Any smokers out there?

Took me 10 years to kick to habit (I have been a smoker for 22 years), and I kicked it a month ago when the dog chewed up my packet. I was smacking and yelling at the dog, and my kids came out and told me off. That was my moment.
I went through a week of bad cravings, but since then I have been o.k. I just have to avoid being around people who are smoking.
I really hope you are able to quit soon, but it is very hard, so keep trying and do not give up on quitting because you relapse (I probably failed over a 100 times).

There is a beautiful android app called " QuitNow! ". It keeps track of your progress (your recovering health, how many cigarettes you haven't smoked, how much money you've saved etc.) Watching my numbers increase everyday was the biggest thing that kept me from relapsing. Everytime I wanted to smoke, I had to remind myself how it would feel to reset my progress.

You also unlock acheivements, and there is a great support chat built into the app. Sometimes trolls are lurking there to sabatoge people, but by and large its a very helpful group of people.

This Saturday will be 12 weeks absolutely free from cigarettes! I was someone who really enjoyed smoking, but now I really enjoy the freedom.

Best of luck to you!

I quit 5 months ago after 16 years of smoking. What helped me was something (obvious) that i read. Basically it was that no one could tell me not to smoke. I smoked because I chose to be a smoker. When I quit and was really craving, I reminded myself that I could smoke if I wanted to, but that I was choosing not to. I think having the choice helped me. I don't react very well to staying away from forbidden things.

my oldest boy is in year 6 and 3 of his friends parents died this year through smoking or alcohol related illness they were all under 40 years old.

just before christmas, my youngest who is 7 explained that his friend's father had died that afternoon through a smoking related illness.......he was 37 years old.

My oldset sat down next to me one evening 30th October 2011 and he cried and begged me to stop smoking as he feared i WOULD DIE ... I reasured him I would never smoke again from thT POINT ON AND i HAVE NOT TOUCHED A SINGLE CIGARETTE.

I used the intellicig electronic cigarette from the internet for few weeks when in the company of smokers.......but for about 4 weeks was quite recluse as i wanted to give myself the best start at quitting.

I have not looked back and other than the intellicig have used little else.

I didnt weigh myself for the first 10 weeks of giving up, and I did gain weight......19lbs!!!!! but that came back off in 3 weeks and I am back to losing again and feel freat.

More to the point, I know my sons will have their mum for a lot longer than if I were still smoking. Kids need their parents, and I wasnt going to risk my health or worse death for the stinky things any longer.

This was enough for me to quit, I hope this gives you some incentive to quit too. Your kids are precious, dont let them fear you not being there for them, as My boy did. It broke my heart.

Good luck

Lisa xx

Go to Google and search Totally Wicked. They supply really good e-cigg products that have blown all the others away. They also run great specials. Once you give the e-ciggs a chance that they supply you will not want a cigg. It taste's better, gives a throat hit, puts out just as much (or more) vapor, and dont smell at all. I love mine!

love mine too
x

2) I eliminated the "triggers" or replaced the actual smoking with a different activity for the ones I could not or didn't want to eliminate that gave me the urge to smoke. Like after meals, alcohol, social events. For that after meal urge, I went for a walk instead. Alcohol, I noticed I would smoke if I were in a bar but not if I was at home. So I quit going to the bars. In certain social events like gatherings of friends, I would excuse myself if the smoke bothered me or I began to get the urge. Then return after it subsided.

This is what's clobbering me. Local bands playing dive bars and riding the motorcycle... without fail, I light up.

I may be able to give up bands at dive bars, but I'll never give up the mc. So I think I can make it work.

the hardest part for me was driving especially long distances but I bought hard candy, lots and lots of hard candy...if I felt like I wanted to smoke I stuck a candy in my mouth!!! My uncle used toothpicks to quit dipping. I also know people who used suckers for the hand to mouth action.

I used the patch.. No side effects and no cravings

Remember: You will be a B*$#* , just tell people why and you will be forgiven:0)

I knew I was done when I was able to go to the bar 2 weeks after my last cig and was not even tempted!!!!

Your strongest desire will always win. The question you need to answer is what do you desire most, health or the feeling of smoke filling your lungs repeatedly?

Bump, Im quitting now am interested in the subject :-)
Good Luck to you!

JUST DO IT. Gaining ten pounds is far less detrimental than sucking on cancer sticks. Munch baby carrots. Chew gum. Stay away from smokers. Post the "24 hours/2 days/1 week, etc after quitting smoking" health sheet on your fridge, post a picture... of smokers lungs...WHATEVER IT TAKES to motivate you.

Get through the first 3 weeks and you are golden.

I quit almost 6 years ago. I stopped counting how many days I had been without a cig at about day 18...

Everything becomes SO much easier without them.

I have a great disdain for smokers now. They stink, they litter...smoking isn't cool anymore!

Wellbutrin helped me to quit, but I did gain a lot of weight. I started smoking again in hopes of losing the weight. Now I'm just as heavy and smoke.

Let's put this in reality....

Your battle with smoking is 99% mental. It is the habitual process you go through...like your drive home that you take every day. Yes, there is small amount that interacts with your body...but it is gone from your system in 3 days. 3 DAYS. Can you experience "withdraw" symptoms...yes.

Learn this and apply to anything and everything you can in life.... Choose what it is you want. Act upon the choices that bring you to Succeeding.

I quit Cold Turkey over year ago...smoked since I was 9 years old. Never an urge or desire after a week. In fact, smelling the smoke on those that I work with disgusts me, now. Does it sound good from time to time...sure does...then I get a whiff of it...No thank you. Change your habits of keeping your hands occupied. it will help dramatically.

I quit smoking 3 years ago. I didn't particularly want to quit - but I was about to buy a house and needed the money - I know it should have been for health reasons or the kids - but it wasn't. I liked smoking and could always find an excuse. to justify having one. I wasn't sure I would be able to afford the house, if I continued to smoke and Occupational Health at work were running a campaign to get their staff to quit smoking, so the timing happened to be right and I gave it a go. 15 of us signed up.

We used patches, which can be quite irritating on the skin, but you get used to them. We were lucky that some NHS staff came into give the group sessions where we discussed why people smoke and ways to avoid these. It was interesting that generally we have a cigarette to get us going in the morning, at the beginning of a task, a way to have thinking time if a task is difficult, celebrating the end of something (eg finished a task, end of dinner), with alcohol. I bought myself a games console and when I would normally have a smoke - I would play on that instead for 5 minutes (obviously not while I was at work though - I think I probably had more coffee and chocolate - hence the need to diet now).

One of the first things I noticed was how I deluded myself by thinking that breath mint would hide the fact I'd had a cigarette and none of my colleagues would know. I could smell immediately if someone had had one because it hangs in the breath, particularly if you inhale deeply, and sticks to the clothes.

We had our breath measured weekly, so the nurse would know whether or not we had had a cigarette - for me - this was the most effective measure. Within a few weeks my levels of carbon monoxide had significantly reduced. Around a year later, I did the breath test out of interest and was told that I had less pollution than a non-smoker - probably because I don't have to sit in heavy traffic during my commute and I don't live in the City.

Out of the 15 of us that did the course, I am the only one still not smoking. I occasionally see the others at the smoke shelters as I wander past . I love the smell of a lit ciggy but know that if I were to try one - I'd probably start smoking again, so I try to avoid the smoke shelters. This smell thing is not universal - my sister quit through will power and cannot stand the smell of a cigarette at all.

Now it is legislation that we have to smoke outside of public buildings in the UK, and with the weather usually being wet or cold - there is plenty of incentive to quit.

If you're in the UK, I suggest you go to your GP, as there are many different varieties of medication/alternatives available and these can be prescribed. This will work out cheaper than buying them individually. They may also have funding so that it is free - it depends on the Health Authority/Health Practice. They sometimes hold a support group as well - and chatting through with others who are also having difficulty quitting can be helpful.