[Closed] Stopping smoking!!

I'm on Day 10.
Getting strong cravings every so often, but managed to get through them with smug self satisfaction. Could actually smell some wine I had last night!
I can now run up stairs without my heart racing and can watch people smoking on TV without it entering my mind... then I realise I've managed that which counts as it entering your mind!
Funny business. We'll see how I handle a proper night out soon...

I am now a smoker............and all i have are excuses not reasons (loss of friend, work stress etc etc)

I have the NHS Quit Kit at home waiting for me. And I will tell my partner to hold off on the, erm.... "treats" if I have a smoke.

Now, if that isn't motivation.....

So, smoke free part deux will start soon

Keep at it. I was the same, tried, failed, tried failed (with patches, gum etc) then I had a moment of long courage (and Orange Juice).

I will admit that I started smoking cigars afterwards- got bored of them though.

*looks sheepish*

I've not done good. I've succumbed! 😳 I've also no excuses! Only my pathetic lack of will power. Self loathing all present and correct

I've not been full blooded smoking like i was before. And I'm lining up for packing in Friday Night and seeing if I can make it through christmas. Might enlist some help this time. I want my AWSOMENESS back!

You'll get the binners. The key is to dust off and get back up again. Once you have it in your mind that you resent cigs and see them as a pain you're halfway there.

One of the key triggers to pulling a cig out is 'I'm stressed, neg thing happened today so I deserve one to calm me down'.

@ Morgs and Binners

Positive vibes * Positive vibes * Positive vibes * * Positive vibes * Positive vibes * Positive vibes * Positive vibes *

Feelin' it yet?

After a few weak moments - caused by stress, over-work etc. etc. etc, aka the usual excuses - I'm ready for Awesomeness again! On the occasions I've succumbed, it's only been a couple per day, so I reckon it shouldn't be as hard this time...

One of the key triggers to pulling a cig out is 'I'm stressed, neg thing happened today so I deserve one to calm me down'.

Hora, you speak wise words

Getting rid of this trigger, permanently, would be great...

Muchos respecto to Khani, Scuzz and LoCo. You guys rock!

Still no smokes here 😀

Might enlist some help this time.

What kind of help, binners?

* feels inadequate *

A TJ tonguing, perhaps?

Getting rid of this trigger, permanently, would be great...

Thing is the trigger threshold gets set lower and lower...

For instance it could simply be you have a cross word with the missus over who should watch Eastenders or another channel. She wins, you slope out and think '**** this too much bloody stress nowadays'.

Or a simple task like a longer than usual commute.

When you've finally quit you simply come into work and say 'bugger that was a nightmare! and laugh or sigh'.

If you are struggling to quit you think your nerves are frayed, the worlds a hard place, life is existing not about living etc etc. The withdrawal symptoms make you tetchy but also it tricks you that you are fragile and you are a bloody pessimist...

One of these saved me, as much for the habit as the nicotine, something to twiddle and suck on really helped..
[IMG] [/IMG]

Just bumping this thread back up to where it should be. Was a great place to be a few weeks back but the awesome seems to have nose-dived 😥

Are the n/smokers still polishing their halo's? Anyone fallen off the wagon and planning the next 'great escape'?

I've been a naughty boy but determined not to apply the New Year empty promise tactic. Having witnessed Khani sucking on the plastic tampon applicator therapy thing I've decided to buy one and at £22 for a kit it's deffo cheaper to smoke, plus you look sligtly less deranged but I'm going in for the kill...If you can make it through the festive [s]bullshit[/s] period without a smoke, you're halfway to the win.

So what's everyone's story? ❓

Not posted in this thread for a while due to working like a dog, but currently on day ten of no ciggies, have the very odd craving, but nothing to write home about. Overall pretty positive, feels a hell of a lot better when out on the bike as well, noticing the difference big time! Still proper unfit though, had to get of a push a couple of times on a climb I could do no problems at all only a few months back. Winter will be a time to shed the lb's I think instead of piling it on, come out the other side chomping at the bit...this is the plan anyway.

Still franticly [s]Sucking[/s] chewing away on my twiddly thing now and then...it's getting better 😀
It's a nasty and insidious foe though...... 👿

Complete failure here - but that's how I've been feeling about my life the last few weeks 🙁
I really ought to try again - maybe I need something to twiddle and suck on?

Nearly a month off for me now. 2 failures, one was a boozy night in the pub and the other was a 3 day office christmas party bender. 5 packs that weekend 😳

Not going too badly now, although without the patches I become quite crotchety.

Keep up the awesome people.

day 16 for me, smoked a drag while out for a pint with my mate earlier and it was minging 🙂 chuffed with that.

Not doing too bad.

After five weeks of non smoking I had a [s]moment[/s]period of crappy weakness... but hopefully that's over now. Been smoke-free for a while, but I'm not feeling the awesomeness yet. Dammit, I'm not even feeling self-righteous anymore when I see smokers huddling in doorways. 😳

Great to hear that Khani, tjr666, huws and jonah tonto are fighting the good fight.

It's nice to see this thread back, too. 🙂

I'm on day 8 now, and the Champix is still working for me, although the sickness, constipation, wind and interrupted sleep is a bit of a downer. my two week review with the doc went well, but their suggestion to halve the dose to relieve some of the symptoms just would not fly.

However, 8 days and not wanting a smoke is good and I am determined to make a go of it. Got a mini-break in Munich coming up and so I will be a non-smoker in two different countries.

Note to self: Also saved about 40 quid so far...

After a weekender away riding a few weeks back and feeling shit, having a 1 year old with another on the way and then reading this i had the motivation to give it a good old go, that and being off work for a bit which is a sod for having a fag.

Anyhow bought 4 packs of sticky plaster things, used one and not had a fag since, been about 2 1/2 weeks now and feeling loads better for it. I haven't read his thread other than a few first posts but glad i did as it gave me the motivation to knock it on the head!

time to get this one started again?

Who's with me?

Day 8 🙂

Do it Morgs 🙂

I have it on good authority that my er, "gentleman juice" tastes much better now I don't smoke.

I'm in morgs...Been a right f*nny and back to "normal" smoking levels.

Going to start/combine with the 100 press-ups thing as exercise seems to be the way forward 😈

have it on good authority that my er, "gentleman juice" tastes much better now I don't smoke.

TMI...I've just been sick in the bin under my desk!

Yip. Count me in! Lets have another go.

Just got my NHS Quit pack. Completely *ing useless it is too. Clearly put together by a committee of STW users of the "oooooooo I hate smoking, its horrid an icky. Why do they do it?" persuasion

If it was left to me to design it, it would contain

a) Five massive bags of Haribo
b) Piers Morgan - to be punched whenever I'm feeling ill tempered (all the *ing time!)
c) An automated ranting and shouting machine. I can only do so many before my throat starts to hurt
d) Another five massive bags of Haribo

What do you get in the quit pack binners?

Nothing of any apparent use. Its just a fancy box with a load of crap literature, telling you stuff you already know like:

a) You're going to die
b) Its going to cost you quite a bit before you do
c) People think you're a ****!

Haha Binners!
Just for a recap, I stopped a couple of weeks before xmas and stayed off them until new years eve when I pretended to be a chimney. Woke up 1st Jan feeling awful. Been off them since!
Still think about them a few times a day, but it's fleeting. Can go out for a drink too, can even go outside while everyone else smokes completely unaware that I used to smoke. No big deal, all good.
I can actually walk up stairs, too.

Sounds plenty useful 🙄

Not even a token satsuma in it?

Good luck binners, fenred and morgs.

Feeling decidedly smug I'm afraid, sorry, 😳 a total of 1 fag over the Christmas and New Year break and today is the first day with no patches or gum etc.
Actually feeling normal, I.E not about to beat anyone to a pulp.

Werid thing is though my chest still feels like I've been in a pub smoking my head off till 4 in the morning, every morning, which if is odd, how's everyone elses chest feeling?

Just to clarify I've smoked for over 15 years, and thought I had Zero willpower to stop initially, so if I can give up the rest of you should be able too with no problems, Good luck.

Edit oh, yeah, sickness, headaches, chronic indegestion, chest pains, and constipation seem to parts of this all so don't worry about them, sure it's less painful than dying of some unpleaseant smoking related disease.

@LoCo aye I got all that, binned a 40-100 fag a day habit and the following weeks were pretty horrendous but it goes, I think it's just your body dumping all the crap out of it.

Good going loco and scuzz! You've every reason to be [s]condescending[/s] smug 😉

RJ - How the **** did you manage to put 100 fags away in a day?? 😯

RJ - how the **** do you smoke 100 fags a day? That's pretty hardcore fella 😯

Yeah thought as much just need to get the remaining rubbish, had stopped smoking in early December (i think) so thought it would have cleared it all by now, can't be training hard enough 😯

Okay, I'm in too.

I'm back on the smokes full-time, although I've managed not to get to the same levels of nicotine usage as I was on prior to attempt one.

LoCo, that's seriously awesome, dude.

Werid thing is though my chest still feels like I've been in a pub smoking my head off till 4 in the morning, every morning, which if is odd, how's everyone elses chest feeling?

Same, I felt as unfit as I ever have on my ride saturday. Apparently its all the mucus hairs growing back and takes 6 weeks to get back to normal.

Still off the Champix, still not had a smoke since I quit.

For those of you that are still in the process of quitting, keep going! It's worth it in a lot of ways. For example, in my first PFT since quitting I managed to shave 45 seconds off my 1.5 mile run time. With a bit more practice I'll get it down to 9 minutes.

All I need to do now is get rid of the excess weight I put on thanks to the tablets.

Your BFT time was around 10 mins? 😯

Sorry gotta take the piss. Its the rules.

@binners, @fenred - I work alone at a computer most of the day - basically I was chain smoking all day and all night, absolutely disgusting.

Coming to the end of Day 3 for me. Popped into my local (Co-op) chemist the other day and found out that for the price of a prescription and a 10 minute consultation I can get patches (or whatever other products I choose)), and I can go back after a week and get another load of patches with the same deal. They had a perspex cube on the counter with some dark red oily gunk in it. Evidently this represented how much tar gets into your lungs after smoking for a month (I think). That was the best visual aid I can think of for packing it in. I was on 10 a day for the past 25 years so time to MTFU (to use a popular phrase). Good luck everyone and keep going.

Sorry - double post

Chris - can you just pop into the chemist to get the patches 'n stuff? Or do you need to get a perscription from your doc?

Binners, it's the smoking clinic. They will/can give you free patches etc. Normally in pharmacies and will do appointments on saturdays etc.

Binners - Wrecker is right. This way cuts out having to see the doc and going through the umpteenth 'giving up smoking' rigmarole. It helped that the lady I spoke to at the chemist had given up herself so was able to sympathise / encourage me too.

Well done all.
Have been watching this thread since it started.
Decided to pack in before NYE. On day 20 now, so far is OK.

Wrecker... For a 37 year old, that is quite a time under that allowed for my age bracket (11;30). My plan is to get it down to 9 minutes, something that should be possible.

I'm joking willard. 9 minutes at 37 is bloody good. I never broke the 8 minute barrier myself, although this was run in boots.
I didn't mean to offend, just a bit of teasing. Good luck with the phys.

Still going here, I'd like to be smug.....so I am,.. 8)
But I've put on over a stone! which I'm not smug about 😥
But I'd like to say,.. it's not about one mighty effort full of wooo and awesome, it's a slow and tedious bleeding drag that feels like it'll never end.......

^^^^

Well done khani!

I remember your pain when you stopped initially.

Don't worry about the weight thing, I put on half a stone when I stopped and I have lost a few pounds of it now, but I would rather be carrying a few extra pounds than still be smoking 🙂

Thanks Ho hum 😀

Oh well ... I am packing it in as well so this will be my last 25g of tobacco. Nothing using patch etc but will power.

Money saved will be going to car insurance ... 😡

Khani - that's fantastic. I'm so glad someone's really managing to kick the habit. Muchos respect, dude!

* determines to become a new man in the future. 37 tomorrow, so I'd better become a new man soon. The old one's knackered. *

Yeh top effort Khani!

Even after beer and curry and me puffing away like a steam train on speed didn't rattle him 😯

Dont be worried about the weight, you can ride my bike for a bit...that'll get ya sweating 😆

Good job man!!

😳 awwww......
[smug] 8) [smug]

So...Let's see some commitment then 😈

When's 'D-Day' happening???

Day one. Here we go. Or rather,day zero.

D-Day for me is a week on Sunday.

I'm on Holiday as of Friday....and I have a msmorgs with a duff knee (dislocation and cruicate ligament snappage due to skiing) who will need all my gentlemanly attention and looking after skills*

So that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

*I'll need the distractuion of fags and the stress releif they bring!

I'm going to nip into the pharmacists at the weekend and getting myself some... ahem... aids.

Then D Day is one day next week. Lets get our AWESOMENESS back comrades! 😀

Not read this but I stopped about 2 weeks before Christmas not sure of exact date I was hung over and didn't fancy a smoke for about three days, yes it was some session lol. Still not smoked despite a few nights out which I have normally struggled not smoking on on previous attempts. Upped the fitness training at work in the new year and finding it much better and easier 🙂

I was still craving like mad when out on Sat night tho lol but getting there

I prepare to bask in your awsomeness as long as you all prepare to bask in mine 🙂

Ouch morgs! Hope your missus recovers quickly. remember to don your silver tray and roller skates 😀

binners, i'd avoid getting 'aids' at the pharmacy if I were you 😉

I'm going to pledge Sunday as last day of smukin...will be riding Sunday afternoon and need to start the campaign with a ride...Dunno why, just do.

BTW satsumas seem to be out of season darn sarf...Do clementines have the same mytical qualities?

Nice one firestarter.

Hope its going well bobfromkansas.

Day three over. Still stopped. Decided against using owt. Figure it will be over and done with sooner that way. Seems to work if I get a craving I just tell myself it won't last, unless I get more cigarettes, and then it'll go on indefinitely.

The second week has been considerably harder than the first. Still "clean" but the disappointment I get each time I remind myself not to have a ciggie is gradually leaving me more down. IIRC, next week will be harder again but it gets easier from there. Just got to keep plodding.

Still "clean" but the disappointment I get each time I remind myself not to have a ciggie is gradually leaving me more down

Thanks don 🙂
I motivate myself by thinking of the money I have saved and concentrating on calculating it and keeping track. It's easier as it's so quantifiable, rather than health and smell etc.
I know that I've saved £86.40 so far.

I really would suggest that you take some of those savings and splash it out on Allen Carr's The Easy Way. I gave my copy away to a student a couple of years ago with a no return policy, the only thing I asked was that he passed it onto to someone else after he had quit and to keep hold of it until he had quit. It will make life a lot easier for you.
I can't remember when I quit, it was either 7, 8 or 9, now I come to think about it possible 10 years ago. [smug] The date I quit isn't as important as knowing that I've quit for the rest of my life. [/smug] 😛

I've got a copy thanks don. I read it a while back and seem to remember that he didn't want you to give up until you'd finished it. I've already stopped. I'm already a non-smoker 😉

Nice one, not a problem having a comfort read just to reinforce some of the ideas.

I'm already a non-smoker

Nice one, not a problem having a comfort read just to reinforce some of the ideas.

Not a bad idea. I might reach for it if I start wobbling too badly.

Excellent, we can point and laugh at the smokers now.

I wish. My lungs are not operating anywhere near as well as they were when I smoked. The smokers will be laughing at me until I recover.

I wish. My lungs are not operating anywhere near as well as they were when I smoked. The smokers will be laughing at me until I recover.

Get stuck in you lot.
I've been stopped a couple of months now and feel much healthier. Not just aerobically but skin and hair in better nick. Feel more energetic and confident in myself. Sex is better and more frequent. psychologically much better for not beating myself up about being a smoker all the time. The list is endless really.
Yes I have put on about 4 kilos but some of that is down to Christmas. The weight gain is trivial compared to all the major benefits.
It is not exactly easy to quit but if you think about the gains it's a no brainer.
Set yourself a date, at least a week away and concentrate your mind on that date so that when it comes you are really psyched for it and raring to go.
Go For It

almost two weeks now and it's going well. no smoking or gum. still get the odd craving but it has been ridiculously easy so far. just needed to get my head round it. obviously i'm not going to count my chickens, but i've smoked for about twenty years and this is the first time i've managed to stop, probably cos it's the first time i've actually committed to stopping. i am aware of the the three week danger period.but so far so good. am proud of myself.

Well done bobfromkansas! Hardest part done!
I've around the three week point with no NRT. So far so good, even had a night on the lash with no probs!
I've got money in my wallet from last week!
Keep it up mate.

Stumbled across this, gave up smoking fags about 20 months ago and had a wobble this week, stress, new job in the city centre, blah blah excuses excuses.

Got myself a pack of 14 (they didnt do 14s when i last smoked?!) Feels like i'm having to quit all over again, gunk in my throat, commute to work is significantly harder.

For some reason I still felt compelled to finish the packet... In the end gave the last 2 away to a tramp who was smoking... He called me a C**t for not giving him any money on the way back down the street.

Well done all.
Iv been off them 3&1/2 weeks now after about 17 years. 30ish a day last off.
I had a bad day last week, bought 10, smoked 3 then threw the rest away.
That's the only time so hoping i won't give in again.

D-Day tomorrow. Wish me luck guys 🙂

And D-day today in my 'returning to the gym' challenge. Hoping the tendonitis has cleared up to let me get on with some weights!

Set a target to lose 5 stone this year. 5 STONE! and I want 1.5 of that gone by my birthday in March.

Let the sweating commence 🙂

Good luck, concentrate on one thing at a time to start with it'll make life a bit easier, well it worked for me 😀

I quit smoking a week ago.

I am more grumpy than I thought I would be. It's not even grumpy week!

My sleeping is also disturbed - I keep waking up in the night. Is that normal after quitting teh fags?

😐

but 8)