SMOKING???

[mountguitars]

xc707 said:

when i was in college , i used to smoke a pack of marlboro 100's a day, when i came back to road biking 2 yrs after i graduate from college , i felt that my lungs would burst !!!! so i quit smoking for a while ;D when i discovered mtbiking, i also rediscovered the joys of "toma and yosi" ;D ;D ;Dso i was smoking again but just occasional but now i quit smoking and drinking booz for good!!!!! for no apparent reasons i just quit!!!!! it really feels better hehehe

it doesnt have to be that way. the key is: moderation. well, you can stop smoking outright. doesnt do anybody good naman eh. but drinking? you'll be missing some of the good stuff/ benefits. ;D

[mzmn]

I'm sick, been coughing my lungs out for the past week. My rib injury from an endo during the Jump Clinic makes each cough hell.

Ever since my first metric century ride last Monday, this cough has been persistent. So what does a smoker-biker do? Quit. A few days ago, I quit smoking.

15 years of smoking. Approx Php 137,000 spent on cigarettes. Probably the same amount on medicine to cure my coughs, colds, sinusitis.

3 days and I've been on antibiotics, carbocisteine, and salbutamol (via nebulizer).
3 days and I've been depressed, so blue, so out of whack.
3 days and I've been twitching like crazy.

This time, I know this quitting is for good. I want to see my kids grow up. I want to continue biking til I'm 75. I want to be able to save up for my Yeti 575.

[Ben Dover]

i'm smoking in support of all the poor tobacco farmers here and around the world...so that they will be able to send their children to school...to ensure that they have food on their tables everyday !!

that was a joke! LOL! ;D


those who were able to quit, God knows how much i envy you.

[arcireyes]

congratulations mon

welcome to the quitters club, may our tribe increase.

after almost 35 years of smoking, i am now almost 7 years of a "tobacco-free" life and life couldn't have been much better.

anytime you feel the urge, just ride your rig and make padyak na lang

mzmn said:

I'm sick, been coughing my lungs out for the past week. My rib injury from an endo during the Jump Clinic makes each cough hell.

Ever since my first metric century ride last Monday, this cough has been persistent. So what does a smoker-biker do? Quit. A few days ago, I quit smoking.

15 years of smoking. Approx Php 137,000 spent on cigarettes. Probably the same amount on medicine to cure my coughs, colds, sinusitis.

3 days and I've been on antibiotics, carbocisteine, and salbutamol (via nebulizer).
3 days and I've been depressed, so blue, so out of whack.
3 days and I've been twitching like crazy.

This time, I know this quitting is for good. I want to see my kids grow up. I want to continue biking til I'm 75. I want to be able to save up for my Yeti 575.

[mzmn]

Mod Arci, the hardest smoking habit to break is to take my coffee break downstairs without a cigarette. I find myself standing up from my desk, tapping my breast pocket for my pack and lighter, then realizing I don't smoke anymore ;D.

I take the stairs down, (6 flights only), then wade into this crowd of smokers, resisting the urge to go to 7-11. I instead walk around, cross the street, look for any pretty women.

After taking long breaths of the urban air, I return to the bldg and take the elevator up.

Please help me, I don't know what to do on a coffee break!!!

[arcireyes]

brad mon,

from what i read and practiced when i quit "cold turkey" is that avoiding (if possible) activities that gives you an "irresistible" (sp?) urge to smoke (kasi a lot of our everyday habits are linked with the habit of smoking) but IMO it's a MIND OVER MATTER game, remember your first non-stop wall climb? just think of the bad habit of smoking as da wall that you can conquer/eradicate.

GOOD LUCK and KEEP ON KICKING THE HABIT

[ghorio]

mzmn said:

Mod Arci, the hardest smoking habit to break is to take my coffee break downstairs without a cigarette. I find myself standing up from my desk, tapping my breast pocket for my pack and lighter, then realizing I don't smoke anymore ;D.

I take the stairs down, (6 flights only), then wade into this crowd of smokers, resisting the urge to go to 7-11. I instead walk around, cross the street, look for any pretty women.

After taking long breaths of the urban air, I return to the bldg and take the elevator up.

Please help me, I don't know what to do on a coffee break!!!

Your doing fine brad mhon!

Lurking at pretty women is better than smoking! ;D ;D ;D

[mzmn]

arcireyes said:

avoiding (if possible) activities that gives you an "irresistible" (sp?) urge to smoke (kasi a lot of our everyday habits are linked with the habit of smoking)

Ahem, there's one activity linked to the habit that I cannot avoid in the morning.

Mod Arci, I read that tip too. I'm avoiding all sorts of activities. But most of my smoking tied to events during the day, like: sipping coffee while warming up the car, walking from the car to the office, etc. I just removed the smoking from these activities that are unavoidable.

Let's see what happens when I join a drinking session.

Ghorz, thanks for the support!

[arcireyes]

on my first attempt which lasted for almost a year, it came back unnoticeably after getting imbibed during a drinking session.

the rule of thumb IMHO for the withdrawal to succeed is to NEVER, EVER TOUCH A CIGARETTE

[Ben Dover]

ok just for the heck of it and just in case you want to know hereunder are the therapeutic uses or effects of nicotine according to wikipedia:

The primary therapeutic use of nicotine is in treating nicotine dependence in order to eliminate smoking with its risks to health. Controlled levels of nicotine are given to patients through gums, dermal patches, lozenges, or nasal sprays in an effort to wean them off their dependence.

However, in a few situations, smoking has been observed to apparently be of therapeutic value to patients. These are often referred to as "Smoker’s Paradoxes"[11]. Although in most cases the actual mechanism is understood only poorly or not at all, it is generally believed that the principal beneficial action is due to the nicotine administered, and that administration of nicotine without smoking may be as beneficial as smoking, without the high risk to health.

For instance, recent studies suggest that smokers require less frequent repeated revascularization after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).[11] Risk of ulcerative colitis has been frequently shown to be reduced by smokers on a dose-dependent basis; the effect is eliminated if the individual stops smoking.[12][13] Smoking also appears to interfere with development of Kaposi's sarcoma,[14] breast cancer among women carrying the very high risk BRCA gene,[15] preeclampsia,[16] and atopic disorders such as allergic asthma.[17] A plausible mechanism of action in these cases may be nicotine acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, and interfering with the inflammation-related disease process, as nicotine has vasoconstrictive effects.[18]

With regard to neurological diseases, a large body of evidence suggests that the risks of Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease might be twice as high for non-smokers than for smokers.[19] Many such papers regarding Alzheimer's disease[20] and Parkinson's Disease[21] have been published. A plausible mechanism of action in these cases may be the effect of nicotine, a cholinergic stimulant, in decreasing the levels of acetylcholine in the smoker's brain; Parkinson's disease occurs when the effect of dopamine is less than that of acetylcholine.

Recent studies have indicated that nicotine can be used to help adults suffering from Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. The same areas that cause seizures in that form of epilepsy are also responsible for processing nicotine in the brain.[22]

Nicotine and its metabolites are being researched for the treatment of a number of disorders, including ADHD and Parkinson's Disease. [23]

The therapeutic use of nicotine as a means of appetite-control and to promote weight loss is anecdotally supported by many ex-smokers who claim to put on weight after quitting. However studies of nicotine in mice [24] suggests it may play a role in weight-loss that is independent of appetite. And studies involving the elderly suggest that nicotine affects not only weight loss, but also prevents some weight gain. [25]

[Ben Dover]

am not playing the devil's advocate..its in the spirit of giving out balanced programming este! information ;D

[leflea]

sir mon, congrats for quitting smoking. i also quitted 2 weeks na since i got my bike, though i can't resist the urge during drinking sessions. ok lang naman siguro kung occassional? feels good to bike when your lungs are clean

[oceanrider88]

Started smoking late in graduate school to deal with the stress. Carried on the habit when i went back to work. Ditched the habit last year due to angina attacks and have been getting cravings early this year. Biking and exercise has helped. I dont look for a smoke to relax and to help me sleep anymore. Am usually tired after biking. My sleeping hours have normalized even from biking thrice a week - very strange though. I have a weak heart so i guess a little exercise distracts my body big time. Am sure other smokers will die from other things aside from smoking. The tambucho breath should be a big motivation to quit though. But that's just me. Whatever makes you happy

[ice]

quitin'? yeah..... the thought has been playin' around my mind for ages! ... yeah.... heathful benefits..... (* lights a stick of dunhill lights*)..... quitin' .....oh boy.... yeah, done it early in the millennium...... no ciggy for two- straight years!..... (*puff.... hwewwww*) ...... it's pareng charles' fault!.... that fateful night at nakpil in malate after several german mugs at terse mundi, and the squid balls that went after that...... hehehehe!.... yeah..... smokin' is bad.... B-A-D!......quitin'!....... down to half a pack of dunhill lights a day....... goin there... goin there..... stay tuned!

curahee!

[baboinsky]

Hi Everyone my name is baboinsky (Hi baboinsky in the background )

It's been 14 days since my last stick. Lol


Ang hirap!!! (trans. It's tough). I find it harder to concentrate on my work, irritable, occasional feeling of throwing up and weakness, and always craving for food or anything that I can chew. This is the longest I have ever been without smoking since Grade 7. Hopefully I'll be successful in quiting so I can't work on the next problem of losing weight.

[arcireyes]

sir baboinsky:

congratulations on your 14th day of withdrawal. keep it up brad. the start is always the hardest, but once you gain momentum (as in biking) the apex of the uphill is always a stone throw away.

we rode the same boat, i started smoking when i was in grade 6, and quit "cold turkey" last 2001 after punishing my body with nicotine and all the other harmful chemicals of a cigarette for almost 35 years.

GOOD LUCK AND MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

[nell7806]

Stop smoking for almost a year...
but it's been at least 8 years that i really burn those stuff...
in detail...
smoking while...
...playing darts
...playing billiards
...playing online games
...playing poker
...playing magic cards
...skateboarding
...drinking with a smoking company
...with a smoking girl
...with a smoking friend
...doing nothing
...while on duty
...while driving
...30-40sticks a day alone at home
...smoking almost non-stop when on a drinking spree

the thing...
I have damage a part of my lung immaturely that now I cannot regain the way I used to ride my heavier bike (cr-mo)...

bad thing...
I've been smoking since high school (2nd year)...
quited after two years...
then became an on and off thing...
tnx t my first bike...untill it was stolen...


my advice...
you won't benefit from smoking...
instead your slowly damaging your precious lungs...
if your still smoking...
quit cold turkey...
believe me you'll find yourself a better person if you preffer to stop this bad habbit...

[uphiller]

so what happen to our goverment warning ? ;D

[nikkocholo]

It is still serves as/just a warning...hehehhe if you want to quit yosi try this it worked for me. Grab a butt, try to just hold it and make a zip without lighting it.

[Daimler]

i ain't really a smoking type of person. i usually smoke after having a heavy meal, when i fell bloated... that's the only reason why i smoke. sometimes, i do smoke during drinking sessions but only when somebody else is smoking. that means if the drinking session is with my officemates, who don't smoke at all, i don't mind not smoking. so i'm not really a person who craves for a puff. i'm not that type who needs smoking like oxygen.

it's really good that i came across the "green tea" thread in PinoyMTBiker. for almost three weeks now, i was able to replace smoking with drinking a cup of green tea in every meal. and it feels good. it's the healthier way of quitting. it really takes out that bloated feeling after a meal. i felt that i sweat like hell too since i started adding green tea to my after-meal habit. see? healthy!

[whoopi]

someone brought a pack of butong-pakwan at the office and i quickly got addicted to it. when my smoking buddies asked me to take a cig break, i took the seeds along and cracked and ate them all throughout the break--i didn't have time (or spare hands) to smoke. so butong-pakwan could be the solution to quitting smoking. try it.

[baboinsky]

whoopi said:

someone brought a pack of butong-pakwan at the office and i quickly got addicted to it. when my smoking buddies asked me to take a cig break, i took the seeds along and cracked and ate them all throughout the break--i didn't have time (or spare hands) to smoke. so butong-pakwan could be the solution to quitting smoking. try it.

Nice alternative! What I do is chew gum or play with my psp in the smoking area ;D

Half a month nicotine free (ang gaang gaang ng feeling)

[Ben Dover]

anybody tried nicotine patch? does it work?

[baboinsky]

tolits said:

anybody tried nicotine patch? does it work?

I know someone using nicotine chewing gums. It's working for him so far. It's 20 bucks a pop though (sana nagyosi nalang sya).

[Ben Dover]

baboinsky said:

tolits said:

anybody tried nicotine patch? does it work?

I know someone using nicotine chewing gums. It's working for him so far. It's 20 bucks a pop though (sana nagyosi nalang sya).

whoa! unbelievable..that will surely shorten the therapy..that is if you dont go back to smoking.

[enzo]

whoopi said:

someone brought a pack of butong-pakwan at the office and i quickly got addicted to it. when my smoking buddies asked me to take a cig break, i took the seeds along and cracked and ate them all throughout the break--i didn't have time (or spare hands) to smoke. so butong-pakwan could be the solution to quitting smoking. try it.

Some Granny's used to tell us when we were kids that butong pakwan (watermelon seeds) helps in cleansing (purge)(purga).
So we eat and eat tons of them. You never realise that you consume alot already, but were just happy biting and nibbling. We even have different opening techniques. Sometimes we even et the pods or seed covering itself.
But, the process extracting the seed consist of stomping, kicking and mashing the pulp and skin of the fruit itself. Just like what they are doing with the grapes to prepare it for wine making. Have you seen the movie A walk in the clouds? that's the whole process in butong pakwan too. And whats wrong with that? You dont know if the guy who stomp or prepare it, washed his feet or have some kind of foot disease or whatever you can think of.
Then they will sun dry it and flies will have a feast on it. Just like the sunning of the pork rind too.( chicharon)

Now when you nibble at it, your lips come into contact with the seed pod where all the bacterias are. You get the bacterias and and cleanse it at the same time. If they will mutate right away.
Smoke na lang tayo?

[kulot_salot]

enzo said:

But, the process extracting the seed consist of stomping, kicking and mashing the pulp and skin of the fruit itself. Just like what they are doing with the grapes to prepare it for wine making. Have you seen the movie A walk in the clouds?

if the stomper is as beautiful as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón... it's fine with me. ;D ;D ;D

...wag na lang isama si keanu... hehehehe... ;D ;D ;D

[whoopi]

@lamok: for me, i don't think it's the nicotine hit but the ritual of picking a stick, smelling the tobacco and menthol, making taktak, lighting up, taking a deep drag and then all the relaxed thinking and talking that goes with it. i'm not sure a nicotine patch will be quite as satisfying.

enzo: nyahahaha! yeah, butong pakwan sounds more deadly if you put it that way ;D

[Ben Dover]

hmm..but is it also possible that maybe what you think as the routine is exactly the craving for a nicotine hit? well that's actually what i think of it but am not sure whoopi.

enzo, i think its what they call "handfree" processing..its actually an excellent selling point or claim for a food product.

kaya pala maalat.

[enzo]

jaymz said:

enzo said:

But, the process extracting the seed consist of stomping, kicking and mashing the pulp and skin of the fruit itself. Just like what they are doing with the grapes to prepare it for wine making. Have you seen the movie A walk in the clouds?

if the stomper is as beautiful as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón... it's fine with me. ;D ;D ;D

...wag na lang isama si keanu... hehehehe... ;D ;D ;D

Jaymz,
Definitely