I am ready to set a quit date again.  It's June 1st.  However, I've decided to sunset the podcast.  This is the final podcast.  Once I have successfully quit, I'm planning to launch a website (not a podcast) to help others quit.

Godspeed.

One strange thing I've done as a prepare to quit smoking is putting things off like going through paperwork and cleaning my desk.  I figure I want to have something to occupy myself with once I quit smoking.  But maybe I'm just coming up with an excuse to avoid activities that aren't fun and procrastinate.

There is some stuff I'd like to buy for myself, but I'm holding off until I quit smoking. It's a way of punishing myself until I quit smoking.  That way, I can reward myself when I do quit. 

The swine flu outbreak has certainly been in the news a lot.  I was wondering if smokers are at more risk because they end up touching their face with their hand when smoking.  I think it makes sense to wash hands before smoking to minimize the risk.  Of course, quitting smoking would also make sense.

The Times Online has an interesting article that says nicotine gum and lozenges may cause mouth cancer. However, the article also says that smoking is far more dangerous.

A man wrote a letter to President Obama about his own dad dying from smoking.  He urged Obama not to smoke for the sake of his own daughters.  Obama actually wrote back.

Here's the link to the Chicago Sun-Times article.

I spoke earlier of how the central air was impacting my listening to the quit smoking hypnosis CDs.  Now that it's spring and the air isn't running, it seems like the perfect time to quit.

I'm linking to a prevent cigarette litter website that I think makes some valid points.

Too many of us smokers drop butts on the ground.  Taking responsibility for this filthy trash may even help motivate me to quit.  Dealing with an ashtray in a car is a pain, but using a glass bottle in a cupholder is an alternative.

I watched the ACM awards last night and I'm disappointed in general with the state of modern country music.

However, there was an entertaining song I heard on the radio the other day by Rodney Atkins called The Worst 15 Minutes of My Life.  The chorus goes:


Video posted:

Breitbart is reporting that President Obama broke his pledge not to raise any taxes on American families making less than $250,000 a year.  Federal cigarette taxes just went up by 62 cents.

Regardless of the broken promise, this is a tax that is avoidable.   I just need to quit smoking.

A few days ago, I recorded an episode about quitting smoking as a gift to your loved ones.

I think it also makes sense to quit even if you're single.  By smoking, you are narrowing down the pool of potential mates.  Perhaps Kevin will want to chime in with his thoughts.

I have a book called Country Wisdom and Know-How that mentions St. John's Wort tea as being helpful to those quitting smoking.  I've tried this Yogi tea and it's actually not bad.  They disguise the St. John's Wort flavor with licorice.

Here's a dose of positive motivation to quit smoking.  It's Huey Lewis and The News, with Hip to be Square.

Do you ever get sick of smoking?  Sometimes, I do and I'll put out my cigarette half way through it.

I just wish I'd feel that way for more than a couple of hours until I want another one.

The current global recession can add to stress levels and make it difficult on those of us trying to quit.

But wasting money on cigarettes is hardly helpful to our budgets.  The recession should be just another reason to quit.

I think it's important to have reasons in mind of why we're going to quit smoking.

One reason is to quit as a gift to people you love.  Why do something that endangers your health?

I don't want to leave the people I love on earth earlier than I have to.

Have you heard about the eCigarette?  Have you tried them?  Yesterday I said there was no such thing as safe cigarette, but these would seem to be safer.  Reviews on Amazon.com are mixed, plus eCigarettes are expensive.  Then again, smoking regular cigarettes is getting more expensive with new tax increases.

I think I'm going to quit without the ECigarette and try to put the ridiculous habit of smoking cigarettes behind me.

While I've been switching brands prior to quitting, one brand I've tried is American Spirit.  Supposedly there are no additives, but this does not make it a safe cigarette.  There is no such thing as a safe cigarette.

I actually find it to be smooth and long-burning.  It's probably better to switch to a less enjoyable brand since I'm trying to quit.

Another instruction on my hypnosis CDs is to avoid alcohol when quitting.  I need to put a higher priority on quitting.

Too many nights I've been having a beer or glass of wine, then reading a book or watching tv instead of listening to the hypnosis CD.

When I was younger, I felt like my smoking was not really impacting my fitness level very much.  But I think the smoking has definitely caught up with me.

I really want to quit smoking and get in great shape.

I did something somewhat surprising yesterday.  I started a two week free trial gym membership.  Just seeing fit people was inspiring.  I also didn't think about smoking for awhile.

I tend to think gym memberships are expensive, but they really are not compared with the costs of smoking.

I think those of us with addictive personalities may benefit from substituting exercise for cigarettes.

There are some people (family, coworkers) that I do not feel comfortable smoking around.

The embarrassment of smoking is another reason I want to quit.

As cigarettes have gone up in price recently, I thought it was a good opportunity to try Marlboro 72s.

They aren't labelled as Lights, but taste like a Marlboro Light.  They are significantly shorter so I thought smoking these would be a good way to cut back prior to quitting.

I have some excuses for not quitting smoking yet:

1. I have to give a presentation at work on Tuesday
2. The economy is in shambles
3. I have a horrible, long commute.

But I have to be careful about excuses because there is always going to be stress in life.  I need to quit smoking.

Sometimes I fall asleep when listening to the hypnosis CD.  I'm not too concerned about that because my subconscious mind should still hear the message.

However, sometimes I think the message is getting drowned out when my central heat kicks on.  I'm going to make some adjustments and listen to the CD for a few more days before quitting.

I thought I would start posting inspirational videos for those of us quitting smoking.  One potential theme song is Chunk of Coal by Billy Joe Shaver.  There is also a successful cover version by John Anderson available on iTunes. 

"I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal, but I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday"

The Billy Joe Shaver original:


The John Anderson version:

On the About.com smoking cessation forum, a couple of people highly recommended a 2 CD Paul McKenna program.  All I could find online was a relatively expensive 4 CD program.   Despite wasting lots of money on cigarettes, I didn't want to spend quite that much on hypnosis CDs so I bought a cheaper hypnosis program which I will be reviewing in the very near future.

When shopping for hypnosis CDs, I noticed the Stop Smoking Kit got favorable reviews on Amazon.com.  It comes with a book, hypnosis CD, and a cigarette substitute. 

Ultimately I ordered different hypnosis CDs because I liked the idea of having a CD to listen to before you quit smoking, one to listen to when you quit, and one for reinforcement afterwards.  I'll wait until after my quit date to reveal what I bought and post a review.

Has anyone tried this kit?

I went on vacation to Germany where they have a pretty liberal smoking policy.  It is similar to Virginia where you can smoke indoors at many restaurants and bars.

One interesting thing was that they have a warning on cigarettes about how smoking can damage sperm.  I am not fluent in German so I don't know exactly what the warning said.  I know several guys who fathered healthy children as smokers, but I suppose sperm damage is just another reason among many to quit smoking.

It is a week away from my quit date and I'm feeling pretty enthusiastic about quitting.  I kind of can't wait to quit.  I hope I'm still feeling this eager next week.

I read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking book and haven't quit yet.  I noticed that hypnosis CDs are also available.

When shopping for hypnosis CDs, I did not buy these because of the binaural beats.  I believe you have to wear headphones to hear the binaural beats and I thought it would be easier to listen to the CDs in bed without hooking up earphones.

Has anyone tried these?  

The hypnosis CDs I bought contain an instruction to switch brands prior to quitting.  The hypnotherapist said switching brands is very important.  Although studies show low nicotine cigarettes are just as dangerous as regular cigarettes, I am considering low nicotine cigarettes for my last week of smoking.

Do you recommend any brands?  I am currently smoking Marlboro Ultralights. 

Web Only:  This website contains nicotine information for cigarettes.

Have you ever seen a smoker flick a cigarette butt out a car window?

Littering is bad, but the butts probably biodegrade after a year or so.  Far worse, is that discarded cigarettes can start wildfires.

Once I quit, I will no longer have to worry about disposing cigarettes, emptying ashtrays, etc.  That sounds good to me.

I read an interesting article about a study with General Electric employees.  Those that were paid to quit smoking had a higher success rate than those who were not paid.

Unfortunately, no one has offered to pay me to quit thus far.

For those listening to the podcast without visiting the site, I have linked to the aforementioned article here at http://timetoquit.libsyn.com.  I also have posted a couple of entertaining anti-smoking videos recently.

My home state of Virginia is in the news for moving forward on a smoking ban that will affect most restaurants.  My home state is also the home state of major tobacco companies.

When I went on vacation to other states, I would always peer into restaurants and bars looking for ashtrays.  It would be nice to quit so I am no longer concerned with this sort of thing.

Michael Phelps has been in the news recently for a picture that surfaced of him smoking from a bong.  It's interesting why top athletes would choose to inhale smoke into their lungs.

When I was young, I was a pretty good runner.  Yet I decided to try cigarettes.  At first, I didn't think I was addicted.  Over time, it became clear that I was.

My advice for young people:  Don't try smoking.

It seems like every method involves setting a quit date...  probably few people are successful quitting on a whim.

I got my hypnosis CDs in the mail and on the first CD, the hypnotist said to write down a quit date.  It seems like the key is to set a date that is far enough away not to make you freak out.

I suppose there are two schools of thought. 

1.)  Quit on a work day so you're busy to take your mind off not smoking.
2.)  Quit on a weekend so it is less stressful.

I'm going to set mine for February 28th, a Saturday.  Being at home will let me have more flexibility to take a walk, take a bath, go back to bed, etc.

The hypnosis CDs arrived in the mail.  One thing they said that was very important was for me to set a quit date.  The second CD has a place for me to write my quit date.  I need to decide on a quit date.

I will listen to the second CD on the night before my quit date.

Stay tuned to find out my quit date.

Brad Pitt said having kids was the one thing that helped him quit smoking.  That makes sense, but of course people shouldn't have kids just to quit smoking.

Some people use Chantix as a magic bullet to quit smoking.

When I went to my doctor last December, he said he did not feel comfortable prescribing it.  Some studies show Chantix causes depression.

I first tried quitting smoking cold turkey.

Then I tried switching to Quest cigarettes.

I also read The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

Now, I'll be trying a hypnosis CD.

It seems since trying to quit cold turkey, I'm looking for a magic bullet.  They say there are no magic bullets; you have to want to quit smoking.  I do want to quit smoking, but I also have an addiction fueled desire to smoke.

I saw an ad in the newspaper for a $50 quit smoking session by Dr. Gorayeb.  I did not end up going due to an ice storm...

However, I did order a hypnosis CD online from Amazon.com. What do I have to lose?
 

Here's another classic anti-smoking campaign message featuring CP30 and R2D2:

Here's a classic quit smoking video:

I noticed that there is a version of Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking that includes a hypnosis CD.

Does anyone recommend a hypnosis CD to quit smoking?

Did you know that Ellen Degeneres and Ashton Kutcher both credit Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking book for helping them quit cigarettes?

I read the book and it made sense...  but I haven't quit so I ought to re-read it.

I'm having a tough time getting excited to quit.  Do you have to be excited to quit smoking?

President Obama has used nicotine gum in trying to quit smoking.  It is unclear whether he has completely quit or not at this point.

Last summer, he admitted to smoking within the last few months.

Alan Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking book recommends not using substitutes...  just get the nicotine out of your system.

Many other resources, including QuitAssist, recommend nicotine replacement therapy.

What is your opinion?

Show Notes
Many people smoke to deal with stress. However, i read an article that suggests smoking does just the opposite and is related to anxiety.

Update:  Our interest in quitting smoking is picking up again.  We recently recorded an impromtu cheesy conversation.

Show Notes:
Key takeaway:  People dislike smoking and want to quit.  However, many continue to smoke anyway.

Show Notes

"...I haven't switched to Quest 3 nicotine free cigarettes yet.  I'm focusing on cutting back.  Allen Carr cautions against cutting back in his book, but I think cutting back may help me..."

Kevin is not here today...  this is Steve.

I have one Merit Ultima left in the pack.  Plan is to smoke Quest 3s (nicotine free cigarettes starting tomorrow).

I'll check back in.

Show Notes

"This is Kevin.  I, like my friend Steve, am committing to quitting smoking.  When?  Soon, hopefully..."

Show Notes

"Announcement Number 1:  I am going to quit smoking soon."

"Announcement Number 2:  Kevin, from 30secondwords.com will be collaborating with me on this site.  There will be a new voice and new words..."

Show Notes

"The April timeframe for quitting has passed and I am still smoking."

"However, I will have a major announcement in the next few days."

Show Notes

"During my previous podcast, I announced that I would be quitting smoking during the Week Beginning April 8th.  I did not have a calendar in front of me at the time; April 8th is actually a Tuesday."

"I am revising the quit time frame to be the Week Beginning April 13th..."

 

 

 

Show Notes

"It's easier to delay quitting than to quit."

"...I'm finally ready to commit to quitting during the week beginning April 8th..."

Show Notes

"I wanted to share this inspiring link that Kevin sent in showing positive reasons to quit."

"I also wanted to mention that I am smoking extra low nicotine Quest cigarettes and will be quitting completely within the next several days, at which point in time I will begin updating this site more frequently."

Show Notes

"Yesterday I prepared for quitting by switching brands.  Instead of Marlboro Lights, I bought Quest 1 (Low Nicotine), Quest 2 (Extra Low Nicotine), and Quest 3 (Nicotine Free) cigarettes.  By getting unhooked to nicotine first, it won't be such a shock to my system when I quit."

"I've tried this method before, but failed because I wasn't as mentally dedicated as I am today and also because Quest cigarettes are difficult to find in Virginia.  However, I did find a store relatively nearby that carries all three levels of Quest cigarettes."

Show Notes

"...I'm making final preparations to quit.  I'll be back with an update shortly."

Show Notes

"When I look back at this site, I've tried to quit several times.  So far I've accomplished nothing."

"I'm going to learn from my mistakes.  Next time I quit smoking, I'll quit for good."

"I plan to quit after the Super Bowl..."

Show Notes

"For those of you who missed the Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday, here's a link to the information.  They said the term 'breathe free' is better than 'quit smoking' from a psychological standpoint."

"I also thought it was interesting that the doctor on the show, Dr. Oz, recommended taking medications when trying to quit."

"At any rate, I need to gear up and set a quit date."

"My wife told me that the topic of tomorrow's Oprah Winfrey Show is smoking cessation.  I'm actually going to tune in..."

Show Notes

"I caught some of a TV show last night called The Biggest Loser.  The show isn't about people quitting smoking; it's about obese people trying to lose weight.  But the show is about inspiring lifestyle changes.  Check it out on Tuesday nights on NBC."

Show Notes

"The good news is that I made through my fifth day." 

"The bad news is that I slipped up.  That's not cool."

"Sometimes trains derail..."

Show Notes

"I successfully completed day 4 and wanted to share another tip.  Chai Tea Latte is a spicy tea that has helped me.  The tea is sold at Starbucks and is also available for about a dollar less at Sheetz gas stations..."

Show Notes

"...Day 3 was easier than Day 2, but still wasn't easy."

"There's an appropriate line from a documentary film about a ultra-long run David Horton completed.  In the film, David says that suffering isn't always bad."

Show Notes

"Yesterday was my second smoke-free, nicotine-free day.  I had a rough patch where I got a little upset."

"Then I thought how sad it was that my body needed a drug [nicotine] to feel normal.  So I held strong and got through the day."

Show Notes

"My thought for today is that when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you're supposed to do is stop digging.  If your problem is that you smoke, it makes sense that the first thing you need to do is stop smoking."

"Yesterday I did not smoke and I have every intention of continuing."

I received this message of a support from a friend.

Show Notes

"...like many other people, I will be quitting smoking on New Year's Day."

Show Notes

"Some smokers are afraid to go the doctor, but I went yesterday.  He said to quit smoking..."

Show Notes

"In my last podcast, I mentioned that I bought a pack of smokes.  However, I'm trying not to fall completely off the wagon.  One step I'm taking is not smoking in the morning..."

Related Link

Loren Feldman's "Morning Smoke" on 1938media

Show Notes

"Yesterday I bought a pack...

"I was reading a How to Quit Smoking page on Jason Calacanis's human-powered search engine, Mahalo.Com.  The site suggests not trying to quit during the holidays so I may not go completely smoke-free until the new year."

Show Notes

"With three smoke-free days completed, it's a little easier now and one part of me thinks I can do this.  Snacking on chocolate has helped."

"Another part of me wants to be bad..."

 

Show Notes

"I've completed two days smoke free and am almost done with the third.  But I'm not having any fun.  I'm a little depressed and tempted to go to the store to get a pack..."

 

Show Notes

"It's been a few months since my last broadcast...  I think one reason for my downfall was that Qwest cigarettes were not readily available...  additionally wanting to smoke during a holiday weekend..."

"However, today I'm back.  Yesterday I toughed out a smoke-free day.  It was tough and today is not much easier..."

 

Show Notes

"I've been smoking Quest 3 Nicotine Free cigarettes for four days now.  I probably still smoke almost as much as before, out of ritual..."

"Truth be told, these Quest 3 cigarettes are kind of lousy..."

"I'll be smoking Quest 3's for a few more days and I'll be back with an update."

Show Notes

"The third method I mentioned in the previous podcast, and the method I'll be using, is with Quest cigarettes.  Quest offers three levels of cigarettes (Quest 1 -- Low Nicotine, Quest 2 -- Extra Low Nicotine, and Quest 3 -- Nicotine Free).  According to Quest, this is not intended for quitting smoking, but rather for smokers who want less nicotine."

"Last week I switched from Marlboro Lights to Quest 1.  This week I switchd from Quest 1 to Quest 2.  One concern I had was that as I went to lower nicotine cigarettes, I might just smoke more of them.  However, that does not appear to be happening."

"This coming weekend I plan to switch from Quest 2 to Quest 3 and be nicotine free.  I'll be back to let you know how that goes."

Show Notes

"During my unsuccessful attempt last December, I thought of smoking as a habit.  Now, I think of smoking as an addiction.  I'm linking here to an article that suggests cigarette companies have been increasing the nicotine in cigarettes, perhaps just to make it harder for smokers to quit."

"So how do you quit your nicotine addiction?  There are three main methods:

1. Cold Turkey...
2. Nicotine Replacement Therapy...
3. Another method I recently found out about..."

Show Notes

This is the first TimeToQuit podcast in eight months.  My cold turkey quit attempt last December was unsuccessful because...

However, I am excited to begin a new plan.  To be continued...

1. Progress Update
2. Interviews with Ex-Smokers

Show Notes

"...Today I'd like to talk a little bit about staying quit, my plan to stay quit.  Sometimes it's tempting to have 'just one' cigarette...  but what's the point?  Maybe I'd feel good for five or ten minutes, but then what?  I'd probably want another cigarette an hour later, and another an hour after that.  I'd be right back to where I was before I quit.  So, having just one cigarette is not worth it."

"...I have one more announcement.  After today's podcast, there will be a cessation to the daily podcasts..."

"Thank you for your support.  Thank you for helping make this podcast a success.  Good night and Good luck!"

Show Notes

"To keep myself occupied and not think of smoking as much, I have a lot of piles of clutter both at home and at work I can go through and organize.  But organizing stuff isn't all that much fun, so tonight I did something a little more fun..."

Coming Up Tomorrow

Staying Quit

 

Show Notes

"Before my quit date, I made a big 'To-Do' list so I could keep busy with stuff to do when I wanted to smoke.  But actually, I barely got into it during the first week.  I was pretty tired coming home from work in the evenings so I would rest on the couch..."

"...today I got some of my energy back..."

"If you don't mind, let me end today's program with a little bit of the Wildwood Flower."

[Banjo tune]

Coming Up Tomorrow

Keeping busy (continued)

Show Notes

Part One--Review of the Day

"I'm here at the end of a successful Week One and it seems to be getting easier."

Part Two--Discussion of Audience Comments

1. Text Comments from Sprung, Mark, and KG
2. Audio Comment from Norm 

Norm's Key Points

A)...seems like everyone is quitting smoking nowadays... 

B)...not smoking was normal before you start smoking, then smoking becomes normal.  When you quit, you have to flip the switch back again...

Show Highlights

"...Smoking is like gambling with extremely high stakes.  It doesn't make any sense for me to do it, especially since I don't even like making $5 bets."

"...Coughing up phlegm isn't a particularly fun or attractive thing to do."

Coming Up Tomorrow

1. End of Week 1 Report
2. Review of Recent Audience Comments

 

Show Notes

"...I just have to make the right choice.  The Marlboro Man isn't chasing me around on his horse, trying to lasso me, and force me to smoke.  Smoking is a choice."

Recommended Site

This site (especially its forums) has the best free support I've found on the web.

Coming Up Tomorrow

Gambling

Show Notes

"Was today any easier?  Maybe, it definitely wasn't any harder than the previous days.  I still thought about smoking many times, but I didn't freak out about it.  I just had to remind myself that I'm a non-smoker now."

"One thing that helped motivate me today...  ....was riding the elevator with three coworkers who were just coming in from a smoke break.  Man, did that smell..."

Coming Up Tomorrow

Smoking is a Choice

Show Notes

Part One--Review of the Day

"Today was pretty similar to yesterday...  ...I didn't break down."

Part Two--Discussion of Audience Comments

1. Audio Comment from Kevin
2. Text Comments from Sprung, Frank, MaryBeth, Gardening Artist, Kelly, and Maggie

Related Link

MaryBeth left a link to a Phillip Morris site with info on quitting.

Show Notes

"It required effort not to smoke at work today.  It was dealing with the combination of my usual breaks at certain times, as well as the fact there were co-workers who I could have easily bummed a smoke or two from.  Instead, I drank hot tea and chewed beef jerky...

"Thanks to Amy, who left a comment on yesterday's podcast.  She left a link to a site with videos of Barb Tarbox, who spoke to 50,000 students about the dangers of smoking before she died of lung cancer.  I watched the short version and it was very inspiring. 

"If anyone else has any comments or questions, just click the comments link at the bottom of each post and I'll try to address it on the next show."

Coming Tomorrow

1. Coverage of Day Three
2. Discuss Audience Comments/Questions

Show Highlights

"...I was a little tempted to buy a pack...  I actually considered announcing that I'd move my quit date to next weekend and smoke for one more week..."

"...it got tougher.  Instead of just thinking about smoking, my body started to feel kind of weird..."

Coming Tomorrow

Complete coverage of Day 2

 

Show Notes

"This is my last day as a smoker.  On one hand, I'm excited to quit for my health.  But honestly, a part of me is a little sad...  ...It's sad to think about hanging out in a bar, listening to a good band, and not being able to smoke.  It's sad to think about going to an outdoor concert, having a beer, and not smoking...

"Ultimately though, for me, the long term health benefits are more important than whatever enjoyment I currently get from smoking...

"As for strategy, I'm planning to quit cold turkey.  I think the keys for me will be keeping busy and planning things to look forward to."

Coming Tomorrow

What it is like on my first day not smoking

 

Show Notes

"My name is Steve.  I've been smoking for about 10 years.  I smoke a pack a day...  ...I smoke Marlboro lights...

"I remember learning in elementary school about how bad smoking was and watching scary videos about smoking.  I remember, at that time, wondering why anyone would smoke.  I just couldn't understand it.  I believed it was somthing I'd never do.  But by the time I got towards the end of high school, my thinking must have changed somewhere along the line...

Tomorrow's Topics

1. Reflections on my last day as a smoker
2. Description of my strategy going forward

Welcome to TimeToQuit.  I am not a doctor or a motivational speaker; I just want to share my thoughts as I quit smoking.  I hope you find the podcasts interesting, entertaining, and/or inspiring.

My quit date is Sunday, December 3, 2006 and I'll start adding daily podcasts on Friday, December 1st.