[Closed] Smokers - on and off and back on the wagon for 2011 - motivation thread.

About 3 months, no problems. Thought about it a few times when on the beer but managed to persuade myself how the thought is so much better than the reality. Cripes, smokers wreak! Non-smoking members of the opposite (or even the same) sex must have the patience of Job to go anywhere near them.

Hit 5 years last August. It really does get easier.....around the 4th year I found 😉

Seriously....hardest bit is getting through first week. Do that and your good to go. If anything it is probably easy to quit these days due to the smoking ban as I found going to pubs a friggin' nightmare.

One thing I did do to help was print this off and stick it around the place so I would see it:

[u]20 MINUTES
[/u]
Blood pressure drops to normal.
Pulse rate drops to normal.
Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.

[u]8 HOURS
[/u]
Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.

[u]24 HOURS
[/u]
Chance of heart attack decreases.

[u]48 HOURS
[/u]
Nerve endings start regrowing.
Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

[u]2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS
[/u]
Circulation improves.
Walking becomes easier.
Lung function increases up to 30%.

[u]1 TO 9 MONTHS
[/u]
Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease.
Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
Body's overall energy increases.

[u]1 YEAR
[/u]
Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.

[u]5 YEARS
[/u]
Lung cancer death rate for average smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half.
Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smoker's.

[u]10 YEARS
[/u]
Lung cancer death rate similar to that of nonsmokers.
Precancerous cells are replaced.
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.

[u]15 YEARS
[/u]
Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker.

today is the end of christmas and my first day smokeless. This is the year I do it!

It's the reason that I would never touch Cheryl Cole.

zulu 😆

Quit September 2009. Still have the occaisional ciggie with a beer though, but don't crave them anymore.

The hardest thing for me was Xmas and NYE. Had my last rollie on Monday am, spent most of the day being a little twitchy but feel ok again now. Just chewing one bit of gum in the morning when I get up and keeping as busy as I possibly can in the evenings.

Wait a min... does Cheryl Cole smoke??

Gave up several years ago, seriously I don't know when I gave up and it doesn't matter. Counting gives the idea that your missing something. I would recommend getting hold of the Allan Carr books [url= http://www.allencarrseasyway.co.uk/ ]The Easy Way[/url], even if you've been off them for three months it's worth a read. That's the only motivation you'll need.
You smell better already and have money for bling. 🙂

Make me laugh, how much is a pack of 20 Marlboro now?

TSY - yes she does indeed smoke.

Explains the 'singing' or not

how much is a pack of 20 Marlboro now?

I dunno, I reckon getting on for 6 quid or something... 😆

Stinky-boys binners and elfin will tell us.

TSY - yes she does indeed smoke.

She's dirtier than I thought. Now now, lets stick to the topic.

The first of January marked fourteen years of non-smoking for me.

I've probably spent more on bikes per year than my annual spend on Benson & Hedges though, even adjusted for inflation and duty increases.

I'm contemplating jacking them in at the moment. I've avoided the knee-jerk "Right! I'm never smoking again!" NYE's thing.

I was going for the quietly packing in some time in January approach.

The one thing that's stopping me is that I'll no longer have the satisfaction of waiting for Hora at the top of climbs, then sitting there casually smoking as he pants into view. It'll be a major loss that

6X2X5=60
6X3X2=36

And then the beer on top...

96 quid per week on fags if I hadn't given up, look on the bright side though, with that quantity I'd probably be dead now! 😯

Joking aside binners, I hope you give it a go. Knee-jerk quits are often not successful. It requires a bit of contemplation and setting an end date.

Okay, okay, I won't make anymore comments on CC.

Nice one for starting this thread Darcy. Have you tried substituting every other sweet for a similar tasting 'normal' sweet?
That's how I cut down on the gum before. This time I'm just trying to tough it out.

Anyone else notice how much stronger coffee seems (caffine wise) when you quit? Got the sweats and shakes today!

Malbora are about £6.40 a pack now I think. Hora used to smoke them. But only because he enjoyed dressing up like the blokes in the adverts

[img] [/img]

He still does. Even though he stopped smoking years ago.
🙂

The one thing that's stopping me is that I'll no longer have the satisfaction of waiting for Hora at the top of climbs, then sitting there casually smoking as he pants into view. It'll be a major loss that

Maybe try heroin? Imagine how he will feel when he sees you have had time to cook up and get your needle out. Very demoralising.

But only because he enjoyed dressing up like the blokes in the adverts

You say that like you think there's something strange/wrong. 😈

What about beating him up the hill whilst you're in a ketamine hole?

Jamie, that timeline stuff you posted is very motivating. Cheers.

Jamie, that timeline stuff you posted is very motivating.

Absolutely. Now THAT's what I'm talking about.

Anyone else notice how much stronger coffee seems (caffine wise) when you quit? Got the sweats and shakes today!

Not just me then 🙂

You say that like you think there's something strange/wrong.

Yeah... but he started forgetting the jeans and the shirt and just wearing the leather chaps and the hat. It's quite a disturbing sight

Imagine how he will feel when he sees you have had time to cook up and get your needle out. Very demoralising.

😆

That timeline is really good stuff...

I rode Cwm Carn on Sunday, made it round the Twrch in 1hr 8mins and it felt like my lungs were going to fall out, I did smoke most of the way there. Promised myself, on the final bit of climb, that I'd quit and then go back within the next 6 weeks and break the hour mark. Timeline says it should be easy... 😀

Just over 10 months for me now 🙂

I won't be getting complacent about it though as I know how easy it is slip back into the habit.

For all of those who are struggling one thing I found useful was to write a list of pros and cons about smoking and every time I felt like a smoke I read the list.

The only pros I could write down were keeping the weight down and keeping me regular in the morning.

Ho Hum - you forgot "looking cool" on the Pro list!

Cons - Cheryl Cole smokes and when she realises that she wants a white middle class mtber I'll not be able to stomach kissing her.

18 months for me now

I really struggled in a house full of smokers over new year - but last year I am sure I would have cracked. This year I did not

Motivation? Well I am clearly fitter than I was when I smoked

4 years for me. Had several longish stops before, but not made it past a year. This time seemed really easy (even doing it cold turkey), though I did have a good reason for stopping which really helped. I didn't smoke a lot, but had been smoking for nearly 20 years so I was very habituated.

Just make sure you find something to fill the gaps, the times when you would go for a fag, do something else - make it a habit and slowly you stop thinking about the fags.

Good luck to the stoppers, you can do it 🙂

Yeah... but he started forgetting the jeans and the shirt and just wearing the leather chaps and the hat. It's quite a disturbing sight

Err! OK.......... 😐

even doing it cold turkey

Same here. My reasoning being I wanted the nicotine out of my system as soon as possible, and chewing the gum etc still meant I was addicted to it and possibly more liable to slip up and have a smoke.

It seemed to make sense to me at the time.

For anyone contemplating this, go to the doctor and get some Champix, quit after 7 days and have no cravings. It works very well (apart from the tendency toward suicide as a side effect).

After several unsucessful attempts I tried Champix and it worked well for me.

I tried giving up once whilst on honeymoon with patches and I left them on overnight and they gave me some really vivid dreams.

Thankfully there are quite a few different options available to people wanting to give up rather than just going cold turkey (although that is what I did this time).

Good luck to anyone wanting/trying to give up. It is so worth it, honestly.

I was at the Edinburgh winter wonderland before new year with my children and an old bloke sat down close to us and sparked up and his breathing and coughing frightened me and made me so glad that I have stopped.

i did it cold turkey andit is bioth hard and easy.
I did not smoke for about 5 years I now smoke occasionally couple a month?- but will never be a smoker again.

I now smoke occasionally couple a month?- but will never be a smoker again.

I have neighbours on either side of me who all smoke like chimneys.

They do not sound in any way like I'd like to sound in the mornings. I'm convinced sometimes they actually have had to put their lungs back in. 😯

JunkYard - that sounds like a slippery slope 😕

That's where I've fallen down previously, start to get confident and say "it's only one", or "it's the weekend" etc - then next thing you know, you're back on it.

Stop means stop - if you smoke every now and then, you're still a smoker IMO.

It seemed to make sense to me at the time.

Whatever works. The NHS is paying for my lozenges. I find I've just naturally gone less and less each week with them. They have helped with irritability (especially reading Jamies pisstakes 🙂 ) at times so if they do that, then fair enough.

In a few weeks, I'll probably just take a few to the pub when I go.

The way I look at it, the sweets, while still being a crutch, help break the cycle of the traditional nicotine delivery system.

for clarity the slippery slope wont affect me as the addded ingredient is the main reason I smoke I missed the after dinner jazz cigarettes but not cigarettes.

Cheers for your concern guys but I have not had a cigarette since I stopped hence I class myself as a non smoker but I see the reason for emocicons and how daft that sentence appears.

I do occasionally go months as well without just to prove a point as I dont want to end up a smoker again

lozenges

Oh! Didn't have anything like that when I quit. Just the gum and patches. A mate who is quitting at the moment has one of those smokeless cigarette things.....I dunno, you quitters now. Never had it so good! 😉

They have helped with irritability (especially reading Jamies pisstakes ) at times so if they do that, then fair enough.

Should have let me know mate, would have been gentle with you....you know....the way you like it 8)

Motivation folks. That's what we're here for.

[img] [/img]

...and for something more helpful:

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/quit-tools/

Keep at it. Remember you don't chose to smoke. Tobacco companies have chosen you. Its not a passtime or leisure activity, its an adicition. Live your life without being controlled or told what to do by a substance.

Visited A&E a few times over the past week and seeing people smoking outside the entrance in their PJ's is utterly disheartening. To think these people are in such a grip that they can't even elect to lay off the things that are probably contributing to their ailments.

Junky 😆 - it's those Jazzy ones that I broke my abstinence for, it being the festive period and all that. Much fun was had, although I did smoke rollies for a week after. Wasn't until I'd run out (of the extra pack of) baccy that I quit again.

If there is something smokable in my house... I'll smoke it.

20 a day? Almost £200 a month?

Thats a Lapierre bicycle every year that your dropping on our pavement and roads!

Hora. Please stop it. If there's one thing that's absolutely guaranteed to ensure I stay smoking its your sanctimonious pious bleating about having seen the light.

You only ever smoked to try and look cool while you were picking up men down the Village anyway 🙄

Maybe some motivation to stick at it, maybe not.

Last night I learnt my father has lung cancer. He is 64 and has stage 4 with secondaries (metastasis) on one of his adrenal glands. This is not a good place to be. He was a career smoker.

I have some very mixed up feelings at the moment. Naturally I'm very concerned for him. He is frightened about death and even more frightened about dying and what the next few months have in store. He is "grieving" the retirement he will never have and the things he will never do. However I am also very angry. I am angry that he has deprived my mother of her life partner for at least part of the last couple of decades of her life (she'll go on forever!). She will never get to do the camping trips in their newly bought camper they had planned either. It is likely she will have to move from their dream house and location for both financial and practical reasons and she won't be able to cope on her own. I am angry that we asked him to stop smoking 20 years ago when his parents died from lung cancer and he could not or would not.
If you need some motivation, even if you don't care too much for yourself, please do so for your family (or future family) who will miss you when you have gone.

Sorry - hearing this sort of rubbish is probably like a broken record for you guys, but it feels pretty raw for me today.

Sat in the GP surgery yesterday morning with two middle aged men- one was telling the other about his throat surgery. The other sounded like Darth Vader.

Binners - anyway its not your choice. You don't chose, the fags tell you when and how many. 😉

Hora. Please stop it. If there's one thing that's absolutely guaranteed to ensure I stay smoking its your sanctimonious pious bleating about having seen the light.

+1

Nothing worse than a sanctimonious ex-smoker.

convert 🙁

We all seem to think we will live forever or it'll happen to someone else.

Seems like only yesterday that I was 20- can remember everything. One day (too soon) I'll be 60. **** facing a long, and terrifyingly slow decline.

Heart attack please. Not Cancer, please.

Wait a min... does Cheryl Cole smoke?

I've never noticed, but next time I'm generating some friction with her, I'll have a look

Convert...

My mum has just been released from hospital yesterday after having 1/3 of one lung removed after learning she had lung cancer in October. I have no idea where she was in terms of severity (she keeps these things to herself) and at this stage we have no idea whether she will get the all clear or not, although we do know that preliminary biopsies on lymph nodes were clear (although more have been biopsied and we are still awaiting the results).

Mum was in the Bexley Wing of St James Hospital in Leeds - one of the UKs leading teaching oncology units so there was bed after bed of people going through similar things (at least two of them were definitely lung cancer).

I remember, as a child telling her not to smoke - I used to go on and on about it, that it would kill her and I didn't want to be without my mum and as Hora has just said there is a 'it'll happen to someone else' mentality with most smokers.

Obviously I have no idea how far on your dad is, but lung cancer can be very treatable so don't be too despondent. I clearly remember having feelings like yours a couple of months ago. But be there for him, enjoy the fact he is still here and you still have him to talk to. I lost dad two years ago on Sunday - a seemingly innocuous illness suddenly complicated and he was gone. No chance to say goodbye as none of us thought he was going anywhere.

Thanks MF

Aye we ALL think we are invincible- illness never crosses our mind. Only when we are slung low bedridden does our vulnerability leap to mind.

I had this 11years ago. This Christmas mrshora remarked 'I can't actually remember the last time when you were ill'.

Convert - where are you anyway? Any chance of being able to get him to the Leeds unit?

I'm south coast England, they are near(ish) Inverness so I'd doubt it I guess. The distance is also a problem - how do you support from 600 miles and hold down a 6 day a week job? Work (a school) are very good at cutting a bit of slack when needed but it's going to a be tough few months.

I can't actually remember the last time when you were ill

erm.... last week when you had to go and get antibiotics for your lung infection. At least, that was your excuse for not coming out riding. Have you been telling porkies Hora? Because you couldn't be bothered getting out of bed as it was a bit cold

Or is it the Alzheimer's? 😉

Reading convert and Mastiles stories I am quite determined to give up. Its my birthday soon. I think I'll set that as a date

Shame - obviously it is primary care so you do have a choice of hospital but clearly not logistically possible.

Again, I have no idea how bad your dad is compared to my mum, but she was fit and able (nearly 70) up till the operation so no care was needed beforehand - just emotional support. She found the days around hospital appointments were difficult but was able to switch off a bit and forget about it most of the time. Unfortunately my older brother moved from Yorkshire (5 minutes from her house) to Cornwall just at the time she found out. So my younger brother and me are helping her where we can (and so are her brothers).

This site is a very useful source of information...
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Lung/Lungcancer.aspx

If you ever want to speak privately with me, having just been through this and knowing just how you must be feeling right now, feel free to email me at m(dot)danford@mixd.co.uk

And remember be strong for your dad in whatever way you can - it's times like this families can show their inner strength.

Hence the words 'this Christmas'. Its been 11yrs since I was last ill.

Reading convert and Mastiles stories I am quite determined to give up

And I truly, truly do hope my mum can turn her back on them now (although she was nipping out to smoke whilst she was awaiting the operation can you believe that?)

^^^^

It's an addiction m_f and unfortunately it is very cunning.

Binners - how old are you going to be? I have just turned 40 and I was determined to hit 40 as an ex-smoker and so far I have managed to do it.

Oh for fudges sake, make a girl feel bad why don't you?

What am I supposed to do with this packet of Marlboro lights? I might get grumpy, don't have a go at me, ok?

Exactly the same age as you fella. I think its about time to knock it on the head. I've got a few weeks to psyche myself up for it. And move to a different area to Hora. Who's just going to be insufferable

It's an addiction m_f and unfortunately it is very cunning.

Saying that, my brother gave up after smoking for 25 or so years - just decided to stop, threw half a packet away and stopped there and then. No excuses, no 'I will stop when x is y'. Just stopped.

binners:
Exactly the same age as you fella. I think its about time to knock it on the head. I've got a few weeks to psyche myself up for it. And move to a different area to Hora. Who's just going to be insufferable

Just pick an arbitrary day like Jan 27th. Unless that is a monday then don't bother and choose a different date. Also make sure you have stuff planned to do to fill your time, whether it be exercise, dvd boxsets or I found my xbox 360 ate up alot of thinking about smoking time.

Use these next 2 weeks wisely 😉

I smoked for just over 25 years.

Must be hard giving up after having smoked for 55 years. Mind you, my grandfather gave up when Maggie Thatcher won the 1979 election as he did not want to pay her any tax on his smokes and he had been smoking for probably a similar length of time.

I hope she can do it.

Not so Awesemsz!

Seriously all the phsyching up etc... just stop.
Make it through the first day, the first week, first month don't listen to your brother when he says you should get high at xmas...
Start feeling smug about your success as soon as possible.

TSY (3.5 days, and all you smokers are jokers)

Bit of a poo, m_f and convert. Those who are giving it a go, good luck.

Right ho Jamie

You've just chosen my arbitrary day for me. 27th Jan it is then. I shall psychologically prepare myself. Wish me luck. I'll bloody need it

Binners, it's not that much harder than some of the other things you have overcome recently.

Just go for it mate, you'll be fine 🙂

Binned them. Arbitary day is today.

Booom! That's the spirit. Don't forget to end every post with how many hours since you last smoked. Helped me.

Oh bloody hell!! Talk about peer pessure. I suppose I'm going to have to bin a nearly full pack of B&H now am I?

Pah!

Or smoke them all tonight? By the last one you'll want to quit anyway.

Right! I'm going to do that. Arbitrary day is officially the 7th of January

Tally ho! Good Luck Emsz!!

I smoked from when I was 14 to March last year (19 years), only 10-20 a day but I smoked shit loads of weed every day too, mainly through my trusty bong. I tried cutting down and nicoteine replacements but none of that worked. What did work though was the Alan Carr book, I read a few peoples success stories on here and thought why not give it a shot, despite the book telling me to keep smoking all the way through it I got about half way through and thought you know what, I don't want to, and haven't smoked a bean since.

I think the absolute very most important thing is to change your mindset that you're missing out on something by not smoking and it's actually the other way around. And I also think it's true that the mints, lozenges and inhalers ets actually keep you hooked, cold turkey is the only way. I don't know if it was the cigs or the weed but I had terrible insomnia for over a month.

That's the spirit. 😀

Binners, emsz this is the only time being a quitter is a thing of pride - when you see someone else smoking in their car, outside their work, the pub... feel pity for them, not jealousy... the mindset change!

Good on you emsz and Binners.