My e-Cigarette Experiences…

Posts Tagged ‘tobacco’

It seems that there is a down side to the whole e-cig thing… for me anyway.  I’ve noticed that I am actually experiencing some weight gain.  Now…  before you run out and buy a pack of analogs keep reading!  In the past year and a bit, I’ve been able to restore myself to my target weight range, and this for the first time in nearly twenty years.  So I can’t say for sure that this weight gain is entirely due to the change in my smoking habits, but I have historically gained measurably when I’ve quit or tried to in the past.  So it’s a logical thing to assume that this gain is related.  But the other thing to note is that after a whole month away from tobacco, I’m usually somewhat heavier than I am this time, so the gain is not that severe.  In fact, so far, I’m only up ten pounds which is a great deal less than I’ve gained in the past.  So I’m going to take some measures to attempt to lower that weight gain and get back into the target range that I’ve set for myself… and lose that ten pounds again before this gets to be a bigger problem then it needs to be.  But I feel you need to know this part of my experience as well as the good stuff, so that you’re prepared if you’re still burning tobacco and thinking about going over to the e-cigs.

The action plan that I have at the moment is a short (5 day) juice fast to cleanse and purge the system and hopefully shift the scales back in my favour once again (pun intended).  For those of you that have made the switch, I’d be interested to know if you’ve also gained, and to what extent compared to your past experiences with other methods of tobacco reduction.

As always – there’s more coming soon so be sure to stay tuned.

Happy Vaping!

njw

Well, it’s been over a month.  I’ve set a new record for going the course without a whole analog cigarette!  I’ve gone weeks in the past, but usually with a few smokes along the way, and by this point I’m back up to several per day with every other attempt to quit in the past.  But with e-cigs, yes, I’ve had a few cigarillos (4 in the whole month) but I’m happy to say that I am still not bound to run out and pick up a pack or cigarettes.  So they really ARE working!  And yes, I will continue to use my e-cigs.  Now to the frustration…

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I’ve got a day job that I’ve been on vacation from for a couple of weeks, so there are several people that have not seen me since the first few days that I’ve been vaping instead of smoking.  On my return to work this week, I’ve had a few of those people do a double take and tell me that I actually LOOK healthier!  Younger, and with better skin tone than when they saw me last – just a couple of weeks ago.  Now if that’s not a point in favour of kicking the tobacco habit and getting an e-cig kit, then I don’t know what is!  I really just wanted to share this one with you.  The other point of note here is that I have returned to work – and even after 2 full days of the increased stresses of the day job, I’m happy to report that I am still finding all of the satisfaction that I need from a few puffs of my E8, and have not reverted back to analogs.  It’s been twenty-five days now, and I’m just starting to work on the cartridges I ordered and received last week. 

On another note, I have decided that my next order will be an E9.  I think that the slightly larger batteries, and the larger cartomizers might make the entire experience that little bit better, and of course I will be reporting my comparison between the two different models once I have some time with them both.  The one point that I think will be of greatest interest to me is that the E9 cartridges are larger, and hold more juice, so only come 4 to a box rather than 5, but still equal about the same amount of vaping pleasure.  Fewer changes mean even more likely that I will get a full day or more out of each cartridge as I’m finding that I am using about one and a half cartridges per day on the E8.  The other thing I think I’ll like is that the E9 comes with a blue tip option that the E8 doesn’t offer.  I think that the blue tip will make my public use of the E-cig even more interesting to those around me rather than raising the odd concern with the orange tip.

As always… stay tuned for the latest reviews, thoughts and experiences, and of course GET YOUR E-CIG KIT ordered asap and get off those analogs that ARE killing you.

Happy Vaping!

As the three week mark approaches, I feel that the time is now for me to conduct a more complete review of the E8 model electronic cigarette starter kit that I ordered from e-cig.com.  After a lot of consideration of various models, and a number of false starts, I was finally able to get a product that sounded good in principle, and could actually deliver to my Canadian address.  I’m even happier to report that it looks like my second order will make it through Customs as well, having released this morning, and I expect it to arrive tomorrow (August 13).

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Yes, I got the confirmation and tracking number today via email, telling me that the order I placed on Thursday night (Friday Morning actually) is already processed, packed and on its way from China.  Another great performance from my vendor.  And while I’m bragging about them, I’d like to point out a couple of VERY important things that seem to have been lost in translation in the short history of my e-cig blog.

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Yes folks… 16 days since my departure from the use of analog (tobacco) cigarettes.  That’s about $144 ago, and I’m still working on my $150 starter kit.  Tomorrow at noon, I’ll have reached the point where my smoking habit would have cost what my starter kit did (with 43 Cartridges) and I still have 10 full cartridges left which I now estimate will last me about 8 or 9 days.  I’ve also placed my second order from my supplier (see link on the sidebar) for another 40 cartridges, or about 32 to 35 days based on my current usage, for a total cost of $90 CDN landed!  It works out to about $3 per day compared to $9, or a 67% savings over analogs.  And it’s healthier!  So what’s this about the Dressage show? 

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Well…  the trip to the asylum is seemingly shorter with each passing day.  I was reading some of the recent news and discussion around e-cigs and found a number of choice articles out there in the recent news.  One reports of legislature pendingthat will force e-cig users (vapers) to join analog smokers in designated smoking areas.  So…  it’s better for all parties if we take those of us that are trying to avoid tobacco smoke and put us in right back into the second hand smoke of a smoking pit?!  Or the article that reports that PayPal are dropping accounts of vendors that are selling e-cigs in the US.  Or my personal favourite - this one you just HAVE to read!  I don’t want you thinking I’m crazy when I tell you that seven of the loudest and most widely recognized anti-smoking associations are actually telling people to use analog tobacco cigarettes over e-cigs – even with clear evidence of the existence of 57 KNOWN DEADLY substances in tobacco smoke that ARE NOT FOUND in e-cigs!  But please… don’t take my word for it!

On the upside of this though, I did find an article that speaks in favour of the e-cig, and speaks of results of a small study into the effectiveness of e-cigs to quit smoking. At least there are some studies starting to show results out there, so there’s certainly hope that we’ll continue to see e-cigs grow in popularity.  Meanwhile – I KNOW they work and are healthier than analogs.  I’m vaping and I’m finding that I don’t get winded as quickly, and I still get my nicotine when I need it.  I feel great and I’m happy… what could be better!?

that I’m more than a little disappointed in Blu.  If you’ve seen their website today you know that they have opened their system to taking orders once again.  The downside is that they are actually warning clients that they are looking at 4 to 6 weeks to SHIP the order.  The upside is that will only reserve a one dollar pre-authorization on your credit card until they are able to ship your order.  Now… I appreciate the honesty here folks – really I do – but it just seems pointless at this stage to proceed.  I might be wrong – and hope I am – but I don’t see a bright future here. 

Further – by the time things are all smoothed out at Blu, and perhaps a few other sellers of e-cigs online in the US, the rest of the world will already be using the 3rd or 4th generation of e-cigs.  I’m finding that I really like the disposable cartridges.  But I do need to find something better than the E8.  I’m watching my short battery die already (yes I’ll be testing their Customer Service!) and I’m also finding that there is a slight taste of burning plastic when I hit the end of a cartridge.   So I’ll be trying something else for the next round.  More reading to do this week!  Stay tuned for what I buy and from where as we go further down the road to find the perfect solution for my needs.

Cheers!

Reader Glenn has brought another blog to my attention, and most specifically an article that gives more information on the recent announcement by the FDA warning of the existence of nitrosamine in e-cigs.  Yes…  there is nitrosamine found in the e-cig cartridges tested by the FDA – but it’s the amount in comparison to other products that are currently approved and available for purchase that’s the interesting thing.  Read more here!

Woo-Hoo!!!  A whole week!  And still no negative signs to speak of.  I’m fully thrilled with my E-Cig (E8) and now that I’m getting better at using it, I’m really finding that it’s working better than when I first started.  There are most certainly a few things to do that you don’t with analogs, but now that I’ve got a pattern of usage taking form, I can honestly say that I KNOW this little device will improve my life in many ways.  I’ve got friends, acquaintances and more that are seeing me vaping and wondering about it, and I’ve even sat next to a smoker at an outside table at the local Starbucks and chatted for nearly a full hour while he killed of 4 or 5 analogs and I took a few puffs off my E8.  No desire to grab a smoke and go for it.  No issues at all except that I actually found the smoke that drifted my way was quite offensive.  In fact…  I’d like to apologize for that stink to those non-smokers around me.  It’s quite nasty!

At any rate…  I LIKE the Menthol cartridges.  They’re not as minty as I’d like them to be, but they are pleasant.  I also like the Flu Cured.  Pleasant and light with a flavour just somewhat familiar.  I can’t place it yet, but I might.  And finally, the Cherry.  They are sweet – but I find it quite nice.  I’ve already said how it reminds me of my old Cherry Cavendish blended pipe tobacco, which brings with the taste some fond memories.  So I’ll keep a few of those on hand for the quiet times.

I’m betting that the Menthol will be my main flavour for now…  and I am likely to try the slightly larger and higher capacity E9 in the next month or so.   But for now, I have to go and order some more cartridges for my E8. 

Happy Vaping!!   And please…  remember to use my link on the image to the right of the E8 kit.  It’s only about 5% that I get for this link, but it’s certainly going to help me to keep this blog alive and active.  Cheers!

njw