Most came to vaping as an alternative to smoking, or to quit smoking altogether. I was part of the group in the latter.
You weren't too sure what to expect, you only hoped that this would get the cigarette monkey off your back. Well now it has, and while you feel free of that clutch, you wonder... what happens when I decide to quit vaping? I know many of you continue to vape well beyond your analog urges simply because you love vaping, nothing more... nothing less. So perhaps you don't know what to expect.
I'm back to tell you.
I was a smoker for more than 20 years. While it was affecting my health severely, I still enjoyed smoking too much to quit, but I knew I had to. Nothing worked for me, ever. Long story short, I stumbled across e-cigs and figured "what the hell" and tried them. After 3 days on a 510, I quit smoking 100%. This was June of 2009, I remain to this day completely smoke free, now more than a year later.
I vaped from June 2009 until the end of January 2010, then quit completely. I could have quit by about November 09, but I was caught up in the fun of it, the collecting of higher end PV's and the love of certain juices (made by Dawn of course). I was down to the bare minimum of nic, and most juices were 0 nic... my urges for nic were eliminated because I slowly weened myself off over the course of about 4 months.
Towards the end I realized that my lung capacity was much better than in my smoking days, my energy level was higher, I wasn't getting winded as easily, and an interesting side effect was taking place. One particular juice, Dawn's "Red Hots" became an obsession of mine. Not only due to the intense flavor, but when I vaped it, it gave me a sensation almost as if I had eaten a snack... it filled me and I began to use it as a substitute for a mid-day snack, and sometimes as a replacement for lunch. While I'm not saying this is a good thing, it worked well for me and I dropped about 15lbs in about 3 weeks towards the end there. I wasn't fat mind you, but it's always nice to drop a few pounds. Another factor in this was the health benefits I just mentioned, so it was easier for me to get back into some light exercising.
So one day I say "I'm finished vaping". I sold off most of my devices, but held on to a couple in case I relapsed. Somehow I did not relapse, and felt completely fine not vaping. I believe the key was that I vaped irregularly over the final 2 weeks, not allowing anything to become habitual. I would not vape after EVERY meal. I would not vape while driving. I would let nothing become routine because I knew routine was one of the biggest parts of addiction, particularly with smoking. I began to slow down to where I would only vape when I "wanted" to, not when I felt I "needed" to.
So there I was, no longer vaping and feeling damn good about it. Weeks go by without cravings or issues. Months now pass and everything seems to be ok. After about 3 months my body begun to play tricks on me however... and this is the dark part of the story.....
I would feel the twinge of craving, but it was mellow enough that it would pass with little or no effort. Have a drink of water/soda/Gatorade.. something, and the feeling would pass. Reach for a cookie or something... no worries.
The 4th month hits and now my body remembers what it is missing and is seeking a replacement. It'll take anything at this point... just give me something. It doesn't have to be nicotine... gimme a little sweet snack, or a slice of pizza... anything. I don't care that I just ate... just give me something.
#%*&$#@ drycleaners are shrinking my damned shirts now. WTH...
No, the drycleaners are not... I am gaining weight. Many smokers quit and immediately begin to gain weight, 20lbs seems to be about the average. Switching directly to vaping, I did not have this side effect, but rather experienced a bit of a drop in weight... it was terrific. I had something that filled that void for my body. Sadly though after quitting vaping, my body craved... and the craving needed to be fulfilled... even though I didn't even realize that I was doing it.
So over the last 5 months I have gained BACK the 15lbs that I lost, and gained another 20lbs on top of that. I sat back a few weeks ago and thought about it... "why am i gaining weight?"... then I realized that I was snacking left and right, or outright eating extra MEALS because my body was craving. I just assumed I was hungry, but it is a different feeling, I recognize that now. Shame it took me so long to pick up on the difference though. I drink twice as much sugary sodas.. because my body wants the sweetness. I reach for fatty indulgent foods, because it satisfies those receptors in my brain that are craving something that will "satisfy" me.
The urge to smoke cigarettes recently fluttered though my brain. I was able to shut that out easily because I refuse to go down that road, so here I am back on the forum... researching the new devices that came out since my departure a few months ago.... and I will vape again. Part-time and leisurely, merely to fight off the urges and give my body a better chance to balance out, and allow me to drop the weight again by cutting back my intake of decadent vice foods, and eliminating my unhealthy urges.
While I felt no side effects of vaping, I did notice my breathing was a bit better when I stopped inhaling anything at all into my lungs. So of course I'd prefer to be smoke free AND vape free, but I go back to vaping knowing that I am not putting my body at any major risk, and all the while working back to being a healthier person by not cramming fatty foods into my system.
Be careful when you finally do make that leap out of vaping. It is WONDERFUL to be free of all these vices, it is terrific not having to bring along batteries/carts/juices/cases/chargers on a trip. It's great not "having to do" anything during your routine daily life that is related to charging/dripping/refilling/cleaning/etc of anything... it is wonderfully freeing..... but it comes with a price. A price you may not realize that you're paying until one day it dawns on you: You're replacing one vice with another.
So keep that in mind....
You weren't too sure what to expect, you only hoped that this would get the cigarette monkey off your back. Well now it has, and while you feel free of that clutch, you wonder... what happens when I decide to quit vaping? I know many of you continue to vape well beyond your analog urges simply because you love vaping, nothing more... nothing less. So perhaps you don't know what to expect.
I'm back to tell you.
I was a smoker for more than 20 years. While it was affecting my health severely, I still enjoyed smoking too much to quit, but I knew I had to. Nothing worked for me, ever. Long story short, I stumbled across e-cigs and figured "what the hell" and tried them. After 3 days on a 510, I quit smoking 100%. This was June of 2009, I remain to this day completely smoke free, now more than a year later.
I vaped from June 2009 until the end of January 2010, then quit completely. I could have quit by about November 09, but I was caught up in the fun of it, the collecting of higher end PV's and the love of certain juices (made by Dawn of course). I was down to the bare minimum of nic, and most juices were 0 nic... my urges for nic were eliminated because I slowly weened myself off over the course of about 4 months.
Towards the end I realized that my lung capacity was much better than in my smoking days, my energy level was higher, I wasn't getting winded as easily, and an interesting side effect was taking place. One particular juice, Dawn's "Red Hots" became an obsession of mine. Not only due to the intense flavor, but when I vaped it, it gave me a sensation almost as if I had eaten a snack... it filled me and I began to use it as a substitute for a mid-day snack, and sometimes as a replacement for lunch. While I'm not saying this is a good thing, it worked well for me and I dropped about 15lbs in about 3 weeks towards the end there. I wasn't fat mind you, but it's always nice to drop a few pounds. Another factor in this was the health benefits I just mentioned, so it was easier for me to get back into some light exercising.
So one day I say "I'm finished vaping". I sold off most of my devices, but held on to a couple in case I relapsed. Somehow I did not relapse, and felt completely fine not vaping. I believe the key was that I vaped irregularly over the final 2 weeks, not allowing anything to become habitual. I would not vape after EVERY meal. I would not vape while driving. I would let nothing become routine because I knew routine was one of the biggest parts of addiction, particularly with smoking. I began to slow down to where I would only vape when I "wanted" to, not when I felt I "needed" to.
So there I was, no longer vaping and feeling damn good about it. Weeks go by without cravings or issues. Months now pass and everything seems to be ok. After about 3 months my body begun to play tricks on me however... and this is the dark part of the story.....
I would feel the twinge of craving, but it was mellow enough that it would pass with little or no effort. Have a drink of water/soda/Gatorade.. something, and the feeling would pass. Reach for a cookie or something... no worries.
The 4th month hits and now my body remembers what it is missing and is seeking a replacement. It'll take anything at this point... just give me something. It doesn't have to be nicotine... gimme a little sweet snack, or a slice of pizza... anything. I don't care that I just ate... just give me something.
#%*&$#@ drycleaners are shrinking my damned shirts now. WTH...
No, the drycleaners are not... I am gaining weight. Many smokers quit and immediately begin to gain weight, 20lbs seems to be about the average. Switching directly to vaping, I did not have this side effect, but rather experienced a bit of a drop in weight... it was terrific. I had something that filled that void for my body. Sadly though after quitting vaping, my body craved... and the craving needed to be fulfilled... even though I didn't even realize that I was doing it.
So over the last 5 months I have gained BACK the 15lbs that I lost, and gained another 20lbs on top of that. I sat back a few weeks ago and thought about it... "why am i gaining weight?"... then I realized that I was snacking left and right, or outright eating extra MEALS because my body was craving. I just assumed I was hungry, but it is a different feeling, I recognize that now. Shame it took me so long to pick up on the difference though. I drink twice as much sugary sodas.. because my body wants the sweetness. I reach for fatty indulgent foods, because it satisfies those receptors in my brain that are craving something that will "satisfy" me.
The urge to smoke cigarettes recently fluttered though my brain. I was able to shut that out easily because I refuse to go down that road, so here I am back on the forum... researching the new devices that came out since my departure a few months ago.... and I will vape again. Part-time and leisurely, merely to fight off the urges and give my body a better chance to balance out, and allow me to drop the weight again by cutting back my intake of decadent vice foods, and eliminating my unhealthy urges.
While I felt no side effects of vaping, I did notice my breathing was a bit better when I stopped inhaling anything at all into my lungs. So of course I'd prefer to be smoke free AND vape free, but I go back to vaping knowing that I am not putting my body at any major risk, and all the while working back to being a healthier person by not cramming fatty foods into my system.
Be careful when you finally do make that leap out of vaping. It is WONDERFUL to be free of all these vices, it is terrific not having to bring along batteries/carts/juices/cases/chargers on a trip. It's great not "having to do" anything during your routine daily life that is related to charging/dripping/refilling/cleaning/etc of anything... it is wonderfully freeing..... but it comes with a price. A price you may not realize that you're paying until one day it dawns on you: You're replacing one vice with another.
So keep that in mind....
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