The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

Lucy1010

Kiwisaver wrote: »

Agent Kiwi checking in for duty! Sorry I've no excuses, the past couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur and I don't even know what I have been doing but seem to never have a moment to myself. Welcome to all the newbies, I hope you are staying strong!

Weird things still get me everyday as I notice something else, this week I too have been a little fixated on seeing other people smoking; noticing and being surprised at seeing the smokers in my rear view mirror, or noticing the smell of smoke from cars two or three vehicles away as I am sat in traffic.

I am another that still hasn't told very many people that I have stopped, for sure I wanted there to be a significant period of time under my belt from not wanting pride to come before a fall, so I could casually say 'Oh gosh didn't you know, I haven't smoked for over two month's now.' :rotfl:

Most people I work with probably didn't know that I smoked unless of course they came close enough to smell it, or they spotted me standing on the street corner at break times, so I had no need to make any grand announcement there. It would only be other smokers I would expect to perhaps miss my chats outside (seems they haven't missed me yet) Certainly most others wouldn't even know or care that I had ever smoked, far less given up. I did give warning to a couple of people who matter most to me, just in case I was acting a little odd, or getting extra stressed. :rotfl:

So imagine my surprise when an almost stranger (I meet with them once a week or so in a professional capacity only and not at my office) said to me: 'There's something different about you! What is it?' I kind of shrugged modestly as you do: 'Dunno!' Thinking along the lines of haircuts, hair colour, shoes, different make-up, clothes I honestly didn't know what she was referring to or where she was coming from and I carried on with what I was doing and walked away. She came back at me and wouldn't leave it. 'No, she said, you're different, something has changed, I can see it in your face!' Umm, I don't know!! Ahh she says, I know what it is, you have given up smoking haven't you?' To say I was gob-smacked would be a total understatement, I still am shocked and amazed that someone might notice by a look in my face or my demeanor, aside from the smell.

I do however feel that there is a downside to all this, I am eating for all of New Zealand and England at the moment. I have to sort it out because it really is going off the scale and I'm snacking on all kinds; as well as fruit, yoghurt, juices, breakfast cereals, toast, nuts, chocolate and crisps. I wouldn't mind, but I was never what you might call a chocoholic and never in the past would have thought to go in a shop and buy a bar of chocolate or some biscuits for myself to eat on the run or in the car before getting home. :eek:

Two months, one day, 11 hours, 32 minutes and 6 seconds.
907 cigarettes not smoked,
Saving $627.79.
Life saved: 3 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes.

LOVED THIS!!!! xxx

Lucy1010

I just want to say to everyone that I love reading this thread and please don't stop posting, it's so encouraging, even if you think what you write might be boring it is NOT for the rest of us who need as much support as possible

I for one really think I have cracked this. I have been working out so much, I have a lot of energy now and I can feel (as one OP mentioned earlier) my lungs expanding... I really can BREATH. I love that I can run for more than 5 mins without feeling like I am going to have a heart attack... please if you feel the urge to smoke a ciggy right now DON'T. Don't inhale that poison, like Dundee doll says... "Be kind to yourself"

Oh and don't worry about eating... if you are eating more just EXERCISE, seriously I am an avid gym goer, try exercise at least 3 times a week for 20 mins or more and you really will burn those extra calories. So if you eat more just exercise more and because you're not smoking anymore you'll enjoy it because you're not getting out of breath

Hugs!

xxx

dundeedoll_2

7 months 2 weeks 4 days Willpower/ the wonderful support on here



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What she said


I know without a shadow of a doubt that had I not posted on here my 'Quit' would have been like the ones before..............temporary!

Triciaxx

Prudent wrote: »

I do agree that its very hard to give good advice if you are not a smoker.

How true :eek::mad::eek::mad: I think that is the key to this thread - we're all in it together.

Azkaban wrote: »

Hi Prudent


I really do rate the Inhalator it helps with the hand to mouth 'action' when you get a craving it really helps.

I found that holding an 'imaginary cig' in my fingers and inhaling worked surprisingly well.

AZ xx

I've a theory which I would like anyone to comment on - who knows, there could be a breakthrough in this :rotfl: - I've always considered myself pretty strong - started my own (successful) business at 50 after being made redundant, brought up 2 kids on my own, etc, etc.

BUT, I avoided personal confrontation by retreating for a cig - I thought this was just a distancing mechanism to keep me calm (calm = good/mature/acceptable) now I am facing some issues head on.

Question: Was I justifying my addiction to nicotine as a way of being 'peaceful/reasonable/ acceptable' and am now dealing with things which should have been dealt with years ago? Or am I being unreasonable? Does anyone identify with this?

Dundeedoll - I've seen you on other threads and you are ahead of me on this so :wave:

Agent Kiwi - :wave::wave: Glad all is well. I'm pretty jealous of someone noticing that you have changed. No one has commented on any change in me not even OH.

Welcome to a whole host of newbies. I can tell you, hand on heart, that this thread has been the most important item in my quit. There have been people ahead of me giving encouragement and an example of what can be done. People behind me who I just couldn't let down by slipping.

Keep it up. TOGETHER WE [STRIKE]CAN[/STRIKE] WILL DO THIS.

Lucy1010

Triciaxx wrote: »

How true :eek::mad::eek::mad: I think that is the key to this thread - we're all in it together.



I've a theory which I would like anyone to comment on - who knows, there could be a breakthrough in this :rotfl: - I've always considered myself pretty strong - started my own (successful) business at 50 after being made redundant, brought up 2 kids on my own, etc, etc.

BUT, I avoided personal confrontation by retreating for a cig - I thought this was just a distancing mechanism to keep me calm (calm = good/mature/acceptable) now I am facing some issues head on.

Question: Was I justifying my addiction to nicotine as a way of being 'peaceful/reasonable/ acceptable' and am now dealing with things which should have been dealt with years ago? Or am I being unreasonable? Does anyone identify with this?

Dundeedoll - I've seen you on other threads and you are ahead of me on this so :wave:

Agent Kiwi - :wave::wave: Glad all is well. I'm pretty jealous of someone noticing that you have changed. No one has commented on any change in me not even OH.

Welcome to a whole host of newbies. I can tell you, hand on heart, that this thread has been the most important item in my quit. There have been people ahead of me giving encouragement and an example of what can be done. People behind me who I just couldn't let down by slipping.

Keep it up. TOGETHER WE [STRIKE]CAN[/STRIKE] WILL DO THIS.

I used every excuse to smoke....sad = smoke.... angry = smoke... depressed = smoke.... HAPPY = smoke.... time to celebrate something = smoke.... I always had a reason to smoke even when I didn't have a reason I still found one to smoke...

I really hope to God that I never ever smoke again and that I still feel like this for the rest of my life. I don't want poison in my body and I am scared of dying a slow painful death caused by smoking because we have to face it, if we smoke we WILL die of a horrible disease and it will be linked to smoking (as much as we like to deny to ourselves). Unless of course we get hit by a bus tomorrow and it all ends there but I would rather that than suffer slow suffocation on a breathing mechanism to keep me alive.

dundeedoll_2

Triciaxx wrote: »

How true :eek::mad::eek::mad: I think that is the key to this thread - we're all in it together.



I've a theory which I would like anyone to comment on - who knows, there could be a breakthrough in this :rotfl: - I've always considered myself pretty strong - started my own (successful) business at 50 after being made redundant, brought up 2 kids on my own, etc, etc.

BUT, I avoided personal confrontation by retreating for a cig - I thought this was just a distancing mechanism to keep me calm (calm = good/mature/acceptable) now I am facing some issues head on.

Question: Was I justifying my addiction to nicotine as a way of being 'peaceful/reasonable/ acceptable' and am now dealing with things which should have been dealt with years ago? Or am I being unreasonable? Does anyone identify with this?

Yes, I can. I have to say though that I am soooooo much calmer now than when I smoked.

Dundeedoll - I've seen you on other threads and you are ahead of me on this so :wave:

:eek: I am actually desperately trying to stay off these forums altogether at the moment. I was quite ill last year, split with my OH and gave up smoking all at the same time and quite honestly without trying to be too dramatic, MSE was my saviour.
The problem is that I have replaced 1 addiction for another

My difficulty is that I feel so guilty about not coming on this thread...............I used it for support and feel that me not coming on here anymore is selfish in a way. Sort of like I've taken what I needed but I'm not prepared to give................I'm not very good at explaining, but I know what I mean
And I do genuinely care about the posters on here and really do want to help if I can in any way at all.

Agent Kiwi - :wave::wave: Glad all is well. I'm pretty jealous of someone noticing that you have changed. No one has commented on any change in me not even OH.

I did get asked:

'Have you met someone? You look all sparkly!'


Welcome to a whole host of newbies. I can tell you, hand on heart, that this thread has been the most important item in my quit. There have been people ahead of me giving encouragement and an example of what can be done. People behind me who I just couldn't let down by slipping.

Keep it up. TOGETHER WE [STRIKE]CAN[/STRIKE] WILL DO THIS.

Lucy1010

Dundee Doll you were one of the first people to help me here and I won't forget that and thank you for supporting others on here, you are amazing and I would prefer an addiction to MSE to poison killing me slowly....

Please stick around as you are an inspiration xxx

dundeedoll_2

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Dundee Doll you were one of the first people to help me here and I won't forget that and thank you for supporting others on here, you are amazing and I would prefer an addiction to MSE to poison killing me slowly....

Please stick around as you are an inspiration xxx

Thanks Lucy, that's really nice


True.............very true!

darwins_mum

Prudent wrote: »

I am very touched by the supportive posts. DD out with friends just now, but I will get her to read through later.

All so far so good

I am off work sick just now and the illness is giving me good days and bad days, but on the good days I will try and do as much with her as possible to keep her distracted. We get on really well so usually do lots together.

I like cooking, so on my well days I can make healthy meals to try and help her body recover a bit. The price of the inhalator is fine, so I will ask if she wants one. I do have to watch the budget as I support both of us on my own, but don't mind spending what I can afford.

If your daughter is eligible for free prescriptions, the inhalator is free in participating chemists. They taste vile, but useful for the hand to mouth action. Keep spurring her on, I wish I had given up at the age of 18 and wish that my 24 year old would stop (where did he learn that bad habit from?)

**Kat**_2

I have a confession. I fell off the wagon big style last night (had 5). I received a text from a friend which wasn't meant for me but for another friend. Basically, I already have a DS who is 3 next month and they don't have kids yet. DH and I are hoping that with a big push at paying off our debt, we can try for baby 2 next year. I had said that to the texty friend yesterday and the text I got which wasn't meant for me basically said for the friend who should have had the text to hurry up and get pregnant and that she would too so they are not on the same maternity leave as me but they are with each other.

As you can immagine I was really upset and had to have a face to face confrontation about it (and while we were at it we cleared the air of everything that was bothering us) but I turned to evil nic as I honestly didn't know how else to cope.

If anyone has any "tricks of the trade" so I don't fall off again, please let me know as I don't want things like that to become an excuse for me. (ps really don't want one today so not fallen off entirely).