Stopping Smoking for 2009 thread

[MaureenHall]

I'm going to put my neck on the block here and say
I AM GOING TO STOP SMOKING ON JANUARY 1ST 2009

I'd like some encouragement, no nagging. Don't want anyone saying "when I / friend / relative / whoever stopped they did this that or the other". I'm doing it for ME

If anyone would like to join me in trying to give up, lets use this thread as a mutual support.

I intend to drink a glass of water instead of having a cigarette hopefully to stop me piling on any more weight. I'd like to say that I'll put my fag money into a jar and spend it on something special just for me at the end of a month but I know that's not going to happen! The money I usually spend on fags will probably be used to buy better quality food or to pay off some of my bills, but I will give myself a treat every so often.

I'm not sure how it'll work out, I'll be fed up and snappy for a while but I think this forum could be just the motivation and encouragement I need.

Slips ups won't be deemed as failures, they will be just slip ups, and we'll start stopping again. (if that makes sense!)

[MaureenHall]

Just want to add to this that I'm not going to tell my friends and family, I'm going to wait until they notice

[HayleyB]

Go Mo, Go MO.

I've been given up now 4 years, still addicted to Nicorette gum tho, not bad for you so a hospital consultant told me, it's the chemical they add to nicotine that's the killer they even use nicotine in the treatment of Crohns and colitis.

Definitely do not miss my morning clearing of lungs

[Glutton4...]

Good luck with it - I'm going 'on the waggon' for a couple of months, so we can support each other.

OH smokes like a chimney, coughs like an old egine, but won't give up.

And I bed he'll still sit there with a bottle of wine at weekends, just to taunt me. It would be so nice if he'd make the effort to give one of them up, just so we could support each other.

Ho hum. I can do it.

[Polly Fouracre]

The hardest bit is actually stopping,stubbing out that last fag.After that it's not so bad, honestly!

[vicky]

Good luck to all of you giving up, I stopped a few years ago and it was hard but worth it. xxx

[piskieinboots]

...Don't want anyone saying "when I / friend / relative / whoever stopped they did this that or the other". I'm doing it for ME

To be fair Maureen, it's human nature to say 'how I did it' - this is one way people feel they can offer support (withouth nagging) because they are offering up what worked for 'them/friend/relative/whoever' in the hope that it may help 'you'.

So - how I did it was......

Good luck

[janeyo]

That's great Maureen, I know you will feel miles better (but you may feel worse first) and will be better off too.

If you are serious about resolutions then it's a great idea to follow a SMART plan. This might help to keep you focussed.

Keep your TARGETS
SMALL
MEASURABLE
ACHIEVABLE
REALISTIC
TIMEBOUND

In other words, if the going is tough don't say 'I won't have a fag today' say 'I won't have a fag for 3 hours' The set another target.

Don't say I will save the money and buy a house', say 'I will buy myself a ...(fill in something small) by the end of the month'

If you make targets too big and daunting they are harder to stick to.

Hope This Helps!

Good Luck, janeyo xxx

[Biscombe]

Good luck everyone! I gave up 4 years ago, it was the hardest thing I've done, but well worth it!

[petal]

Well done. Just stop totally, do not use gum/patches replacements. Change your routine too. Mind over matter. Avoid other smokers. Read alan carr how to stop smoking regularly to boost your confidence.

[MaureenHall]

Well the encouragement so far is great Thank you all of you.

I did actually stop smoking for 4 years simply by saying to myself "I want to be a non-smoker". Then my marriage broke up, and I met a few fellas who all seemed to be smokers. It was another year before I said to one of them "can I have a drag of your fag" and that was it! So I do know the downfalls and I've got to try and keep out of the situations I think.

When I said that I didn't want anyone to say how they did it, what I really meant was that I didn't want people to say "You should do this or that" I know others have been successful and I also know others have failed. I don't know how you all felt at the time just the same as none of you will know how I feel at the time either, everybody's different. That's another reason why I don't want to go to one of these NHS group thingy's, as an ex-nurse I know that the majority of the people running them have never smoked so they can only "see" the withdrawal effects and not "feel" them. Am I making sense?

Anyway, onward and upward and apologies in advance to those people I tell to "Bog off" (or words to that effect )

[Nicos]

Best wishes on your 'adventure'...hope it gos well.

( Someone somewhere is smoking my duty free which was a special request for Xmas...£120 worth- and drinking the 2 litres of whisky we LEFT IN OUR CABIN!!!!.......) The cost for 600 burney things seemed such a waste...for ONE MONTH supply!!

Just think how many chooks could be rescued with that sort of money Maureen!

[vegnut]

I gave up 4 years ago also, and found it relatively easy. I think only because i wanted it so much. The nicotine is out of your system in 48 hours, the rest is habitual. If it helps, I got a kick out of saying "I'm a non smoker" and being able to go in places like restaurants and cinemas, and not having to worry about when i can next have a fag. This is not one of those nagging type of messages, just how i felt at the time and how it helped me
However you are going to do it Maureen, the very best of luck to you, and if you want a fag, have one. When your'e ready it'll happen.

[piskieinboots]

.... Am I making sense?

totally and tons of luck and strength and best wishes - and for my part, feel free to offload any frustration in here ...
...hey, there's a thought - Mods, how about creating a google-free room where the stopping-smokers can have a padded cell to bash around in

[Two_Sheds]

well as a non-smoker I'm not entitled to an opinion, so I'll keep my trap shut