smoking

Hi all,
I have been smoking sigarets for about ten years now, iam now 25 years of age and starting again with karate after i did nothing with my body for about 2 years (work) before this 2 years i did for about 2 years a semi-contact style named Sankudo here in the netherlands, this sumer i wantid to continue again with sankudo but my old teacher (Jan bloem) doesn't train sankudo here any more. Now i found a new dojo, it's named "Kaikido" a fullcontact style karate which is must harder for my feeling, but there comes more out of it then semicontact (read self defence etc..)
During training i sometimes can't get no air, then i must stop whatever it is what i do at that moment and sit for a few minutes to get some air into my lungs/body. I blame this for 98% to my smoking, and i am realy sick of it, it makes my training realy hard, it feels like it is stopping me to push my self forward with my training.
As i type this post iam smoking, the thought of stopping with smoking has crossed my mind for about 2 month's now day in, day out, i want to stop with smoking and clean my body of all wrong stuff in my system so i can breath air again constant during my training.

Iam hoping that you can provide me with some tips or hints on how i can master this beast "smoking"
Iam ready to go on this hard road, but i will in the end prevail, and never ever smoke again.


In my best english,
kaisan,.

Hello Kaisan,
When I quit,I would repaeatedly tell myself over and over again that I was not going to smoke.I would do this every morning as a ritual to waking up.Everytime the urge or thought of smoking came up, I would repeat to myself over and over again that I was not going to smoke and that I would not smoke.And after awhile I started to learn to stay away from the smokers,because being around them only made it harder for me to quit.After awhile I started smelling how I probably use to smell to other people and was wondering what was the matter with me in the first place and apologized to everyone who use to have to put up with it.If you have the desire you can do it!Repeat after me,I CAN DO IT!I CAN DO IT! I CAN DO IT! (GO FOT IT)
Your Brother in the Arts

Friend
I myself have never been a smoker. However, I did have a similar addiction to junk food and sweets. A technique which I found extremely effective was writing down on a piece of paper all of the reasons that I wanted to stop eating junk food. Write down on the paper all of your reasons for not smoking, even the most obvious (ie. "I don't want to smell bad, I want to improve my performace, I dont want cancer, etc). Whenever you feel like buying a cigarrette or smoking one, read the list over to yourself, and then ask yourself if you really want one. Remember, just simply trying to remember the reasons wont help, LOOK AT THE LIST AND READ IT OVER EVERY TIME AND EVEN ONCE EVERY MORNING. Good luck my friend. Email me and tell me how you do.
-Matt

This is pretty much going along with what everyone else has said, but when you're brain is telling you how HORRIBLE it is to not have a cigarrette, focus on your body, your lungs, and how much they are THANKING you for not putting the stick in your mouth. Once you begin slowing down, you'll notice the little changes in your body. While the most obvious is lung-capacity, my balance improved, and my muscles always feel looser for having more oxygen in them. Good luck, bro
peace and love

if quitting all at once it too big a step for you (as it was for me), you can try what my doctor suggested i try. cut down slowly, one cigarette at a time. i gave myself a year to quit smoking (i was a pack-a-day smoker for 10 years), so in january (it was a new year's resolution), i started limiting my daily intake to 12 cigarettes a day. it wasn't too hard, i just put myself on a schedule and stuck to it. every month, i cut this down by one until i was free. it works, and it's very easy! as you add more and more healthy hobbies and activities, smoking becomes less and less important. sometimes, in the latter six months, i would forget i was smoker!

$$$$$ =NICORETTEE= $$$$$

worked for me

After smoking for 7 years, and spending 6 months commited to intensive training in a martial art with a huge focus on breathing, I tried NRT, I tried cutting down, I tried cold turkey and I couldn't quit smoking. A training partner recommended 'The Easy Way To Quit Smoking' a book by Allen Carr, and I rather skeptically decided to read it. I finished it in 2 days and I haven't smoked since. All it takes is positivity and a tiny bit of determination. Quitting smoking is actually easier than you ever though possible.

I used NRT, books, willpower alone, all failed.

I then took a course of Zyban.

Did the trick fantastically.

Haven't smoked since june 2001 and I never miss it, even around other smokers.

In fact I tried a cigarette a little while ago. It was disgusting.

Good luck with your quiting.

i was in ma when i was 13,and trained for about 2-3 years,then i got started smoking weed and cigs,it took me away from the arts for 4 years,it destroyed my life as a martial artist,even though i still had a strong passion for the arts,the freinds and partying were to much,so i gave up weed and partying cold,and then about a year later i gave up cigs cold.What im trying to say is all it does for u is ruins your training and health,i have been done cigs for about 2 and a half years, and ive been training very hard to get were im at know.so,my brother QUIT!now or u will not succeed in the arts.i know u can do it,if u can do ma u have great will power..........good luck and let us know how u are doing


p.s. i am still coughing up tar to this day!

Try Zyban....you start on that for one week before your quit date. Then just quit, normal course is 12 week. I used it for 4 weeks then,decided I no longer needed it and that was 5 years ago, haven't wanted to smoke since, in fact I think it smells disgusting.

I'm another fan of "Stop Smoking the Easy Way" by Allan Carr. I was a committed, 20-a-day girl for eighteen years. I stopped once before on nicotine patches, lasted nine months, put on two stone in weight and went completely mad. With Allan Carr, I finished the book, went to bed, woke up the next morning and didn't want to smoke. I was a bit grumpy for a couple of days, and that was it. That was two months ago.

The book changes the way you think about smoking. giving up was easy, and I enjoy being a non-smoker. It worked for me anyway.

Hope this helps

BPA

Hypnosis is good, I know a lot of people it has worked for.

I managed to quit through will power, I really struggled but I just started training harder and its just a matter of how much it was effecting my performance.

Let us know how you get on.

Have you ever seen in Chinatown those really old folks puffing away on cigarettes like they could care less ? Well, Chinese Medicine has certain herbal formulations that will curb your urge for smoking or even chew for that matter while cleansing your system of the toxins at the same time. Worth looking into if you want an all natural cure having exhausted other methods. Seen it work most of the time. Give it a chance.

Both my parents smoke as does my step dad. Not to give horror stories but they have tried to quit five times(all failed) and they made use of Zyban three times. My suggestion would be replace the habit with a safer one, chewing gum, lolipops, burning stuffed animals(just kidding). But seriously my freind quit smoking using paperclips and toothpicks. Whenever he felt the need he would rub a paperclip or chew a toothpick.

I used acupuncture to help me give up smoking and haven't smoked again since. Its now many years since I smoked and it feels good!

Acupuncture is a non-drug related method of reducing craving for the nicotine, very effective and a lot cheaper than those patches, plus it truly gets you off the stuff.

I find the smell of smokers disgusting now & can tell a smoker from miles off, I can even smell it coming from the car in front of me in traffic!

Budo & good luck

I had an addiction of my own to constant eating, especially of junk food. I was over weight, at 205 pounds and 5'9.5 (with almost all of that fat) and then last August I just woke up one day and said that was it. I dieted and lost 60 pounds initially (gaining back 15 pounds in muscle weight).

Im now a healthy 155-160 pounds.

Its a tough road, but its worth it.

Good luck with your struggles!

Wow Ender, fantastic acheivment. Well don! [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]
Sharon

Thank you, Sharon.


-Dan

One of the things that won't help with the quitting but will help with the breathing problem is caffeine. Don't have to much as it is highly addictive but it actually makes the bronchial tubes open wider. It will help you breathe but it can have mean side effects so don't use it alot like I already said. Also it takes about an hour to kick in and last for about 8 hours so... I don't know just a thought.

Whenever you feel like a cigareete, do a kata. Do the kata til the fixation goes away.


Trust me itll help.

kaisan:

You will not like this but I know someone who is only 20 and has smoked sence he was about 14 thanks to his good influence - big brother starting him off so young. (however HE chose to smoke and to smoke REGULARLY) he is turning 21 in October and will never get to sit at a bar and order a drink - he has developed a heart problem from it - he used to be verry atheletic now he can only "power walk" like the old people in the mall. he spent hundreds on patches, gums, books, and pills. fact is - nothing made him stop until he felt his heart giving out on him. Now he doesnt even want it - hopefully you are stronger than that and it doesnt have to change your life to decide to change but fact is - no one but you can decide to quit. period.

you can do it but YOU must WANT it.

Kaisan,

Smoke your way smoke free! Sounds strange; but, that's what I did! Here in the States, there is a new brand of cigarette called Quest. It's is made in three different strengths. A light, an Ultra-light, and a NO NICOTINE! I switched to the #2's (Ultra-light) about a month ago. It was only a week or two before I tried the #3's (NO nicotine). They all have a nice full flavor (as a smoker would want). The neat thing is, when you are smoking the #3's, your brain thinks you are getting nicotine, when, in fact, you are not. In fact, your body is losing the nicotine the entire time you are smoking! I smoked the #3's for about a week, and then said, "To heck with this!"

That was almost two-weeks ago, and not one cigarette yet! That's after about five years of 1 1/2 to 2 packs a day (this was while I was away from the MA, and working shift work).

I feel better every day. I don't huff and puff after silly little tasks like I used to. My clothes and hair smell better, and my teeth aren't all yellow (YUCK!)

Make a public statement that you are no longer smoking, tell everyone, shout it from the roof tops! Then, when someone see's you, they will probably give you a hard time. Maybe this will help to generate a little pain to help you quit! Remember, people do things for one of two reasons... pain or pleasure. It's just like a horse and buggy! The horse either moves after the carrot hanging in fron of him, or because of the crop at his backside! You've got smoking and pleasure linked. You need to interupt that pattern, and make cigarettes equal pain! Make your carrot increased health, endurance, and hapiness (not to mention more $ in your pocket!)

Good luck! And remember....YOU CAN DO IT!

Respectfully,

Andrew M. Goodwin
WTSDA
WSMHA
WMAA

I'm 35. I was 30 pounds overweight. I had a sedentary job and no physical actvity to speak of. And I smoked. That was then. In one year I had quit smoking, dropped the weight and began exercising several times a week. Here is how I did it.

I went to my doctor. I asked him to give me anything and everything he had to help me quit smoking. I ended up taking welbuterin (zyban is good also but insurance often wont' pay for it!). I also used store-bought nicotine patches. I took the welbuterin for 10 days prior to quitting. I also started taking lessons in tae kwon do. Me and my son, who was 9 at the time. After I'd been on this anti-depressant and exercise regimen I quit smoking.

No problem. I had a few hard moments, but not the kind of thing that would make you go back to it. MUCH better than going cold turkey or just nicotine patches. I know because I'd tried those ways before. This was totally different. Your mileage may vary.

I also started to eat more sensibly. You know. Less. And I started to try shopping for foods and meals that were lower in fat. I'm not a nutritionist and I have zero intention of becoming one, but I had this simple idea: if you use more calories than you take in, you'll lose weight. So I exercised regularly and ate less. I won't lie to you. The Welbuterin helped in this department, too.

Between my better eating habits, the grueling tae kwon do workouts 2-3 nights a week, walking the mile to-and-from the dojang, and walking my dog 3 miles on weekends, I lost weight. A pound or two a week. I just dissappeared. I had to buy new clothes.

And cigarette cravings were minimal during the first days. They were almost completely absent after a few weeks. I stress to you that quitting with welbuterin and nicotine patches and exercise and healthy eating really, really worked a miracle for me and my health. I also stress, however, that everyone is different and that you are not me and that you should see your own doctor.

Good luck.

nothings wrong with help i found the patch to be a very useful tool along with will power... if you have the will power to train in a gruwling martial arts, you have the will power to quit smoking,, also thing,, of this smoking as innumerable nagative health risks and not one possitive attribute.. also both my grandparents died of lung cancer, my mom is a chimney even after her parents died of lung cancer,, its tough to know how your mom is likly to pass, and i refuse to be the next link in the chain.

I can't speak from experience myself, but my mother used the drug Zyban to quit smoking after almost 40 years. To me, that spells successful.
Good Luck!

I quit for 2 years and then started again a few years back. This has been a useful thread as I shall quit for good this time.

I'm currently a non-smoker but I gave up (again) five weeks ago. It is very hard to give up, but once you have made that mental decision it is easier then you think. (Prior to the last five weeks I had not lasted more then two or three days for the last six months).

This might help you (it works for me):

1. Stop smoking at home to begin with, do this for a couple of weeks.

2. Have a bet with your friends (that way if you do start again then you will loose face and money).

3. If you do; stop smoking on the way and way back from work (or college etc).

4. Pick a date to stop when you know you will be home for a longer time then normal; holiday etc.

5. The week before you stop workout a new training program, and intensive it (mine went from 1/2 hour a day to 1 1/4 hours a day).

6. Start your new program on the same day that you quit and you will feel the benefits imediatley and give you the confidence to keep on giving up.

This is the second time I've done this, the last time I stayed stopped for seven years. I then had a personal tradegy, stupidly accepted a smoke, and then carried on for just over a year.

I have practised and studied martial arts for the last 17 years, and believe me smoking really messes with you in a bad way.

To give up smoking, or any other form of drug is hard, it takes time, and it takes mental courage; but if you can do it then you can do anything.

Good luck, and remember that there are those that have trodden the same path before you so don't give up trying!

Was about to write "it's been a couple of days" then checked this BB for my last post. Chuckle one week of nico free. Aside from being a bit ratty for a day or two going ok.

I went for removing all lighters, ciggies and smokey things from all around me in one go.

I've never smoked at home much (in summer in the garden occasionally) as we have kids and my wife never has smoked so not really fair.

Everytime I want a ciggy I am telling myself I can have one in 15 minutes but that I have to go buy them and a lighter and it's 2 miles to the garage and I must walk. If I remember after 15 mins, i donthis again and to be honest am forgetting to want them at the moment. Early days yet though.

And in 15 minutes I can have one [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif[/IMG]

Still going strong!

Ciggy free ciggy free ciggy free

Congratulations, Ken!

Hang in there. Remember, you are either a smoker, or you are not.

[IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

hey i finally got over with smoking but it was that hard. try chewing gums or if not always bring toothpick to chew on that woould take your mind away from smoking. for me the toothpick worked best. everytime i feel like smoking i bring out a toothpick and put it in my mouth... yeah its a nice substitute