The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

smileytiger

Just a quick post - am proud to be 16 weeks non smoking

Wish all the best to everyone giving up - the most important thing is not to give up giving up!!!!

Hugs Chrissie.xx

kahunababy

Hi all, I'm back!!! After doing really well using Allen Carrs book I broke over Christmas with the thought of "just one won't hurt". How wrong could I be? Bam back on 20 a day!!!!!

I have been slinking about not wanting to come on and admit I had failed but I thought what the heck!

I tried giving AC book another read last weekend and I don't know if it only 'works' once or I just didn't pay as much attention to it as last time but I am still smoking, However, I have cut down to less than 10 a day without even thinking about it or trying, just don't feel like having one which is strange for me. In fact I havent had a smoke since 11ish today and I very much doubt I will have one before 7 (when kids go to bed). I am off to the doctors next week (something totally different) but I think I will ask for champix, I have used it before so I am unsure if you can get another course. It worked fine for me and apart from a little nausea I didn't suffer at all. My problem again lies in the "just one won't hurt" attitude. Any tips for banashing this thought forever?

Has anyone tried Allen Carrs workshops? They are expensive but I figured if they work (money back garuntee) then I would get the money back in not smoking for 40 days! Was wondering what everyones thoughts are on this. Well will be back soon with a plan of action to kicking this dreadful addiction once and for all.

Lotus-eater

kahunababy wrote: »

My problem again lies in the "just one won't hurt" attitude. Any tips for banashing this thought forever?

Don't know I'm afraid, but if I did, I'd bottle it and be a billionaire.

Well done for trying again. It's what always did me in, just smoke for one night, I can handle it. I was always wrong though

green1970

kahunababy wrote: »

Hi all, I'm back!!! After doing really well using Allen Carrs book I broke over Christmas with the thought of "just one won't hurt". How wrong could I be? Bam back on 20 a day!!!!!

I have been slinking about not wanting to come on and admit I had failed but I thought what the heck!

I tried giving AC book another read last weekend and I don't know if it only 'works' once or I just didn't pay as much attention to it as last time but I am still smoking, However, I have cut down to less than 10 a day without even thinking about it or trying, just don't feel like having one which is strange for me. In fact I havent had a smoke since 11ish today and I very much doubt I will have one before 7 (when kids go to bed). I am off to the doctors next week (something totally different) but I think I will ask for champix, I have used it before so I am unsure if you can get another course. It worked fine for me and apart from a little nausea I didn't suffer at all. My problem again lies in the "just one won't hurt" attitude. Any tips for banashing this thought forever?

Has anyone tried Allen Carrs workshops? They are expensive but I figured if they work (money back garuntee) then I would get the money back in not smoking for 40 days! Was wondering what everyones thoughts are on this. Well will be back soon with a plan of action to kicking this dreadful addiction once and for all.

I felt exactly the same as you about the AC book - I read it the first time and was in a great frame of mind to quit and managed to do pretty well for a couple of weeks. Then I got complacent and found I was constantly starting each day with an 'oh God, I can't smoke today' mindset. I just felt resentful as though the stuff I'd read and been so positive about to begin with no longer held any truth for me.

I'm confident that there is a way for EVERYONE, they just have to find their way. There's a few ex-smokers on here using Champix at the moment so if you ask for help regarding that, I'm sure that they will share their experiences with you so you can see whether that's the way for you.

I'd imagine the workshops would be a good way as you get the book reinforced at each session and you've got the benefit of real face to face support from others doing the same thing too.

Keep plugging away, Kahunababy, you WILL find your way and in the meantime, try to resist automatically reaching for one, only having the ones you're determined to have. Being determined to not smoke more than being determined to smoke is a step for you in itself. Ask yourself if you really need that one and if you can truly do without it - you may well find that you 'need' less than you think and smoking less has got to be better than smoking as you normally would.

Keep going and you'll get there. Try everything and then some - you will find the way that's right for you eventually. It's a great step that you felt you were able to come back on here - that shows your desire to quit and your determination never to quit quitting.

Needstochange

kahunababy wrote: »

Has anyone tried Allen Carrs workshops? They are expensive but I figured if they work (money back garuntee) then I would get the money back in not smoking for 40 days! Was wondering what everyones thoughts are on this. Well will be back soon with a plan of action to kicking this dreadful addiction once and for all.

Snap worked for me too the first time but not since strange really

Dont know much about the workshops but I think like someone has said on here today whatever will work for you is the right route. How I am getting round the "one wont hurt" thing this time (and I know im still early doors) is the very very painful thought that that one will then mean I have to go through the pain I have in the last week and thats a lot In a weird way I think stopping cold turkey is probably going to help me stop longer term as i think if I had found an easier solution then when it came it to the decision to have "just one" I may well think its ok ill just use x again if i need to stop.

I know its illogical but I think its going to work for me as this week has been horrible nasty and never to repeated by choice.:(

On a positive today was loads loads easier and I am finding I can concentrate again. Day by day bit by bit

Some of you may remember that i cant get the quit meter on my computer so have done my own version. So far I have saved £69.36 and not smoked 280 :T:T Cant believe the money side of it over a month this will be most of my brand new gorgeous car paid for :)shocking really

smileytiger

Well done needstochange :T:T- I reckon i've saved way over £500 in 16 weeks :eek::eek:

Not that i'm suddenly well off - but i'm not bottoming out my overdraft every month and spending the last week of the month praying for payday - so it's nice.

Am off to Liverpool this weekend with the girls! (if anyone lives there stay in and lock your doors :rotfl:) so that should be fun - i really need to let my hair down a bit as life has been tough since New Year at home - then can get back and finish the decorating and get the house on the market.

The house move is a big thing for me as it means i can give up my incredibly stressful job and do something more ordinary with better hours and try and spend more time with OH and sort our marriage out..lol
If i can do all that and still not resort to having a fag - then i'll be chuffed with myself

Keep up the good work guys
Hugs
Chrissie.xx

puddle96

Lost a long post but basically
thanks to Sue for the pm and anyone who has posted encouragement - it's sorely needed.Well done to everyone who is managing to quit by what ever means
glared at the champinix packet for at least 15 mins this morning then took the first step to freedom
March 17th is the set date: start of 2 work free weeks for me - no must have because if i dont have will have to wait for fags for me routine
and
date may move forward because I become a grandparent shortly. should child arrive on time 17th it will be. Child appears to be in somewhat of a hurry to arrive so date will simply shift forward - because i'm not going to miss those very special first cuddles with my grandchild because i reek of fag smoke
puddle

Erme

smileytiger wrote: »

Well done needstochange :T:T- I reckon i've saved way over £500 in 16 weeks :eek::eek:

Not that i'm suddenly well off - but i'm not bottoming out my overdraft every month and spending the last week of the month praying for payday - so it's nice.

Am off to Liverpool this weekend with the girls! (if anyone lives there stay in and lock your doors :rotfl:) so that should be fun - i really need to let my hair down a bit as life has been tough since New Year at home - then can get back and finish the decorating and get the house on the market.

The house move is a big thing for me as it means i can give up my incredibly stressful job and do something more ordinary with better hours and try and spend more time with OH and sort our marriage out..lol
If i can do all that and still not resort to having a fag - then i'll be chuffed with myself

Keep up the good work guys
Hugs
Chrissie.xx

Och yeah you are doing so well Chrissie :j...house moving is very stressful at the best of times. I know I gave up the nasal spray when I was stressed but then I had the e-cig ...so it was really just an exchange...But the nasal spray was my quit buddy (or even places I can't have a cig buddy) for so long ....like years...No quit attempt would have been done without it.. Even if it was just for 3 months. One day (or a few days) I just decided I couldn't afford it (guess the debt snowball from whatsthecost.com helped this and wanting to pay off my macbook) and paying £10 or so a week for e-cig plus £20 for nasal spray (or whatever it was) just couldn't continue. So I got the help of the local quit line and gave it up :j... Even though I was stressed

puddle96 wrote: »

Lost a long post but basically
thanks to Sue for the pm and anyone who has posted encouragement - it's sorely needed.Well done to everyone who is managing to quit by what ever means
glared at the champinix packet for at least 15 mins this morning then took the first step to freedom
March 17th is the set date: start of 2 work free weeks for me - no must have because if i dont have will have to wait for fags for me routine
and
date may move forward because I become a grandparent shortly. should child arrive on time 17th it will be. Child appears to be in somewhat of a hurry to arrive so date will simply shift forward - because i'm not going to miss those very special first cuddles with my grandchild because i reek of fag smoke
puddle

Och so praying you can do this....you'll do yourself more harm if you miss those special cuddles with the new grandchild if you reek of smoke..

Know we are here for you...even if you're having a derriere up - pants day

E

Money_maker

kahunababy wrote: »

I tried giving AC book another read last weekend and I don't know if it only 'works' once or I just didn't pay as much attention to it as last time but I am still smoking I read this too somewhere else. One of the reasons why I just dropped the smokes straight away after reading. Was terrified if I had a 'proper' last one that I would just keep smoking.

My problem again lies in the "just one won't hurt" attitude. Any tips for banashing this thought forever? AC was right in that actually smoking creates the craving for the next one, not satisfies it. Therefore the one that wont hurt is causing the need for your next one.

Has anyone tried Allen Carrs workshops? No, but there's a money back guarantee, lots of centres and a good enough reason to give it a go.

HTH kahunababy.

Well, 1 month later and just coming up to a stone heavier:eek:
Fortunately, I wasn't too big in the first place and I don't think anyone else has noticed but all my trousers are a squeeze and my stomach has flab. I knew this was a risk, I had made plans but they didn't work out. I FEEL heavy. On a positive note, it was either eat the house or start smoking again so I made the right choice:rotfl: Have just started on the supping water so that is helping a bit. My weak time is in the evenings when I'm on the lappie (also in the car but I've stopped putting mints/sweets in there).

Will need to address this soon. Being the wrong side of 40, the weight wont fall off like a few years ago. Mind you, if push comes to shove then I could go to the slimming world classes with my supportive friend:D

Well done to everyone who's off the weed. Everyone I speak to is so proud of and pleased with me - it's a great achievement. Problem is, we are so busy trying not to think about it that we forget to give ourselves a big pat on the back. So well done all of you:A

Kiwisaver_2

Money_maker wrote: »

HTH kahunababy.

Well, 1 month later and just coming up to a stone heavier:eek:
Fortunately, I wasn't too big in the first place and I don't think anyone else has noticed but all my trousers are a squeeze and my stomach has flab. I knew this was a risk, I had made plans but they didn't work out. I FEEL heavy. On a positive note, it was either eat the house or start smoking again so I made the right choice:rotfl: Have just started on the supping water so that is helping a bit. My weak time is in the evenings when I'm on the lappie (also in the car but I've stopped putting mints/sweets in there).

Will need to address this soon. Being the wrong side of 40, the weight wont fall off like a few years ago. Mind you, if push comes to shove then I could go to the slimming world classes with my supportive friend

You and me both m'dear on all counts and eating in the car was a major downfall. :rotfl: My car was my smoking sanctuary so no surprises that it was also there that I was missing my smokes the most and stashing bags of Haribo and other such sweets for the hand to mouth action. :rotfl:

I put on about one stone over the course of last year. At first like you I couldn't care less as long as I wasn't smoking and I had accepted there was some capacity to add a few pounds without taking me to an unreasonable weight to height ratio.

It did eventually start to bother me and I was feeling quite powerless to do anything beyond damage limitation. i.e. overeating on 'healthier' or at least reasonably nutricious options rather than chocolate and cake. I swapped the Haribo for wholegrain crackers, nuts and rice cakes which really ddn't help any.

I've only started to tackle the weight properly since ths new Year and now getting back to somewhere near to my 'normal'.

I have found it quite easy to lose the weight now that I have set my mind on it and don't have to think about trying to be a non-smoker anymore. I still have a treat in the car on the way home from work, limiting myself to 10 almonds or one hard boiled sweet if I 'need' something.