Topic I've Avoided

[backinthesaddle]

I have been a member for a few weeks now, and have received some awesome advice about which bikes to consider and what to look out for. I think I have almost settled on a bike. Thanks so much.

I have avoided discussing a topic mainly because i didn't want to be judged. I figured honestly however, that I may not be alone in this, or at the very least this could be an area where a few of you might be able to offer up additional advice, (i hope not criticisms)

I am a smoker (there i said it)

I have smoked for over 25 years, more than half my life. I have tried quitting so many times, but I think honestly I just like smoking cause i can't figure any other reason why i haven't released this nasty habit. I have all the good reasons to quit, mostly i want to live, I have 3 beautiful children, a husband, a father and other relatives who have died of cancer, smelly clothes, yellow teeth, bad breath, on and on and on.

I think getting into cycling will have 1 of 2 effects, I will be able to ride, but it will be sorely compromised, or i won't be able to breathe or get up a hill, and i will be forced to quit. I hope the latter. I am honestly sick of it. The cost alone is enough to quit, but I haven't. I set a new quit date of April 15, and I plan to give it an all out try.

[salsabike]

Good for you for posting this.

I smoked for many years before I quit. The most helpful thing I found was not just being physically active--I smoked during 12 years of being a dancer, as lots of other dancers did. It was years later on, when I made a training commitment to goals that required lots of regular, strenuous activity, like a long bike ride or a triathlon, that it got easier to quit. I would find myself thinking, "Do you really want to have diminished breathing capacity tomorrow, when you have to do X activity on your training schedule?" And often the answer was, "No, not worth it; I'd rather feel good when I do this activity." And eventually I didn't need to smoke anymore.

Smoking is a very public habit and it's easy to judge smokers. I have often wondered what private, not-good habits those judgers have, that are just less visible. Anyone trying to quit smoking deserves support. It is not an easy addiction to conquer. Good for you for continuing to try.

[OakLeaf]

Good luck BitS. My DH and my father are both ex-smokers and I know from watching them how difficult it is to quit. It's not just lab rats who find tobacco more addictive than cocaine.

Most of all, I hope and pray that your next attempt to quit is successful, but if you relapse, don't beat yourself up. Keep trying.

[lph]

I count myself lucky that of my many strong habits, none are harmful, and that by chance I never started smoking as a teenager. My brother did, and most likely it killed him, he had a sudden heart attack and died young.

Just to say that I know very well how hard it can be to kick a habit, even more an addiction, and how much chance can play a role in who starts smoking and who doesn't. I've also seen many people with very good reasons to quit smoking who still haven't managed to do so, while others quit without much trouble, so I'm convinced that some people have much stronger addictions than others. So I certainly won't judge you! But I do wish you the best of luck finally kicking that habit out of your life, at some point.

[skhill]

You're not the only smoker hanging around here (alas).... I'm just 2 weeks from running my first half-marathon, and I'm still smoking a pack a day. Last Sat., the first thing I did after my 13.5 mile run was light up. This morning, I competed in a 3k run (and did pretty damn well) and was wishing I'd brought a cig with me, because it's awfully hard to find someone to bum one from at the finish line of a race...

But this is going to be my last pack. If I quit now, my lungs will have 2 weeks to clear out before the big race. And maybe I'll be able to hit the high notes come Easter a little easier....

Good luck, backinthesaddle! And remember, you're not alone.

[shootingstar]

For now, instead of focusing so much on quitting, try cycling the new bike when you get it.

Hope you fall in love with cycling so much, that the love will overtake the need to smoke as often or hopefully not all later.

As a side story, my partner's daughter smokes. And has for past decade. At this time in life, she walks and takes transit. That's exercise so far.

Strangely she looks at her father and myself as cycling fanatics, and thinks we're on a "drug" and that it's unhealthy to be addictd to cycling.

Ok. I wonder if that opinion will hold 10-15 yrs. from now, when her metabolism won't be as high to maintain her good weight.

May you swap 1 addiction for another addiction, but healthier. :rolleyes:

[Selkie]

No one will judge you. My mom smoked all of her adult life (died of a sudden heart attack at age 75---no indication she had heart issues). She was a chain smoker. Heart disease is in our family, so I'm not sure how much the smoking contributed because of the genetic factor. Anyway, I digress.

Quitting is your decision. Obviously, it's the best thing for your health but you know all this already. Just wanted to wish you good luck, lots of strength/will power/courage. I remember when my dad quit cold turkey after years of smoking---it was horrible for him but he did it.

[Zen]

It did take a lot of courage to post that.
To paraphrase Dave Chappelle as Rick James, nicotine is a helluva drug.
But so is Chantix. I highly recommend it.

[newtobikesmama]

bits-I am in the same boat, although I haven't been smoking as long. I am waiting for the weather to get nice enough to ride every day. I quit smoking for four days last week and started up again when I was bored. How lame is that?? Good luck to you!!!

[LizzyBee]

Wow, that takes some courage to admit that, thank you for posting it and sharing it with us. I can't relate to the smoking but I struggle with my own demons as everyone does. Be patient with yourself and if you are ready to make changes, you do it on your timetable.

Take care!
Liz

[SadieKate]

I have often wondered what private, not-good habits those judgers have, that are just less visible. Thin Mints. There. I said it. :o

backinthesaddle - we're cheering for you!

[marni]

white rice with loads of butter and salt especially when I have just finished cooking, followed by graham crackers slathered with peanut butter. all fat, salt and nothing healthy.
Down from two or more per week to possibly two (if that) a year.

good luck with your riding, and your quitting and bravo to you for letting us know to send you positive thoughts and support on all fronts.

marni

[violetpurl]

I smoked for more than 21 years, but quit last June. I can't say enough good things about Chantix. I had good luck with it and it caused just enough nausea (the tiniest bit) that I didn't gain weight. :p I bought my first bike as a treat to myself for quiting (and now have 3 :eek:).

[Lemongrass]

I really admire your courage admitting to your addiction.

Salsabike pointed out the obvious - smokers have a very visible habit.

If anyone was to see me in the kitchen at 6am they'd see me having a cup of espresso (flat white for the Australians and Kiwis) and - chocolate. Or chocolate biscuits. The other day it was chocolate cake.

But because no-one sees me, no-one can judge me. But everyone can judge smokers.

I do hope you enjoy your riding, and that it gives you the confidence to make any decision you're comfortable with. Good luck!

(And now I'm off to have my second flat white of the day, and some Tim Tams!)

[Tuckervill]

I know three people who were hypnotized, put their cigarettes down that day and have never smoked since. No Chantix no patch no nothing. I went to the same hypnotist, and there was a giant pile of cigarette packs in a box by the door. I think it's worth a shot.

Karen

[channlluv]

That did take courage.

I feel the same way every time I'm in a gathering and there's cake or something. I always wonder if people are looking at me thinking, why is she eating that. No wonder she's so fat.

I can tell you that I feel a lot better when I'm riding or swimming, and that I exercise alone because my friends who ride or swim go a lot faster than I, and to work out with me would compromise their own training - I'd be imposing my lower fitness level on them. As I get stronger, I'll join more group rides, but for now, I train alone.

I also eat alone most of the time, and like you can't hide the smell of smoke on your clothes, my overeating shows up in my size 20 jeans and 2X shirts. I imagine we're both paying the physical price in performance.

My weakness lately is potato chips. Someone brought these really delicious salt and pepper rough cut chips to a luncheon at work a couple of months ago and I made the mistake of trying them. It had been years since I'd eaten chips before that. I wish I could still say that.

I wish you well in your training and your efforts to quit smoking.

Roxy

[Mickey]

All that ever worked for me was getting preggers...each time I quit for 3 years, then one day realized that I was smoking again without even being able to pin point exactly when I started buying them again. My youngest is almost two...which means we're getting close to that 3 year mark, so I'm trying to stay hyper-aware...there's no way I'm having more kids, so if I start again I'm done for - wish ME luck! :)

Seriously, there's 9 years between my last two, so I was a serious 2 pack a day smoker with this last time quitting - and pg or not, it was HARD! You sound kinda like I'd felt - I'm smart, always led a bit of an extra-healthy lifestyle on all other fronts, absolutely hated the idea of my kids smoking, and my cute new husband is terribly asthmatic and HATES smoking, none of my friends smoke or can even stand smoking...but, even with all these good reasons, I just couldn't get myself to really care - I really enjoyed my cigarettes. Even now the smell of a cig makes me want to puke...and there's still part of me that considers asking the smoker if I can just have one little drag.

I'm not a 'baby-steps' kinda person - for me it really helped to change EVERYTHING at once - the same has also been true for anytime I've dieted, but I think it was more important with smoking...be as active as possible, don't do the things you strongly associate with smoking for 2wks or a month (for me it was going out for coffee, going to the bar, long car rides alone or anything that sets off my social anxiety - that's still my hardest time, lotsa people really makes me wish for an excuse to just 'step outside' for a bit), and especially don't let yourself get bored! What also helped me was to make a poster of people who looked like the kind of person I liked to see myself as one of...athletes, granola girls, healthy moms, etc - I would look at it and remember that I couldn't picture any of them smoking, and for some reason that helped too.

Good luck - it's hard and it definitely gets worse before it gets better. If you want to feel you're not alone, find a copy of Garrison Keillor's 'End of the Trail' about the last smokers in America, hiding in a box canyon... definitely a great read (or a better listen if you can find an audio version of it)! ;)

[tangentgirl]

I have to chime in on the Chantix. Be very very careful if you take that sh*t. I know someone who had the bad mental side effects. He became agressive, started getting arrested, literally lost everything. It was like he was on meth, but he wasn't. The guy went from engineer to homeless in the space of about a year. This is someone I know personally, who I see a few times a year.

Of course this probably isn't the usual case for Chantix, but if you do go that route, make sure you don't have any earlier depression or other issues, make sure that you follow all the directions, don't drink on it if that's what they say, make sure if you start feeling *crazy* that you work with a doc and get off of it. It's a very powerful drug.

[Zen]

Those are not side effects of Chantix.
Something else is going on there.

[Crankin]

Actually, there are documented side effects of Chantix, similar as described above. They usually occur in people who have already been battling depression or anxiety. It is not prescribed in some cases, to people with that history.
A doc from MGH came to my clinic to pitch participation in a stop smoking study to the clients. They are trying to figure out why so many people with mental illness, especially schizophrenia, smoke. The study uses Chantix, and she addressed this issue. She said that were a bunch of cases of these side effects when the drug first came out, but now, not so much.
But still, it's a caution.
I still remember when my mom quit cold turkey, when I was in 6th grade. It was ugly. She started smoking again, about ten years later, but she did quit, cold turkey, again eventually. My dad, on the other hand, is about to turn 85, and has smoked for like 60 years. He hides it now, though. He had one mild heart attack, 2 years ago, but other than that, his lungs are fine.

[Norse]

I smoked for 11 years and it took several, repeated efforts at quitting before it finally stuck. A neighbor, a nurse who knew of my repeated failed efforts, said "I have one word for you: toothpicks." That oral fixation thing is so real! Also, when the time came, rather than going cold turkey I gradually decreased the intake over a one month period. So, day one, I had a pack, day two, one less ... until I had one on the last day and that was it. The first couple of weeks, the inside of my mouth was actually sort of cut up because, having a nicotine fit, I would end up chewing the crap out of the toothpicks, but they really did help. To this day, almost 15 years later, I still carry toothpicks in the car and use them around the house. Quitting was harder than hell but soooooooooooo worth it. I just watched my dad die a painful death at a relatively young age due to lung cancer last summer.

Good luck to you!

[Catrin]

Good luck to you on this good effort. I smoked, heavily, for about 20 years and I "quit" many times before I was actually ready to quit. Basically my asthma gave me a choice - smoke or breath.... It is sad that I had to get so bad to be able to quit, but I finally succeeded back in the early 90's. Every time I wanted a smoke I forced myself to think of things that I could do better/easier if I wasn't smoking...it did help.

Hang in there. It is your choice about the medication, I don't know much about that. It seems that everything has so many side-effects that I make it my practice to avoid such things as much as possible but sometimes they are necessary.

[mirliluck]

white rice with loads of butter and salt especially when I have just finished cooking, followed by graham crackers slathered with peanut butter. all fat, salt and nothing healthy.


What? No way, peanut butter is good fat and way healthy (ok, in moderation). :)

But I agree that while nicotine is not a struggle I have, I do have my own as we all have something, maybe nicotine is just more stigmatized. Kudos to backinthesaddle for having the courage to discuss and address it.

[Melalvai]

I don't like smoke, but there's lots worse things you can do than smoke a cigarette even in a public place.

Like text & drive. Drive distracted. Drive sleepy. Drive recklessly.

Now if you admit to doing those things I'll get judgmental. Until then, good luck on kicking a bad habit, but if you fail, I'll just be disappointed FOR you, not disappointed IN you. And I might look for the non-smoking section, but don't take it personally. ;)

[artifactos]

My immediate family is full of addictions, and I'm happy to see you admit yours and have a plan to overcome it.

My father was a smoker and an alcoholic. My little sister is a heroin addict and a smoker. My mother gambles.

I've wondered what my addiction will be, or if I will have one. Maybe I'm addicted to exercise? The internet? I don't think I have a tendency toward addiction, because it has always been very easy to take a break from something I become heavily involved in. If I'm not feeling good, I take a few days off from exercising. If I'm busy, I don't touch my computer for a few days.

Maybe self awareness helps me overcome the tendency toward addiction? Hopefully your cycling and other fitness goals will help you overcome your addiction and replace it with a more healthy lifestyle!

[arielmoon]

I admit I can be one of those judgey people... It's one thing to have smoked when I was growing up (I smoked on and off in high school but was never addicted) when there weren't so many known risks of smoking and of second hand smoke.

Today, I really have a hard time seeing young people smoke. The worst though, is people smoking around children. It boggles my mind to see someone smoking in a car with kids in it. It really gets my blood boiling!

/rant

So you have been smoking a while and that does make it harder to quit. From what I know, most of it is about replacing the habit with another one. Hopefully a healthy one. Not like gastric bypass patients who become alcoholics. Meep.

How about saying to yourself "I will do this incredibly healthy thing for myself today because I deserve it!!" Instead of thinking "I wont smoke today."

Even if you fall off the wagon, tomorrow is another day to try again.

I think the fact that you have come here and owned it is a step in the right direction. Maybe you werent ready before and you are now!

Best of luck to you!

[BeeLady]

I smoked for 25 or so years - two packs a day. My most recent (I never say last) cigarette was about 22 years ago.

I made a 3 lists: everyone I knew that had quit smoking and seemed able to cope without cigarettes; the benefits of quitting; and the consequences of continuing to smoke.

Then I memorized the following and used these lines regularly:

Smoking a cigarette to stop an urge to smoke will only create another urge.

I'd like to smoke a cigarette; the choice is up to me. But I want and deserve the benefits so for now I choose not to smoke.

(I paid $600 for a non-smoking course for this stuff).

Anyway good luck. And better to be a smoker who exercises than a smoker who is a couch potato.

[Bike Chick]

I smoked for 25 years. I quit several times only to start again later. I was also a closet smoker for years. I finally kicked the nasty habit 6 years ago and bought a bicycle to help me keep the weight off. Little did I know how addicted I would get to the bicycle! I traded an unhealthy habit for a healthy one. Six years later I'm no longer smoking but I'm still bicycling and hope to for the rest of my life!

[nancielle]

Good luck on quitting. Been there, done that. If you haven't already done so, you might want to check out the NY State quit site http://www.nysmokefree.com/ for some additional support. :)

[Zen]

I don't think some (not all) of these comments from non smokers add to the conversation. Bad direction for a drift.

[rocknrollgirl]

I smoked for about 8 years. Quitting was the hardest thing I have ever done. You CAN do it. I was totally addicted. Pack a day habit and I quit cold turkey. If there had been drugs available, I would have taken them.

You will feel so much better.

You can do this......

[andtckrtoo]

I could never judge you - I smoked for 14 years. Started at 18, quit at 32.

I quite, then took up mountain biking. Best thing I ever did.

Two things - First - there is nothing wrong with trying and not succeeding - you're learning about what works for you. Second - When you are truly ready to quit, you will know it and you will quit. I knew the last time I quit and "stayed quit" that that was it. I used nicorette. It was not easy - I actually had a harder time with handling stress than I did the oral fixation. I finally realized that it was the act of inhaling (aka deep breathing) that relaxed me and once I started working on that, I was able to better deal with my stress.

Have fun riding!!

[dinabean]

Best of luck to you. I know there can be bad side effects from Chantix, so check into it carefully for you, but if you find yourself really struggling, do check into it. My Mom smoked for 40+ years. She quit once for almost 3 years, then went back to it. Chantix is what finally got her to change the habit, and her physical urge to smoke is completely gone (she still struggles with some mental/habit urges from time to time, but the physical "no" is so overpowering now that she really has no desire to pick it up again). It is very effective when nothing else is (she had tried therapy, hypnosis, nicorette, wellbutrin, and all sorts of other natural and unnatural aids to quitting in the past, to no avail).

For some reason, despite growing up around my Mom and swearing I would never, ever, smoke, I still picked up the habit in grad school and continued until I was preggers with my first child. So I know how hard it can be, too. Good luck, and hang in there.

[mariacycle]

you can do it! i was a chain smoker and realized that i couldn't be the best i could be if i didn't quit. it makes such a huge difference in your stamina! i had a college roommate that was a very serious in-shape athlete that quit smoking and remarked on how surprised she was that she felt the difference (since she assumed she was in such great shape despite smoking). my lungs thanked me and so will yours!

any updates on how things are working out for you?

[kauai_gal]

Backinthesaddle: Bravo to you for sharing this with us! I think one of the most helpful things is having a support group to help you in your journey to a smoke-free life. Too many people try to struggle alone, and then falter, and feel guilty, and never attempt to quit again. So I highly encourage you to reach out to your friends, family, forum family, and others to help you get over the difficult moments. You can do it!

Also, it helps to change your routines and the subtle environmental cues that trigger your cravings.. i.e., if you tend to wake up and have a smoke and some coffee every morning, try going to a different area of the house (or leave the house entirely), have orange juice, and something to snack on. The environmental cues play more of a role than you'd think. It's why reformed drug addicts have such a hard time staying clean when they return to their old homes and neighborhoods. We are not so different from Pavlov's dogs.. :)