I'm Quitting Smoking on January 1 - Anybody Wanna Join Me?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I quite Feb 2002, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever committed myself to. Now if I can muster the same commitment to eat less... Best of luck to all of you who have made the decision to quit, and know that there is a better way of life just waiting for you. When the smoke fog lifts, you will live it again!
 
Keep it up Daniel, you have made it this far it would be foolish to go back to something as unhealthy as smoking. Just remind yourself that YOU are stronger/better than tobacco. I quit in '09 using Chantix after smoking a pack and a half a day for 20 years. Best thing I ever did for myself (and my family). It definitely put more money in the rocket budget too.
One of my favorite byproducts of quitting (besides health and financial) is all the free time I have now and I no longer have the stress of finding a place/time to smoke in this increasingly smoke free society.
I wish you good luck and great success, you will be much happier from here on out.
 
If you feel so inclined, set yourself a reward, like maybe buying some exotic kit, or a bunch of motors, once you've reached some milestone.

My wife and I have started a diet of eliminating almost all bread, so it's a "lower carb" diet. I'm not eliminating all carbs, that's pretty drastic for us.

My reward is a new SawStop cabinet table saw if I lose about 20 lbs. -- getting down under 190. No rocketry rewards for me -- I basically have more than a lifetime supply of kits!
 
$2,500 saw

Or a

$200 Rocket


I agree ld take the Saw too, if I could afford it.
 
I'm at $151.77 savings so far, and going strong. I no longer constantly wish I were smoking. I do have these moments where I'd just like to go outside for a smoke break. But the nicotine craving has mostly left.

The going outside thing, well, I've tried just going out there, and I get outside, and wonder what am I doing out here? If I have no cigarette to smoke, it feels silly, and I feel a bit unsatisfied.

I was using a vaping pen (no nicotine) for a while, but that was just a bit of mild flavor. And it's vegetable oil. A coworker who's also quitting and I talked about vaping today, and she mentioned that heavy vapers get a layer of oil on their windshields from vaping in their cars, and have to clean it with alcohol. Since I'm not getting anything other than a very mild flavor from that, I've decided I don't need that. And I don't want a nicotine vape - why keep putting it into my system if I'm trying to kick the addiction?

I had a pipe last time I tried quitting, and I'd cheat with that thing pretty hard. I'd go out several times an evening to smoke my pipe - you know, like a gentleman - but I'd inhale all of it. I'm not going back to that.

So, I'm no longer climbing the walls, but have a vague sense if dissatisfaction from time to time when I feel like it would be a good moment to go outside for a lovely cigarette. I think back to how I started - rolling my own with a nice, damp tobacco from Holland - and crave that. Marlboro has nothing on that stuff, but it was pretty easy. Still, I don't know where I'd get my Amsterdam Shag, and it would just get me back to smoking again.

So, I'm just going to stick with it, go to bed if I get bored and want to step outside. I've been in a bit of a funk lately and haven't been rocket building. I imagine that will come back soon. Sometimes I step outside and have an apple - that seems to help. Of course, I can't really eat 20 apples a day. That seems unpractical.

As to the shopping list, I lost my Jolly Logic Chute Release at my last launch, and now I can afford one without cutting into my normal bank account - it's all cigarette money, i.e. gravy. I'm going to splurge on a MDRM soon. I know, it's not the most expensive rocket, but I try not to spend to much on a single kit. Might be the most expensive one I'll have bought so far.

Then, there will be the NCR Archer, a new Chute Release of course, some altimeters, some motors... It'll be nice to afford a HAZMAT charge, which, I'll have to remind myself, will be less than three days' cigarettes would have been. That's kept me from ordering some motors I've wanted to try out.
 
$2,500 saw

Or a

$200 Rocket


I agree ld take the Saw too, if I could afford it.
True. However, I've seen some fellow rocketeers' projects, including motors, make a table saw look like a moderate investment. :)
 
Of all the saws out there, what made you pick the Saw Stop?

If you feel so inclined, set yourself a reward, like maybe buying some exotic kit, or a bunch of motors, once you've reached some milestone.

My wife and I have started a diet of eliminating almost all bread, so it's a "lower carb" diet. I'm not eliminating all carbs, that's pretty drastic for us.

My reward is a new SawStop cabinet table saw if I lose about 20 lbs. -- getting down under 190. No rocketry rewards for me -- I basically have more than a lifetime supply of kits!
 
If you feel so inclined, set yourself a reward, like maybe buying some exotic kit, or a bunch of motors, once you've reached some milestone.

My wife and I have started a diet of eliminating almost all bread, so it's a "lower carb" diet. I'm not eliminating all carbs, that's pretty drastic for us.

My reward is a new SawStop cabinet table saw if I lose about 20 lbs. -- getting down under 190. No rocketry rewards for me -- I basically have more than a lifetime supply of kits!

I'm on a low-carb diet right now. I've completely stopped eating carburetors. In addition, I've cut out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or any kind of added sugar. And most importantly, I've cut out the liquid carbs that are aged in oak for a minimum of 7 years. It hasn't been easy, and I've had some serious cravings, but those seem to have subsided some now.

I started on January 2, and so far I've lost about 8 pounds. The first 5 pounds fell off in just a couple of days. Those were most likely just water weight. Glycogen causes your body to hold on to some water, so you usually drop a lot of water weight immediately on a low-carb diet. The remaining 3 pounds are probably real fat, and that seems to be coming off at about a pound and a half per week, which I think is a good rate.

I've decided to make a serious effort to lose weight and keep it off this year because I was disappointed in my failed half-hearted effort last year. But I'm also losing weight for a medical reason. I've got a follow-up doctors appointment in mid March. I've told my doctor I'd commit to being 12 pounds lighter by then. That means only about 4 pounds to go by then, which is very doable. He'd ultimately like to see me lose more like 17 pounds, and I think it would be great to get there by the next appointment.

Maybe I should plan some kind of reward for myself like you are doing. My wife is doing the diet with me, so the money we are saving in booze alone should be enough to finance a vacation home in Hawaii.

Good luck with your goal!
 
I'm at $151.77 savings so far, and going strong. I no longer constantly wish I were smoking. I do have these moments where I'd just like to go outside for a smoke break. But the nicotine craving has mostly left.

The going outside thing, well, I've tried just going out there, and I get outside, and wonder what am I doing out here? If I have no cigarette to smoke, it feels silly, and I feel a bit unsatisfied.

I was using a vaping pen (no nicotine) for a while, but that was just a bit of mild flavor. And it's vegetable oil. A coworker who's also quitting and I talked about vaping today, and she mentioned that heavy vapers get a layer of oil on their windshields from vaping in their cars, and have to clean it with alcohol. Since I'm not getting anything other than a very mild flavor from that, I've decided I don't need that. And I don't want a nicotine vape - why keep putting it into my system if I'm trying to kick the addiction?

I had a pipe last time I tried quitting, and I'd cheat with that thing pretty hard. I'd go out several times an evening to smoke my pipe - you know, like a gentleman - but I'd inhale all of it. I'm not going back to that.

So, I'm no longer climbing the walls, but have a vague sense if dissatisfaction from time to time when I feel like it would be a good moment to go outside for a lovely cigarette. I think back to how I started - rolling my own with a nice, damp tobacco from Holland - and crave that. Marlboro has nothing on that stuff, but it was pretty easy. Still, I don't know where I'd get my Amsterdam Shag, and it would just get me back to smoking again.

So, I'm just going to stick with it, go to bed if I get bored and want to step outside. I've been in a bit of a funk lately and haven't been rocket building. I imagine that will come back soon. Sometimes I step outside and have an apple - that seems to help. Of course, I can't really eat 20 apples a day. That seems unpractical.

As to the shopping list, I lost my Jolly Logic Chute Release at my last launch, and now I can afford one without cutting into my normal bank account - it's all cigarette money, i.e. gravy. I'm going to splurge on a MDRM soon. I know, it's not the most expensive rocket, but I try not to spend to much on a single kit. Might be the most expensive one I'll have bought so far.

Then, there will be the NCR Archer, a new Chute Release of course, some altimeters, some motors... It'll be nice to afford a HAZMAT charge, which, I'll have to remind myself, will be less than three days' cigarettes would have been. That's kept me from ordering some motors I've wanted to try out.

Maybe instead of just stepping outside, go for a short walk. You could walk around the building or around the block. Just far enough to equal the time it would take for a smoke. That way your time would be occupied and it would feel more like you had a reason to be outside.
 
When this is all over, I would be interested to hear how much (if at all) discussing this online helped you get through it.

I kind of which I could help in some way but I don't think there's much I can do other than lend moral support.
 
Of all the saws out there, what made you pick the Saw Stop?

Woody,

Woody, for me, the SawStop is a beautiful saw that just happens to have flesh-sensing technology. I have a contractors saw now with 1.75HP, and it struggles to cut hardwoods, even with a new Forrest blade. I own a Festool track saw which I use for breaking down sheet goods, but for ripping hardwood strips, nothing beats a cabinet saw.

Four years ago I had an accident and cut off about 1/2" of my left thumb. I could have lost multiple fingers. I was fortunate. I had excellent recovery, and have full use of my thumb, just not 100% feelings -- I'd guess 80%. Good enough that most days I don't think about it. I've got about 50 years of woodworking experience, but all it takes is one careless move. I use safety push blocks called GRR-Rippers now, which are great push blocks. But I want more power, greater accuracy, and the SawStop does that and more. If I had the room I'd probably buy a Hammer slider saw, but I'm not sure I could get it into my basement shop! If SawStop wasn't around, I'd likely get a Powermatic or Delta. I've got a Powermatic bandsaw which has proved to be an excellent tool. There are some really good cabinet saws on the market.
 
Thirsty,

Wow, you are doing great! My wife and I are making fruit smoothies for breakfast, so we are getting more sugar than I'd like, but I've lost about 3 lbs. in roughly 2 weeks. I've eliminated sodas, which is a huge amount of sugar. I got my wife to quit drinking diet sodas, I just don't think they help on diets. Cutting out all the bread and things like chips is the toughest, but probably one of the best things we've done.
 
The artificial sugars used in "diet" sodas are linked to weight gain because they trick your body into not using its intrinic methods for dealing with sugar. After you drink it, your brain realizes that it's sweet, so it attempts to deal with the sugar. However, as there are no affects after ingestion, you end up training your brain to ignore it when sugar is ingested and allowing more of the sugar to be eventually stored as fat.

Can't remember all the details, but that's the gist of it.
 
Thirsty,

Wow, you are doing great! My wife and I are making fruit smoothies for breakfast, so we are getting more sugar than I'd like, but I've lost about 3 lbs. in roughly 2 weeks. I've eliminated sodas, which is a huge amount of sugar. I got my wife to quit drinking diet sodas, I just don't think they help on diets. Cutting out all the bread and things like chips is the toughest, but probably one of the best things we've done.

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with the progress. And it sounds like you are doing great too! Losing 3 pounds in 2 weeks is a nice, healthy pace of about 1.5 pounds per week. It's probably not healthy to shed real weight much faster than that. Like I said, I think I benefitted from dropping a lot of water weight in the first 2 days, so it seems dramatic, but that water weight could easily be added back on just as fast with a weekend of pizza and beer. It's not what I would consider "real" weight loss. Now I think I'm going to be losing about 1.5 pounds per week of real fat loss, which is about what you are doing.

I think you are wise to give up sodas. There is an unbelievable amount of sugar in those. And I also agree that diet soda is not very good for you. It doesn't have the sugar, but I have read that the artificial sweetness still triggers reactions in your body as if you had eaten sugar. I haven't really been into soda for a long time, but my wife and I were consuming a lot of calories in the form of wine and cocktails. (I am Thirsty, you know!) Your body converts that straight into sugars, so I might as well have been chugging soda. And as your body metabolizes that stuff, it can really throw your triglycerides out of whack. Apparently, I need to keep an eye on that, so we've curtailed our beverages.

I agree that the bread and snack stuff is tough to give up. We used to always have tortilla chips in the house, and we'd make things like nachos pretty often. We were having pizza nearly every Friday night. Sandwiches for lunch almost every day. I got on a kick of making grilled cheese sandwiches recently, and other grilled type sandwiches with buttered bread fried in a skillet! Of course that's not a great lifestyle, and you are going to gain weight eating like that! A little restraint was well overdue. I'm pretty excited to see what comes of it. I miss some of the foods, but I like feeling better.

Good luck to both of us!
 
The artificial sugars used in "diet" sodas are linked to weight gain because they trick your body into not using its intrinic methods for dealing with sugar. After you drink it, your brain realizes that it's sweet, so it attempts to deal with the sugar. However, as there are no affects after ingestion, you end up training your brain to ignore it when sugar is ingested and allowing more of the sugar to be eventually stored as fat.

Can't remember all the details, but that's the gist of it.

I'm going to have to finish my posts faster. I mentioned something in my last post about this, and then saw you had beat me to it. This is basically what I've read too. Your body tastes what it thinks is sugar, prepares to process that sugar, but there's actually no sugar there to process. It messes up how your body uses insulin, and that's not a good thing.
 
That's good enough reason. The electronics cost around $100 each time you trip the brake.
I hope you never have to replace the electronics.
I had a PM2000. JessEm router table on the left, bench block w/vise on the right.
I miss my shop, more than I can say.
Grippers are nice add, really safe.

Woody,

Woody, for me, the SawStop is a beautiful saw that just happens to have flesh-sensing technology. I have a contractors saw now with 1.75HP, and it struggles to cut hardwoods, even with a new Forrest blade. I own a Festool track saw which I use for breaking down sheet goods, but for ripping hardwood strips, nothing beats a cabinet saw.

Four years ago I had an accident and cut off about 1/2" of my left thumb. I could have lost multiple fingers. I was fortunate. I had excellent recovery, and have full use of my thumb, just not 100% feelings -- I'd guess 80%. Good enough that most days I don't think about it. I've got about 50 years of woodworking experience, but all it takes is one careless move. I use safety push blocks called GRR-Rippers now, which are great push blocks. But I want more power, greater accuracy, and the SawStop does that and more. If I had the room I'd probably buy a Hammer slider saw, but I'm not sure I could get it into my basement shop! If SawStop wasn't around, I'd likely get a Powermatic or Delta. I've got a Powermatic bandsaw which has proved to be an excellent tool. There are some really good cabinet saws on the market.
 
When this is all over, I would be interested to hear how much (if at all) discussing this online helped you get through it.

I kind of which I could help in some way but I don't think there's much I can do other than lend moral support.

Well, I don't know when it will be all over. I'd like to forget about smoking, but I think that might take some time.

That being said, this has been helpful. Checking in every few days. At least it's a distraction. And reporting on my progress is at least some small additional motivation to keep going. My intention about talking about this online has been to keep me honest, and report if I ever have a relapse. So far, so good.

So, while I don't post on this thread every day, I do check in every two or three, and post a quickie update.

BTW, as of right now, I've saved $168.33, and earned (if I want) a replacement AT 24/40 casing, NCR SA-14 Archer, and Estes MDRM.

Or I could just replace my lost Jolly Logic Chute Release.

But it's winter. I have plenty of time to go shopping. Next launch isn't till April.

[Edit: How did I ever afford to be a smoker? Especially a smoker and rocketeer??]
 
Good luck to both of us!
Likewise! I'll be checking back. Important to know how diets go for others, and to bring on the guilt and shame if I slack off! I'm tired of clothes feeling tighter every winter, and struggling to get back to my summer weight. That, and the nagging from my doctor at my annual physical every December.

By the way, I got a Fitbit in May of 2015, and in that time I've logged over 2500 miles. It is something my wife and I can do to try to keep fit and feel better. I highly recommend them, or any exercise tracker.r
 
That's good enough reason. The electronics cost around $100 each time you trip the brake.
I hope you never have to replace the electronics.
I had a PM2000. JessEm router table on the left, bench block w/vise on the right.
I miss my shop, more than I can say.
Grippers are nice add, really safe.

I went to a demo day at our local woodworkers store (more of a hardwoods and specialty woods store) a few months ago. They did the hot dog demo on the SawStop they have in their shop. It was amazing to witness it live. I'm still amazed the saw reacts so quickly. The total cost with a new blade makes it a pricey event, but my trip to the emergency room was $4000, so that would have bought the saw, plus a bunch of blades and cartridges! I didn't have surgery, they just cleaned my wound, bandaged, and told me to see the doctor in about 4-5 days.

With your user name, I kind of figured you were a woodworker. Sorry you don't have your shop anymore. Mine is in my basement, and sometime this year I hope to expand the shop into the bigger, furnished room in our basement. I think we will pull up carpet and make it a combo exercise room, craft room, and my woodworking assembly area (i.e. no sawdust). I moved my rocketry bench out of my shop and into this room a few years ago. I think I finally convinced my wife that with kids grown and gone, we really don't need a playroom in the basement anymore. :)
 
But it's winter. I have plenty of time to go shopping. Next launch isn't till April.

[Edit: How did I ever afford to be a smoker? Especially a smoker and rocketeer??]

Treat yourself to buying - and building - at least one of those desired kits now. After all it's winter, like you said, and that's the time to build!

As to your additional edit remark... Right!? I sometimes wonder how I managed to do anything else that I liked when I was still a smoker! And at that time, my income was significantly less!
 
Report time... Still smoke free. I wasn't smoking heavily, so I've only earned about $35. I set my price at a $550 M2000 to launch my L3 rocket again. So looking at it as 6.35% has me motivated to not lose that accumulation. If everything goes according to plan, my wife had agreed to let me by it and fly it at MWP.
 
Report time... Still smoke free. I wasn't smoking heavily, so I've only earned about $35. I set my price at a $550 M2000 to launch my L3 rocket again. So looking at it as 6.35% has me motivated to not lose that accumulation. If everything goes according to plan, my wife had agreed to let me by it and fly it at MWP.

Well, that is awesome.

This weekend was a big one for me as well. I just passed three weeks. More important (motivation-wise), it was the first paycheck I got where I was completely smoke-free during the entire pay period.

Now, I don't make a ton of money, and I live in a very expensive city. So, when I get a paycheck, I give most of it to Mrs. N00b for her to manage in our joint account, for rent, utilities, food, transportation, doctor's visits... whatever. I'm left with very little for myself for throwing-away money.

It's a hard thing to do, because I'm only left with an amount in the very low three figures to spend on my own stupid things, and it doesn't go far, but I've mismanaged my spending in the past, so it's much better this way. If I came up short in Boston on rent or something, I would end up homeless. It's just too expensive to work another way.

That said, for the longest time, each night before I get a paycheck, for the last year and a half since we moved here, I have maybe 50-60 dollars more than I had just before the previous paycheck. Which means I'm spending all of my discretionary money except for $50-60. It's pretty depressing. Most of that is cigarettes. Some of it is beer, and some of it is rockets.

That's it. Smoking, beer and rockets (I know - sounds like a pretty sweet life). If I need to make a big rocket purchase, I end up with a little less than I had with the previous paycheck. It's been a slow climb all this time from having nearly zero dollars in the bank just after we moved to Boston to having a buffer (again, for myself. We're doing fine collectively, on the necessary expenses).

Well, as of Thursday night - I was up to over $250 extra from just before the previous check.

Again, this isn't a lot of money for some people. But it's a huge difference for me. It means that I may be up over $500 per month (HOW DID I AFFORD TO SMOKE??). My app says I've saved $218.67 as of this very moment, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I would often add to the cost of a pack of cigarettes with a couple Pepsi's to make the smokes a little more palatable. So I've saved a good deal already. This is a huge motivator.

I'm going to treat myself to a Mega Der Red Max and a bulk pack of Estes C6-5 motors from AC Supply for my first splurge. I can't wait for JonRocket to open back up for business. I got a whole list of stuff I want/need.

Next on the list - replace my lost Jolly Logic Chute Release.
 
Back
Top