Tonight is the night...Quitting smoking.

[Bren]

Well, after smoking for over 20 years it is time for me to attempt the big quit again. Have just (hopefully) puffed away my last smoke. I have got patches beside my bed and also gum...
Now the hard thing is the actual quitting, I am deliberately outta smokes and have discarded any part packets of tobacco about...My last try was plain old cold turkey and I managed for two months...lets hope I can do better this time....

[skelstar]

Good stuff. Good luck :niceone:

[Toaster]

Go hard out dude and quit that stuff.... huge waste of good money better spent on bikes!

[Mikkel]

:niceone:

Go for it! If you can't beat the smokes you have to face that you're just another addict... :p

[canarlee]

ffs just quit!



all these patches and gum ideas are ok, but they are for week willed people and very few actually quit with them.


if ya wanna, ya will. simple.

[yod]

hang in there mate....i gave up 5 months ago, best thing i ever did....

this worked for me: hope it helps for you too
just remember, when you get the craving, you only have to hang in there for a few minutes, then it subsides - if you dont give in, the cravings will get further and further apart....after a few days I found it pretty easy

good luck mate, you dont need it and you'll live to ride that much longer!!

[Bren]

all these patches and gum ideas are ok, but they are for week willed people and very few actually quit with them.




Just another tool in the arsenal of quitting, i agree with you basically....90% of the quitting is all about where your head is at...

[Lteejay]

Good on ya

The biggest thing for me when giving up was the thought that I would never ever ever again have a cigarette. The thought was like chopping off an arm or losing a best friend - pretty fucken dreadful and enough to send you straight back to the ciggies. So what I did was give myself 1 cigarette on a sat night - this way that feeling of 'never again' wasn't there. Those first few months, I hung out all week waiting for Sat night and when it came - wahoo. But as the months went by, that Sat night fag started to taste pretty horrible, until they started to make me feel sick and eventually one Sat night I threw up and never had another. Dont get me wrong, it was still hard after that but it got easier, and that was the mechanism that got me through those first horrible 4mths.

Just my experience - but it might help.

It does get better, it really does but you just gotta do the time. Now 3 yrs and more later and I am no longer blowing the cost of a pack of cigerretes every day (smoked since a young teen for a good 12-13 years or so). I still have the odd nastalgic moment, but I know if I ever have one puff, I'd go back to it, so I dont ever allow myself to have even that. Best thing I ever bloody did.

Good luck dude

[peasea]

ffs just quit!



all these patches and gum ideas are ok, but they are for week willed people and very few actually quit with them.


if ya wanna, ya will. simple.

What he said;
I went cold turkey back in '81, still don't miss it.
Think of your lungs and your wallet; take a deep breath and spend the cash on your bike.

[Luckylegs]

Good on ya !!!

Good Luck.... Nah, you dont need no stinkin good luck, If ya ready, you'll be sweet.

:2guns::doobey:

[Magua]

Good luck. Stick it out, it's worth it in the long run.

[Her_C4]

Hmmm good luck mate. Everyone who smokes has different triggers and if you can identify what they are and make sure you have a backup plan in place for those 'moments' - you may find that you are halfway there.

I smoked for (well) over twenty years and attempted several times to give up (20 gazillion attempts or thereabouts by my reckoning... :rolleyes:).

I read a book by Allen Carr on how to give up smoking and chucked it away after I had finished reading thinking that it didn't help at all, and everything he said was logic and commonsense (and I am the queen of logic and commonsense so I knew it all....) or did I?? :oi-grr:

To cut a long and potentially very boring story short - it took me a month or so from the date of finishing the book to fully give up but I haven't looked back. I kept thinking of passages and themes in the book and relating it to myself and then one morning I woke up and I knew this was the day.

I guess the biggest piece(s) of advice I can give you is..

Identify the moments where / when you would 'normally' find yourself reaching for a cigarette and do something / go somewhere different.

If you can - don't rely gum or patches. They are replacing the nicotine /chemicals that your body is craving, when you find yourself short of them or without, the chances are that you will find it easier to light a cigarette and puff away.

Read Allen Carr if you have a ken to.. all of it. Then put it away.:msn-wink:

Don't give up trying to give up - remind yourself as many times as necessary everyday that your goal is to become and remain smokefree. Remember that your breath will smell better, your mouth taste fresher, your clothes will not stink, your teeth will stay whiter for longer and you will look more attractive (regardless whether you are male or female). :niceone:

If you have a smoke don't punish yourself and decide that you may as well smoke the rest of the packet - start again and again ... as many times as it takes. :woohoo:

Kia Kaha :2thumbsup and congratulations for taking the hardest step already...

[Krusti]

My advice..............do what ever you need to and use what ever aid you need to get you there. What works for one may not work for the next.

It is the end result that matters, not how you got there.

[kevfromcoro]

Good onya ..I think all smokers would like to stop..
Cost and health are a big issue..
Mayebe we could keep this thread for support of people of wanting to give up;
Just a thought
KEV

[Romeo]

<fieldset>
<legend><b> QuitomZilla - The quit smoking Mozilla Extension </b></legend><i>
Quitomzilla helps you quit smoking while you surf the web or wait for new emails, showing the cigarettes, money and time you have saved since you quit...</i>I <abbr title="Note, this guarantee is non-binding and is therefor null and void.">guarantee</abbr> this will work, it's worked wonders for my old man. Metrics my good man, metrics are the future.



<a href="http://www.quitometro.org/quitomzilla_en.php">Mozilla Version of QuitomZilla</a>
<a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/444">Firefox Version of QuitomZilla</a>

For Mozilla based Browsers only.
<img src="http://www.quitometro.org/images/qm_extension1_eng.gif" alt="Quitomzilla" /><br/>
</fieldset>

[Terminated]

I gave up cigarettes cold turkey in 1985, and started regular swimming in 1995, I often said to myself I wish I started the regular swimming straight away when I stopped smoking.

For what it is worth - go and spend 20 to 30 minutes at the local swim centre, I started walking up and down the lane, then a lap, then a walk, a lap, etc. If you can get to the local swim centre each day for 21 days, you just may find that come day 22, 27, 31 you are hanging out to get back in the water, your focus can shift from the cigarettes and to the swimming exercise.

After going daily for 21 days you can then cut back to 3 or 4 times a week.

Who knows you may find some really good satisfaction and enjoy the exercise.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[canarlee]

ooh a quick tip (from a mate that gave up lol) when you get a craving for a smoke eat fruit. apparantly it takes your mind off it.


well he said "eat something", but considering he is now 18 stone (was 12 stone when he gave up smoking!!!) i thought i would say "eat fruit" rather than "eat" lol

[pritch]

Been there done that. Lotsa times.
But the last time was thirty odd years ago...

It might pay not to go to the pub this weekend. That wrecked a number of my attempts after a promising start.

Kia kaha

[Trudes]

Good on you, good luck, you can do it!!!:niceone:

[The Tazman]

All the best to you and here's my suggestion to help as I believe you need to see some reward for stopping.

Work out how much you spend a week on smokes.

Then look at some things that you have always wanted to buy from cheap to a little more expensive.

On a calendar put down how much you will have in two weeks from not smoking and what you are going to buy from your list.

Then from that date do a 4 week gap and put down again how much you would have saved and what then you can afford to buy.

Do it then for two months, 3 months etc which will give you something to work towards and you will feel you are getting something back for stopping.

If this helps stop you or just one person then I'll be happy.

Hope you get yourself/your bike/your family things that you've always wanted as you'll be getting your health and they'll be getting you longer.

Taz

[Bren]

Well, four days into it and I have not had a smoke....My patience is a bit thinner, but what the heck. I have been coughing a lot, guess my body is trying to heal itself.
I have not had a smoke for 4 days. Anyway I will get past the shit soon enough.....:msn-wink:

[deanohit]

Stick to your guns mate, good on ya!

[Edbear]

Keep going! :clap:When I was in withdrawal from prescription painkillers, I knew that if I gave in it was a step backwards and would make the torture last longer!:argh:

[H00dz]

All jokin aside !!!

The North wishes you the best....Good luck as an ex myself I know how hard it is too break the habit...:sweatdrop I be hounding you from time to time to keep you on track :shifty: Think of me as your little northern angel

[Delphinus]

Very smart move, best of luck with it and stay strong :)

[Chickadee]

Yep the Allen Carr book worked wonders for McJim, hard habit to kick.

[howdamnhard]

Good luck,if you really want too you can do it.

[Bren]

Good luck,if you really want too you can do it.


now I am thinking of Rob Schnider from the Waterboy

You can do it. Cut his fucking head off.

You can do it... you can do it all night loong!

[Skyryder]

ooh a quick tip (from a mate that gave up lol) when you get a craving for a smoke eat fruit. apparantly it takes your mind off it.


well he said "eat something", but considering he is now 18 stone (was 12 stone when he gave up smoking!!!) i thought i would say "eat fruit" rather than "eat" lol

There's number of food drinks that set up the desire for a smoke and some that repress it. Fruit milk and water are some that repress the desire, not that I said desire and not addiction.

Tea, coffe, fizzy drinks and alchohol set up the desire. I stopped drinking these for about three months. I had nothing but water and milk. My first beer was fraught with danger as I had no idea what I would feel like. That cold frothy liquid was a sheer joy and I had no need to ruin the tast with tobbacco. It's worth giving up ciggies for that reason alone. And the sex is always better too.

Skyryder

[Laava]

Well done Linux! I had 3 serious attempts at giving up and now approaching 2 yrs since quitting. Whatever works for you mate, do it! I used patches and they worked brilliantly! I had to chuckle at Canarlee's comment about patches and gum being for weak willed people tho, everybody has their weakness and smoking itself is a weakness really. I found after a few days I would just forget to put the patch on, and with no probs......however, it is the one drunken night or a huge stress incident that would tip my wagon! The big question is, Do you enjoy smoking? That was my main motivation to stop. I have a friend who is a 80 smokes a day person and can't see him quitting ever. He is fit and healthy to all appearances as well. So good luck with that, try a new habit like sudoku etc.

[TLMAN]

I gave up and went cold turkey about three weeks before you, and i did it with assistance from quitline in order to obtain the patches cheaper.
I found the patches very good initially as they take the edge off the craving although i stopped using them after 7 days as i found i didnt need them anymore.
The main thing for me was to change old habbits and routines, - one exampe was: i used to come home from work and open a beer, sit down and have a smoke whilst watching TV, then id have three or four more over the evening until i went to bed. Now i go to the gym after work, or for a swim/run or a ride etc. It works and is probably the easiest way to quit. Another thing for me was to not go out and socialize for the first few weeks so that you dont get tempted.
Anyway - different strokes work for different folks, stay strong and keep us posted.

[Disco Dan]

Good on you! Been smoke free all weekend and really feeling the grind. Mornings are worst for me... I actually wanted to rip off my flatmates head and spit down her throat this morning... :Oops:

Work helps me.

[Toaster]

Well, four days into it and I have not had a smoke....My patience is a bit thinner, but what the heck. I have been coughing a lot, guess my body is trying to heal itself.
I have not had a smoke for 4 days. Anyway I will get past the shit soon enough.....:msn-wink:

Awesome effort, keep it up... big dividends await you... trust me!

[Neon]

Good on you for having the courage to kick the filth.

As a few people have already recommended, Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking is an excellent resource, and while it didn't work the first time round, eventually I got it. It really did make the whole experience of stopping enjoyable, and I can honestly say I don't miss it in the slightest.

Good luck!

:)

[cowpoos]

does anyone have a copy of allen carrs "easy way to stop smoking" they the feel the need to pass on to other worthy causes :) ??????

[telliman]

im 5 weeks into it as well, getting easier by the day. have smoked two bungers in that time, both while driving. as strange as it may sound i found the cravings worst when i didnt have any with me, id shoot down the gasy, buy a pack, smoke one, then throw pack away( twice),so now i carry a pack in the glove box and havnt had one for 4weeks.did twenty minute motos yesterday and not a sign of arm pump, have been running a bit to though. good luck dude, it gets easier!

[Bren]

Good on you for having the courage to kick the filth.

As a few people have already recommended, Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking is an excellent resource, and while it didn't work the first time round, eventually I got it. It really did make the whole experience of stopping enjoyable, and I can honestly say I don't miss it in the slightest.

Good luck!

:)


yeah, 2 of my workmates have quit through that book and sing its high praises....i sing high praises to banana fruit bursts!....had only one of the nicorette gum pieces...and ya know what....just realised i forgot the patch today:laugh:

[Disco Dan]

does anyone have a copy of allen carrs "easy way to stop smoking" they the feel the need to pass on to other worthy causes :) ??????

Second that!

Searched for it in libraries... no luck :(

[Her_C4]

Second that!

Searched for it in libraries... no luck :(

I have a copy in a box among many other boxes that I will try and hunt out. As I stated earlier I read it and put it away and then realised what an excellent tool it was to have by my side and kept going back to read relevant excerpts. :cool:

Well done Linux - kia kaha:niceone:

[The Tazman]

How's the quitting going? Got yourself any goodies yet with the money you've saved??