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Re:Ask HN: Bad habits by harry on Friday August 14, 2009 @09:57AM (#763000)
Pack a day smoker.

Quit cold turkey 3 years ago - through willpower. Not impossible & not easy.

Re:Ask HN: Bad habits by raju on Friday August 14, 2009 @10:05AM (#763009)
A smoker myself - Not that much anymore, but still a smoker. Need to find that willpower.

Also, exercise procrastinator. My problem is I don't put on weight, so weight loss (or maintenance) is not an incentive. But I know I need to work out, and have been doing some lately, even if it is a stiff 1 hour walks in the evenings

Re:Ask HN: Bad habits by harry on Friday August 14, 2009 @10:18AM (#763028)
Imagine you haven't had a smoke for 2 days and want one. That's all that quitting is, putting up with that feeling for a long time. You get used to it!

It took about a year before I really stopped noticing that feeling. Whenever you smell one by walking past someone smoking, you'll want it all over again.

Oh, there are some real physical withdrawal effects as well. They leave within the first two weeks.

Re:Ask HN: Bad habits by sho on Friday August 14, 2009 @10:22AM (#763032)
As a former smoker, let me recommend the drug Champix to you. It really worked for me. Quite the miracle drug, actually - you just kind of stop wanting to smoke, and keep forgetting about it. Before you know it you haven't smoked for weeks, and you don't want to, either.

Strongly recommended.

Re:Ask HN: Bad habits by warfangle on Friday August 14, 2009 @11:02AM (#763123)
Watch out for Chantix.. it really messes with your brain chemistry. I couldn't use it: it gave me insane technicolor nightmares. After a week of sleep deprivation I gave up on the stuff.
Re:Ask HN: Bad habits by sho on Friday August 14, 2009 @11:17AM (#763154)
Ha! That's very true. You do get very vivid dreams. Maybe that's a problem if you're the type to have nightmares but for me they were quite .. agreeable, lol.