McMiata Man

Good onyer.

I stopped just over a year ago. Had been smoking for 16 years.

Make sure you chuck out ALL your lighters, even that really nice Zippo you got as a present ;-) It doesn't take much for the wee Demon on your shoulder to tempt you back in.

You will also notice that you only remember the good **** you had... top of a snow covered mountain on a ski-ing trip etc etc, for some reason you'll forget the times you woke up in the morning and it felt like your lungs had collapsed and you were gasping for air.

Trust me it's worth it. Your clothes wont stink like an old tramp, your teeth won't be yellow, food tastes better AND you have some extra cash in your pocket, nearly £2000.00 for me in a year!!

Need any more encouragement?

Dave.

IWatkins

Hi All,

The psycho-babble of giving up smoking suggests that you tell as many people as possible that you are quitting, that way you will feel more guilt if you have the urge to start again.

Therefore, I'm quitting smoking, have been a non-smoker since Monday 4th June and so far, so good. There, done.

Right, carry on.

Cheers

Ian

Tom Evans

Fair play.

They say you should stop doing the things that you associate with smoking, like when you go to the pub, you may smoke more, etc. I know I do.

Are you using anything like Nicorette gum/patches?? I tried using them, but unfortunately still smoke. Thinking of hypnotherapy, as been smoking since age of 13 and need to stop before too late.

Anyway, hope you succeed. You know it'll be worth it.

Cheers,
Tom

Mick

iTrader: (1)

well done Ian!

I've been a non-smoker since I got married ( 13 years & I still love her )

(except 1 Christmas eve when I ended up sharing a few 'rollies' with a smoking friend - I felt so ill the next day - NO CHANCE I will take it up again )

Mick

IWatkins

Thanks guys.

I'm also giving up after 15 years of almost 20 a day habit. Should save some cash.

Missus already says I smell better, so I'm going to make a curry tonight

Tom, I'm using a Nicorette Inhalator. Got nicotine cartridges for it. Great thing about this is that you get a good hit of nicotine, almost instantly, when you need it.

I tried giving up a while back using patches and gum etc. but they just didn't work. OK, I felt a bit better throughout the whole day, but if something stressful happened, they were no good to me and I would be straight down the shop for a pack of ****. before I ripped someones head off

Dave, yeah, I've chucked everything out, never had a good Zippo, but had about a zillion Bic lighters around the house that have gone.

Cheers

Ian

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Ian

Well done

Now when anyone asks - just say you're a NON-SMOKER Don't say ex for anything. Gave up 6 yrs ago & don't regret it one bit. Prior to that 20-30 Rothmans a day

Only down side for me is that I've now turned into a facist anti-smoker & hate anyone who smokes near me - cept in pubs 'cos thats my choice in going there, so I can't complain when others do. Managed to get smoking banned (at last) in my office. Was coming home from work stinking as if I'd been all evening in the pub Even the smokers think its a better environment to work in now.

Anyway, just keep thinking you're a non-smoker & welcome to the club

DIGGY

Ian,

Stopped smoking for months ago, best thing i ever did........... the esiest wy to do it (If you are finding it tricky, I didn't) is to buy a book called The easy way to stop smoking by Alan Carr, i stopped following the end of the book given a copy as gifts to five smoking friends they have stopped also......

No pain and you don't feel like you have given up anything..............

Gotta agree with Puff don't come near me with a ***, i will take it from ya mouth and crush it!!!!!! ggggrrrrrrr!!!!

Mark

DocJock

Ian

well done m8

Richard Askew

...Ian mate, what can I say? Other than I am bitterly disappointed in ya I'm an avid smoker - I do it cos I like it - I have no addiction.....when I dont enjoy it I give up for a couple of weeks and then when I do enjoy it I start up again.....each to their own - I wont smoke in a restaurant as long as non smokers dont stop me from enjoying a pint and a ***.........

IWatkins

Thanks for all the support chaps, I do appreciate it. Nearly 6 days as a NON-smoker

Richard, helpful as always Sure, I totally agree with your thoughts though. I've never smoked in places where people eat etc. but I'm all for smoking in pubs. Beer and **** go together

Cheers

Ian

mook

Ian > nice one . Funny thing i heard/read was that ciggies only reduce stress in women and have no effect on blokes, go figure

I also kind of agree with Richard, I partake of the odd ciggie on occassion, maybe 10 a month or so, and enjoy them all, but certainly couldn't call that an addiction. I have rollies with vanilla backy, which is pleasant (use filters too)

Also toatally agree about not smoking in office / restaurant etc. There's a time and a place

philc

well done that man!

the worse bit - with patches taking away the physical craving - is the psychological craving; the cigarette after that 'special' event, a good meal, a day's work.

I coped with it by going 24 hours without a *** and then reminding myself that if I could go one set of 24 hours I could go another and another .....

... sad thing is, six years later, in my dreams I'm sometimes light up a cigarette, then wake up in horror at what I've done.

SPOOKY

So why not go back to ****?

Cos I couldn't face trying to give them up again.

... all a bit sad really.

GM

Ian,

Good luck mate

Jerome

Firstly, well done for giving up, I'm having real trouble giving up this time round.

Secondly, never, ever, ever try a tobacco product ever again. Even when completely sozzled. I went back to smoking after giving up for 11 years!!! All it took was one roll-up at Xmas 3 years ago, and within 2 months I was back on 20+ a day. Definitely the most stupid thing I've ever done.

Good luck!

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Well this thread has done me some good, read this yesterday and thought that if you lot could give up then so could I, so I managed to go all day yesterday without a ciggie up until late last night when the urge hit me (after two JD's), so went and lit one up and to my surprise it tasted disgusting! Smoked half of it and put the rest out. So far today I've not even had the inclination to have one but I'm sure that will change.

Right I'm off to eat everything in sight....

Sal

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

Keep up the good work! I wish I had more will power!

I've tried gum, patches and an inhalator.

The inhalator was the best thing. Last time I gave up for 3 months, but a stressful week (things happening in threes and all that) got me started again.

My girlfriend and I vowed to give up a week and half ago, but she had a stressful week last week, and it's tougher to give up when one of you is still smoking!

So I'll start today. It's encouraging to read about how others have been sucessful.

But I guess 15-20 a day for the last 7 years isn't going to be easy!

Good luck to all those stopping, and keep up the good work to those who are still non-smokers!

Andy

simes

Good luck Ian, I gave up 2 months ago and so far so good

Cheers

Simon

CharlesW

I gave up 13 years ago after smoking for 20 years. The physical craving lasts about 2 to 3 weeks. Then it's all the behavioural cues that you have to watch out for. The cup of coffee and a *** - pint of beer and a ***. These are just passing moments, unlike the craving of the first few weeks, so are not to hard to deal with. You just have to keep your guard up.

If you have really made up your mind to stop you shouldn't have too much trouble giving up. If you just feel you ought to, then you are going to have problems.

Anyway good luck to all those trying to give up. It's worth it.

Cheers

Charles

P.S.

The problem in pubs is not that you want to light up. You just drink more.

WALKER

I gave up on Thursday morning. I was smoking 40+ a day. The reason was,

I`m sick of having no breath.

Sick of sounding like a 80 year old man.

Sick of making Benson and Hedges rich and me poor.

Sick of worrying about health problems.

So, there you have it. Ive given up for good. I already feel better, the patches seem to work for me and i`ll be 3 grand a year better off.

The only thing is, i`m on a diet aswell, lost 1 1/2 stone in the last 8 weeks. So when i get the munchies its hard. Still, another 3 stone to go and it`ll feel like somebodyys strapped another 50 hp to the Type R.

Good luck Ian, next time i ceya, we`ll share a nicorette gum

Paul

Andy W

Good luck Ian

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I've now managed one whole week without a ciggie and to be honest I've not really missed it. There have been times when I've gone to light one up and then remembered that I don't smoke but the real cravings have been few and far between which has really surprised me. If I'd thought it would've been this easy I would have given up a long time ago, I suppose the reason it's been easy is because I really wanted to do it. I feel a lot better and I'm sure I look a bit less haggerd too......

Sal

Geezer

Gave up 18 months ago when my son was born. Feel much better for it (albeit somewhat heavier!). You'll hit some low patches, but don't give up! Finally starting to feel like a non-smoker as opposed to a smoker who doesn't smoke anymore!

Geezer

IWatkins

Sal, you look great , keep it up.

Paul, good on you mate, keep it up if you can, that'll be more money for more exhaust systems

Everyone who is giving up, another day, another few quid saved.

Thanks to everyone for the support, it has helped.

As of this morning (Monday 18th june) that has now been two weeks for me. I'm using the Nicorette Inhalator a lot less then I thought I would need it. I reckon I'm going to give it another few weeks (rather than the 8 they reckon), then start to wean myself off it. That won't be hard as I'm only using 1 - 2 of the cartridges a day at the moment, even when stressed.

Cheers

Ian

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

This is excellent....'The scoobynet would-be non-smokers self-help group' LOL

It's really helped me knowing that I'm not the only one out there going thru' this

Keep up the good work Ian, you can do it

Sal

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

How's it going? You still a non-smoker?

philc

remember that french woman who recently died at the age of 120?

she was asked what she put her longevity down to.

she replied she had lived so long cos she gave up smoking when she was 112.

there's a moral there somewhere - not quite sure what it is tho'.

BarryK

Well, I have never smoked. I found it vile and akin to standing with my face above a smouldering rubbish bin! I luckily faced no peer pressure because most of my school friends didn't either. My dad did/does but my mum and sister gave up. This in the days just before the tobacco industry confessed to knowingly killing people.

However, each to their own, I'm not "fascist anti-smoking" and provided I'm not eating and it's not so strong it makes me blink you can get on with it.

A caution though. Two of my friends, bloke 65 smoked from school thru RAF etc, 40 odd a day and his wife 59, prob 20 or so a day all her working life. She has had two mild strokes and he struggles for breath and to walk.

After her second mild stroke they both gave up, just like that. Please don't wait to get the glimpse of the Reaper like they have. Do it sooner, before it's too later.

They regret the enormous "waste" of money (debatable if you 're doing something you like) but most of all the chucking away of their health on something they now know they could've given up at the drop of a hat. Like they have now.

Think of your kids and the people who'll miss you because you carried on killing yourself slowly. And think of how they will blame you for not being there you selfish louse.

Keep up the good work those of you who've kicked it. That's easy for me to say.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Ian....YES!!!

I even survived the Ring trip last weekend without smoking, pished out of my head at 4.30am in the bar was probably the hardest test I've faced so far but I was so drunk I forgot that I used to smoke

It seems to me that the addiction is the easy bit to get over, the hard bit is fighting the habit. I think I've done it 'cos I really wanted to. I feel much more healthy and smell a lot more pleasant too My sense of taste has also come back. I feel a lot richer too

All in all I'm really glad I did it and feel quite proud of myself for surviving what I thought would be the hardest thing I ever did in my life

Sal

IWatkins

PTMW,

Yes !!! Cheers for asking.

It's now been just over four weeks and so far, so good.

I've found that with the really hot weather, I have been tempted more often (don't know why), but the Nicorette Inhalator thingy does the trick. Top banana.

OK, Sal and Paul, you still quit ?

Cheers

Ian

IWatkins

Good on yer Sal, keep it up

Cheers

Ian