Discovered this site a couple of days ago and have been considering giving up for years. A lot more seriously this year and finally took the big step today. Now managed to get to the evening, too jittery all day to concentrate on doing anything constructive and sitting on my hands in front of the tv for the rest of the evening. Will have to go to bed early today.
Always said that if I ever did it, it was all or nothing and cold turkey would be the only way to go, which is what I've done.
Well done Andi22 on taking the first step this is a great site, everyone is here for you and we will help you all we can, if you look at some of the posts you'll see loads of tips to help you succeed, especially Emjays she's got loads, I'm sure you'll find things that will help you hang in there and stay strong, any questions you have will be answered by someone just remember we're all here for you 
Thanks sue52. Have really missed that first one in front of the mirror this morning! The talk is always about changing your trigger points but we all have to get up in the morning, eat and drive cars etc.
Hi Andi22 i know i changed my diet a bit cause certain foods lent themselves to smoking for me, i don't have my wee tipple either, i also found exercise and music helped me, Emjay has a post on here where she asks questions like which cigarette do you enjoy the most, i'll try find it for you, or she may post for you today, it's really helpful. This is hard but the best thing you can do for your health when a craving comes for me i shout at it and tell it to get lost lol and it goes the longer u do this the less you get, your doing really well Andi, u can do this, don't let the little devils win, stay strong
Hi Sue,
I like your comment so much ' I shout at it and tell it to get lost lol and it goes the longer u do this the less you get'. I think it's a great approach and puts you in the driving seat.. you'r the one in control... at the end of the day, this is what we want.. as opposed to having this little poisonous stick running our lives.. I've reduced drastically and so much want to stop.. I just need to take the plunge (again) and go and tell it to get lost!! Thanks for that
Thanks sue. Just come back from a session with my personal trainer who said if I didn't have one for a week he'd give me a free session. (Really felt like a fag when I got in the car though!) Am going to take my car for a valet at the supermarket today to hopefully get rid of the smell. Have decided to replace some of the "ine" with caffeine. (and mints)
Hi Andi just got back from shopping, how exciting my life is lol, great to valet your car a lot of people on here do that, def take your personal trainer up on that one, is there anything u can do in the car to help , it's a good idea to think about when u enjoyed smoking and planning for that one, your doing really great we're all here for you, we can all do this together
Hi Andi22, welcome to our lovely friendly stop smoking community. You have most definitely come to the right place for help
Congratulations on moving into your 2nd day, you're now a step closer to staying stopped!
So I can get a bigger picture, can I just ask you a couple of questions?;
When you fist wake up in the morning, how soon do you usually have your first cigarette?
Thinking about yesterday, did you find it more of a challenge during the day or the evening?
What are your reasons for wanting to stop smoking?
Getting your car cleaned is a great idea and will hopefully keep you motivated by having it all freshened up and keeping it that way.
You're right about what you say regarding trigger points. There are some things that have to be changed yet there are others that you can't change as it's all part of living a normal life. Soooo... what you need to do is change the way you look at things.
The big thing about stopping smoking is that you have to remember that you have chosen not to smoke. However, what usually happens after this decision is made is the little devil get into your mind and you start to tell yourself that you cannot smoke, there's a difference between choosing not to and not being able to... Hope that makes sense?
Sounds like you even have support coming from your personal trainer, that's fantastic.
Stopping smoking is like a big game, and may have many challenges along the way. However, to reach the next level we have to overcome some sort of demon!
So remember to stay positive as much as you can and together we can do this
Hi Emjay, nice to meet you. In answer to your questions:
Morning - afterabout 10 or 15 mins after ablutions and when I've got my cup of tea.
Yesterday I found it a challenge the whole day from start to finish.
Reason - mainly long term health and being free of the "crutch" before a big holiday later in the year.
Have just got back from having the car done ( in the rain). Whilst it was being done I went for a walk in the local park. It was very "deja vue". It was near a local school I used to go to and I was following one of the girls who was smoking (tut,tut, thought it smelt wonderful) and thought that was me forty years ago!!!
Hi Andi22, I think a walk in the rain is so refreshing - hope you enjoyed it! It's funny how smells can take us back to memories of time ago
The fact that you used to go at least 10 minutes before smoking is good as it's not going to be too pressing on your mind as soon as you wake up. The more mornings you get under your belt without smoking, the easier it will become. However, if you find that you are struggling a bit for the first couple of mornings, it may be worth going without your first cup of tea and try a glass of sugarfree fruit juice instead. If you really do prefer a nice cuppa though, why not try a caffeine free brand?
Did the cravings that you have yesterday come through in waves? If so, and it is happening again today, try and notice the time when you feel them, and then note the time again when they return. One guarantee I can give you is that the craving will most definitely go whether you smoke or not. So why not choose the healthier option?
If you could describe the cravings, do you think that they are in your mind (psychological) or can you feel it in your body (Physiological)? If it's in your mind, then this can be so very real and is quite often the new quitters biggest challenge. A lot of work has to go into every effort to stay stopped.
If it is more of a physical feeling, then the good news for you (as you are going cold turkey) is that it only takes 2 days for the nicotine to leave your system. So this means that you can spend all your positive energy in combatting the psychological cravings.
Lets get you through the next couple of days and then we can slowly but surely start planning on strategies to ensure that you'll enjoy your first holiday as a non-smoker
I guess they're all cravings - the habit (20-30 a day) is whatever I do it's "I'll just have a fag first" or "I've got to do this job so I always light up before I start". I think they're mostly in my mind although I can taste it in my mouth so I've just got to keep sitting on my hands when I'm not using them!
Sounds like good news if the cravings subside somewhat tomorrow.
Just try and stay positive, that's the main thing
It's only the physical cravings that will hopefully stop by tomorrow. The cravings that are in your mind will last for as long as you let them win. However, if you see them as a positive sign then they will get easier the more times you deal with them.
Have a read through our "Cravings - A Friend or Foe?" blog and see if that helps you to gain a better understanding of cravings. Changing the way you look at things really does help
Aaaaarrrgh!!! Tried to log on yesterday (Friday, DAY3) and the web site was down. I thought I'd lost it and all the support - made me want to reach for you know what but I resisted!
Realised I was slightly less twitchy but still sitting on my hands in between while yesterday. Insomnia's really kicked in and I got up at 5 a.m. as I couldn't stand tossin & turning any more. Fortunately it was a dry morning so went for a walk to see the sea.
DAY 4 Managed to last to 6 a.m. today and was so happy to see the website back today.
Good for you staying strong andi22, today is a fresh new day with tomorrow fast approaching! You are doing fantabulous!
Together we can do this
Day 1
Week 5 - Day 1 :)
Day 1
20 weeks on from day 1 of quitting
