So far so good, worried about this eve

[nsd_user663_22002]

Yesterday was meant to be my day 1 - but it didn't go very well at all:mad:

However today is much better - just seem to have a better mindset for it - have thought about smoking, but immediately say "No - you don't want today to be like yesterday" - hope I can hang onto that all day!!!

Worst time is in the eve at home when watching tv/after dinner etc (I'm sure you all know) so plan to go to gym after work so there is less evening at home....a cunning plan - but still worried about when I actually get home - have done this before and always end up making excuses like "I'll only smoke after 9pm" or "If I only have 2 at least that's better than usual" - but that is NOT quitting! Any ideas?

Saw on another thread someone posted their hours and i liked that so - I have been smoke free for 12 hours

[nsd_user663_18145]

hi and well done for going 12 hours smoke free are you going cold turkey or using nrt?

you will still get cravings regardless (just with using nrt they are not so intense) but when you do get one you have to distract your mind/hand till it passes have you wrote a list of your reasons for giving up?

reading some of the threads on here will help to distract and try holding a pen its all down to association and the habit of smoking you just have to fool your mind also the nicotine demon is very crafty and will use any means possible to entice you back :eek:

finding this forum for me helped so much knowing that the people on here knew exactly what i was going through and are very supportive

[nsd_user663_3910]

Well done on day 1. Try not to think ahead too far, eg. tonight, tomorrow etc. Concentrate your efforts on this second, minute, hour. It was ages until I could think ahead without feeling a panic come over me, so don't do it. Read as much as you can about the addiction, fill in your time reading on this forum, peoples signature links, peoples posts, it really does help. Also a change of routine can be priceless. If you normally go home, have a coffee and smoke, then do something else, have a different drink, get the paper out, do a crossword, anything that is a break from the routine. The gym sounds like a great idea, take it easy though, you don't want to scare yourself off.

Take baby steps, and try to find things that make you laugh, it will take all the seriousness off the moment. It's not all bad, what you're doing is a brilliant thing, so think of the plus effects, more money, smell nicer, no more standing in wet and windy doorways + so many others. Make a list if it helps.

Lorraine

[nsd_user663_22002]

Thanks guys! I am doing CT, just want it done, if that makes sense.

What i find weird is i dont seem to have "cravings" in the urgent "must have a fag" way... but i do get the addiction is so sneaky it finds a way to make my brain justify having a cig and it's not until afterwards I realise that there is no justification and it was just the addiction tricky me!

So I am on the lookout for this now

I like the idea of baby steps and have my list of reasons attached to my computer screen - they are

1) Why not now - no other time will be any better. (This is cos i've often gone, next week, no next week, or tomorrow etc)

2) One of my friends gave up last year and i NEVER thought she'd be able to - she's quite emotional and her widthdrawal was hell (she's also bit of hypochondriac!) - but she still hasnt smoked - so if she can.....

3) Love running - but hardly make any impovements cos of smoking - looking forward to running further and it getting easier

4) Have done the budgeting down to the last £ and can afford 5 nights in Italy in the summer - IF i quit

5) Obviously all the usual no death/more money/no social stigma - but they are always there and havent stopped me before hence the - possibly over specific first 4 reasons!

Would love to hear everyone else's reasons/motivation to quit...

[nsd_user663_20547]

Lullabelle,

Well done for making the decision, best thing you will ever do!

For me the first week was the hardest as you are dealing with physical withdrawl so my suggestions are to;

Deep breathe through a craving.

Cry (only if you need to)

Eat sweet things if you need to

Excercise

Kalms to help sleep and moods.

Read up on all the bad things about smoking to remind yourself why you are doing it.

Post on here, we all know what you are going through.

Anything else to keep your mind occupied.

Good luck, 12 hours is amazing, you are doing so well

Jill xx

[nsd_user663_18145]

good reasons but got me thinking (not always a good thing )

i posted a link on here last week to a thing paul mckenna was doing on the lorraine programme (gave people the chance to listen to it for free which was an added bonus) and one of the things i agreed with when i was listening to his audio messages was the fact that smokers do have alot of times when they think im not smoking anymore

if they are feeling ill especially with a cough or hear someone they never thought has stopped smoking or worse someone being ill possible dying due to smoking

some of the cigerettes a smoker will smoke is also down

to the habit of reaching for a cigerette not because they craved/wanted or needed a cigerette

also he said that if a smoker smokes 20 cigerettes a day and takes roughly 5 mins to smoke one then thats (100 mins) one hour and 40 mins of smoking out of 24 hours means for 22 hours and 20 mins your not smoking :eek:

i had alot of reasons to stop smoking but the one that really drove in the final nail was my 6 year old grandson saying to mummy that when he grows up he wants to smoke just like me :eek:

he now says my nanny dont smoke or smell anymore

[nsd_user663_3910]

Lulabelle, here's an incentive for you if you love running. I've always enjoyed aerobic exercise but not pushing myself too hard cos of the shortness of breath/tight chest. Now when I exercise I complain about the muscles aching instead of a tight chest, and to be able to take a huge breath in and feel the air expanding the lungs without any effort or wheezing is fabulous. That break in Italy sounds worth doing too. Keep your head in the right place and go for it, what have you got to lose?

Carol, children are so honest that it can make you cry, we forget how much they look to parents/grandparents for an example. But they do easily forget, my two girls can't actually remember me ever smoking now so keep at it and show what a good example you can be.

Lorraine

[nsd_user663_22002]

...nearly there

OMG - cant believe I'm so close to end of day one!

Went to gym after work and did 3.1 miles on treadmill...bout half a mile more than usual and i'm sure it's psychosomatic that i managed to do more but still pleased! Cant wait to run more and more

Had a few "cig would be nice" moments, but actually nothing too hard to overcome by thinking of the reasons why i'm doing this or realising that it's just nicotine trying to trick me.

So i guess this is how it works - you do day one, then day two etc etc until you think about it/want it less and less?

[nsd_user663_21078]

Hi

Fantastic achievement on getting through Day One, you should be really, really proud of yourself. I'm just about finished Day 12 now. I think what you say is right, I have not thought about anything other than getting through the next craving, and passing that craving mounts up the hours, which turns into days...

By now I'm probably down to maybe 3 or 4 times a day when I think about it, and probably only 1 or 2 that are a wee bit tough.

Keep going.....