Stopping smoking tomorrow

Crapaud

Well, OK, today. But first thing, after I've woken up.

A series of late nights means I'm in the wide awake club ATM, so I'm staying up to finish my last pack. Experience tells me that if I wake up and there are cigs left - even one - I'll smoke them and it's game over.

I'm motivating myself by saving the money for smokes for a tour up into arctic Canada in 2011. My calculator tells me that I'll save enough dosh for the tour, a new bike, new camping gear, cycking kit, the tour itself and the flights. So, a free holiday!

Only 7 cigs to go.

nicklouse

just put them down.

but have something to hand when you really want a smoke.

badly_dubbed

im giving up also

best of luck

remember - all in the mind 8)

Crapaud

nicklouse wrote:

just put them down... .

Can't be done! Tried crushing the pack and binning them. The next morning I was raking throught the bin and straightening them out. If they're not there, and I can get through breakfast and the morning's ablutions, I'll have a better chance (from experience).

Also, have you seen the price of the buggers? No way are they getting destroyed / thrown out!

nicklouse

been there and done it.

yes I agree it is easier to do so with an empty pack but if you are really going to do it you need to let them go.

antooony

Best thing I ever did was give up after 20 years of smoking. That was just over 2 years ago. I then took up cycling, started getting fit and within 6 months I was a regular in the training group in my club. Started racing, won in only my 2nd ever race a year ago at the age of 41 and have never looked back since.

Giving ups never easy but get through the 1st week or so and it just gets easier and you feel so much better. Good luck.

Crapaud

antooony wrote:

... Giving ups never easy but get through the 1st week or so and it just gets easier and you feel so much better. Good luck.

Agreed. I've done it so many times.

The weather might be to my advantage. I was going to start my new year's trainging programme this morning, but new snow, slush and salty gtit has put paid to that and it looks set to continue for the next 2 weeks, so I should be over the worst of it and be able to give it some welly when the weather improves.

Good luck to you too, badly_dubbed (though I think willpower'll be needed more than luck).

3 to go.

Pokerface

I gave up almost a year ago now. I've had a couple in the past year, but once I quit, I didn't really miss it. My cycling has improved greatly and I definitely don't miss the smell on my clothes, hair, breath, etc.

Whatever it takes to give it up - do it. You won't regret it and will be far better off for it. First few days is the hardest - and gets MUCH easier after that.

And if you can avoid being around other people that smoke, it will go a lot smoother too!

It's 99% MENTAL after the first 72 hours. That's how long it takes for the physical addiction to pass.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Crapaud

Smoking the last one now!

Pokerface wrote:

/// And if you can avoid being around other people that smoke, it will go a lot smoother too! ...

Yip, I'm planning some other changes too to change habits: Weekly shop instead of twice daily at the cornershop where I usually buy the wee buggers, have a supply of fruit to reach for when the cravings come etc...

Right ,,, that's them finished. Off to get rid of the ashtrys, lighters etc, brush my teeth and tongue, then off to bed to metamorphose ready to start a new day and new life ..

Nighty night!

hopper1

Crapaud wrote:

Yip, I'm planning some other changes too to change habits: Weekly shop instead of twice daily at the cornershop where I usually buy the wee buggers, have a supply of fruit to reach for when the cravings come etc...

Right ,,, that's them finished. Off to get rid of the ashtrys, lighters etc, brush my teeth and tongue, then off to bed to metamorphose ready to start a new day and new life ..

Nighty night!

I quit, after 35 years! Almost 3 years ago. I still think about cigarettes, but never actually want one.
Changing your habits, daily routine is good. But, don't introduce a new craving, to replace the old one, you'll never let go! Everytime you pick up an apple, you'll think of the cigarette it's replacing.
Cravings only last a minute, or so. When you get one (craving), do something, anything, to take your mind off it.

The very best of luck, mate

nicensleazy

Good luck with it!

richk

Good luck to all stoppers. Just stick with it, you'll not regret it.

17 years now for me

Anonymous

Bon Chance'

skinson

I packed up 21 years ago on the 27th. The day my dad died aged 56!!!! Now that is an incentive to make you stop. At my last 3 yearly medical in june, I was told i had the lungs of an 18 year old, not bad cuss I'm 52.Best of luck and stick at it.:)
Dave

Frank the tank

Never smoked at all but I do (to my eternal shame) bite my nails and I've tried numerous times to pack that in and can't, and there are no addictive chemicals in finger nails as I'm aware of.

So to anyone endevouring to get off the weed I wish you nothing but success and hope you have more will power than I.

pottssteve

SCOTSMAN GIVES UP SMOKING!!! Have you contacted the Guinness Book of Records? You may be the first!

Good luck with it.

richara3

Well done guys. The first step is to decide not to smoke.


I stopped in March 2009 and was amazed at how easy its been . I smoked 15-20 a day for 20 yrs. Its nearly all in your head. Be strong!

i spent a bit of time on the forum here . Seemed to help me.

www.nosmokingday.org.uk


All the best to you.

Andy

all show no go

I tried giving up by using those patches you can get. I found that they're a real bugger to light though!

Crapaud

pottssteve wrote:

SCOTSMAN GIVES UP SMOKING!!! Have you contacted the Guinness Book of Records? You may be the first!

Good luck with it.

<irritable> You don't get into the Guiness Book of Records for giving up smoking, ye F*@&amp;#%, it's an OBE!* </irritable>







*or is it an oboe? Damn concentration's shot to pieces.

Velonutter

I gave up 10 years ago on the 25th January 2000.

Couple of rules, finish you last fag before going to bed.

Get some extra strong patches and always wear them.

Within two weeks your smell will return, after a month the craving reduces.

Within 3 months you will never want to return, I can't stand the smell now.

Everytime you want a fag do something that keeps your fingers busy, like cleaning the bike, washing the car, I used to get out on my motorbike.

I smoked an ounce of Old Holburn a day and to be truthful doing those simple things I found it quite easy, had the odd irritable day, but managed it and I hopefully will still be here in 20 years time for my family!

STEFANOS4784

Be strong! I'm giving up tomorrow, lucky for me tomorrow never comes ......But definately tomorrow :roll: Only smoke a few rollies unless i'm drinking though so not to bad, but then i drink a lot.......... Ah well, good luck mate, let us know how you get on/what methods you find good

2Phat4Rapha

You are not giving anything up - you are gaining your lungs back. You’ll find yourself enjoying just breathing without having to leave an oyster on the pavement.

The physical effects of the nicotine I believe are all gone after only a day or so. The rest of it is in your head. I tackled it this way.

Those ‘cravings’ I imagined were like a bully at school. Except that one day, in front of the whole school he thumps you for the last time. You turn and smack him so hard he’s out sparko at the feet of all his mates. You still meet this jerk now and again of course but now he avoids your eye contact. You beat this bastard and he knows it. For no explicable reason the thought of having a cig comes to mind from time to time but do you know what? It makes me smile. I enjoy it. I’m chuffed to bits at winning. So I repeat, you’re not losing anything good, only claiming back your life.

And I mean life. I had a heart attack in 2002.

Cycled 4000 miles last year.

Do it man and be proud.

Crapaud

Well, got up about 10 this morning. Did the usual padding-about-the-place-in a-mental-fog routine: put the kettle on, started running a bath and went through to the front room for a cig ..... but there were none there!!!

Score: Me 1, cigs nil

I bought a couple of weeks worth of patches and shaved the tops of my arms a while back, in preparation (you're supposed to put the patch on a hairless area, but I didn't fancy wearing it as a hat).

Went out to some friends to wish them a Happy New Year and realised that I was getting irritable and a bit temperamental, so made my excuses and left.

I'm using the trying to keep busy method, so headed to the supermarket to do a mega shop. Spotted some large bowls at reduced price and realised that I'd been charged full price. Raaaaaaaaage! This is the second time in 2 weeks that the advertised price hasn't matched the charged price and it seems to be becoming more common. Anyhoo, off to customer services to visit death and destruction on them, or give them a piece of my mind, whichever comes first. Result! Got a refund from the lying, thieving barstewards.

Got home; made soup (keeping busy again).

TL;DR: STFU! Soup.

rake

im tucking into a richmond as i read this.

Crapaud

Death's too good for the likes of you, Rake. It's a damn good kick up the arse you need!

oscarbudgie

Good luck and chapeau to all the quitters - did it myself a year ago(after 20 years) and definitely one of the best things I've ever done. I have to say that registering with the local pharmacy really helped - having the patches on prescription was more reliable + a lot lot cheaper and the weekly nicotine level checks give you something to aim at. NHS Quit Smoking Service was fairly cr@p though - they seem more interested in me now I've quit (good for figures I suppose) than when I wanted to quit

mercsport

I remember perfectly the moment I kicked smoking into touch at 00.00hrs April the first 1980, when I handed over my last untipped tabs and Zippo to Alfie, the lad who was labouring for me, as we were brick lining a huge machine pit inside a heavy engineering works. 34 yrs old. Never touched one since.

Not before time too I'd suppose, as I was nearly a two packs a day fella. I still miss it at times though, and don't mind in the least having someone else's smoke wafted over me. Like the Bisto kids, I breathe it in " ...mmmmn ! "

Even that passing pleasure is denied me these days by the puritanical, sanctimonious, tyrannical PC pricks who instituted into law the smoking in public places ban. Saving the NHS money ? The result appears to be that binge drinking, lacerating your liver and pigging out with burgers and fries in boozers appears to be the governing orthodoxy for clogging up the health service now.

Anyway 'Crapaud', hope you last this day out without succumbing to ' the urge'. It'll save you a ton of money and be definitely will be worth it health-wise. Good luck.

red dragon

To all those giving up or trying to give up - give it a go. I did three years ago and although I had an associated medical problem I gave up. No patches just went cold turkey. Only side effect was that for twelve months I would dream I was still a smoker. But that has passed now. Stick with it, it is worthwhile.

floosy

Keep at it..... its worth it....... been 16 months for me now...... (smoked for 25 years)

Dave

cjw

I gave up 3 years ago - just went cold turkey with my wife. First few weeks are not good but just think how much better you will feel. You do need to change habits though. Ours was having coffee outside in the morning (we never smoked in the house) and over glass(es) of wine in the evening. So stopped both coffe first thing in the morning for 6 months and wine in the evening.

Seemed to work.

rake

i think cod turkey is best to get the chemicals out of your system in one go.