The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

Sue-UU

Hi there DC! Good to see you and to hear that you never give up trying, that in itself is so very much to be proud of - honestly it is!:T One of these days you'll start quitting and THAT will be the time that it really takes hold of you and you finally succeed. So, whatever you think might work, go for it and at least give it a try, after all you'll never know unless you do! Good luck with the niquitine minis, I sincerely hope, yes, pray too, that they'll be just what you've been looking for to help get you through it.

Give the following a try: Every time you'd normally take one out ready to smoke, put it somewhere (mantle piece etc) and get on with housework or anything else, then carry on like that, just giving in when you're really, really desperate. Then at the end of the day, see how many you've not smoked and carry on in the same way the next day and so on. IF you can do that then you'll get to a stage where you're having less and less per day, week etc and your body won't be 'asking' for them so often. Give it a go DC, you never know, and that's how I started quitting....and it worked for me!!! If I could do it for you, believe me I WOULD!!! You blather on here just as much as you want, anything that helps....go for it!!!

Thinking of you DC.

Sue x

MumOf2

Hello everyone

Can I join you please?

Had my last cigarette at 7pm last Friday, so nearly at 72 hours now. Had been leading up to wanting to stop, then just decided to go cold turkey. According to SilkQuit it's now 2 days 16 hours, so nearly at the important 72-hour point. Feeling fine physically but have spent a lot of the past 2 days 16 hours critically analysing the particular psychological reasons for my smoking, and the rest of the time being very busy!!

At the moment, am just taking each bit of the day at a time - still have cigarettes on me and in the house, but am making a conscious, deliberate decision not to have one.

Please wish me luck :-)

And am wishing all of you luck...

MumOf2

chilli_red

Hi another newbie here wanting to join please.

Had my last cigarette last night and am now the proud owner of a patch and a nicorette plastic ciggie.

Has anyone tried the electronic cigarettes? My BF is also stopping with me which is great although I am worried we will kill each other.

red x

larmy16

I am on my lunch hour here so in a bit of a rush. Welcome to the newbies and go for it!

You wont regret it. Just come back and post everytime you need to get something off your chest or to celebrate a milestone. That way we all support each other and keep the momentum going.

all the best to you both.

PS What a nightmare to have to smoke outside in this weather!!!!!!!!!

clearing_out_my_pockets

I am a non smoker but would like to wish all of you the very best of luck... My OH has smoked since he was 14 and at the age of 27 we are now in the process of buying a house. He was shocked to work out that over the years that he's been smoking, he's probably spent over £15k which would have gone a long way towards our house deposit. It was enough to make him go cold turkey and since 5th November he hasn't had one and I am so proud.

Best of luck

Different_Corner

chilli_red wrote: »

Hi another newbie here wanting to join please.

Has anyone tried the electronic cigarettes?

red x

Hi chilli
I tried them. £ 30 on ebay. Somewhere on here there is a whole thread dedicated to them ! They are an acquired taste, (but then so is smoking ?@!) I believe it's called 'vaping'. I don't want to put you off them as a friend of mine found it to be the answer. The physical/psycological link of actually blowing out 'smoke' was what she felt she was missing.
As they say whatever gets you through.

I_Wanna_Retire_Someday

I'm still going.....

..... well done to everyone who is still going :T:T and good luck to those who are just begining

Sue-UU

Well done indeed MumOf2 and welcome. What a brilliant decision you've made and what a wonderful journey you've now begun!!! :T Keeping very busy is a great idea and so very therapeutic so keep on looking for jobs to be done, exercise too.

Welcome aboard to you also chilli red!! I think it's marvellous that you and your BF have both given up as you can now support and help each other all the way through it.:T Don't be afraid to discuss your feelings together as it really is helpful. Well done DC!! I put in a search for the thread about the electronic cigarettes, here it is chilli red
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=914497&highlight=smoking+legally

Hi clearing_out_my_pockets! It was so good to hear about your OH having quit since the 5th November. You're so right to be very proud of him, so is he!! He gets all the luck possible from us all here as we know all too well what a terrific sacrifice he's making. For his health and pockets though it's such a marvellous thing to do, I hope he succeeds and never has another again....

....not "even just ONE puff!" as it never works out like that, so please take note ALL and never give in to those horrid inner thoughts!!! Tell them to go and get lost as you're now non-smokers!!!! :T

Fantastic news IWRS!!! :T You are doing absolutely wonderful, keep right on being so determined, it's obviously paying off amazingly well!!

Well done everyone, you're on your way to a fantastic and healthy life ahead!! Keep right on emptying your lungs and filling your pockets!!! We're here for you so let us know when you want to chat as we're here as often as is possible to help. All the very best EVERYONE!!! :T:T:T:T:T:T:T

Sue

larmy16

DC have you tried hypnotherapy? I was wondering if you may need some extra help in changing your mind/helping you lose the attatchment to ciggies which is after all, the strongest part of not wanting to stop.

As you know, I did manage to finally give up the cigs, but replaced them with a sweet and chocolate addiction which was lurking under and also with the nicotine addiction.

I had some chocolate aversion therapy and must be on week 3/4 now and have lost my craving for chocolate. Very gradually I plan to lose the weight I put on and hope to be able to report back sometime in the early new year.

Anyway, it was just a thought and as always I am rooting for you and it is so good to know you have stayed with us as I do believe it will help you in the long run to know we have all been where you are.

Good luck.

PS Well done IWRS you are an inspiration!

MumOf2

Many thanks for your welcome and your PM with so many tips, Sue. It's great to know that there's so much support out there.

Well, now 3 days 16 hours and still feeling strong.

Cold turkey for me - I'm sure NRT has its place but didn't want to replace one nicotine-delivery mechanism with another, also it was the dermatologically devastating effect of the nicotine that was the real motivating factor behind just stopping cold last week. I knew that smokers often have wrinkled faces, but didn't realise that the free radicals produced by nicotine drastically reduce collagen production so any skin healing is slowed down and tethered depressed scarring appears much more obvious as a smoker ages because of this.

The other motivation to quit cold is financial - there are government sponsored programmes with cheaper patches, but (call me stubborn) I'm not willing to be election fodder for the present government when they start peddling statistics about how successful their smoking cessation campaign has been (although long-term success with these programmes is actually very doubtful when you look behind the headline stats, but that's not for now).

I've calculated that by not spending money on cigarettes between now and retirement, I'll save £27,456 net, £39.223 gross. Between us, we will have saved £49,632 net, £80,407 gross. How amazing is that. We'll be able to pay the mortgage off 5 years earlier than planned, or we can keep the mortgage overpayment schedule going as now and have some super holidays or help our children more.

Good effects so far - lipstick stays on for longer; don't worry about breathing on or being close to other people; can settle to work better as not keeping an eye on the clock for the regular trip outside; spending more time with children; feeling more positive about planning things in the evening (was loath to before as needed a good dose of nicotine at the end of the day and going out reduced the time available - didn't see it like that before but do now!); don't have to hang clothese up out of wardrobe at the end of the day in case they spread the smell of smoke to other clothes; house smells better (very rarely smoked inside but it's the smell of the smoking products seeping out of your skin that permeates the whole house, bedding, upholstery, etc. - yuk!).

Not so good effects so far - waking umpteen times a night, on the hour every hour, only enough to check the clock then go straight back to sleep but a bit disruptive; that's all :j

Sorry this has been a bit long, but I've told very few people and this is fantastic to be able to write about it like this :T

Best of luck to all of you - just one day (or 5 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.) at a time :beer: You wouldn't sit down and try to eat even 2 days' food in one sitting, so in the same way, don't think about trying to be smoke-free for longer than bite size portions.

MumOf2