Stopped last night and doing good....

[nsd_user663_27596]

Hi all, thought Id sign up on here as everyone seems nice and really helpful

A bit about me....Im 29 and Ive been smoking for around 15 years, Ive been wanting to stop for a while now and tried a couple of times but not really had the full commitment.

I started leading a more healthier lifestyle in January this year as in eating, excercising, weight training etc and so far have stuck with it but my biggest downfall has been smoking.

I guess Ive realised FINALLY that why am I going to the supermarket and buying all this fresh food and fruit and cooking healthy and doing regular excerise every day to then puff away on 15 - 20 cigs a day and kills off everything good Ive just put in my body.

Ive decided to use patches as they have been good before, its just the will power Ive lacked. Like a few ppl have said on here Im find the habit itself the hardest but Im trying to keep busy and look at the positives rather than the negatives!

So rant over lol....just wanted to say hi to everyone and look forward to speaking to you all.

Chris

[nsd_user663_27595]

Hi Chris,

My quit day is this coming Monday, and I'm strangely looking forward to it!

Have you gone cold turkey or are you using NRT? I've got patches and an inhaler at the ready.

Good luck+

[nsd_user663_27596]

Hi Connie

Im using patches, I find it takes the edge off but like I said I think its the habit itself thats the hardest, I keep finding myself thinking 'right ill just nip for a cig before I do such and such' then I have to think I cant Ive quit lol.

Trying to keep busy though, just had dinner and obviously having a bit of a craving now but sticking with it

Have you tried stopping before?

[nsd_user663_27595]

I have tried before, I had a severe asthma attack in 2003 and stopped for 2 years, then while supporting a friend through a really tough time I stupidly started again.

I gave up in January for 2 weeks with Champix, but found they made me so moody and depressed, I finally snapped and completely blew my top and gave in and went for a smoke.

I run a pub which is difficult, there are always cigs in the vending machine so I can never be far away from them. Saying that I feel really positive about giving up now, my cough is bad and my asthma is getting worse.

I think this site will be a big help to me, its nice to talk to people feeling the same way +

[nsd_user663_27596]

Yeah thats why I joined, feels like a bit of a community on here with everyone aiming for the same thing and feeling the same way etc.

I know what you mean about the vending machine but I guess I would be more watching the people going outside into the cold smoking whilst your nice and warm behind the bar

I went to the shop earlier and it would have been so easy for me to ask for some cigs but it felt so good walking out knowing I chose to resist and I took a deep breathe and it was really nice to breathe in the FRESH air, sounds daft but I guess its the little things like that that get ya through!

The patches are doing the job for me although it still takes will power, I find excercising helps too!

I think the best thing about this site as well is that it seems if you're tempted you can come on here and you have a group of people who swarm to you and tell you NOOOO lol.

[CamperPete]

Hi Chris and welcome on board.

You're spot on with the 'habitual' side of it, whether it's with a pint, after a meal, to calm down etc etc it's all habitual.

Understanding that i had to retrain my brain was half the battle for me, switching off (very hard in the beginning) or finding something else to occupy the mind is the key but again not easy when you brain is fighting any attempt to distract it from screaming "I want a ciggie!" :mad:

Good Luck in your quit.

[nsd_user663_25698]

Hi Chris.

Great to here you sounding very upbeat. I think thats half your battle fought. You sound determined.

You said 'I keep finding myself thinking 'right ill just nip for a cig before I do such and such' then I have to think I cant Ive quit lol.'

Thats what still gets me. 'I'll just have a quick stick (ciggie) and then i'll put the washing in', 'I'll just have a quick puff while i close the gates' God that bit of it got on my nerves really bad. It's less now but it still creeps up on you without you realising lol. But the strange thing is i have so much more time now and i'm getting more done without the side distraction.

Yeah thats why I joined, feels like a bit of a community on here with everyone aiming for the same thing and feeling the same way etc.

I think the best thing about this site as well is that it seems if you're tempted you can come on here and you have a group of people who swarm to you and tell you NOOOO lol.

Yeah and remember that lol.

Also the amount of messages i have left on here just purely moaning. Moaning about wanting a ciggie, moaning about other people wanting one, moaning about the smell...lol i've moaned my way through pages and pages.

But the best thing now is the sense of pride i feel.

I am so very pleased with myself.

I knew from the moment i gave up that that was my lot. I wasn't ever going to be a smoker again and that helped me alot.

My family could have been more supportive. They wasn't bad but everytime i had the hump (be it nicotine related or not) hubby would say 'oh god, just go and have a fag!'

Obviously that didn't help at the time, just made me worse, but gave me more determination in the long run. :cool:

And now my house smells lovely and fresh.

My car smells lovely and doesn't have tiny bits of ash on the dashboard.

My clothes smell the same as they did when they came out of the washing machine.

My teeth are getting whiter.

My fingers and nails no longer have a yellow/ gold tinge to them.

I can smell flowers, air freshners and perfume now. (Including when a smoker has covered herself in too much perfume as she can't smell it herself!!! :p)

I love having showers, washing my hair and smelling fresh and clean.

Simple things i really didn't realise i had missed for so long. (going to copy and paste that for a newbie thread i think)

Good luck Chris and keep it up.

Make yourself feel as good as i do. It's a really nice feeling.