The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

JoeHel

basilcat7 wrote: »

Morning all... on day 24 !!

Well done to all, skintnow, suki and diamond you are all doing fantastically well....

Hi to everyone else, haven't had a chance to read through properly yet !

Had a good time away in sunny scotland (not so much sunny though) went out for dinner on Tuesday and had LOADS to drink- it just went a bit crazy.... was DYING for a cigarette and I think if I had the opportunity to have one I would have done..... unbeknown to me the other 2 had given up too- so we talked about giving up for AGES and it just made me want one. Still, didn't thank god and yesterday had such a hangover would have been sick just to smell one !

Keep thinking its a wobbly but then my friend said she always wants one when drinking and she gave up 8 years ago !! Is it always going to be like this???
:mad:

Hiya basilcat!! 24 days is absolutely fantastic - WELL DONE YOU!!

Right - the "missing them when drinking" thing....

TNG is right - no, I don't miss them one bit and even when I am having a drink I am SO HAPPY not to have to go out in the rain/wind/cold to satisfy my addiction. It is NOT always going to be like this I promise!!

Smoking didn't "add" anything to the drinking pleasure and I can assure you my nights out at the pub now are BETTER than they were when I smoked. I did think it would be hard but it truly isn't. The only reason that smokers have more ciggies when they are drinking is that alcohol eliminates nicotine from the blood faster than normal, which is why smokers can often "chain smoke" when drinking but not at other times. They are just doing what their body wants and satisfying the cravings as they come.

Unfortunately we translate this in our brains to mean that smoking is so much FUN when we are drunk, we just want to do it continuously!! :rolleyes:

The key is education. Understand why your body craved it, and why your brain still FALSLY believes you'd enjoy it. It's all an illusion. If you really had lit up it would have tasted foul, smelled revolting and probably made you feel quite sick. But the nicotine monster would have woken up and you'd have been back on that treadmill....

Just remember - you are NOT missing ciggies. You are missing the drug hit which felt good while you were an addict. You are no longer an addict so the drug hit won't work!

Boatie_Bird

Thanks for that useful post JoeHel.
I'd read what Bas had written and could really identify with it.
We're going to a party this weeked and I know it's more than likely that I'll have maybe a little too much to drink :rolleyes: .
I have been worrying about really wanting a smoke.

I think I might print out your post and stick it in my pocket as a lucky talisman kinda thing!

basilcat7

Hi JoeHel, thanks for the info and kick up the bum !!

I would have felt so sick to my stomach if I had had one, physically gutted. SO glad I didn't.
I know smoking didn't add anything to the pleasure, and often when i was drinking, to have a cigarette after a few drinks used to mke me much more drunk- literally. Not nice.
I think I'll stop boozing for a month or so. That should help.

TNG

JoeHel wrote: »

Hiya basilcat!! 24 days is absolutely fantastic - WELL DONE YOU!!

Right - the "missing them when drinking" thing....

TNG is right - no, I don't miss them one bit and even when I am having a drink I am SO HAPPY not to have to go out in the rain/wind/cold to satisfy my addiction. It is NOT always going to be like this I promise!!

Smoking didn't "add" anything to the drinking pleasure and I can assure you my nights out at the pub now are BETTER than they were when I smoked. I did think it would be hard but it truly isn't. The only reason that smokers have more ciggies when they are drinking is that alcohol eliminates nicotine from the blood faster than normal, which is why smokers can often "chain smoke" when drinking but not at other times. They are just doing what their body wants and satisfying the cravings as they come.

Unfortunately we translate this in our brains to mean that smoking is so much FUN when we are drunk, we just want to do it continuously!! :rolleyes:

The key is education. Understand why your body craved it, and why your brain still FALSLY believes you'd enjoy it. It's all an illusion. If you really had lit up it would have tasted foul, smelled revolting and probably made you feel quite sick. But the nicotine monster would have woken up and you'd have been back on that treadmill....

Just remember - you are NOT missing ciggies. You are missing the drug hit which felt good while you were an addict. You are no longer an addict so the drug hit won't work!

see! what did I tell ya :rolleyes:

:T :T :T :T :T

skintnow

Have increased the dose now to 2 x 0.5mg tablets as directed, still seem ok, its really strange not wanting a cig. No other side effects to report.

The guys at work who smoke are giving me stick saying i will be on suicide watch next week, and how bad these tablets are for you! i think thats a bit hypocritical from them standing outside poisoning themselves every break.

So nothing really to report, its going great!

TNG

skintnow wrote: »

The guys at work who smoke are giving me stick saying i will be on suicide watch next week, and how bad these tablets are for you! .

They're scared, skintnow. There'll be one less smoker and they will be that little bit more in the minority and they're SCARED TO H3LL!!!!



And jealous


Pretty much all smokers do it. The important thing is that you don't let it get to you, or turn it in to motivation and say to yourself "they are trying to drag me back in to the trap, but I aint gonna let em"


Well done skintnow :T :T :T

JoeHel

skintnow wrote: »

Have increased the dose now to 2 x 0.5mg tablets as directed, still seem ok, its really strange not wanting a cig. No other side effects to report.

The guys at work who smoke are giving me stick saying i will be on suicide watch next week, and how bad these tablets are for you! i think thats a bit hypocritical from them standing outside poisoning themselves every break.

So nothing really to report, its going great!

Heh... Too right TNG!!! Skintnow - That's when you KNOW you are doing well, when your smoking "friends" are panicking!!! Nobody wants to be the only addict in the village... Stuck outside on their own. There isn't a single smoker who doesn't wish they didn't smoke and they are sooo envious that (a) you look like you are heading in that direction and (b) aren't finding it really hard!! Maybe once they see how well you are handling it they will be tempted to try it themselves. I already have two mates who have quit because they've admitted they never thought I would and if I can, they know they can too!!

JoeHel

PS I went back to the gym last night for the first time in 4 months... And I went again tonight. It's fantastic - I can't believe how much EASIER it is to exercise and I'm hitting the right heart-rate without feeling like I can't breathe properly. AND I can stay in there long enough to do an hour's cardio PLUS some weights ... whereas before my little craving itch would have me in and out within the hour

basilcat7

Morning everyone..... well done to all..

Seem to be missing MJay and Melbury- where are you both ??

Well done JoeHel for going to the gym... makes you feel so much better too.. I still am eating more (can't stop snacking in the evenings) but have made a conscious decision to cut back as from today. Makes me feel rubbish as I still have to lose that half a stone.

Still, did 2 classes at the gym last night too, admittedly a bit half hearted !
Have a great day everyone:D

Boatie_Bird

Morning all,

Hey Basilcat, don't be too harsh on yourself for eating a little more than usual. You seem to be doing plenty of exercise too.
If you put on a few pounds, who cares?
I know I'm eating a little more than usual, but I'm not going to weigh myself and I'll deal with it later.
I've already made the best decision I can towards improving my health!

Well done on the gym thing JoeHel.

It's payday for me today and I'm going to buy myself some running shoes and make a start on that. My aim is to do the sport relief mile (which happens to be on my birthday this year!)

Went out with the girls from work last night, had a few glasses of wine (and some food and a good dance), and didn't miss smoking one little bit.
There was only 1 smoker amongst us and she only had 1 smoke during the whole evening as she didn't want to stand outside on her own in the cold. I'm working on her...

Hope everyone else is doing well and feeling fine.

BB