curious about the change

[Utew]

"Some things I've been doing that may or may not help you:
1. Trying to keep my vaping routine approximately the same as when I was smoking analogs. This means going outside to vape in the same spots I would normally have smoked my analogs. Also been vaping after meals and every time I hop in the car. I'm no nueroscientist, but from what I understand it helps to do these things because I'm basically replacing all the associations I previously had with analogs. I believe one of the reasons e-cigs work so well is that they hit on a some of the things that gum/patches/pills etc don't, like the oral fixation and the visual sense of seeing the vapor/smoke... so it's replacing/relieving those associations that other replacement/cessation therapies don't.
2. Trying lots of different flavors of e-juice in order to keep it interesting. I find that once I start getting bored with a flavor I get more urges for analogs. Also been switching up my nicotine levels a bit, though I love the e-juice flavors and anything over 12mg nicotine makes it difficult for me to taste the flavor as much.
3. Reading a lot of posts on this forum by people who are still having urges and/or smoking some analogs. I feel like this helps a lot because it's basically a support group and I can find all kinds of folks to relate to.
4. Reading about e-cig tech in general and trying to learn as much as I can about them. I feel like the active effort to learn about e-cigs helps because it keeps my mind interested in them, plus the more time I spend on it the more vested I am in vaping. Also it just helps to be able to find better products for vaping and improve the overall experience."

^^This

Those 4 points are so well elucidated, they are absolutely spot on. Well said, TheDood!

 

[ShariR]

Hi everyone and welcome to ECF. Starting to vape and quitting the cigarettes is an individual journey. Some people can stop in the first few days, some in a couple of weeks and some people have a hard time giving up those last couple every day. With the right equipment, right liquid at the right nicotine strength, and just learning to vape and enjoying it you will find yourself preferring the vapor over your cigarettes. There is a learning curve in this, just like most things. It can take some time to find the right topper for you or the right juice and nicotine level.

I smoked Marlboro 100s for 45 years and bought a Blu disposable on a whim while I was buying my carton of cigarettes. It was not going to cut the mustard for me to stop smoking, but I saw promise there and got on google and found ECF. Spent the next 2 weeks reading and posting and asking questions til I drove everybody nuts. But I found my first setup that way.

I have 2 Vision Spinners 1300mah, 2 Kanger Evods, a bunch of extra heads for the Evods, and a Joye 510 dripping atty. And lots of different juices. The Spinners give me the ability to dial in my taste on the juice. Some taste better on a lower voltage, some taste better on a higher voltage. They were worth the extra $25 for that feature on the two of them. I am still using everything I started with and have added an MVP2 to my backups and love it.

That first week I got down to 2 cigarettes a day, but I still felt like the cigarettes were chasing me. I still had cravings, sometimes pretty strong. I was using 18mg juice. I bumped it up to 24mg and that same day I never had another cigarette and it is now 4 1/2 months. No cravings but I think about cigarettes once in a while. I vape a bit and the thoughts and craving passes.

It is important to find a few flavors you can vape all day. This is what is going to replace that cigarette taste. Almost all people switch up several flavors throughout the day but if you can really enjoy something you can vape for a long period of time it does seem to help. Here are a few links to help you find a good vendor to try out and some other info. Have fun with this.

Vaping is different than smoking, here is a link about how to inhale. It does help.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/337017-inhalation-technique-e-cigarette.html

Where you can swap juices you do not care for:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-please-read-first-post-rules-guidelines.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-please-read-first-post-rules-guidelines.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...discussion/304212-top-5-vendors-e-liquid.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/pay-forward-pif/418767-deals-steals.html

There are flavors that will melt a plastic tank - please read:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...6-something-safe-cinnamon-citrus-flavors.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/the-ocelot/3786-eeekkk-its-melting.html

I hope you enjoy your journey with vaping. Stay and chat and post about your experiences and please do ask questions. Lots to read and learn here.

 

[nmackan]

Let me tell you my friend, or if you surf ithis forum you can see my version is best.
If you decide to quit smoking and begin vaping, you find yourself craving for cigarettes. This is with all quitting decisions. They quit but have hard times.
If you decide "smoking is very dangerous but I enjoy smoking. If this e-cig gives me the same pleasure I will use it everytime but with all ceremonies (like morning cigarettes with tea/coffe or drinking with friends) I will smoke.
I guarantee second find themselves ceasing cigarettes and find themselves quitted already.
If you fight with smoking you always crave for a cigarette. Believe me by vaping sometime (say a full day) you will find smoking is not enjoyable anymore. After a while you develope tasting and smelling senses you become a smoking enemy.

Dont go too fast Buy a decent beginner set and their spares (even spare of spares) find a juice to your liking but a high nicotine level. Buy VG (For food industry) and if the nicotine is high for you add some vg to dilute it. (we crave not for smoke but for nicotine)
As soon as you get your set surf this forum and youtube as well how to clean and dry burn your atomiser head (Even if this is a new language for you) Always have it with you and if you crave a cigarette vape before you light one. But if you still crave for a smoke go ahead smoke one dont fight always think if you desire you can always smoke. Believe me vaping can win the battle in no time.

Yeah welcome to vaping world and in this forum you will have more experienced tutors willing to help you here.
Enjoy vaping welcome to your health

 

[ShariR]

I love this thread and all the wonderful people and their stories. We are all so different and yet all the same. I am going to bookmark this thread. Everyone shared their wisdom and different points that can really help someone get started.

 

[nicetucu]

I'm 5 months without smoking cigarettes and still have an urge every once in a while. My wife still smokes and they are around me all the time. Only good thing is I hated her cigs when I did smoke (Benson and Hedges lights or ultra lights).

I was still smoking cigs when I started to vape and eventually stepped it down to a few a day and then to none over 3 months. You have to want to quit I think. I was just sick of polluting my body and feeling like crap and coughing. When you're young your quality of life doesn't change that much (a little) but not enough to quit. It's a gradual thing and if you are active it tends to limit you after a while.

When I went snow skiing a few years ago I really noticed my breathing was difficult with the altitude. It kind of freaked my out a bit. That is probably when the seed was planted and was considering to quit. Ya feel so much better after a few weeks and a few months is an oh my god moment. You think why the hell was it ok to feel ....ty all the time. Well ....ty was the normal and you get used to it. Now I feel great and don't get sick often anymore.

The thoughts for the average smoker is if we quit what we are giving up. But the reality is how much more we gain. I was a hardcore smoker who had a cig in my mouth within a few minutes of waking up. Before I would leave the house for work, I would have probably 4 or 5. Finding juice you love is the hard part. Once you have that the hardware stuff will just evolve the juice and the right nic level is the ticket. Good luck.

 

[Racehorse]

For those who switched to vape from analog, how was the transition. Did you find yourself needing to spark an analog every now and then? or did the vape completely satisfy your urges.... And were you already in the mindset to quit analog?

I think you hit nail on head when you said "mindset". I am the kind of person who decides things.

Vaping full time required me to put down the analogs, completely, and not have any around.

At first I wasn't totally satisfied, but I had already assumed I would be a little uncomfortable, either physically or psychologically. I've done much harder things in my life so I knew it wouldn't kill me.

After about 3 days I just started to thoroughly enjoy vaping, and never went back. A year and 4 months in, I tried a cigarette though. It was pretty smelly and tasted like an ashtray, and since I had been vaping fruity minty stuff that day, I really had no problem stubbing out the cigarette and most likely will never try one again.

 

[Racehorse]

The thoughts for the average smoker is if we quit what we are giving up.

That is so true. Sort of like yeah, I am giving up being tired, smelling bad, being out of breath, coughing, exposure to chronic illness like COPD etc.
I realized one day "gee, if i had a friend who treated me this badly, I'd drop them like a hot potato."

 

[AlteredReality]

I carried around those mini Flings from White Cloud the first 8 days or so and kept some extra ones in the car since they are the same size and weight of a cig... did me good and I loved the flavors they had ... can't beat 10 for $10, right? Before I knew it, I had quit smoking for 8 days straight ... pain free!... and I'm never going back to stinkies

 

[Salt4YourWounds]

The only reason I haven't sold my Halo G6 is because I love the ability to have a carto filled with a FLVS's Camel Menthol-like blend at 24 or 36 mg on hand at all times. Especially when it's potential poor life decision cocktail time.

Otherwise, I'm happy vaping and trying new flavors. Decided I'd try the ecig thing on a whim as I have friends who use everything from Blu to what looks like a pretty sweet mech setup- thought the whole idea was BS at first, to be honest. Didn't really have a desire to quit, but got my first kit and found myself using it more and more- and cutting down on the analogs in the process (really only used them while drinking\really high stress occasions during that time). I smoked about a pack to a pack and a half a day for around 10 years, but switched over totally after about the first week and a half after buying an EVOD setup, and haven't looked back.

I think what worked for me was being able to go to local B&M stores and not only try their selection (holy crap, they can make this taste like <insert flavor here>? this is awesome!) and get gear advice while doing research online and seeing communities like this and others that provide great information, recommendations, and positive support. I found it more fun to go out, try new things, and meet new people than I did to just smoke cigarettes to be huge in helping me stay away from analogs.

Best of luck to you in whatever you do, though!

 

[mediocre toker]

welcome to the forum kobe
I've been on the vape for nearly a year now and from day one never "craved" a cigarette. Exception: The taste of tobacco. I really missed the taste of tobacco and have been known to sneak the odd cigarette for old times sake. I still consider myself a non-smoker though.
I try not to feel tooooo guilty especially since being a member of this forum and all, but what works to keep me off the fags is definitely the vaping, with no actual cravings. I guess it's a choice that i make from time to time. last cigarette. 2 months ago, so I'm due a wee treat

 

[frozenhill]

I quite ordinary smoking since July , my problem raised in first week and vaping doesn't satisfy me a lot but , you have to have willing to quit otherwise you cant , then i try to convince my self about the new period in my life without cigarette and benefit i will gain and day after day , its done , now i love it and enjoy vape ,
happy vape to all.

 

[Cool-breeze]

Much like toker, I've snuck one on occasion. I wasn't looking to quit when I began vaping ie one here and there does not bother me. I will say I have not had a craving persay. I've had 2 in the last 3 weeks (when I began vaping) and mine is more from short breaks at work and the juice I had did not have enough nicotine that I could get fast enough. I will say they tasted like crap which is kind of comforting.

 

[TraceyS]

I was in the mindset to quit.....again. Many failures. I did both for about two months. I vaped when out and work and smoked at home. I was wanting more vape stuff to try to I made a decision I was only buying one or the other. Not bought the cigs in over a year.

Tracey

 

[KAS129]

I just started trying to quit with vaping 3 weeks ago. For me this has been a progression. A friend got me started by giving me a Smoktech Winder, some Evods and a few samples of juice. The first week was not very successful. Still smoked 1/2 PAD even with vaping. 2nd week I got some higher nic juice and better tanks and dropped to about 3-4 cigarettes a day. Last weekend I tried some more flavors and found a couple I really liked and so far since Saturday I have had a total of 4 cigarettes. For me that first morning smoke has been the hardest to give up. Keep trying and just decide that you will do it and you will make it. Today was my first morning without that morning smoke and I feel like I have had a small victory of sorts. Just remember wars are won one battle at a time. Every step forward is step closer to our goal of being rid of cigarettes. ECF is a treasure trove of information, relieves a lot of the expensive trial and error when getting started. Good luck.

 

[DocTonyNYC]

I was a three pack-a-day smoker (although I justified things in my mind by smoking "lights"). To be honest, I never really thought that I would be able to quit. The day after I started vaping was the last day that I smoked an analog, and to be honest it really wasn't hard at all for me. I certainly expected it to be much harder. I did smoke a few cigs on that first day--but it wasn't because I was physically craving it (I think it had more to do with the ritual of smoking).

I did notice that I kept picking up a cigarette lighter every time I walked from room to room. That habit lasted a couple of weeks.

 

[TXCherry]

All things considered, the transition was relatively easy for me. I didn't intend to quit smoking, but I found my flavor soul mate and unintentionally gave cigs the boot. The mental habit was the hardest to break - the morning smoke (as many others have mentioned), smoking after a big meal, smoking while drinking a glass or three of wine....but I found that I could get past the mental habit if I chain vaped for a few minutes. Once I had some nicotine in my body, I was able to make a smart decision and stay away from the smoke.

These days, I breathe better, laugh louder (without coughing), smell better, have a better complexion, and can confidently say that I'm a non-smoker, which is sexy as hell.

Good luck in your adventure! I've had a blast!

 

[suspectK]

It took me a month to quit buying cigarettes, and about 3months to not bum one or shorts. If I wasn't somewhere like I was, the transition would've been easier. I think the fact I would bum shorts detail that enough, but I was surrounded by addicts/alcoholics.. I kept 3camels off the last pack I bought, my luckies. I smoked them when I got the call my girlfriend was pregnant. I got my first variable PV about a week later. That helped the cause a lot more, but I only had a cartotank and a cheap clearomizer, with a strictly enforced policy of not having money without approval for where I was. I'd just buy a 20 or 30 mL bottle, instead of 2-10mL bottles, when I could.

 

[diggyb]

It was pretty much immediate for me. I had 3 smokes over the first 2 days of vaping and then threw the rest away.

This morning was the first time it crossed my mind to have one - I was shopping for Thanksgiving and didn't bring my pv with me. It really was just a thought that crossed my mind though - thankfully it wasn't a struggle.

 

[yzer]

My history was 35 years of smoking, pack and a half a day, "light" cigarettes for most of that time.

I started vaping in an attempt to stop smoking in November, 2011. The set-up was an E-Power 14650: an eGo sized mod with replaceable li-ion batteries. It produces a decent amount of vaper using cartos. The juice was 24mg.

I smoked and vaped for six months, finding it difficult to quit smoking entirely. At times, I was vaping and still smoking a pack a day. Finally, after six months of this stuff I asked myself if I really was serious about quitting or was I just fooling myself about using an e-cigarette. During the following week I cut down to three or four cigarettes a day. Then I tossed out the last remaining pack and the Bic lighter in a plastic bag with the dog poop. I wanted to avoid dumpster diving for that last pack. I had smoked my last cigarette.

 

[Mark Anthony]

Once I picked up my mod I never, ever touched another cigarette..... 62 days good so far with not so much as a craving.