The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

in_debt_again_but_dealing_with_it

Hi FrugalJo, I was a secret smoker for sometime in the past too, hiding it from my children (and my mum too and I'm 42!!) seemed so wrong but I still did - lol! I'm quite sure there is a chapter in AC's book about closet smoking and on the website
http://www.maxkirsten.com/store/stopsmoking.asp I'm sure I saw something on there too + watch the videos they're a revelation!!! While you're still trying you're almost there!
Take care - love and hugs
IDA
x

jo1972

Hey Jo, jump back on the wagon when you feel ready.

I've been a closet smoker for years, believe it or not my kids, my mum AND my dh didn't know!! My dh guessed and he let me have one from time to time but would've gone mad if he knew I was smoking 15-20 a day! I didn't want to tell anyone purely for the reason that I knew if I was smoking openly again I'd be back up to 40 a day like I used to smoke. I told dh this and said let me just have a sneaky one every now and then and I'm happy (I then run a bath and hung out the window smoking, or made an excuse to drive to the shop for summat and chain smoke 2 or 3!). God how sad was I!!?

Happens to all of us though. I was thinking about when I was 14 and started smoking 'properly', I was so cool and desperately wanted to be seen smoking, now I'm an adult I hide away and feel stupid. I felt so self conscious lighting up at the bus stop cos I knew that people were thinking about how much it stinks. Then I got on a crowded underground train and knew I reeked of smoke, I even caught myself trying not to breath to much iykwim cos I was aware that my breathe stunk!! :rotfl:

Good luck Jo for when you try again, definately watch the smoking vid that IDA gave you the link for, just don't watch it when you're about to have dinner!!

Storm

Hi everyone, can I join you please? Not had time to read the whole thread I'm afraid though...

I've quit smoking today :eek: had my last cigarette just before midnight yesterday & despite a fairly easy start to the day (didn't want one first thing at all!) it's getting harder through the morning!

I quit about 3 years ago for 6 months, then completely fell off the wagon - however, the one person who doesn't know I started again is my mother (yep, 30-odd and my mum still terrifies me!)

This time I've done it at the same time as my flatmate, as we can declare the flat non-smoking, and if one of us falls off the wagon they've got to walk down 2 flights of stairs & stand on the street corner.

Storm

jo1972

Hi Storm and welcome to the thread :wave:

Well done on deciding to quit! Are you going to be using any NRT? If you speak to your GP or pharmacist you may be able to join a quitting smoking group which gives you huge discounts on patches, gum etc.. Although I'd suggest doing it today really as I wasn't allowed to join the group as I'd given up too long (ummmm 24 hours??!). I find the patches most useful, they seem to take the edge of cravings but don't take them away completely.

There's a lot of posts on this thread but if you just read the 1st one that's got pretty much all the info that we've gathered over the past couple of months. Stick around for some support, tell your flat mate to join up too!!

Good luck to you both.

Oh, nearly forgot to mention, NRT is available either half price or BOGOF at Sainsburys and Tescos at the moment!

Storm

Thanks Jo,

I'm not going for the NRT initially, though if I change my mind I've got a friend who's a health visitor who's allowed to prescribe it!

Will go off to read the first post...

jo1972

Oh yeah and Storm, in that list on post no. 1 is a link to Max'summink's smoking video, watch it - that's about enough to put anyone off!!

in_debt_again_but_dealing_with_it

Hi Storm
Welcome aboard - I'm cold turkey to and its been okay but early on I did consider the gum or lozenges - I've heard good things about them! I love and highly recommend the Silkquit metre its a real motivator for me!
Hi Jo hope you doing okay!
Take care love and hugs
IDA
x

helloworld2007

Hi there,

Long time lurker - non time poster! But I thought I'd add my two-penneth worth...

I'm male, 30, and gave up smoking (I used to smoke 10 - 15 a day) on Sunday evening so I'm on my 3rd day without the cigs. No patches. No gum. No nothing. Just sheer will power. I wanted to oust this nicotine monster once and for all.

And I've got to be honest, and I'm not trying to rub it in to those who are struggling, I have found it relatively easy.

The first day was the worst - I kinda felt like I had a hangover coupled with a bad dose of jetlag - with headaches, general aches and pains all over my body, and feeling very lathergic, tired, and a little 'spaced out'.

Every time I got a craving - I just sat there and did some breathing exercises. I walk home a different way from work to break up habits. And generally I just did everything to not think about it at all (a nice hot, relaxing bath, just before bed time seemed to help).

I've read up on all the withdrawal symptoms I can expect - and so far, fingers crossed, I've had only a few of them as mentioned above. The worst is the light headiness, and poor concentration (I've even had conversations where my words haven't come out that properly). The way I keep thinking of it - these "bad" symptoms are not bad at all, they are all "good" - everything that is going on is cleansing my body of nicotine. I'm kinda viewing it like I know I'm going to feel 'a bit ill for a few days' but then I'll be fine...

I'm now on my 3rd day - and already, I feel fitter. I can smell things I've not smelt in years, (eg. freshly cut grass smelt so different even at this early stage on a park just outside where I live). My taste buds are stronger - I had some orange juice on the way to work, and I can honestly say orange juice hasn't tasted so nice in years. So all in all I dont feel too bad. I just hope things will remain like this.

So keep at it you lot you will get there. And if I'm anything to go by you can all do it.

My motivation to give up? Selfishly for the money. And just a small matter that I'm going to be a dad for the first time in October - and I wanted to get off to a healthy start! (During the early hours of my first day, I held up my baby scan picture for motivation - and it's worked so far...)

Good luck everyone - I'll keep you posted on how I'm getting on.....if you need any help, advice, support, motivation etc please gimme a shout!



HW2007

jet77

Hi,

I too hid it from my parents for ages (am also now in my 30's lol) and the kids know it's bad for you and mummy is trying to stop.

I have read the first chapter and a half of AC's book and will read more on way back from w*rk. So far I've established that I haven't given up smoking for fear of being even more short tempered than I am. I haven't watched any of the Max's yukky stuff coz am going to finish AC's book and then give up. I have just finished PMTing so I think Mon of next week will prob be my giving up date providing I have finished the book (Font's really small so even though it looks like it won't take long to read, there's a lot crammed in there).

Hope every1 has a gr8 day.

J xx

jo1972

HW2007 - welcome on board :wave: and well done

Congrats on the baby, you are giving your firstborn the best start in life by kicking the habit, your health will improve and you will not be encouraging your child to start smoking later in life! You are doing so well and have totally prepared yourself, don't allow yourself to become complacent, remind yourself of that every day. And I warn you that it seems from reading these posts that week 3 seems to be when people start to waiver, I think it's that complacency again. But you sound well prepared to deal with it. Keep posting as much as you can, give and receive support - we're all in the same boat!

J, good luck for your quit date. Pick a date and stick to it, and I think maybe take some of HW2007's advice and get yourself well prepared. Are you going to try NRT or go cold turkey?