When I first gave up smoking, I was drawn to Cherry Tunes.

Now it's Sugar Free Polos.... it's been about 7 years, I don't particularly miss smoking though.

Kinda strange you say that Skerret, when I was serving I would spend weeks at a time without smoking, always started again when back at the mess though

optimark_prime wrote:

When I first gave up smoking, I was drawn to Cherry Tunes. Now it's Sugar Free Polos.... it's been about 7 years, I don't particularly miss smoking though.

My Grandad gave up his 30 a day habit just before my brother was born about 30 years ago, he still has a 30 a day Trebor extra strong mints habit.

Hypnotherapy is worth a shot. There's multitude CDs or apps.

Be careful with gum, it gave me terrible stomach ache, but that could just be my sensitive stomach. Wrigleys Extra will give you the shits in large doses.

You HAVE to avoid trigger situations. Be careful not to replace smoking with drinking as I've done twice.

cockbeard wrote:

So this week I've not had more than two cigarettes a day and yesterday didn't have a single one. However as I type this I am enjoying the untold pleasure of real Marlboro red Why is the next step so hard, why does actually not smoking put the fear into me, whereas one a day has been fine. How do any of you guys fight cravings, I'm flying through peppermint extra at the moment

I'm the same. reduced over the years without too much trouble. now at 3 a day, but can't seem to take the next step.

There's a big pschological difference between putting off having a cigarette because you know you can have one later, and not having one now knowing you can never have one at all.

And your wanking arm will be muscled up nicely.

Fear my return to Asia and cheaper fags will undermine my years of total abstinence.

JonB wrote:

There's a big pschological difference between putting off having a cigarette because you know you can have one later, and not having one now knowing you can never have one at all.

This, massively, but if you've been on a couple a day then it's possible. I was taking two out of a pack to go to work with. Bought a pack on way to work and struggling not to smoke every chance

JonB wrote:

There's a big pschological difference between putting off having a cigarette because you know you can have one later, and not having one now knowing you can never have one at all.

That's not the most helpful way of approaching giving up anything addictive, in my experience.  Don't tell yourself you're never smoking again, just tell yourself you're not smoking today.  One day at a time.

It's tough to stop, it really is. The amount of times I stopped and started again over the past 5 years was just ridiculous. The Mark Twain quote, that was me.

I think there really might be something to the old "you really have to want to stop" thing. Even though I always wanted to stop I don't think I was really ready to stop. Like someone said earlier that fear of NOT SMOKING EVER AGAIN! was fucking terrifying. But I got to the stage when I was just completely sick of it. I have asthma too. So I was sick of the breathing difficulties, sick of the cost, sick of the flat stinking, sick me myself stinking... I wanted to lose a bit of weight, start jogging. But I could barely get up the stairs. 

So I finally really went for it. Genuinely feeling like this was the one. Cold Turkey. Haven't smoked a cigarette in a year and a half. Started jogging. Gone from barely able to run for literally about 2 minutes, to comfortably running for over half an hour. Lost almost 3 stones.

I miss certain aspects of it. Obviously none of those things I mentioned above. But yeah, all the usuals like smoking with a drink with friends, smoking outside coffee shops while reading a book.

But fuck it. It's an absolute crock of shite and I'm damn pleased I finally managed to pack it in. But I'm always a little on my guard. I've known too many people who have started again after years in the clear.

One of grandfathers died of smoking related causes, smoked 100 a day at his peak. My other grandfather (dead before I was born) ended up in the hospital with a massive heart attack (smoking related). When he got home, under strict supervision not to fucking smoke, he snuck out of bed in the middle of the night for a fag. Found dead the next morning slumped over the kitchen table.

Thanks

Every 6-8 weeks I used to get bad guts for about 8 hours, really painful and I'd usually end up puking. I noticed, while my head was stuck over a vomit filled bowl, that there was what looked like a mini oil slick on the surface. Even the slightest cough was bringing up tar which I would swallow and then my stomach would reject when it got to a certain amount.

This revalation was a fantastic incentive to stop, every time I coughed I'd spit into a cup, the amount of tar was shocking, it took about two months to clear up.

I've been cig free for 6 or 7 years, after 20 years of abuse. It was hard and I don't have any advice.

Nice work Plan M.

Remember at 7 weeks the nicotine should be long gone out of your body (providing you havent used nicorette).
Any cravings now will just be habitual.

Wow Birdorf, that sounds proper scary.

Liveinadive wrote:

Nice work Plan M. Remember at 7 weeks the nicotine should be long gone out of your body (providing you havent used nicorette). Any cravings now will just be habitual. Wow Birdorf, that sounds proper scary.

The nicotine's gone in 36-48 hours actually.

It does? Says who? All the stuff I've read says it's gone from your system entirely within about 48 hrs.

e.g.