I quit 39 days ago.

[dvs51]

Hello!

 

I put my last cigarette out on August 29, 2025. I really did think I was going to fail on the first day but I didn't. Or the second day. Or the third week. Here I am, five weeks plus later, still nicotine-free.

 

My reasons for quitting were all of the normal ones:

- After decades of doing it, I physically felt like garbage on a near-daily basis.

- Aside from feeling weak and unhealthy, I was lethargic and tired all the time

- I hated the way I smelled. My car stunk so bad of cigarettes it even bothered me, the guy who was smoking in it. 

- I was embarrassed to be a smoker.

- I was tired of spending so much money on cigarettes. They average about $14 to $15 a pack in my area. At a pack and a half a day, I was spending $21 to $22 a day.

 

My inspiration to quit was... a bit shallow, perhaps, but it worked.

 

I'm a single, middle-aged man and I've been using dating sites. I hid my smoking status on my profile right from the start. I didn't claim to be a non-smoker, I just left that part blank. Kick the can down the road... give her time to get to know me and then drop that bomb, right? The right girl will understand...

 

That felt dishonest, but it's what I did. And then I found that I was having trouble bringing it up to women I matched with at all. I'm sure the ones I met in person could tell anyway. That telltale spot on my index and middle fingers were stained yellow on both hands and even though I hadn't smoked for hours before any date, that's a smell that lingers. How do you hide that?

 

I met a very nice lady and we began chatting. We met up and I told her the truth that first night. I had decided that I wasn't going to try to hide it from my dates from now on. She, surprisingly, told me it was not a deal breaker. And then a funny thing happened to me... I realized that it kind of was a deal breaker for me. I realized that I didn't want to subject any potential partner to the smell, the constant breaks for me to step outside, the coughing, the lethargy, the deteriorating health that is sure to set in soon, the waste of money - all of the crap I'd subjected my ex-wife to for years, stuff I now feel bad about subjecting her to. A week before our second date, I decided to quit. I didn't quit for her, but for the idea of having to go through the entire thing over and over again with the next woman, and the next vs. resigning myself to the idea that I could find a woman who didn't mind it, and possibly even one who smoked herself, which meant I could remain complacent and never stop.

 

I didn't quit for this nice lady. She was just the trigger. 

 

Our second date was pleasant, but there was no real spark. We agreed not to pursue anything. When I got home, I thought about buying cigarettes. I wasn't upset that there was no future with this lady. We barely knew each other and we're both old enough to just be honest up front rather than dragging it out. It had been a week since I'd quit smoking, though, and maybe, I thought, dating just wasn't for me. Maybe it would be better to just stick to myself for a while and enjoy the things I enjoy, like smoking...

 

And THAT was when I knew that I had truly quit for myself. Because when I had that thought, I laughed at it. I recognized it for exactly what it was. My addiction was trying to make excuses for me to go back to smoking because smoking is a lot easier than not smoking when you're addicted. But the fact that I recognized what was happening gave me strength NOT to buy them. It showed me that I was serious about quitting. 

 

That was all a month ago, and I'm still breathing free. I suspect I'll be breathing free in a year, too. 

 

I'm sharing because, well, I had a long and very boring day at work, and boredom has been my worst enemy through all of this. I've come closest to giving in when I've had long stretches of boredom. Writing about how and why I quit helps to remind me why I don't want to go back, so I thought I'd introduce myself with my story on here. An hour ago, I wasn't feeling so confident in myself and my ability to stick with this. Right now I feel like I can conquer the world. If anyone is still reading this far, thanks for listening to my story. 

 

[DenaliBlues]

Hi @dvs51. Welcome aboard the Quit Train. Thanks for this great post! 

 

Sharing our quitting stories is a great way to reclaim power over the addiction - like opening a window to let in fresh air. Who needs the self consciousness, the secrecy, the stinkies? NOPE! Bring on the daylight.

 

It sounds like you’ve got a solid start to your quit. Remember to go back and read your wonderful quitting story the next time you’re temped to smoke. Your candor and clarity will be helpful when your quit is tested.

 

Keep us posted on how things go for you. We’re here to support you - and your notes  can help others along the way, too. 

 

See you around!

[Reciprocity]

The boredom you experience after quitting may be at least partially because once we quit we actually end up with so much more time to fill in our daily lives. Add up how many cigs you smoked per day and multiply that by the average time it took to smoke each one. That's the empty time you need to fill now that you've quit with more productive things to do in your daily life. It takes time to learn how to best fill that void but you will do it all in good time and once you do, it will seem like a seamless transition and you'll feel a lot more "normal" just going about your day to day life. 

 

Keep at it @dvs51; you'll get there!

 

 

[dvs51]

@DenaliBlues, thank you! Aside from those odd days like yesterday, most of the time I feel like I'm on pretty solid ground with it. 

@Reciprocity, I agree 100%, and at home it's not hard to find things to fill that time. At work it's a little more difficult. Sometimes at my job there really is nothing to do for an hour or so. I've been filling that time with puzzle games on my phone or sometimes a quick walk around the parking lot just to get some fresh air. 

[Doreensfree]

Hello and welcome …so glad you found us …we can help you reach your Freedom ,all you need is the desire to get there…

You can never hide you smoke …it’s only since I quit I can smell it a million miles away …when I think of all those stinky Hugs I let my family endure …

Please check out all the green pinned posts on our Main Discussion Board , there is loads of info there to keep you busy..

knowledge is Power ,

Stay close to the members here ..they will help you along your journey ..

Try playing our games …it keeps boredom at bay..

Looking forward to getting to know you better

[dvs51]

Thanks @Doreensfree! I’m glad to have found this place.

[QuittingGirl]

Hi @dvs51 

Welcome Aboard! We are very glad you have found our site. We are a great group of people and you will find a ton of support here, from member advice to so much information on the dangers of smoking, and how to quit successfully.  Quitting smoking is a journey that we all know is not an easy one, but it's definitely doable and so worth it in the end. We have quitters here from newbies, such as yourself,  all the way up to 20+ years and everything in between.  

Our best advice for you in the beginning is to come on this site every day, if you can, and do the daily Nope pledge because it will keep you focused.  If you ever find yourself where you feel you are going to give in and smoke, there is an SOS section.  Since our members are from all over the world, there is usually someone around most of the time.  To help you get your mind off of smoking there is a Games section too.  The most popular game is Chicks and Sticks, go and check it out, it's a load of fun!  

 

When I was at the beginning of my quit, I would take cinnamon sticks and pretend that they were cigarettes and would suck air in and pretend that I was blowing the smoke out.  It really did help, plus they tasted really nice.  If you don't like cinnamon, you can use cut up straws.  Try to do things that you don't associate with smoking, although in the beginning, it is a bit of a challenge, but you can do it.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  Good luck to you! You can do this!  

[dvs51]

@QuittingGirl thank you! I'm looking forward to being able to lean on people who understand what I'm going through. That's cool that the cinnamon sticks worked for you. So far the only real NRT I've been using is a Popsicle after dinner every day just to sort of "close out" the meal the way a cigarette used to.