I am giving up smoking on Sunday.

[BlackC55]

I have decide to give up the habit on Sunday. Most of my friends smoke and we are all going to give it up.

If we all do it it will be so much easier.

This will be my 6th attempt. I have tried hypnosis, patches, gum, will power. Nearly everything. The fact is I really enjoy a smoke.

I really find it hard to give up but I know I have to if I want to carry on living and fixing Mercedes for a living and occasionly helping you guys out.

Anyone else giving up?

 

[GRAV888]

I'm going to give it another go.
There are 10 of us that have put £100 each into a pot.
The one who lasts the longest gets the money.
If there are 2 or more after a year, it gets split.
We're starting from Monday.

 

[BlackC55]

Good idea. Trying to get my mates to part with £100 would be impossibe

 

[Sp!ke]

A woman at work in her 50's who was a 40 a day smoker went on this new stop smoking drug Chantix.

She's in week 8 now, says she doesn't miss cigarettes at all. All previous attempts have failed - this one looks to have been a success.

Unlike nicotine replacement courses, Chantix works by blocking the receptors in the brain that are stimulated by Nicotine and is now available on the NHS.

I think I'll be giving it a go.

 

[Benzowner]

Don't give up! That is too final, just say to yorself I don't want one at the moment, and just stay between smokes. I have never given up, I just had my last smoke 12 years ago, I still get the urge for one but it passes. I also did not throw away my cigies, they we on the table by the side of the telephone with lighter on top for 4 years before I discarded them. Not giving up has so far worked for me.

 

[speedybiker]

My wife gave up about 18 months ago.
Everyday since then she has been putting £5.00 in a tin.

At the last count there was over £2,000.00 in the tin.

I'm waiting for her to go on holiday next month, I'm going to break into the tin and do some mods to the car.

Alex.
P.S. Just shows you how much money you could save by not smoking, not to mention the harm it does to your body.

 

[fuzzer]

good on you

 

[Nibbo]

I have decide to give up the habit on Sunday.

Good luck, I gave up 4 years ago using will power alone and I dont miss them at all.

 

[BonzoDog]

Good luck to all of you. It isn't easy.
Somehow I did it many years ago but it took a lot of attempts. Eventually I did what Speedybiker just mentioned. I put the money aside every day and it was amazing to see it grow.
The main thing was I truly wanted to give up and saving the money was a by-product. My understanding is that there are no magic remedies, the key is really wanting to give up. If that is there the remedies can help but it's down to you.
Go for it.

 

[neilrr]

Give up drinking at the same time, at least until you've kicked fags for a few weeks.

I noticed my strongest desire for cigs was when I had a pint. No beer, no desire.

That's the way I did it.

 

[BlackC55]

No beer. I couldn't do that. It s depressing enough to loose one of my pleasures let alone two.

 

[BIG Sean]

I tried this and found it really easy, I recommend it highly.

I did start again though - more of a lack of willpower after a barney with the missus than anything else caused the restart

I am stopping on Sunday too.

 

[BlackC55]

Thats the trouble. Any amout of stress and you reach for the packet. Starting a new business has been stressful enough for me to increse my inake the last few weeks.

 

[glojo]

Thats the trouble. Any amout of stress and you reach for the packet. Starting a new business has been stressful enough for me to increse my inake the last few weeks.

You mentioned you tried will power and it didn't work?

Being very blunt, will power is the only way it will work. You can spend a fortune on whatever cure you want, but without the will to stop then save the money and buy some cigarettes Your using stress as an excuse; how do non smokers cope with stress? Doing what Grav suggested is a brilliant incentive providing you can trust everyone Making this commitment a game, or contest puts some amusement into the struggle and might make it easier. I stopped when I was in the services and it was the done thing to smoke. Whenever I went out drinking, I would make sure I had a packet of cigarettes in my pocket just so no one could tempt me in an hour of need. (will power)

To stop smoking is not easy, but unless you really want to stop, then don't bother, don 't waste money on a cure if the heart is not in it. Any advertised product is worth considering and it is whatever takes your fancy.

Good luck and remember we are talking about a silly little piece of paper and a few leaves. Will power.

John

 

[Dieter]

Hi BlackC55,

You don't really enjoy a smoke you are just feeding your nervous system's addiction i.e. if you don't smoke you'll feel bad.

The first cigarette anyone smokes is 'foul' but as the addiction takes hold this 'foulness' fades

My experience is that people give up smoking for their own specific reasons and as John so rightly writes, unless you definitely want to give up you won't succeed.

Whilst this requires will power there is no harm supporting this effort with patches and (legal) drugs etc.

Ultimately you will be fitter and wealthier :bannana: :bannana: though I suppose this Government will raise the tax on petrol to claw back your lost revenues .

Perhaps we should make this forum a no smoking forum

Cheers (never got past the first foul puff),

 

[IBIZA]

I smoke, and at times fairly heavily, with low points being paying more on cigars than my mortgages some months.

I have not stopped, but my last smoke was in January (on a train), and it has happened largely by chance.

The main times I smoked were after meals, when driving, when waiting on things - however, I got a new car (to me) that was like new inside and it looked so good I did not want it to discolour like all the rest - so I stopped smoking when driving.

I have also had a lot on recently as I bought a house to renovate, so meals are rushed and I dont have time to wait on other people now as I have too much to do, so I have tried to arrange things that if I need to wait for someone - I can be working at the same time, or using the internet.

So my suggestion would be - look at when you smoke - if you can, try to avoid or adapt these times so you wont - then the battle will lean in your favour.

As I said I have not stopped. However after being forced to wait at a small lock up I have, after the local authority broke in to access the electricity meter (which it doesnt have as it has no power) - I had no choice but to wait while they came out to repair the damage. While waiting I went to light up, but the petrol has evaporated from my zippo, and when I went to use the lighter in the car, realised it did not have the insert and it had only been used for my phone. So I sat in the car and used the internet which has got to be a good alternative to smoking too.

So good luck.

Lastly - I saw a mobile phone/PDA that has a 5 inch screen and costs about £800 unlocked without a contract. Initially I thought this is a silly price for a phone, but it would be capable of being used in far more circumstances than my current 2.5 inch screened one, and my smoking savings are well over £800, and it could prevent me smoking on two 14 hour train journeys I have coming up

http://www.mobilegazette.com/t-mobile-ameo-htc-athena-07x01x27.htm

 

[gaz_l]

I managed to quit the fags a couple of years ago, after 22 years dedicated tobacco consumption. More by chance than design it has to be said, I got a particularly virulent dose of man flu and was laid up in bed, with no desire to smoke at all.

When I started to feel better after a couple of days, I realised that was the longest I'd been without smoking for many years. Thought I'd try and keep it up, and still haven't succumbed. The amount of time it takes for the cravings to go varies from individual to individual, but personally I was in a permanent foul mood about 6 months.. it's probably the hardest thing I've ever done.

However, I haven't had one for over two years now and probably never will again. Yes, I still get the occasional trigger but they are very few and far between these days, and easy to ignore.

I know ex-smokers are normally the most puritanical breed, but I don't include myself in that category and I certainly don't welcome the forthcoming smoking ban. It's yet another erosion of our freedom of choice in this country, and is being implemented in a typically heavy-handed style. But this is not the time or place for that argument..

If you manage to give up, good on you. You'll feel healthier, you'll smell nicer, and best of all you won't be paying all that tax to the bloody government.

Go for it..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[nigel cross]

Good for you.
It will be hard but worth the stress.
I used to smoke but have given up for 20 years.
The method i used was to put a packet of cigarettes on the mantel shelf in full view.
But I looked on it like a challenge, in as much as I used to say to myself
' I will not be beaten by this little thing', meaning the ciggy.
Good luck

 

[pammy]

I used to smoke many many years ago but was never a smoker. I smoed for all the wrong reasons - ie my mates did when we went out, but I never enjoyed it so I just stopped so it was easy for me. But I have to say I am so looking forward to being able to go out and not come home smelling of smoke.

I wish all of you the very best of luck. You've got a fairly once in a lifetime opportunity when so many people will be stopping. The fact that you won't be able to smoke in pubs with a drink should I imagine help a lot.

Wishing you all the very very best - fingers' crossed for you all.

 

[BenzComander]

I wonder if the treasury has factored in the loss of revenue from the people giving up smoking when the ban comes into force?

Robin Williams (Mork) says the secret to giving up smoking is the decision to give up.

Just say "Today I am no longer a smoker"

Say it to yourself long enough and your brain will believe you!!

Good luck to everybody trying to kick the habbit