For all you newest non-smokers, it's middle of the week, almost middle of the month and if you carry on saying no to those cravings you'll be middle way through your first year of being smokefree and much healthier Carry on saying 'middle' over and over again and it sounds such a crazy stupid word... almost as stupid and crazy as smoking is! ;-/
I remember Mad writing up something a while ago, it went something like;
Fire at one end, a fool at the other... tobacco in-between
How do you see cigarettes? A friend, the enemy, a crutch, a need, a want?
Basically they are a small white stick, filled with over 4,000 toxins - at least 60 of them carcinogenic (cancer causing), with nicotine being the ultimate drug that you seek from them. It was probably curiosity that 'encouraged'or 'pulled; you into first trying them and then addiction that kept you going back to them.
Think about and focus on the negatives of smoking and remember these when the cravings set in as to why you don't want to be a slave to the white stick any more.
Think about all your reason for wanting to give up smoking and don't let your reasons become your excuses to continue or to go back.
Remembering to stay positive as much as you can and you will get through this.
Nobody said it would be easy, but everyone said that it is worth it
You can and will do this
Right, the kettle is on if anybody fancies a cuppa
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EmJay
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oops sorry guys..i just made a cappucino anyone want one ?
I stumbled early on last week,so i've spent the last few days reading and figuring out why i smoke.In my troll of the internet sites I came across this and at least two rang true for me ..,
When the Urge to Smoke Hits, Think H.A.L.T.
H.A.L.T. (Hungry,Angry,Lonely,Tired) is a powerful checklist to help you decode the urges to smoke that you experience. Nine times out of ten, a craving can be traced to one of these four things:
Hungry
Have a snack or a meal. If you are hungry, food is the answer, not a cigarette. If you're concerned about weight gain, try drinking water before you eat a snack to help control the amount you eat. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Celery sticks, raw baby carrots and frozen grapes make good low calorie snacks.
Normal weight gain due to quitting smoking is 5-8 pounds. Metabolism does slow a bit initially, so some daily exercise is a good idea. Things will balance out and that quit-related weight will drop off within a couple of months as long as you're eating the same as you were before you stopped smoking.Don't be too hard on yourself. Try to eat in moderation, but until you get your quit program under solid control, don't fret if you gain a few pounds. Quitting tobacco must be in the top slot of your priority list for as long as it takes. Weight can always be lost later.
Angry
Anger is a big trigger for most of us. Find healthy outlets for your feelings of frustration. If at all possible, deal with the situation that is bothering you head on and be done with it.
Talk to friends and family about your feelings or write in your journal. The important thing is not to let anger simmer and get the upper hand. Reaching for a cigarette can seem like a quick fix, but it is a false fix.We may not always be able to choose the events that happen around us, but we do have control over how we let external situations affect us emotionally
Remind yourself that no one has the power to affect your emotions without your approval. You control your inner environment, for better or worse. Take responsibility for how you feel and it will empower you to control difficult emotions smoke-free.
Lonely
For most ex-smokers, loneliness is more accurately described as boredom. Smoking was such a constant companion it was an activity in and of itself.
Early on in cessation, distraction is a useful tool that can help you manage feelings of boredom. Get out for a walk, watch a movie, or work on a hobby. Come up with a list of things you enjoy doing and do some of them. Make them fun and they will help you over the hump of this type of smoking trigger. Depression also falls under this category. People quitting tobacco are especially susceptible to the blues, at least early on. Leaving cigarettes behind can feel like the loss of a friend, albeit a destructive, life-stealing friend. After years of smoking, most of us feel the loss of smoking in this way to some extent. If you feel yourself slipping into a funk, take action. Change your environment(internal, external, or both) and it will help you change your attitude. It's ok to mourn the death of your smoking habit, but don't glorify it as something it was not. It was out to KILL you, remember that!
Tired
Fatigue can be a big trigger for the newly quit. Instead of lighting up when you're tired, give yourself permission to slow down and relax a little, take a nap, or go to bed early if you need to. Sounds so simple, yet people often push themselves too far with all of the demands of life these days. Be aware and take care. Don't let yourself get run down. A tired you is going to be more susceptible to junkie thinking and the threat of relapse. Protect your quit by protecting your health, both physically and mentally. It may feel like you'll never be free of cigarettes and thoughts of smoking will always plague you, but have some faith in yourself and the process, and please be patient. We taught ourselves to smoke, and we can teach ourselves to live comfortably without smokes too.
Soon enough, you'll get to a place where smoking cessation is no longer a daily effort. You may even wonder why you didn't quit sooner, because life without cigarettes has become natural and easy.
In the meantime, keep H.A.L.T. in your arsenal of quit tools and use it to decipher those urges as they come, one by one.
I hope this helps someone ...it certainly opened my eyes as I could relate to pretty much all of them !...jan x
Hey Jan, that's a great piece of information, where did you find it? I think it would be a useful read to our members and just in case some people don't read the daily chats, it might be worth putting it into a blog. You could just copy and paste the above and even call it 'When the Urge to Smoke Hits, Think H.A.L.T.'.What do you think?
Mad, I think that article gives a good understanding of addictions and I'm sure most of our members could relate to it. Again, how about popping it into a blog for everyone to see?
Remember to add in 'tags' when posting as this makes it easier for people to find things when searching
Good morning Emjay and everyone. Hope you're better now Emjay - I guess you're back in work today. Just got back from a manic class at the gym - a bit like circuits squashed into half an hour and supposed to keep you burning fat for 24 hours after! Couldn't keep up with it all but everything helps I hope.
Jan, that's a really good article and like Emjay says should be made retreivable.
Mad, haven't had a chance to read yours yet but I'm sure it'll be just as informative.
WOW !! yes mad there are lots of things that hit home there..going on the age i was when i started I can ' Some, such as shame and guilt, come from finding yourself behaving in ways that are at odds with your personal values and beliefs. ' very good article x
Jan, you could just copy and paste it so that people could read it straight from the blog and then as an act of courtesy, you could add in the link where it came from or start the blog off by saying where you got it from
Andi, was that class called a manic class or was it manic If it continues to burn fat for 24 hours then it must be quite strenuous, even more so if you couldn't keep up!
That's a brilliant article Jan, it really gets you thinking, thank you for putting it on yours is good as well mad, it really help you understand addiction, thank you for posting this as well
That's some class you did Andi, like Emjay said, it must have been really hard if even you couldn't keep up!
We got the snow today so i'm not going out, it's really bad so if anyone wants a cuppa i have the kettle on
Just popped on to say hello, I haven't had a chance to read Jan and Mad's articles so I will have a look later. I'm having quite a busy day today but that's good because it makes the day go quicker.
I hope you are feeling better now EmJay.
I loved the caption that Mad put up a while ago, 'fire at one end and idiot at the other' it's stuck in my mind and always makes me laugh when I think of it
We have snow here today as well, but they say we are going to have rain later so hopefully it will wash the snow away before I have to drive home.
What I've seen of circuit training it reminds me of being in the gym at school when you had to keep moving on to something different, I used to think it was fun but not any more, I think it's like torture now I admire you Andi.
I hope you are ok today. I think it was today you said you had to go to the hospital which is next to where Linda is. If you are feeling down, please come and chat to us maybe we can make you smile again. I'm sure you can get lots of affection from Amor & Vida as well. xx
I'm glad you didn't have to go to the hospital today then. Yes birds are rather messy but I suppose cleaning up after them keeps you out of mischief I like your circuit training, I think I could just about manage that You forgot the kitchen to get some you know what
John I like your idea of 'circuit' training, made me smile that did...
Hope everyone is well and keeping warm.
ISue- i's snowing here too, rain forecast for later, alas I have to pop out at 6pm, and it will still be snowing, grrr. Best place to be is inside warm and cosy!
Kazz- Have a safe drive home from work!
Andi- Every little helps with regard to exercise!
Talking of exercise, someone I know did her abs class at the gym yesterday, and Harry Stiles from One Direction joined the class! I don't like One Direction, but I wonder how many mum's told their children, who tweeted/facebooked it, giving away his location lol
We've had an early tea tonight, homemade Chicken Madras with Basmati rice and a naan bread. Twas rather yummy.
Collected my daughter from school and we went shopping. I know I shouldn't have but I bought 2 boxes of 1mg lozengers, 2 boxes of 96 for £15! A bargain. They should last months! I am averaging one a day, they take the edge off sometimes, and as my Specialist says, better to pop a lozenger than smoke!
Re my poorly toof, am controlling the pain, just waiting for appointment with Specialist. Am at the Dentist tonight at 6pm, she'll more than likely give me another double dose of anti-biotics. I certainly won't be having the next step in my ongoing treatment, I've just got this niggle under control! I am sure that the music you kindly put up on here helped John, as did my meditation and self healing. I've had so much reiki sent to me I am so laid back it's untrue lol
Am off work tomorrow, so am just doing my 'things to do' list, starting with ironing. I'll more than likeyl take my daughter to school, 'cos I'm a kind mummy
I think that the HALT thing will be useful for people who are in the initial stages of quitting the dreaded weed! I liked the Zen ones as well, that Sinfree put up, they were useful.
Glad your feeling better Emjay.
It's meant to be 9 degrees tomorrow, no wonder there are so many bugs about!
Eeek don't knock the 9 degrees tomorrow Chickles, it'll be the first time since Christmas that it's been much above freezing. I'm at home Mon to Weds and this week has been total misery with temperatures in my house around 10 degrees during the day, it was 6.9 degrees in our bedroom this afternoon, and have had my fingerless gloves on all day today brrrrr. Sunday is supposed to be dry, warmer and possibly some sun so hopefully will be able to go out on my bike which I've only been able to get out on once since very early December.
I am really sympathising with you and your tooth. Nothing worse than poorly teeth, been there and know how you feel. You're very brave coping with all that treatment and not smoking too. Hope you soon get it all sorted and can breathe a sigh of relief when you don't have to go for six months.
Hi everyone, it's just been raining here most of the day - cold, damp - YUK! Roll on Spring cos I'm getting fed up with the weather now. I think it deserves some mashed potato with my dinner tonight.
Kazz, glad you're having a busy day and hope you get home safely.
Sue, glad you're getting somewhere with all your tests and hope you had a good time with your daughter yesterday.
JC, I like your circuit - it sounds a bit like the other one I do when I'm at home.
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Carry on saying 'middle' over and over again and it sounds such a crazy stupid word... almost as stupid and crazy as smoking is! ;-/ 
Couldn't keep up with it all but everything helps I hope. 
If it continues to burn fat for 24 hours then it must be quite strenuous, even more so if you couldn't keep up!
