Made the spur of the moment decision yesterday to not buy and more tobacco and attempt to stop smoking. Again. Have enough to last me the rest of today and that's it. Not vaping or anything else, just quitting. Trying to find other ways to distract myself, hoping sorting the house out will finally start happening because of this. We'll see.
At one time I used to enjoy it despite the health side of things. Over the past few years through everything it's what I've had to try and destress a little or to have a quick break outside for 5 or 10 mins. I could have turned to drugs or drink during these times but thankfully I haven't, just had a fag instead. But the past few months I've really not been enjoying it and the past few weeks even less so. Think the cost of living crisis is adding to my thoughts too as it's a struggle at the moment as it is. Not that this will make a massive difference to that but cutting back where I can will all be a help.
So yeah, tomorrow could be an interesting day but really want to do this if I can. Really don't want to start eating more instead like I did last time I quit. And I hope I'm not jinxing this by posting about it but I'm really want to be able to do it. If anyone has any suggestions on how to keep busy etc no matter how stupid they are, it will all be appreciated. As will random and stupid comments or anything else.
Wish me luck.
Good luck 🤞
Just take each day as a victory.
I’ve not “given up”, I just haven’t smoked for seven years- makes it easier to handle as giving up sounds a bit too final and scary!
Do it.
Things can only improve and get better.
Best of luck. I've not given up, but your post made me realise I've not smoked now for a decade this month September 2012 my last fag. I bet if I were to buy a packet today I'd be hooked again by Friday.
What helped me is I started couch to 5k when I stopped. Going from a heavy smoker to being able to run 5k made me feel super human and reinforced my will to keep on not smoking.
You can still have a "little break outside for ten minutes." Have a "not-smoking break," go for a walk round the block.
Having a cube of blu-tak to squeeze between thumb and forefinger helps considerably.
Best of luck and well done for doing this.
Good luck with it. I’ve not had a fag for about 7-8 years now. I do vape though, mainly as I find it still annoys the sanctimonious ‘uuuurgh… your habit is disgusting’ brigade which was the main reason I smoked in the first place 😃
Really don’t want to start eating more instead like I did last time I quit
I always found that you just eat more snacks anyway once you’ve stopped. You may fight it, but it’s just the way it is. So I did myself a series of ‘motivational’ illustrations to remind myself which ones possess fewer calories. Hope it helps…
Good luck, it can be done! 🙂
Good luck, for me it was all about getting through the first month, after starting to smoke quite late in my early 20s. Not smoked now for ~17 years.
Good luck with it! You _can_ do it, if you want to.
I'm sure others will have used other methods, but I found Alan Carr's Easy Way book genuinely worked. It works by gradually convincing you that there is no benefit to you from smoking. And it's that simple.
He - and others - talk about a "big monster" and a "little monster" in addiction. The little monster is the physical addiction, the cravings, the come-down, from whatever the addiction is. That's easy to kill off, it just takes a bit of time - actually only about 24-48 hours for nicotine until your body's flushed it out of your system.
The "big monster" is the part of you that feels like you're missing out on something good, like you're "giving up" something rather than just not doing it any more because you don't want to. If you can deal with the part of you that still thinks you _want_ to smoke, or drink, or eat sugar, or take class As, or whatever, then you're not addicted any more.
And it's dealing with the "big monster" that's the hard part and takes thought and consideration, stepping back and seeing what harm the addiction is doing you and why you're better off without it. Addiction counsellors often say "there's no power in will power." You can't give up forever by will power alone, without forever feeling like you're missing out on something you really enjoy or want to do - and usually the same will power that you're trying to use to give up, is the same will power that will say go back to it anyway!
But you can give up anything by removing the desire to do it. Alan Carr's book was great for me by gradually breaking down all the reasons I told myself I liked smoking, and replacing them with reasons I found smoking horrible and smelly and expensive and antisocial and unhealthy and all the stuff I already knew anyway. And I'm not giving away the book's secret, because it's not a secret, but it takes time to read and think through all the stuff, to change your thinking. "Without thinking, there's no change."
Sorry about the rant, I hope it helps in some way. Well done on quitting smoking, it's a positive choice and you'll improve your life by leaving it behind. 🙂
Good luck!! 👍
My father-in-law did this in his mid 60s. Had smoked all his life then decided one day he was going to stop and he never had a ciggy again. No patches or anything. This is despite his wife still smoking.
It can be done.
We used to live by the mantra 'a drinks too wet without a cigarette'... Then when I quit 20 years ago I realised how much nicer beer tasted!! I'd buy those signs @binners but I cannot agree with #1 regardless of the sentiment 😉
I’d buy those signs @binners but I cannot agree with #1 regardless of the sentiment 😉
Yeah - all kinds of wrong that first one! And he claims to be Northern!! 🤣🤣
Good luck Gnusmas, rooting for you!
The next bit may be a bit heavy, I apologise if it is. It's meant to be motivational, not a lecture...
My Mum and Dad were both heavy smokers, my Dad especially so (I think he got to 60 a day at one stage). They are both dead now from smoking related illnesses. You sound like you want to do this for yourself, but take strength in the fact that you are also doing it for you kids.
Yeah – all kinds of wrong that first one! And he claims to be Northern!! 🤣🤣
I can assure you that this is purely in the context of mid-morning snacks where I would have had a fag 😃
To put things in perspective regarding my relationship with food since packing in smoking: I’ve recently started a freelance job where I have to go into the office instead of WFH. I’ve lost a stone in 6 weeks because I’m out of reach of my fridge during the day 😂
Just over 16 years ago I said to myself that I would never have another cigarette. Keep telling yourself that and believe in yourself. Best of luck fella,
Good luck mate! I really should join you but................
Just make sure the will power is there.
I finished my duty free 1.5kg of tobacco at the beginning of last year so started buying tobacco locally but they are weak, very weak. I guess if you smoke normal cigarette or tobacco nowadays your chance of quitting might be easier.
My trick is to get my colleagues travelling overseas to buy me some duty free tobacco, but most tend to give me a good lecture about smoking ... yeah right. They might as well just tell me the truth that they are lazy or can't be arsed to buy some for me. Bar stewarts!
Anyway, I still enjoy my tobacco and found some "cheap" Riverstone brand to cover for my habit for now. But trying to stretch 50g for a month is trying at times. LOL! My roll up is thin ... sometimes very thin.
Oh ... I ain't giving up.
Anyway good luck to you.
oh ya ... if you are a heavy smoker you might need to quit slowly rather than instantly coz you might "die". That's according to my mum's observation. According to her that might due to a sudden shock to the system because of nicotine starvation. She told me "look so and so were heavy smokers and out of a sudden they quit, then few months later they died". She is just an ordinary housewife LOL! I told her their contract with grim reaper was up for collection. Nothing to do with their habits.
With all the things you've been through out of your control this is payback time, take control of this, it will be tough, stick it to the man, we stand behind you, 💪
good luck Gnusmas.
I no longer smoke but I do vape. I know it's not the same thing but it does keep me off the fags, my lungs feel a lot better for it, and I don't stink ... well, not of fags anyway.
If you've got the will to do it cold turkey you have my full admiration.
I hope I’m not jinxing this by posting
On the contrary, publicly announcing your intention to quit is a recognised part of a successful strategy to stop smoking. You are more far likely to fail if you keep it as "your little secret", I suggest that you go around announcing it to as many people as you can.
Although you say that you don't want to don't totally dismiss nicotine replacement treatment, if you find yourself in a crises a NRT chewing gum or lozenge is far far better than "just one" cigarette to help you cope. The moment you have a cigarette you are a smoker again, NRT chewing gum or lozenge doesn't count - you remain a non-smoker.
Embrace the withdrawal symptoms - it means that you are doing something fantastic for your body! Ideally take up a new past-time - change the routines of your old life. Definitely up your exercise regime, more bike rides, running, etc, it will drive home to you why you are doing what you are doing.
Good luck and try to give regular updates on here, it will help you and also others thinking of stopping their nicotine dependency.
I gave up cold turkey. Must be around 25 years now. Allen Carr's book is good. The idea that helped me, which may have been from the book, was to view withdrawal symptoms as a good thing. It is your body getting back to normal.
This will be the best dicision you have ever made it was for me, after many failed attempts I have not smoked in 12 years.
As mentioned by other the Allen Carr method is great.
Set up a money pot and put your cigarette money in that treat yourself at the end of the week month the money adds up very quickly.
Drink plenty of water and be aware of how much your eating as food tastes so much better.
You can do this you will start to see the benefits after the first few days
Also before you give up totally you should have a last cig ... just to say goodbye to smoking.
Once you think you have succeeded you should celebrate with a cig. Just one for old time sake.
The tip that worked for me in addition to hypnotherapy, was to treat the craving like a small child which was about to run into a busy road. An immediate “NOOOO”
Then move on, with something else. Don’t allow yourself to procrastinate over it.
Luck is over rated, you have got this cracked already!
Set up a money pot and put your cigarette money in that treat yourself at the end of the week month the money adds up very quickly.
This is a great idea. I was smoking about 15 fags a day. The money I would have spent on those I saved up and in a surprisingly short stretch of time it paid for a very nice new bike
I was smoking about 15 fags a day.
That's the problem. You could have smoked some roll ups instead and the amount tobacco could be half that. You can even save on the amount spent and still enjoy it. Give it a try.
Oh I never smoke cigarette coz that's disgusting and unhealthy. Roll ups taste much better and less expensive.
Currently, I spend about £23 per month for 50g of tobacco.
If the price continues to increase I will have to buy some organic tobacco from the Borneo native people because they grow a lot of tobacco for their own consumption. No chemical treatment just pure tobacco.
When you going to give up being an arse, though?
When you going to give up being an arse, though?
The key is to moderate consumption.
Anyway, if he is happy giving up then by all means.
Good luck in this @gnusmas. Have tried to stop a fair few times and still want to. Keep us updated and hopefully will spur a few more of us to quit
Once you think you have succeeded you should celebrate with a cig. Just one for old time sake.
If that's a joke, it's crap. If you're serious FO.
I've just done some work on a rental for the brother in law and many a time I've had to listen to the crackling smokers voice and cough whilst the neighbour was on the phone in the garden. The other day whilst fixing the soil pipe I happened to look over into next door and the image above is pathetic compared to the frisbee sized ashtray with a fricking waterfall of fag butts cascading over the side and onto the garden table.
Put me off smoking forever!
Be strong, repeat to yourself 'I'm not a smoker' and then think back to who you were when you never smoked. Worked for me
If the price continues to increase I will have to buy some organic tobacco from the Borneo native people because they grow a lot of tobacco for their own consumption.
But how much will the flight/boat/seaplane to the native Borneo people's organic tobacco plantation cost you Tintin?
I can't see the cost savings.
But how much will the flight/boat/seaplane to the native Borneo people’s organic tobacco plantation cost you Tintin?
I can’t see the cost savings.
Only buy them when I can coincide with my visit home. No, not going to simply fly home just to buy them that will be silly.
In the meantime I just buy whatever tobacco is the cheapest locally here. My favourite Old Holborn original is nearly £30 for 50g here ... Whattt! .. the last time I bought my Old Holborn from duty free they were 10x50g for US$34 at Dubai. Back home organic strong dark tobacco, wrapped in tobacco leaf, is probably around £1 or £2 for 50g from the native.
When you look at the scumbags who own tobacco companies, not giving them one penny more will be most satisfying.
**** em.
@chewkw this thread is about Gnusmas giving up - you’re being pretty insensitive - if you haven’t got anything supportive to say, then there are other threads for you…
Here, here!
Good luck. Stay strong
@chewkw this thread is about Gnusmas giving up – you’re being pretty insensitive
But on the plus side chewkw taking upon himself to discuss his own personal smoking habits re-enforces the claim that idiots smoke 💡
Reinforce the positive.
For me each day of not smoking was something I looked forward to. It takes a mindset change, but once I flipped form something I missed to something I no longer did; each day was a huge victory and felt positive rather than negative
If an idiot like me can do it! 🙂
With all the things you’ve been through out of your control this is payback time, take control of this, it will be tough, stick it to the man, we stand behind you, 💪
This.
Pob luc bud.
Good lad. You'll never regret it. I still have the odd cheeky one when pissed but it just makes me realise how minging it is all over again.
Good luck. If you need a moment's break from everything, just come and post on here
It's so so hard. I think it's important to recognise that it is so damn hard. I never thought I'd be able to do it.
Now 2 years on and I'm so glad that I did. Be in for the long haul. It's so much easier to quit once that 4 or 5 times.
It gets easier each day.
