3.13pm on 13/3/13

[nsd_user663_56262]

Hi Everyone - as you can see from my Title and Username, I am hoping Thirteen is lucky for me? I had my last cigarette at exactly 3.13pm today, nearly 3 hours ago and obviously it's too early, but I feel ok so far! I had this notion that giving up the evil weed at 3.13 on 13/3/13 was a novel but positive idea, especially on No Smoking Day. I found this website a few days ago, so planned to stop today.

I live in Gibraltar, having left the UK 7 years ago. The problem here is 20 Lambert & Butler cigarettes (I used to smoke) are only £2.19 a packet and I was smoking around 25 a day! Even so, that is still around £I7.50 a week and I'm going to put £2.50 every day into a jar that I can see! I plan to re-visit Thailand in January 2015, so in 21 months I will have saved around £1,600 for a 'free' holiday, thanks to giving up cigarettes and feel this target will spur me on? I also have a bad wheeze, constant sore throat and vile taste in my mouth, I need to do this for my health, especially now in my mid-fifties.

I want to stop, I have made my mind up to stop and am absolutely determined to succeed, but would welcome any thoughts or support you might offer, as I know this won't be easy!!

[nsd_user663_27255]

I'm also a believer that 13 is lucky, it's my house number lol!

Great plan to start, anytime your feeling like its a struggle come on here, the support from everyone here is great

[nsd_user663_52535]

Thirteen is Lucky

A very warm welcome to the Forum. Wishing you all the very best as you embark on your quit journey. Try not to look too far ahead, baby steps and you'll do fine.

Fi x

[nsd_user663_44684]

Lucky 13 (My eldest son was born on the 13th!)

Hope it's all going well, stay strong & positive

Denise x

[nsd_user663_54305]

Hi Everyone - as you can see from my Title and Username, I am hoping Thirteen is lucky for me? I had my last cigarette at exactly 3.13pm today, nearly 3 hours ago and obviously it's too early, but I feel ok so far! I had this notion that giving up the evil weed at 3.13 on 13/3/13 was a novel but positive idea, especially on No Smoking Day. I found this website a few days ago, so planned to stop today.

I live in Gibraltar, having left the UK 7 years ago. The problem here is 20 Lambert & Butler cigarettes (I used to smoke) are only £2.19 a packet and I was smoking around 25 a day! Even so, that is still around £I7.50 a week and I'm going to put £2.50 every day into a jar that I can see! I plan to re-visit Thailand in January 2015, so in 21 months I will have saved around £1,600 for a 'free' holiday, thanks to giving up cigarettes and feel this target will spur me on? I also have a bad wheeze, constant sore throat and vile taste in my mouth, I need to do this for my health, especially now in my mid-fifties.

I want to stop, I have made my mind up to stop and am absolutely determined to succeed, but would welcome any thoughts or support you might offer, as I know this won't be easy!!

Hi 13,

Welcome to the forum! You ask for thoughts so I'll give you a couple

Success is not down to luck - it's down to YOU. It's entirely within your grasp. The actual act of quitting is easy - it may sound flippant to say it, but you do it every night when you go to bed.

Staying quit - well of course that's a little trickier, but it absolutely isn't down to luck. Knowledge is power - understand your addiction; it will try to trip you up at every turn but the more you understand it the better armed you are to fight it. There will be many battles ahead, all of them inside your head, but every battle can be won. Part of your knowledge will be understanding the quit aids available. There is plenty of information about the pros and cons of each of these, and I'm sure everyone on the forum has their own views, but at the end of the day use whatever works for you - talk to your doctor or quit clinic, understand them, use them - so long as you get to the desired goal, be it by cold turkey / NRT / Champix, your success is all that matters.

The desired goal - what IS it? Well obviously, to quit smoking! To put it finally, irreversibly, behind you, to get on with enjoying a far, far better life.

The desired goal - what ISN'T it? It absolutely is NOT a point in time. You won't wake up one day and think "done that!". Quitting is not an event, it's a journey. It can be a rocky journey, especially when you first set off, but ultimately it will be the most rewarding and enjoyable journey you ever make - and it never ends. To someone setting out on this journey, the fact that it never ends may fill them with dread - but once you're over that rocky start, the fact that it never ends is the best bit!

Mind you, at £2.19 a pack I might emigrate (sorry, poor joke in poor taste)

[nsd_user663_56301]

luck

Is there such as thing as luck to try to stop smoking. Maybe but one thing that is good is keeping ones mind occupied so that one does not think about smoking. Having an interesting conversation is something thst works for me.