Smoking

[wajahat_faheem]

How do I give up smoking?

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Take a look at this site... this forum is for running...

nhs.uk/livewell/smoking/Pag...

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I stopped by saying one day that I was not going to smoke again. People who have stuff to sell will offer you all sorts of products, but your will power has to win in the end. It is tough but I now find it difficult to believe that I did such a recklessly stupid thing to my body for so many years.

As we say on this forum...........YOU CAN DO THIS.

[wajahat_faheem in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thankyou for the thoughts,Appericate your every word,

Will try to have a strong hold on to my will..

[Cliff_H Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

I tried gum and other things until I realised they were just putting off the inevitable withdrawal, after a few false starts just stopping and refusing to smoke again did the trick. I found I got to the point where I just thought there was no way I'd go back through the withdrawal just for another smoke... that was about 15 years ago.

Good luck as it is tough but so worth it, hope you find a method that works for you.

[Sillyyak13 Graduate]

I read Allan Carr's EasyWay. It's the best way. Don't cut down, (it makes them more precious).

amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/140592...

[Gump73 Graduate in reply to Sillyyak13]

Me too! Recommended by others sho it worked for. Good luck

[roseabi]

From my experience of quitting: Stop smoking straight away, try to socialise only with non-smokers during the process, learn about the lungs. Good luck with giving up - you won't regret it!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung

[wajahat_faheem in reply to roseabi]

Thankyou for your valuable suggestions,

The biggest impediment that I am facing right these days is the craving,how do I tackle that

[roseabi in reply to wajahat_faheem]

Keep busy, keep your mouth busy with a stick of gum, switch to a different task to distract yourself, start Couch to 5k and go for a run/walk :), go and hang out somewhere where smoking is not allowed.

Above all, remind yourself of why you want to quit!

nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/...

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to wajahat_faheem]

You could always join us on the journey to become a runner!

[wajahat_faheem in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thankyou,

How do I do that?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to wajahat_faheem]

Most of us here have followed or are following the NHS Couch to 5k (or C25k) training plan, which aims to get just about anybody running for 30 minutes non stop, after 9 weeks of running three times per week.

It is a brilliant programme, which really works, costs nothing and can transform the way you think about your body. Whether it will help you stop smoking, I don't know, but one person did state last week that he was doing so.

It is delivered on either podcasts or an app. Have a look here nhs.uk/livewell/c25k/Pages/...

We would love you to join us.

[Shivani05 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Recruiting! I love it But it's a great idea, I stopped smoking completely when I started running.

[Sillyyak13 Graduate in reply to wajahat_faheem]

Read Allen Carr, with him there are no cravings, do not replace nicotine with something else. Remember, it's not a habit, it's an addiction.

[Nobbywatts Graduate in reply to wajahat_faheem]

If the craving hits while you're at home, how about going and cleaning your teeth?! They say this works for people who are trying to stop snacking between meals, maybe it might work for you - that and IrishJohn's 4-minute kitchen timer trick .... And you'll have a lovely clean mouth instead of a smelly one 😀

[bunty65 Graduate]

I used hypnotheraphy to stop smoking but some friends who went at the same time have all gone back to it, so it is about believe you can stop and wanting to stop. Very best of luck, believe me you can do and although this group is a running group I'm sure there will be a forum on the site to help with stopping smoking

[froggyrunner Graduate]

I've tried hypnotherapy but it wasn't successful. I agree I probably didn't want it enough. I thought I might give up as I progress with c25k. Well week 7 run 2 in the bag.. still smoking. I'm not sure , haven't a clue, how to stop. I think it's will power. Good luck and keep me posted. If you do quit it might just inspire me to kick the habit too! Let me know !

[Irish-John Graduate]

I tried everything. Hypnosis, Acupuncture, Aversion theraphy, Gum, Patch, Vape etc etc.

Of them all, alan carr and the Patch were the most useful - but not the 'Final Solution'.

Problem was - I really did not have the TRUE motivation you need. 'Giving up' smoking is one thing - but what do you replace it with?

Well - in the end for me it was a cigar box full of money and a Kitchen Timer. I got hit with a whopping and immediate demand for over a thousand Euros. It was 'sort of' my own fault. Lots of blame to go around but in the end I had to pay up.

That money came out of a fund that had to be replaced by me - a moral obligation which somehow made it worse than if it had been 'merely legal'

Anyway - the ONLY way I could figure how to cut my expenditures was to quit smoking.

I also knew I had tried and failed THAT before.

HOWEVER - I remembered reading some yawn inducing study that physical cravings only last three minutes. After three minutes its ALL psychological.

So - bought what became my 'Famous Kitchen Timer' - a small digital timer that I set to FOUR minutes to be on the safe side.

The first week that darn thing was beeping like R2D2 in Darth Vaders torture chamber. Every time it would count down only a few minutes would go by until I started the count again I would start it again because the cravings were ferocious - but I knew it literally WAS 'all in my mind' after four minutes.

I also made two 'unbreakable promises' to myself.

If I STILL 'desperately' wanted to smoke after any four minute count down I would. That took away the 'all or nothing' aspect and in a weird way made it kind of a fun challenge. I was not quitting smoking 'for ever' - just for 'four minutes'

I also got an empty cigar box, taped it with an entire roll of strong Duct tape and cut a very narrow slit in the top. Into this EVERY night I would deposit what I would have spent on cigarettes that day - and if I had pocket change I would put that in also. I wrote the date on the box and promised that no matter what I would not open it until one year had passed. I would put money in for one solid year.

The longest I had ever quit smoking successfully was just under a year. I am now almost four years off clean. The first few weeks were hard, but got better. Occasionally over the first six months then i would get hit with a sudden craving but by that time I did not need the Timer - plus I would focus on the nice surprise of finding out how much cash would be in the Cigar box when I got to open it.

It worked for me to the extent I find it hard to believe I EVER smoked now. It just seems like it was a different person. I smoked a MINIMUM of twenty cigarettes every weekday and at least forty to sometimes eighty on weekends for almost forty years. You can imagine the cravings THAT caused LOL

But nowadays I have about as much desire to smoke again as I would have to eat warm cow dung Every other time I quit I still had cravings and a feeling that I was 'hooked for ever'. Not anymore.

The combination of 'cold turkey' and 'cigar box reward' seemingly were the perfect combination along with just having to quit for 'four minutes'.

Give it a go