less never actually works. You gotta just at one moment say "I am done, right now!" And QUIT!

Cold turkey was how I did it. I ended up buying a ton of Cinnaburst and Big Red gum. I at least needed something to do instead of smoking and the intense flavours did help distract me from the cravings a little bit.

The first couple weeks are the worst, but if you make it past that, you're home free. It gets a lot easier once you hit that point. You'll just notice one day that you're not always fighting the urge to have a smoke.

[SidVicious77]

My uncle did the ecig thing and it worked amazing for him.
He started with ones that had full nicotine and went all the way down to ones with zero nicotine.
Anyway I am no expert but I know after years of trying a bunch of diff things from patches to gum to even hypnosis I think (no BS) the ecig thing did the trick.

It absolutely does the trick. I've gone from two packs a day to zero for the last three -weeks with absolutely no pangs - with the help of my eGo. Still on the high nicotine liquid, but free of the carbon monoxide, tar, and the rest of the shit in cigarette smoke. Smells way cleaner and I can already finish a squat session without gasping on the floor like a landed fish.

[Mr.BB]

E-cig users almost always go back to regular cigarettes.

If you really want to stop smoking you need to stop cold turkey, nicotine withdrawal doesnt last more than one week, the big problem is the social habits and sometimes "finger" habit (dont know how to call it, its the habit of holding the cig).

Quitted smoking in 2010 like said above.

[bigdil511]

E-cig users almost always go back to regular cigarettes. If you really want to stop smoking you need to stop cold turkey, nicotine withdrawal doesnt last more than one week, the big problem is the social habits and sometimes "finger" habit (dont know how to call it, its the habit of holding the cig). Quitted smoking in 2010 like said above.

I think the oral fixation is a bad habit as well. I quit cold turkey in 2011 and used cinnamon sticks to help replace the oral fixation. The cinnamon will numb your tongue as well and made me feel like not smoking.

[Mr.BB]

I think the oral fixation is a bad habit as well. I quit cold turkey in 2011 and used cinnamon sticks to help replace the oral fixation. The cinnamon will numb your tongue as well and made me feel like not smoking.

Yeah, agreed, forgot that one!

[GirlyGymRat]

Suprising some of the names I see that smoke. I'm a smoker :/ never cared to admit it. It's been a little worse recently. More efficient I am at work...the faster work gets done. Then it's just nothing to do for literally 6-8 hours at a time. Tried Chantix recently. But I don't think I was full blown ready to stop....or at least in my head

Don't u be smoking around the baby

[Mp859]

Don't u be smoking around the baby

you are the only thing smoking GGR!


Cheesy. I know