Newb looking to ditch the Cancer Sticks!
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Well, everybody's different and your mileage may vary but I don't "fight". Every time I "fought" smoking, I lost. This is different. I came to like it better. So I just kept losing interest in cigs. They taste awful, they're harsh, and they stink.
But while I was getting "settled in" and figuring out this vaping thing, if I wanted a cig, I had one. Especially the big times like first thing in the morning with coffee or right after eating? But the more I found good e-liquids and figured out better kit and learned stuff from experienced folks around here, the less I cared about cigs. Still remember the first time I got up, thought about that first cig in the morning, thought "yuck" and grabbed the vaporizer instead. That "first cig of the day with coffee" just up and died one day.
It's not like any "quit" attempt I've ever done. In fact, I don't feel "quit". Just now blew a big cloud at the monitor. It's just not smoke anymore.
That's gotta be a big part of it for me at least. I'm inhaling something that's giving me the nicotine and exhaling clouds of stuff. It's not exactly like smoking but it's close. Enough I think it can fake out the part of my brain that has 30+ years of habit built up. And the best part is it's better. I just got in some Bananas Foster liquid (which is steeping right now). Oh and a Key Lime waiting for me in the living room once I get this post done.
Cigs are... well, there's menthol or not menthol.
I'm still new enough I'm doing a lot of sampling. You should see it, it's hilarious. A dozen little sample bottles lined up. Over the next few days, I'll be rotating between them, trying 'em out. And more on the way. But still spending less money than smoking. Texas jumped in behind the feds that last tax hike and doubled the cost here. Cartons shot to at least $60 for name brand. Some $65 to $70. I try not to think how much I was spending back then. I'm "splurging" right now on e-liquids and still spending nowhere near what I did back then.
The way this sort of... just happened to me? I thought I'd just let it run and see what happened. Not think of "quitting". Turned out that vaping is more pleasant, more tasty, and has way more variety than smoking. And when I started getting more of that "oxygen" stuff people talk about so much (they claim it's healthy for ya), my energy started coming up and my moods even improved, the positives started snowballing and cigs became less and less attractive.
Heh, yeah. If I'd run into ECF before that weird incident with the disposable, I would have thought this was some nest of crazy people. Quitting isn't fun. It's awful and miserable and you feel sick and angry and it's gum that burns your mouth or pills that make you loopy (Zyban, I almost had hallucinations) and you end up failing anyway. These nuts are claiming they're enjoying quitting!
Turns out, they're right. This stuff is better. I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying quitting.
I did not expect to ever say that lemme tell ya.
Now, I do gotta say, I've run into folks around that do have it rougher. There are multiple things in cigs that are addictive. Not just the nicotine. The tobacco companies did a lotta work on getting us all good and hooked. I think I probably have a fairly straightforward addiction to nicotine (though a really, really powerful one).
There can be rough spots, adjustment periods, times nothing tastes any good (oh that lovely "vaper's tongue", that's... fun... NOT), widgets going wonky, batteries acting up... you know, stuff happens. But you got ECF which is a phenomenal resource. There's not a question I've had nor seen asked that somebody around here doesn't know the particular subject inside and out.
And a supportive community to cheer you on too.
My main advice to the newer newbies (I'm still pretty green myself) is don't beat yourself up if you "dual use" at first. Some do. Some don't. I needed a "quick fix" of a cig once in a while at first. Give yourself time to get oriented in the vaping world and all its almost overwhelming options and figure out what works for you. Seems to me when you start hitting the right combinations of widgets and liquids, cigs really start to look like lame, awful tasting wastes of time.
I decided early on, given the weird way I fell into this, to not pressure myself. Like I don't plan on using one of the "counters" in my sig here. I deliberately leave the "door" open of "I can smoke anytime I want". Something about not trying to make it final works for me. Something about that stuff being a part of my life for so long makes some part of my brain want to freak out at the idea of "no, you can never, ever have one again".
I focus on enjoying vaping and end up just not wanting a cig.
Yah, kind of playing head games with myself I guess. But, man, those things were wrecking my health. If I gotta play goofy tricks on myself to psych me out... well, whatever works.
An update, On Thursday night I went and checked out a local vapor shop that just recently opened. After about a maybe 40 or so minutes there I left with an eGo-C starter kit and two 10ml bottles of their in house juices. Since then I've only had 6 analogs, not bad as I probably would've sucked down 3 packs of analogs during that time....not bad at all! They squared this noob away and I do believe within the next several weeks or so I'll be close to or even completely analog free!
Mark thank you for those words of encouragement, I know this isn't going to be all fun and games but it sure as cuss beats the patches and gum! I know there will be situations where I'll go straight to the analogs, half the ones I've had so far are because of it....3 year olds can really test ya!
I'm glad I've found this place, more info then my brain can process but I am starting to make sense of it all! At this point I want to reduce my dependence on the analogs before turning this into a hobby which I'm thinking I can really get into! I'd like to ween myself down to 6mg of nicotine from what I'm starting out on 24mg. I don't think I'll completely quit the nicotine, I have noticed that the taste of the juices are better with lower nicotine dosages. Today my wife was looking at the juices online and I think she may get into it using the 0 juices.
Thanks again everyone, I love it here!!
Mark thank you for those words of encouragement, I know this isn't going to be all fun and games but it sure as cuss beats the patches and gum! I know there will be situations where I'll go straight to the analogs, half the ones I've had so far are because of it....3 year olds can really test ya!
I'm glad I've found this place, more info then my brain can process but I am starting to make sense of it all! At this point I want to reduce my dependence on the analogs before turning this into a hobby which I'm thinking I can really get into! I'd like to ween myself down to 6mg of nicotine from what I'm starting out on 24mg. I don't think I'll completely quit the nicotine, I have noticed that the taste of the juices are better with lower nicotine dosages. Today my wife was looking at the juices online and I think she may get into it using the 0 juices.
Thanks again everyone, I love it here!!
Welcome! I used to live in Lancaster Co years ago. Have fun and welcome to the wonderful world of vaping bnrk
bnrk
It's better than just "not bad". Think about it. 3 packs is 60 cigs. That's a 90% drop.
Cool huh?
I'm very big on emphasizing the positive. I started smoking around 16 or so. I'm 51 now (how the heck did that happen?). Started serious quit attempts in my mid-20s. Tried everything short of Chantix (which from what I've read, scares the... <insert string of cuss words of your choice here> outta me... I guess suicide is one way to quit smoking but I think I'll pass).
Still have a few cigs in the house and tell myself if I'm absolutely determined, go ahead. Just every week that passes, cigs are less attractive and I get more of a, "meh" reaction to the thought of having one.
Which is very, very strange to me. I liked smoking. Always have. Even seeing what it was doing to me, I still liked it. For me, vaping seems to be close enough to the "experience" that it really works for me. I pause while writing this post to inhale from a cylindrical object and blow clouds at the monitor. Like always. Just not clouds of smoke now. It's gotta be a psychological thing. That 35 years of habit. Took a bit of adjusting and some time to "hit" the combination that worked for me in terms of widgets and liquids and inhalation technique but once it started working, it "feels like" smoking to whatever part of me liked that habit.
Do stick around the ECF. It is a fantastic resource and great support system. Lots of folks to cheer you on and help you solve problems that inevitably arise.
Heh, and if you're chasing a 3 year old around, you'll definitely wanna hang in there. If for no other reason, getting back a big chunk of the energy smoking saps outta you is gonna help.
You know I absolutely love(d) smoking, especially waking up and after eating something that isn't sweet! Those two moments are what's giving me the most craving moments.....well my 3 year old's diva moments especially doesn't help! I had one analog this morning after waking up and my ultimate goal is to see if I can last all day without one. I won't down myself if I sneak one or two in before going to bed as I only have 20 ml of juice to get me to Friday and about 30 analogs....ohh I still have about 3/4's of a Blu disposable that's my in case of emergency!
Come Friday I'm gonna be hitting up my new favorite store and I'm gonna order some juices online, once I have plenty of juices I'm pretty positive I'll see the analogs go from the back seat to the trunk.....lol! It is definitely cool to see a 90% drop in smoking analogs! I haven't noticed the nastiness as much lighting up but they most definately do taste different and not in a good way, I'm also starting to get the queezy feeling a lot of folks say they get. To me it feels like the not so great feeling you get when you start the nasty habit.
I'm definately in this for the long haul. I first tried a cigarette when I was around 12 and didn't start smoking on a daily basis until I was 14 or 15. It's funny...the first analog I tried was a Newport and the analogs I'm quitting on are Newport Reds! It's funny how it is coming full circle!
Come Friday I'm gonna be hitting up my new favorite store and I'm gonna order some juices online, once I have plenty of juices I'm pretty positive I'll see the analogs go from the back seat to the trunk.....lol! It is definitely cool to see a 90% drop in smoking analogs! I haven't noticed the nastiness as much lighting up but they most definately do taste different and not in a good way, I'm also starting to get the queezy feeling a lot of folks say they get. To me it feels like the not so great feeling you get when you start the nasty habit.
I'm definately in this for the long haul. I first tried a cigarette when I was around 12 and didn't start smoking on a daily basis until I was 14 or 15. It's funny...the first analog I tried was a Newport and the analogs I'm quitting on are Newport Reds! It's funny how it is coming full circle!
Heh, you too eh? I had a preacher's kid (talk about a sterotype) get me into both drinking and smoking. And it was Salem 100s. Decades later, I ended with Salem 100s. Which, weirdly enough, I had only switched back to within a year of discovering vaping. Like a good 30+ year gap in there.
For me, for a while, there were points I smoked. First thing in the morning being the big one. You get the nic faster with cigs. It was like getting a "fix" then I could coast along with vaping for hours. Then some weeks in, don't recall how many, I went straight for the vaping. The "morning cig" just up and died. It was a little weird.
I know exactly what you mean. I smoked for 35 years but, still, the day a cig tasted like my very first time it was like a "flash back" to that very first time. I mean, all those years and I knew without a doubt, that was what the first taste was. Odd. Also had the oddest moment of "what did I see in these things?" Then they got disgusting in comparison. I think that's why the "first of the day" died. The idea of one of those things in the morning? Bleah!
My opinion is definitely don't beat yourself up. Smokers tend to smoke more when stressed right? So if you stress yourself out over "slipping", you'll kind of shoot yourself in the foot and end up wanting to smoke to relieve the stress of having smoked. Vicious cycle that.
I deliberately took the attitude that if a 90% drop was all I could ever get, I was going to be ecstatic. 40 (ish) a day to around 4 a day? Huge, huge good thing.
But it kept dropping. The more I enjoyed vaping, the less I wanted a cig. Still have some in the house. Don't see to care.
Which still blows my mind...
I would personally advise against going with V2. I have had nothing but terrible experiences with them: shoddy product, shoddy customer service, it was a nightmare.
It's better than just "not bad". Think about it. 3 packs is 60 cigs. That's a 90% drop.
Cool huh?
I'm very big on emphasizing the positive. I started smoking around 16 or so. I'm 51 now (how the heck did that happen?). Started serious quit attempts in my mid-20s. Tried everything short of Chantix (which from what I've read, scares the... <insert string of cuss words of your choice here> outta me... I guess suicide is one way to quit smoking but I think I'll pass).
Still have a few cigs in the house and tell myself if I'm absolutely determined, go ahead. Just every week that passes, cigs are less attractive and I get more of a, "meh" reaction to the thought of having one.
Which is very, very strange to me. I liked smoking. Always have. Even seeing what it was doing to me, I still liked it. For me, vaping seems to be close enough to the "experience" that it really works for me. I pause while writing this post to inhale from a cylindrical object and blow clouds at the monitor. Like always. Just not clouds of smoke now. It's gotta be a psychological thing. That 35 years of habit. Took a bit of adjusting and some time to "hit" the combination that worked for me in terms of widgets and liquids and inhalation technique but once it started working, it "feels like" smoking to whatever part of me liked that habit.
Do stick around the ECF. It is a fantastic resource and great support system. Lots of folks to cheer you on and help you solve problems that inevitably arise.
Heh, and if you're chasing a 3 year old around, you'll definitely wanna hang in there. If for no other reason, getting back a big chunk of the energy smoking saps outta you is gonna help.
What he said.
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