[Closed] Stopping smoking!!

best of luck

(from a serial quitter, actually not even a quitter I just think about it and try somewhere near new year, most years)

good luck dude... managed to cut down significantly to just smoking while at work and then its only 2 or 3 per day, but I can't seem to stop at work!!??

If you really want to do it... you will.

Good Luck! There're a number of us on here who quit at the beginning of the year and most are still smoke free.

Have you read the not-so-chatty-man Alan Carr book?

It worked for me, I think the important thing is to get it into your head that you're not missing out on anything by not smoking but gaining something. Cutting down doesn't work you need to break the cycle and stop dead, get all that adictive crap out of the bloodstream. As soon as you have one you're back to square one again, so don't.

Good luck!

Edit: smoked cigs and a very large amount of weed for 19 years, now 19 months completely smoke free.

work is my main issue...

I don't smoke at home (at all!) and only at work and when out. I have two jobs (office during the week and doors at the weekend) and the smoking is the thing that breaks up the jobs up.

Can sometimes get through 10 fags on a 5 hour door shift...it can get pretty boring and helps pass the time.

Just been told if I last 2 weeks, I get an extra £20 in my Mo-vember fund..... gotta be worth a try!

something tells me Schrick and myself used to have something in common 😉

but yeah its boredom that does me in everytime.

I've found that after stopping and starting and stopping again many many times I've managed to get it under control. I still have the odd smoke or buy 10/20 if I'm going out for a few pints or at a festival, but it can be months between fags, it's been about a month now, I may never have another one, if I do, that's ok.

So the theory that if you have one you're back to square one again doesn't seem to apply to me anymore, just don't beat yourself up if you do have some, just stop again.

It took me four attempts to stop smoking (over a long time period - probably 4yrs or something). The last time I went to a smoking cessation clinic, I also used nicotine patches and lozenges, available on prescription from the smoking cessation lot. The patches were great, had some fantastic dreams when wearing them (go for the 24hr patches!). The lozenges were for when I got a craving, something to pop in my mouth.

You really need to want to quit, if you really want to be an ex smoker then you will be. If you don't stop this time don't beat yourself up over it, your time will come.

Good luck.

cheers guys...

just posted this link to some colleagues....

hoping the supportive comments will help provide an 'up yours' to them 😀

Another serial quitter and un-quitter here. I may well have another go with you actually. I'm sick of wheezing up climbs, bringing up the rear like last night

I've been on about having another go at quitting for a while. Hmmmmmmmmmm

binners - I'm blaming you for the inaugural STW quittee ball not happening, so get on with it, eh?

...don't worry binners, I'll start another thread sometime in the new year 🙂

strangely I have the opposite problem to those above. At work I am very strict about not smoking. As soon as I get home is where it all happens.

Me and Binners - Mo-vember quitters!

Anyone else joining in for the typical STW group support available?

something tells me Schrick and myself used to have something in common

I was more of a bong man. 🙂

So the theory that if you have one you're back to square one again doesn't seem to apply to me anymore, just don't beat yourself up if you do have some, just stop again.

It does seem that some people can take or leave it but I think majority would only need a few to get back in the loop, and I'm talking more about while actually quitting. Same applies for the nicoteine replacement stuff sooner or later you have to stop and go through that period of cold turkey so just get it over and done with ASAP.

whippersnapper - you joining in too?

Its a fair cop Yeti!

whippersnapper - I'm the same. Don't smoke through the day and it doesn't bother me at all. Its once I'm done the pangs begin

Right! I'm going to give it a crack. Going to finish this pack off tonight, then join the healthy smoke free lot.

I may have to maintain the illusion that I'm still smoking though, to annoy Hora 😉

Gave up 14 months ago now and its definitely worth it. I never thought I could give up but thought I'd give it a go. Still miss the occasional fag when I get to the top of a climb but getting there is a lot easier.
When the craving gets bad...go for a ride, read a book or something and remember how hard can it be NOT to do something

wo, put on the spot there 😀

ummmm....now then (excuses at the ready). I was in fact speaking to my girlfriend about this yesterday. We decided when we do stop we are going to have to separate for a week or two otherwise we will try and kill each other (been there, done that). Got to prepare for that. Maybe next we.....ye...year, definitely year.

However, I give full support to the mustachioed quitters from the sidelines for now....and will join you all soon

Giving up is easy, I've done it thousands of times... 😛
Staying off is, in fact, very easy too. I can't actually remember when I gave up, simply that I gave up and it was for ever. I am a non-smoker not an ex-smoker, when I smoked I could comfortably put away two packs a day (at the weekend more).

come on, snapper......all the money you save on fags can buy you a travelodge for a few weeks 🙂

Good luck, all. I shall follow your lead - one day!

a travelodge you say, very tempting

soon Morgs soon....

be strong

i'm willing to cut down on the crack pipe in support

Well, the first test is fast approaching! Out dedicated afternoon 'smoke break' is at 3pm....finish at 5:30 and need to leave straig away as I have an hour drive to meet up with the better halffollowed by a meal and cinema so no opportunity to smoke there!

So, suggestions needed on how to spend the smoke break.....and no points are awarded for the answer 'erm.....no smoking?'

DW?

binners.....is the 'D' refers to 'Danger' and the 'W' is a four letter word ending in 'k', then NO!

press-ups?

Me too Morgs, stay strong. My nth attempt over the last 9 years.

Giving up is fairly easy, I've found, preventing yourself from having a celebratory "yay I've quit smoking" cigarette less so.

I'm giving these a go

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too early to say if they help or not as my cravings don't normally kick in till about day 4. Having said that I did wake up at 4:10 this morning, not sure if that's a side effect or coincidence.

Spend the smoke break calling your smoking coworkers filthy animals and shaking your head in disapproval, and eat something nice. Did I mention I put on 3.5st when I quit? 😀

Eating crisps. That's what I'm planning on doing.

And it gives you a good five minutes of thinking "what crisps do I fancy?

I'll get you started

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or how about

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Not strictly a crisp, but bloody hell, they're good!

Surely good old fashioned onion rings should get top billing?

Frazzles.

problem is, I'm the last of the smokers!!!!

I do have some white choccie chip cookies in my drawer though.....and a nice cuppa tea....?

No there's a plan!

7 mins to go until tea-time!

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?

I was at least 40 a day regular, plus most illegal substances. Used to chain smoke when on e's or speed.

smoked constantly during the day on construction sites.
When i got a new role which would involve a lot of driving, i decided that i wasn't going to smoke in the car, and gradually over about 4 or 5 years i cut down where i would smoke.
it ended up with me just smoking at weekends in the pub, then just one night. so i thought - if i only smoke one night a week why bother at all. No tobacco and weed free for about 4 years.
I know now that if the craving takes over when i have a couple of beers, i can have a couple of cigs - but the shitty taste the next day means i will never start again.

Good Luck - only you can stop it if you really want to.

Made it!!!

first break has past....went outside for a breath of air with a colleague (also a non/ex-smoker)and just chewed the fat before making a brew and getting back to my desk!

Next testing time: 5:30!

Remember the rule of 3's...

First 3 breaks will be the hardest.
Then you get through 3 days.
3 weeks will pass fine.
3 months - the one to watch out for. Many a good man has fallen at this landmark.

Cheers Yeti... 1 down, 2 to go!

What's your support medication of choice, morgs?

I'll be getting those über strong patches (again) I suppose...

camo - cold turkey for me 🙂

You know what somebody should invent ? A drug that makes you violently ill if you smoke. Like the one for alcoholics, they take it in the morning then are sick as a pack of dogs if they touch alcohol.

Then you only have to be strong once a day and take your pill.

camo - cold turkey for me

You are such a hero!

* salutes morgs *

I am weak and need to MTFU prontissimo. 😳

I'm going to do cold turkey too. Nothing seems to make any difference anyway

I would hereby like to apoligise in advance to anyone who is at the receiving end of any gratuitous and totally unwarranted tirades and abuse over the next week or so

Apart from the people who are normally at the receiving end of any gratuitous and totally unwarranted tirades and abuse. Business as usual there I'm afraid. 😀

hels - there is one.

Camo - I'd advise using something that not only replaces the nicotine but replaces the habit. Remember you get over the nicotine addiction in 3 days. The habit is harder to break.

My first ciggy of the day was in the car on the way to work... I started having an apple instead.

I chewed gum for a short while, but quickly moved that over to normal chewing gum too.