[Closed] Any smokers giving up?

8 years here.

Modern quitters never had it so good with these new fangled e-cigs. In my day it was rancid chewing gum, and cold turkeys.

....and don't get me started on the this internet thingy everyone is talking about!

p.s well done.

Modern quitters never had it so good with these new fangled e-cigs

I'd agree with that, makes it really easy, only reason it didn't work last time for me was going on a 4 day stag do a month after trying to give up(I've was off them all of last March until then).

I'll not be making the same mistake this time, no bevvy for the next few months!

Gave up on Boxing Day and apart from being a bit grumpy at the start feel great. Started running regularly immediately which has nearly killed me but has countered the massive food intake increase with the return of my appetite.

Lasted till early Feb last year before a night out on the beer did for me so this year been a bit of a hermit so far.

Not using anything other than old fashioned will power, I can't stand the smell of those electronic fags and it looks like your trying to smoke a parker pen

E cigs are bloody marvellous things. You can still annoy puritanical, po faced health nazi's, while simultaneously feeding your addiction, but without getting cancer! Whats not to like?! 😀

I packed in at the end of November, so coming up to 2 months off the filthy things. I've packed in in the past, but always felt like I hadn't really packed in. Just sort of put it on hold for a bit. Thats different this time. I honestly haven't felt like a 'proper' cig even once. In fact I've hit the tipping point where I'm starting to find the smell of them absolutely minging. I can't wait to become all 'born again' and get all self-righteous and turn my nose up in disgust at smokers

Stick with it. Best thing I ever did. I know everybody says that, but it's true. I can't tell you how nice it is not to be a slave to ciggies. I am free. Just remember that each time you crack and smoke, it sets you back to the beginning again, and all that giving up time befoe is wasted.

Distract yourself if you get a really bad urge. Do a press up, slap yourself, go outside, drink water, whatever...it soon passes. You'll never regret not having one, but you will regret having one. 🙂

I'm not really a "proper" smoker just the odd one or two a day normally when driving home from work but I've decided to stop this habit as well as I don't even really enjoy it much any more. Hopefully I'm not that addicted and won't have any bad withdrawal symptoms! Have found the best way is to just force myself not to buy filters or papers now I've ran out, and since packaged cigarrettes are disgusting in comparison to rollies I won't bother if anyone offers.

*note to self - add casual smokers to the petty annoyances thread*

8)

E cigs are bloody marvellous things. You can still annoy puritanical, po faced health nazi's, while simultaneously feeding your addiction, but without getting cancer! Whats not to like?!

I've never smoked cigarettes but I do like 'space fags'. Orange tic-tac flavour, mmmm...

Still smoke free, Absinthe e-liquid FTW, and as Binners said, fags smell foul now and I feel miles better..

khani - sorry to single you out as some kind of Muslamic spokesman but is smoking frowned upon like alcohol and other drugs?

After battling on a stop/start basis for years after a major failure (had been off them around 18 months, then went back on when they got banned in indoor public places 😆 ), I gave the ecigs a go in June of last year. Haven't smoked a proper fag since. What's not to like - clean, odour free, tar free, and most of all, you look really cool smoking them. 8)

I have no idea, I'm only half a Muslamic swan, my mum was COE and they decided to agree to disagree and leave us out of it..
I'd love a ray gun though..

[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_on_smoking#Islam ]Muslamic smokey swannage.[/url]

You should read this book .. Allen Carr "The easy way to stop smoking" then you can stop with the e fags too...

I like my ecig, it makes me look cool..

Yes, have just had 2 weeks off with a nasty throat infection (Quinsey) had stopped a few weeks before (patches), have no wish to smoke every again, disgusting, really annoyed did it for so long, once fully recovered from illness training will start again as have a quite a few races lined up 😈

Tried giving up just over 2 years ago with the help of a thread on here, lasted about 8 weeks. Going to give it another go soon.

Unsurprisingly according to Jamie's link 'there is a diversity of Islamic opinion about cigarette smoking.'

khani and darcy - pics of you looking cool smoking vape please.

I've literaly just bought a second copy of the Allen Carr book....

I bought my first one about 9 years ago following a recommendation on here. Read it and stopped without a problem. I was quite evangelistic about it and convinced about a dozen colleagues and friends to give it a go. They did and are still smoke free.

That was until December 2012. Stress, anxiety and depression coupled with a few beers and a mate who nipped outside for a smoke put paid to that. I had one with him and thought 'it'll be okay'. Then bought a pack of 10, which lasted a couple of days. Now I'm up to 10-15 a day and f***ing hate myself for it.

Going to read the book again as I know it worked last time.

khani and darcy - pics of you looking cool smoking vape please.

Have you got the time to fap [i]all[/i] day grum? 🙂

khani and darcy - pics of you looking cool smoking vape please.

freddyg - Member
I've literaly just bought a second copy of the Allen Carr book....

So what's in that book? I've never read it, but I don't really see how a book, that I imagine states the obvious, could really help you?

Far as I'm concerned giving up is down to one thing, personal choice. I smoke because I enjoy it, now I'm giving it up as the effects of it are beginning to outweigh the enjoyment(though I haven't given up weed mind, grass joints are just too fun! :D).

So what's in that book?

There be magic!

It's difficult to pinpoint the defining point in the Alan Carr book but it changes the way you think about smoking and it worked for me 6 years ago. Although stupidly I relapsed last year and had one or 2 when pissed but never became hooked again I could just switch it on or off at will becoming a casual smoker having one with a pint or 6 when pissed...
After the lung cancer thread on here recently and a friend suffering the same fate it's time to stop it for good so I'm re-reading the book.. I got it off ebay for £2 second hand.

Have you got the time to fap all day grum?

Not all day - still need to do my tax return! 😯

freddyg - been there, done that. I think its something you have to do. If you're smoking 10-15 a day, then I'd recommend going for an e-cig. It makes things soooooooooo much easier!!! Enjoy the same things about smoking without killing yourself 😀

And you might end up looking as cool as Bravisimo. Actually… you won't. Us mere mortals can but dream

I stopped in July last year with the help of Champix, feel so much better for it both health wise and financially!

Want to stop now.
Want a ecig kit any advice as to what to get and where from.
What are people using
Thanks

I got [url= http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk/products/variable-voltage-devices/kits/tornado-ego-c-twist-kit-3-product.html ]This[/url] one and it's been really good.
If you use the code NY2014 you get 25% off but I think it runs out tomorrow..

shredder - Member
Want to stop now.
Want a ecig kit any advice as to what to get and where from.
What are people using
Thanks

Binners - I know you're right about the e-cig. I hadn't bothered investing before as I was able to stop anytime I wanted.... yeah, right.

In the link posted above, how long would 10ml of liqud last?

still need to do my tax return!

Finished mine the day before yesterday - that's 3 days earlier than I've done it for the last 10 years.

Thanks
And if starting on these what strength of fluid should I be looking at ?

freddyg - Member

In the link posted above, how long would 10ml of liqud last?

btw loads of cartomisers though, I find they tend to go done.

and buy at least 2 batteries.

And if starting on these what strength of fluid should I be looking at ?

Depends on how much you smoke I guess. 18mg (or sometimes referred to as 1.8%) is probably a good place to start.

Depends how much you smoke but 1.8% is a good start,
Edit.. Wot he ^^^ said

deadlydarcy - Member
And if starting on these what strength of fluid should I be looking at ?
Depends on how much you smoke I guess. 18mg (or sometimes referred to as 1.8%) is probably a good place to start.

I started on 12 this time. felt decent enough, was smoking about 15 a day.

If you cant seem to give them up. There may be a [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25944817 ]Legit reason[/url]

Today is day 13 of my zero benson adventure.

I'm on the e-cigs, the thing with those I think is to buy a proper one, not one thats been made to look like a cigarette. Mine is from Vapes4you.

I started on the 18mg liquid, but I'm down to the 11mg now. Alternating between "smoking" flavour for with my coffee, or apple flavour the rest of the time.

10ml of liquid would probably last me 10 days at my current rate I think.

The turnaround in fitness has been pretty amazing, its been worth about 40 seconds a mile when running already

I've given up giving up. I now have "times where I need to have a ciggie" and times when I have a stern word with myself "Amelia, these are disgusting, stop it you stupid cow"

Right now I need fags, sorry

freddy - I was smoking exactly the same as you - 15 a day. More if I was having a few beers.

I got a [url= http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk/products/tornado-and-titan-tank/tornado-tank-products.html ]Tornado T kit[/url], which I'm loving. Get something proper like that, not the daft ones made to look like cigs

I started on the 18mg, and I've dropped that to the 14mg now. Exactly like Steve-g I find 10 ml of liquid is doing me about 10 days. So thats the princely sum of about £3.50 a week. Cheeper than 10 fags! Result! I now find that I don't touch it at all during the day, and just use it in the evening. Like Steve said, the difference its made on the climbs while out on the bike is amazing. I'm still fat and slow, but theres no wheezing any more 😀

Get yourself one fella. You won't regret it. When it comes to packing in the proper fags, they're a revelation

Good luck!

Cheers Binners. My finger is hovering over the order button now.

Regarding refils, do you need to use their own branded stuff or can you mix and match?

There was mention of spare batteries too - anything else consumable in them? I know precisely nowt about them 🙂

Thanks for the info. Appreciated.

I'm posting from my phone...can someone put up a link to the "Anyone using those electronic ciggies" thread. Lots of good info there freddyg.

[img] [/img]

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/anybody-use-them-electronic-ciggies

I'm still fat and slow, but theres no wheezing any more

btw regards to flavours, I'd avoid the tabacco flavoured ones, they are pretty disgusting. I use the menthol myself.

If you get the Tornado T, then you get a USB charger. My battery is presently plugged into my keyboard.

Its worth looking if you've got any shops locally. This is the one near me [url= http://www.theecigstore.co.uk ]The e-cig store[/url]. The guy who runs it is a top bloke and advised me on the best e-cig to get.

With refills its good to try a few and see what you fancy. I love the apple. And the coffee is quite nice too.

You can tell theres a good shop nearby by the amount of people using them when you nip for a pint. Nobody in my local smokes any more. They're all using e-cigs. So theres plenty discussion to be had around flavours and accessories. Typical blokes, eh? 😀

100% of the people who've posted on this thread about the magic Alan Carr book have both started smoking again.

Mmmm, not a statistic they will want to print on the back of the book 😉

That's true nealglover. I have restarted again, but an 8 year period between stopping and starting isn't bad for my initial £5 investment, is it?

What alternative method do you suggest?

What alternative method do you suggest?

You will have to buy my Magic book to find out.

Cool. Linky please?

I quit on 10th Jan this year for the umpteenth time, using the compressed lozenges as had most success with these in the past. Had a lapse last weekend as was on a bit of a drinking session, but got back on the mints Monday morning and been OK without them this week.

Whilst I understand people avoiding going out in the first weeks/months to avoid the temptation - I've always found this just puts it off and eventually you'll need to face up to it.

Also, on 'giving up on giving up' don't torture yourself over it - if you lapse or even decide you wanna smoke for a while it doesn't mean it is forever. In the past when I have had short periods back on the fags (i.e. been on stag do etc.) just think of it as a break and start back on your chosen NRT as soon as you feel you can.

Well done to all those who are having success with quitting, chin up and keep trying those who ain't.

RM.

I can't wait to become all 'born again' and get all self-righteous and turn my nose up in disgust at smokers

Sadley this is also temporary , i gave up 6 years ago and basked in self righteous holyier than thou BS for a good while but it seems that goes away as well ,now i am left with nothing.

100% of the people who've posted on this thread about the magic Alan Carr book have both started smoking again.

Mmmm, not a statistic they will want to print on the back of the book

I read (well, listened) to the book and successfully went cold turkey about 4 years ago. Having said that, even reading this thread has made me want a smoke so much. The sad part is, you still feel like you're losing something, not gaining your health, money etc.

Also, on 'giving up on giving up' don't torture yourself over it - if you lapse or even decide you wanna smoke for a while it doesn't mean it is forever.

absolutely, just because you have 1 cigarette, doesn't mean you have to have 10,000!

what year are we on? 2014?

16 years & counting. I got up one morning in early '98 and decided I didn't want to do it anymore. that was it.

no patches, gum, e-cigs, nothing but a healthy dose of will power & a large helping of cold turkey

Helpful tab rejection facts :

Cold turkey is a good substitute for tabs, its just protein, cake is bad, probably worse than tabs !!!

Cold turkey is available without prescription but so is cake !

no patches, gum, e-cigs, nothing but a healthy dose of will power & a large helping of cold turkey

Likewise. Not sure if it was because all the options on the market were so bloody foul.

It does sound like caveat city to say you have to be in the right frame of mind to quit, but you really do.

....I also had the benefit of being able to drink, and not have my smoking guard drop. The downside to this, as at the time you could smoke in pubs, my left hand had a pint, and my right hand, instead of a tab, also had a pint. I was drunk for most of January till I stopped compensating.

Cool. Linky please?

I told you, it's magic.

If you need it, it will find you.

Joking aside, whatever works is great.

It was just a tongue in cheek dig really, It's just that the Alan Carr book tends to generate quite evangelical "quitters" who sometimes can't see that there are other options (e-cigs/lozenges/patches etc)

Personally I'm "clean" Five years in March, using e-cigs from day 1, and never wanted another cigarette, no cravings at all ! Now using VERY weak or 0% nicotine juice.

Still use e-cigs as I like them. Never use "smoke" flavours. Always homemade juice flavoured with with menthol crystals

(Not had a cold/flu/cough/bunged up nose etc in 5 years either.)

Now using VERY weak or 0% nicotine juice.

no cravings at all !

Having read this before posting (it took ages to type on my phone), it sounds a bit zealous. But it's well meant and if it helps anyone here then that's all good.

If you really want to pack fags in completely I can heartily recommend Champix.

You can get it on prescription from your local anti-smoking clinic.

Simply put, it shuts off the receptor in the brain that's goes "Mmmm nicotine, yummy !"

It's a 3 month course by the way - and 3 months support where you genuinely don't crave is brilliant and helps after the course finishes - it breaks the habit side of things, quite apart from the nicotine dependency side of things. The habit was at least as much of a problem for me.

I tried to "break" it, not believing that it could be that straight forward but trying a fag part way through the course)was about as nice as smoking a burning twig. I simply saw no point and just put them out after a drag or 2. Tried this several times with same result, and for me, having proved some sort of point, it really put me off even bothering again - I don't feel that I missed anything cos all my experiences with fags once I was on Champix were pointless. This bit was really important for me though I can't really explain why. You simply get nothing from smoking - even that first Marlboro Red in the morning.

When you start on Champix they will tell you to carry on smoking as usual and you will stop
Around day 10 - amazingly they were right (I tried to "break " the drug after this).

I've been off fags for 3 years.

Caveat, not all people get on with Champix. More than one person I know felt it made them absent minded / distracted (to the point where they stopped after a couple of weeks) but if you do get on with it (and you actually want to stop), you will stop and you will not believe how easy it was.

Sweets and strava are quite good, although my teeth have suffered!

Gave up last May,I was a very heavy smoker,I worked out my day around smoking,it ruled my life and I'm glad I stopped,after reading Allan carr's "how to stop smoking" I quit without any e cigs or patches,gum or hypnotherapy,I am a firm believer in that if you want to quit you have to quit nicotine because nicotine is the addictive drug that keeps you smoking therefore cigs,patches and gum just keeps you hooked,I highly reccomended you read the book,you can get it on amazon for about £7.00.

I went on the patches just shy of 10 years ago and it took me about 8 weeks to stop . Best thing I ever did ! Although my missus has got even more of my money now to spend on Shite

is this TIC too?

"TIC" ?

I quit in 1999. I read recently about smoking and Pancreatic cancer. Really nasty. Sadly for oldschool heavy smokers when they really want to quit its too late. Plenty in their 50's diagnosed with cancer.

For anyone in your 20/30's still smoking you are idiots. All your life you've known its horrific for your health. So you need an incentive? First step is your an addict. Like an Alcoholic.

No excuse for our generation. We KNOW that its bad.

100% of the people who've posted on this thread about the magic Alan Carr book have both started smoking again.

I'm stopped for around 14 years now after reading the Allen Carr book. I didn't follow his method exactly but found the book useful.

I had tried gum and lozenges before without long term success. I went cold turkey after reading Carr's book. Carr's tip to view withdrawal symptoms as a good thing helped. The idea being that the symptoms are your body curing itself.

As the book cost the same as a packet of fags why not try it?

No excuse for our generation. We KNOW that its bad.

[img] http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/a/72/a7226256131a292641af446f0d0c0c9f-orig [/img]

binners - Member

Are pensioner imune to the last 30/40 years of smoking is bad for you campaigns?

My granda chucked it in the 60s so even then it wasn't unknown. (Plus the above ad is more or less a reaction to health concerns.)

As the book cost the same as a packet of fags why not try it?

Read my next post after the one you quoted.

seosamh77 - We all know its mad. You just keep yourself in denial though, don't you

LA LA LAAAAAAA I'M NOT LISTENING!!!!!!!

I was talking to a friend of a friend last night who's using the e-cigs to pack in. He said he started smoking when he was 30? Now that I just don't get. You start smoking when you're a cocky little shit, who thinks they know everything, while you're at school. You don't do it when you've developed something resembling common sense

seosamh77 - We all know its mad. You just keep yourself in denial though, don't you

LA LA LAAAAAAA I'M NOT LISTENING!!!!!!!

I was talking to a friend of a friend last night who's using the e-cigs to pack in. He said he started smoking when he was 30? Now that I just don't get. You start smoking when you're a cocky little shit, who thinks they know everything, while you're at school. You don't do it when you've developed something resembling common sense

Yip, kinda delude yourself into think it'll not effect you, which tbh for the first 10/15 years of smoking, it doesn't really all that much. It's only over the last few years I've noticed myself wheezing and stuff which is pretty much why I'm giving up now. Essentially, now I've grown up a little(I'm 36! :D)I've realised, i'm not immortal!

Agree with starting in your 30s that's nuts, though i've a mate who is 45 and has started smoking flavoured pipes a years or 2 ago, mental, for what reason I have no idea, not like he smokes weed or anything....

The scary (and very) sad thing is we as humans think we are invincible when we are in the flush of youth. When our children are hitting the interesting years thats when the nasty effects of smoking kick in.

Do you want to drive round with an Oxygen tank at hand, lots of medication and/or be told the news that you have the C word and your children are crying/numb?

Come on. Life doesn't end at 50. You might live on for another 15-20yrs with a very poor quality of life due to smoking. That scares me more than sudden death.

Smokers jovially call 'us' Nazi's. In reality its smokers who stopped and then thought 'what the **** have we been doing all these years'. Its a shock when you have this moment. Then you know you wont smoke again ever.

I quit at New Year, so far so good. I was a very heavy smoker, so cigarettes had stopped working for me. It didn't seem [i]that[/i] hard, once I realised that mostly I didn't feel very different to how I'd felt when I was smoking. I had turned into this guy:

"Paradoxically, he no longer wanted to give up smoking: what he wanted to do was take up smoking. Not so much to fill the little gaps between cigarettes with cigarettes (there wouldn’t be time, anyway) or to smoke two cigarettes at once. It was more that [i]he felt the desire to smoke a cigarette even when he was smoking a cigarette[/i]. The need was and wasn’t being met…"

From "The Information" by Martin Amis. My italics.

Come on. Life doesn't end at 50. You might live on for another 15-20yrs

I won't. I've decided that on my next birthday I'm going to strap twelve tons of TNT to myself and ride a live shark into an active volcano

[img] [/img]

My mrs has started again, any tips for getting her to quit?

Working on the knowledge that she stopped for several years when trying for and having children I figure she will stop for other people but not for herself so my masterplan is....

as of next week everytime she smokes a fag in my presence I'm going to smoke one too so she'd better damn well give up before I get addicted.

Told her this last night, she didn't think I was serious.

as of next week everytime she smokes a fag in my presence I'm going to smoke one too so she'd better damn well give up before I get addicted.

My money or hers? and do I get to spend it or does she?

Lady: Do you smoke?
Guy: Yes I do.
Lady: How many packs a day?
Guy: 3 packs.
Lady: How much per pack?
Guy: $10.00 per pack.
Lady: And how long have you been smoking?
Guy: 15 years
Lady: So 1 pack is $10.00 and you have been smoking 3 packs a day which puts your spending per month at $900. In 1 year, it would have been $10,800. Correct?
Guy: Correct.
Lady: If 1 year you spend $10,800, not accounting for inflation, the past 15 years puts your spending total at $162,000. Correct?
Guy: Correct.
Lady: Do you know if you hadn't smoke, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 15 years, you could have by now bought a Ferrari?
Guy: Oh. Do you smoke?
Lady: No.
Guy: Then where's your Ferrari?

I'd like to know, from an unbiased medical person, just how much harm my one or two tabs a month (and a small pouch of Golden Virginia during a 2 week holiday, once a year) is doing .....