Day 5!!!!!!

[nsd_user663_56397]

Been lurking on here a while but decided why not join in!! Anyhow So far its 4 days 16 hours and 42 minutes since my last smoke.Long story short time....went home from work last thursday feeling a bit rough, lit a fag, took a couple of drags and threw it out!!! That night I had a BIG temperature and lots of coughing-same story for friday-and no desire to smoke!! so i kept this going till today-so far so good. Had some minor pangs-wouldn't call them cravings (previously seen myself in a blind panic within a couple of hours of 'quitting') but have had a quiet word with myself "dont be daft-you've nearly done the hard bit!!". Anyhow so far so good and reading on here has been quite inspirational and helpfull so thanks to all. Just an aside, not heard anyone mention Neil Casey and The Nicotine Trick .Was given a copy by a work colleague-quite good and certainly didnt do any harm. any views??

[nsd_user663_56397]

It's a book with a quitting strategy based upon 'The Nicotine Trick', sort of similar to Easyway..........amazon.co.uk/The-Nicotine-T... Thats on amazon looking at the price it may well be out of print.

[nsd_user663_56336]

This is day5 for me. I still miss a smoke. Patches do nothing for me, neither does the gum, so I am back to going 'cold turkey' as it were, which is how I began when I woke up last Friday and decided that was the day I was going to give up for all manner of reasons.

One thing I'm quite curious about is as I've been looking through the site I've been wondering how many smokers (now ex) had been smoking per day when they gave up, also whether they lived with some company, i.e. with family and or spouses, or indeed lived alone.

I live alone, at the same time as giving up cigarettes I am also on a very strict diet, believe me, I don't know if any of you have tried to do both at the same time, it is horrendous, but I'm determined to do it, having had 2 fails in the past. Ironically, both failed times the reason I started smoking again was because I put a lot of weight on very quickly, and should anyone wish to jump on the bandwagon of 'well you probably ate as a substitute for a cig' please don't suggest that because I did not, and I also exercised too, but it seems that unless you go on a very strict diet at the same time, then you are doomed to putting weight on if you are made that way - and I can't afford to do either, so here I sit, starving and also wanting a cig LOL

The reason I made the comments about living alone or with family or partner etc., is that I honestly believe it is much harder for someone who lives alone, and who is also retired because there is no one living in the house with you to bounce things of off.

[nsd_user663_54332]

This is day5 for me. I still miss a smoke. Patches do nothing for me, neither does the gum, so I am back to going 'cold turkey' as it were, which is how I began when I woke up last Friday and decided that was the day I was going to give up for all manner of reasons.

Welcome to the forum Anne, and well done for going 5 days already!!

It's odd the NRT doesn't work, but I hope you manage OK going cold turkey

One thing I'm quite curious about is as I've been looking through the site I've been wondering how many smokers (now ex) had been smoking per day when they gave up, also whether they lived with some company, i.e. with family and or spouses, or indeed lived alone.

Was smoking around 20 a day when I quit - more some days less on others, it depended on my mood and what I was doing. My quit was very spur of the moment too.

I still live at home, can't afford a mortgage and don't fancy paying silly money in rent for a pokey little flat which is all you can get round here!!

Neither of my parents are smokers and they both hated that I was.

[nsd_user663_56336]

Hi Gemma

Well I've just been looking at a YouTube presentation by the late Allen Carr and, you know I think he's absolutely correct. I think we all talk ourselves up a storm as to why we smoke or why it's hard to give up, so i'm firmly in that camp, I think a lot of it is in the mind, that being said it's as difficult for me today as it was yesterday and so on, but I'm convinced this will be the final time I shall stop smoking. The house is so much fresher, and I actually feel quite vibrant.

I forgot to mention that up until last Friday I would buy and smoke around 40 or more a day. Each day I'd buy 60 so that I would have cigs in case I thought I was going to run out, but how it worked out was that I always had a packet to get up to in the morning, so that means I'd smoke 40 a day and occasionally I'd have about 5 left before opening another packet in the morning so like most smokers it varied - but was I can assure you, never less than 30 a day.

I started smoking when I was 22 because all the women I knew who smoked were nice and thin - I wasn't, so I guessed it must be because they smoked - how wrong was I - i'm now 64.

[nsd_user663_42390]

Welcome N.A.F.P.P. and Anneloves animals. good decisions from both of you to quit and to join this forum. There is lots of inspiration and tips to help you beat the nico demon. You have both done well so far so keep it going!

[nsd_user663_54332]

Hi Gemma

Well I've just been looking at a YouTube presentation by the late Allen Carr and, you know I think he's absolutely correct. I think we all talk ourselves up a storm as to why we smoke or why it's hard to give up, so i'm firmly in that camp, I think a lot of it is in the mind, that being said it's as difficult for me today as it was yesterday and so on, but I'm convinced this will be the final time I shall stop smoking. The house is so much fresher, and I actually feel quite vibrant.

I forgot to mention that up until last Friday I would buy and smoke around 40 or more a day. Each day I'd buy 60 so that I would have cigs in case I thought I was going to run out, but how it worked out was that I always had a packet to get up to in the morning, so that means I'd smoke 40 a day and occasionally I'd have about 5 left before opening another packet in the morning so like most smokers it varied - but was I can assure you, never less than 30 a day.

I started smoking when I was 22 because all the women I knew who smoked were nice and thin - I wasn't, so I guessed it must be because they smoked - how wrong was I - i'm now 64.

Think you're right, it is easy to make it a lot harder by overthinking quitting - think it sort of helped me just doing it.

Monday mid-morning I said to a girl I work with about stopping - on our fag break actually - that lunchtime we both bought patches and stopped that night, didn't really think about it at all.

You must be saving a fortune not buying 3 packs a day any more, and if you're feeling better already that's great

[nsd_user663_56336]

I find the hardest is the evening when I'm sitting with my wee dog beside me watching tv, when normally I'd have a coffee and a cig LOL - so that's just routine I guess. Also I've only lived in this house for 2 years so after decorating I want to keep it fresh, another reason for quitting.

I think I've noticed that I've not had to get in my car and drive the mile to a small shop in the village to buy my cigs, which I did everyday as I said in case I ran out or couldn't sleep - well the car hasn't moved from the driveway since last Friday LOL - must be saving a fortune.

[nsd_user663_56397]

Officially into day six now......and its sort of scary how easy its been up to here-kind of like waiting for the bubble to burst:confused: All the previous quits have been gnashing of teeth and massive prima dona moments followed by the inevitable relapse-all very high drama-this time round it's all been very serene and drama (not incident) free, but even the incidents have been dealt with very calmly and matter of factly. Anyhow thanks for the support so far, and Anne-being on a diet and quitting is a nightmare, I am currently doing the alternate day fast diet (not the Michael moseley one but mon,weds and friday and its bloody murder!!!)was tolerable with the fags but it's slipping at the moment-but it was like that at the beginning of the diet WITH the fags-so kind of like re starting the diet again-anyway stick at it-you will prevail!!!

[nsd_user663_56336]

Well I don't know whether to post on this thread or on the thread for 9 days LOL.

You can tell from the time I'm posting that sleep eludes me, it always has to a greater or lesser degree, however, since I stopped smoking it seems to be worse, whenever I go to bed for some reason although getting through the days seem ok (better than I thought) when I go to bed all I can think about is having a smoke, hence my over active mind won't let me switch off.

I'm keeping myself busy, and I do believe a lot of it is in the mind too, and habit, but I'm determined not to smoke again as already I can feel the heat in my feet whereas before my circulation wasn't reaching my frozen feet - so that's a big bonus for me. The house not only smells fresher it feels fresher another plus.

Overall, so far so good, and it has to be doing me a power of good. Long may it continue.

It's true too that dieting at the same time is hard, but I really have little choice as I have to do both. I'm on the Cambridge Diet, it's the one and only diet which has ever worked for me, and you do see results quickly, and in a very healthy way too, i'm just struggling with it as well as missing (if that's the right description) my cigs, it's like torturing yourself twice.