Good morning everybody guess what !! it's not raining nope am not fibbing, it's dry and bright here in Derbyshire hmmmmmm dont know how long for though whats it like in your neck of the Country ??
Have you got any exiting plans for today ?? I've got some serious zzzzzzzzing to do in a bit, not sure what am doing after that
I've been getting prepared for my quit date this morning and this is what I have come up with have you got any other ways of getting prepared - focused for your quit date ??
Why I want to smoke !!
1) They help me when I get stressed out. ( Although this might just be psychological )
2) They help me think. ( here again this might just be psychological )
3) It’s easier than quitting.
Why I want to quit smoking !!
1) Better health.
2) Coughing and spluttering.
3) Walk up stairs without getting out of breath.
4) Whiter teeth
5) Breath not smelling of fags
6) Clothes not smelling of fags
7) Better complexion. ( Smooth skin, More colour, Less wrinkles )
8) Better circulation in my hands and feet
9) Better health all round
10) Have money to spend on what I WANT TO ( Not having to put money aside for fags )
11) Getting my taste back
12) Not having a Furry tongue
13) Getting my sense of smell back
14) No standing outside in the cold and wet
15) Not having to think if I have enough fags to last me the day
16) No yellow fingers
17) Not having to carry a pack of fags and a lighter around with me
This is how I get ready and focused for my next quit date, I am sure that you could come up with some more, either for or against smoking, so get thinking, so I can put them on my list and get flippin focused, thank you.
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Good Morning Pete and everyone, it's not raining here either, yeeessss and it's Friday, yiippee, bet your glad about that Pete
I'll need to have a think about your quit list, it's too early in the morning for my brain Friday :D, when i think of something i'll post it. We're all rooting for you, your gonna do this Pete never give up, i've lost count of the number of times i've tried to stop, now i'm doing it, so you can too
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to sue52
Good Morning Sue and yep its Fridayyyyyyyyyyyyy
Sue dont you bother your poor head this time in the morning gal I should go and get a cuppa
Good Morning Pete, thats a fabtastic start to the day
With regards to your 3 reasons to smoke;
1) They help me when I get stressed out. ( Although this might just be psychological )
Smoking actually causes a stress hormone in the body to be released. Try and understand the difference between stress and withdrawal symptoms. We all have stress in our lives, however its when we have too much or too little that causes the problem - and then of cause how we deal with it. If it is stress, then smoking won't change the outcome.
If it's a withdrawal symptom (sign of recovery), then the only way to overcome this is to either smoke or to not smoke. Either way the feeling will go away. However, if you choose not to smoke then you've so many more benefits
2) They help me think. ( here again this might just be psychological )
The only reason that you can't think is because 'it's time for your next cigarette', this is to do woth the addiction. Being addicted means that your mind and body will focus on getting your next hit and sp you don't have any 'space' in your mind to think about anything else. A bit like being a drug addict. You are right though, this is psychological and given time you can and will overcome it
3) It’s easier than quitting.
... But worth it in the end! Think about it, what part of stopping smoking is hard? You will probably notice that whenever the 'hard part' hits you, it will be in waves, so you only have to get over that moment. Unfortunately, those couple of minutes quite often feel like forever. I promise you though, stick it out and it will pass.
Remember, nobody said it would be easy, but everyone says that it is worth it
Morning Sue, weather here is surprisingly sunny I hope you had a well rested night and have a lovely day ahead. You are right with regards to us all rooting for Pete, we're with him all the way
Big waves to everyone else, remember to stay strong and if you have got any cravings, then this is a good thing. If you hadn't stopped smoking, then you wouldn't have them Welcome them in and then show 'em the door
Good Morning Emjay, isn't lovely to have no rain i just hope it keeps that way
I'm not doing much today, i think it will be a day taking painkillers :(, roll on the summer, if we get one, i'll feel much better might try to get some housework done.
Hiya Pete, i love your before and after pics :D, i'm gonna get a cuppa, hope it sorts my brain out :D, and my phone cause it's gone nuts too hubby's on the computer, i might get it later xx
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to sue52
Hey Sue why dont you get your hubby to do the house work, then you can have your comp back eh
After that gorgeous New Year's Day we had drizzle the next but yesterday and today it's just grey. Great that it's not raining and even 10 deg C. There's no wind either so I might venture out on my bike later.
I wish hula hooping would work that quickly Pete but like quitting smoking it all takes time.
Here's one minus for giving up that happened to me on NYD - a group of us go for a walk and after we have bacon butties, Bucks Fizz and sparklers to welcome the NY. Well, I don't carry a lighter any more now do I? Fortunately, we had matches but they take ages as they keep blowing out in the wind. (Reminder for next year - take wind-proof lighter with me!)
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to andi22
I'll remind you if you havent bashed me beforehand gal
Emjay thank you so much for explaining things for me and thank you and Sue for rooting for me and it's that, that builds my positiveness and confidence up
Good Morning Andi, i'm glad you don't have rain either we could all do with a break from that enjoy your bike ride if you go on one xx
Pete i've got about much chance of hubby doing housework as i have of seeing purple flying pigs but hey i'll just take it easy and do what i can, I hope it is the kettle you have on
well i've had another cuppa so i'm away to get some work done, have a great day everyone, will chat later xx
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to sue52
Am so so sorry for disturbing you gal, but have you heard of a nicotine patch that you wear while you are smoking and after about 2 - 3 weeks your smoke free
I saw that advert on tv as well Pete, I'm not sure how it works exactly though.
The two things that have really kept me from starting smoking again is a) the cost, I was struggling to afford to smoke before I gave up and other things were being side lined so that I could buy fags and I just think that come the next Budget they will go up again and it wont be long before they are £10 a packet and b) I know if I smoke again I will only want to give up again so what's the point, plus I don't want to have to go through the irritability and cravings again and having to keep going for a walk round the ping pong table to try to calm down
I totally agree with you that it is much easier to carry on smoking than to give up but as EmJay said, those feelings will wear off eventually and it will be worth it in the end. I know that you know that and words are easy but you will get there Pete I know you will
Sorry to hear that you aren't feeling too well today Sue, take it easy, we will all come round for a cuppa then maybe your hubby will get sick of us chunnering on about giving up smoking, exercising, dieting and hula hooping and go out and you can have your computer back ;D
A bike ride sounds great Andi, it's dry but dull here today and looks like it could rain at any moment. Your New Year tradition sounds lovely, I love sparklers
I went into the kitchen last night after my friends had left and one of them had left a packet of cigarettes on the worktop. It was great because I wasn't in the least bit tempted to have one. I will give them back to her as soon as I can as I don't want them hanging around for long just in case I have a moment
Hi EmJay, you are so supportive to us all, thank you, I don't know what we would do without you I hope your neck is feeling a bit better today and you're not in too much pain with it.
I am off to get a cuppa now then I'm taking the decorations down, I love putting them up but it' a real chore having to take them down but it has to be done.
Hi everyone, just got the living room, i did get sidetracked with the phone though, so it's only taken me 2 hours :D, in my defense it was a spring clean, honest
I'm not too bad now, thank you, Kazz, feel a bit tipsy on the painkillers though :D, that's brill that you were able to leave your friends ciggies alone, way to go :), have fun taking your decorations down
Sounds like you had a lovely walk mad, that's my favourite thing to do, walking in the park and listening to the birds it has helped me with stress in the past as well
Sue, well done on getting your (early) spring cleaning (almost) done I'd welcome the phone for the distraction
Kazz, just you keep on revisiting your reasons for staying stopped, you're doing ever so well and we're all really proud of you
Mad, I agree with you, the weather has been lovely here in sunny Liverpool today. Your walk in the park sounds lovely, which one did you go to?
Pete, the new product on the market is called Pre-Quit Patches and the way the programme has been designed to use for is that you start using the patches 2 weeks before your quit date and reduce the amount that you smoke in that time. This can work really well and gives you a chance to get your head around cutting down first. However, my (personal) opinion is that (unless you pay for it yourslef) they will come off your allowance from your NRT use should you go to your local stop smoking service, or to your local pharmacy. It's still important to realise that you have to work with the psychological aspect of quitting though.
After the 2 weeks, you get to your quit date and then start using the rest of your patches as you have in the past.
I really think it might be worth you considering using Champix, provided that your GP will prescribe it for you. With Champix, you are still smoking for the first 7-10 days before quitting. Usually most people who successfully quit using Champix find that they just don't feel like smoking by this time. Given your history of past quit attempts I really do feel that this may be the better option for you. Your local pharmacy that you have been attending may be able to refer you for it and then you might only have to go to see your GP the one time and get a repeat prescription for the rest of the time - providing that you are seeing your advisor regularly.
I'm away home in a mo but shall check in on you all later
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to EmJay
Thank you Emjay for enlightening me on the new patches, and I will ask her about champix tomorrow Morning
Thank you so much for your support and your wisdom, and as Jazzy Kazzy said, I dont know what i would do without you you enjoy your Weekend now and will let you know how I get on Tomorrow
Gosh you started spring cleaning already !! I was'nt going to start mine until July oh well looks like i will be starting earlier this Year hmmmmm have to take the decors down first though eh
Hi Pete, only one hubby, that's enough :D, i'm still on my phone probably won't get computer back till tomorrow now spring clean was early cause i do it when i can
You not got your decorations down yet, i took mine down on new years day, the broken tree was annoying me; i'll need to get a new one next year, as if i didn't have enough to buy
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to sue52
Hi Sue, just started taking the decors down this afternoon our tree isn't broken but there's a few balls missing, I expect I shell find them behind the settee hmmmm i dont suppose that Monkey had anything to do with it
My daughters cat is a little devil with Xmas trees, when we had him last year i took the tree down on Xmas eve cause he wouldn't leave it alone, he kept jumping on it, he must have knocked it over 20 times, think that's why it broke, awe well he was her problem this year, e didn't leave hers alone either
I had a cuppa after tea, but i'm away to put the kettle on if you fancy a cup
Hi Sue, I've been wondering for ages now, you don't think that all this tea affects yu do you? I remember drinking loads of tea once as in I really loved the first cup so had another one and drank about 10 or 12 in one day. Realised that the more you drank, the more you wanted another one so knocked that on the head a bit smartish - especially as I like 2 sugars in my tea.
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to sue52
Ha ha Sue I have to tie the tree to the da do rail, so she dosn't knock it over
Have they given you an extra night off then Pete? You'll have to get your rowing skills honed again and those deep breathing techniques cos we don't want you to relapse this time - that was last year's game and you won't need to go there this year. Did you read that book of Wonder's - quit the Allen Carr Way? Maybe you should leave it lying about for the others to read - maybe half hide it on the coffee table.
When my cats were kittens and older, the only thing they did was run up my legs so I had to put my jeans on as soon as I got home from work. They never climbed the curtains and showed no interest whatsoever in the Christmas tree or decorations. I don't think they were normal.
Totally agree about the book, try reading it again, it might help as it just makes you so positive about stopping and takes away the fear of quitting. Remember I read it 3 times on the trot to make sure it sank in, I realise there is no such thing as just one fag and can never smoke one ever again, but the lovely thing is I really don't want to or need to.
Good luck and no smoker ever stopped on their first attempt, it took me at least 20 or 30 times to finally find a method and some kind of magic potion that finally cured me from Nicotine.
Loving the taste of coffee without a cigarette. Bought a coffee machine that makes single cups from those pods, bet I'm addicted to caffeine now though There's always something eh
Hi Wonder, still lurking about then? hehe I think that's amazing that you tried so many times before and brilliant that you finally found something that worked for you. I think I must be a bit of a freak for you cos I never tried to quit before and I'm now over 8 months without a fag and like you I know that I can never have another one. Perhaps it has something to do with timing and things going on in our heads as in we were both at the stage that we really wanted to and were determined to stop once and for all.
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to Wonder
Aup Wonder, it's lovely to see you again, as pretty as ever ( creep creep )
I hope you and your family are well and had a good Christmas and have a great 2013
I was thinking of giving the book another go, maybe it hasnt sunk into my 1 brain cell yet
I used to have 2 in both tea and coffee and a few years ago decided to try ad cut down. Expected to reduce it in tea but not coffee. Went down to one in a cup, really missed it in the tea but not the coffee. As I only drink 2 teas a day went back to 2 in tea and carried on reducing it in coffee (average 4 cups a day ). Early last year I decided to knock it completely on the head for coffee and these days I don't usually drink more than 2 coffees a day - if I want more I drink decaf.
Hiya all, i drink title decaf Pete, it tastes the best i think, with no sugar, i don't drink coffee, i went off that when i was pregnant with my daughter, i've never liked it since,
i can just picture that Andi, Pete and his fizzy beer
well everyone i'll have to love and leave you, i'm getting tired and my hands are getting too sore to do this anymore
nite nite, sweet dreams, luv yas xxxx
monkyAdministrator35 Months Winner in reply to sue52
Sue nite nite gal sleep tight, just wish i could help you in some way take it easy Sue and have a nice nights sleep, will see you tomorrow gal, luvs ya too xxxxxx
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guess what !! it's not raining 
whats it like in your neck of the Country ?? 
and it's Friday, yiippee, bet your glad about that Pete 
you enjoy your Weekend now and will let you know how I get on Tomorrow 
