[Closed] Smoking IS a pretty disgusting habit....

I remember watching a programme on telly years ago where they were trying to persuade a guy to stop smoking. They showed him the boat he could've bought with the money he'd burned in 20 years of smoking.. then they took it away.. the look on his face was quite something...

I remember watching a programme on telly years ago where they were trying to persuade a guy to stop smoking. They showed him the boat he could've bought with the money he'd burned in 20 years of smoking.. then they took it away.. the look on his face was quite something.

many of my riding friends are relatively new to the sport...and we got talking one evening about how much it had cost them so far. in the 25 years i've been mountain biking i'd say i've easily spent the best part of £50k on bikes, tools, clothing and all the other associated stuff...in that same time i reckon i've spent at least a minimum of £20k on destroying my lungs by smoking...
round 2 with the bombers for me...

In a 'taking the positives' post I normally nip out and have a mid-afternoon smoke around this time. It is absolutely tipping down out there at the moment. I'd have still bloody done it. Because I'm a bloody idiot!

I'm having another moment of clarity, and have weed in my own shoes again for good measure

and have weed in my own shoes again for good measure

Superb. No one will think of looking there and it's much better than that nasty tobacco shit...

Oi bearnecessities! How you getting on? And other fag free STWers? I'm 4 days smoke free. The e-cig hasn't been getting as much hammer as I thought it would. I even risked the pub last night.

I am permanently hungry though. I wouldn't like to calculate my packet of crisps count. I've been inhaling these...

[img] [/img]

😳

Do you know they do a curry sauce version of those too, now?

You're welcome.

I quit July 2007 after 20 years of 20 a day. Not had one since. I think you have to be determined and don't leave yourself any "escape routes" I chucked everything away connected with smoking as I was never going to need them again.
After 6 months started putting on weight so bought a mountain bike. Kids decided they wanted a go at riding too.

This [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcyclingphotos/20444660790/in/album-72157655014000054/ ]National XC[/url]was my oldest a couple of weeks ago at Cannock Chase riding for Torq and taking 3rd in the Elite race. As he has said to me a few times he would never had got started if I hadn't quit

Good job Binners, Mike et al. Getting on Ok with e-fag for a week or more, and I too didnt use it much, but have been banging bread/bread products in me like I'm scared of deflating. Last night (under order of Mrs MR) I 'simply have to buy some baccy' as am midway through moving house. Now sitting here with a rollie feeling like crap, drinking tea, hurting all over with my head in bits. The shame.

well done all you non smokers!!

I'm so glad I never started - beyond smoking a bit of 'herb' whilst I was at Art college, I've never smoked.

My Mum's Dad died when I was 3 - he was late 50's - heart failure which was probably as a result of him being a life-long smoker.

My Dad's Dad died when I was 17, he was 68 - massive heart attack, which was probably as a result of him being a lifelong (and heavy) smoker.

Good luck to any of you who've managed to quit, or are trying at the moment - Your grandkids will thankyou for it, because they'll have a bit more time to get to know you.

RIght! Can we have an update non-smokerists?

I'm 11 days in and the last couple of days have seen a bit of a benchmark. I used to get up in the morning and the first thing I'd do would be have a coffee and a cig. So last week I was still using the e-cig while having a morning coffee. This week I haven't, and I haven't really thought about it either. Just sort of stopped. Still hammering it in the evenings though. But I can live with that for the time being.

Hows everyone else doing?

In the last week I've gone from a 35-40 a day habit, to smoking a maximum of 5 or 6 with 3 consecutive days completely fag free..

The vapouriser is definitely taking away the cravings very efficiently, and I'm not using it as much as I thought I would.. certainly not at the same rate that I would be smoking

Awesome work both of you, really good going.

The habit of smoking was the one thing I found hardest to break and it looks like you've both found a way of breaking that part.

Keep going!

Thats pretty bloody impressive Yunki. Both your ability to smoke 40 fags a day (I've never even managed that on an all dayer), and your success in reducing it to nowt

Good work fella!!

4 weeks fully with not even the odd crafty one when the Mrs ain't about, I'm a a serial vaper, and quitter. Vape for a while then have a crafty tab when she isn't around/having a beer with the lads.
Using my own mixed 3mg juice, so barely nothing

only time I smoke is If I'm drunk, which is usually once a year at an SS event. Years of behavioral conditioning mean that If i'm boozed up i smoke, so I quit drinking at the same time and again it a special event kind of thing. may have to do a tea total SSUK, Europeans and worlds just so I can say that proper im a non smoker, even worse I may have to just get racey and try hard and then I wont smoke either, but that's crazy talk!

good work, giving up isn't easy and don't get tempted by the "odd one", before you know it it ramps upgain

i stopped 2 years ago with champix (don't use it, horrible stuff, i've had long lasting side effects), however over the past 9 months the weekend on the p*ss smoking has crept back in to the point where buying and smoking a 20 pack if on the pop all day.

now trying an e-cig at the weekends to avoid tobacco whilst at the same time trying to not get fully addicted to nicotine again!

has anyone who stopped tobacco but uses an e-cig noticed an improvement in cardio ability? I'm using my e-cig more than i was smoking fags (ie sometimes in the week) and i don't want to go back to suffering pigeon lungs!

Stopped sometime in June not sure when - completely mind blanked the whole thing -
no vape no patches nothing

Occasionally a tickly feeling about needing to take one of those "breaks"

Just ignore it ..

@sofaboy, yeah cardio ability has improved being just on the e cig, although the normal cigs didn't really affect me that much, on the old lung capacity test at the quacks, I used to blow 700, now 2 years later on and offsmoking vaping I'm at 720

Mrs Stu blows 450 being an asthmatic as a comparison

It helps to incentivise … and use man maths.

I was on about 5 packs of 20 a week. I gave up 16 years ago and in that time my hobby / toy fund has bought the following:

Five new motorbikes:
Honda XR650r
Honda XR400r
BMW G650 Dakar
BMW G650 Xchallenge
Husqvarna FE 450

Then moved on to bikes;
Specialized Rockhopper
Specialized Carve
Trek Rumblefish Pro
GT Grade 105 Carbon

OK I’ve traded previous bikes in or sold them on to part fund the next one but I’ve also bought loads of kit, insurances, servicing, dirt bike holidays - and a trip to LaMolina this year on the MTB. Still got the Grade & Rumble.

My hobby / toy fund budget is broadly about what I would have spent on smoking - over the past 16 years that would have been £23000.

Historic fag prices [url= http://www.the-tma.org.uk/tma-publications-research/facts-figures/uk-cigarette-prices/ ]here[/url]:

Tax alone on the fags would have been £17700!!

And of course your hobby / toy budget is index linked so it goes up each in line with the cost of fags!

Next year my budget is £2200.

Its not a perfect calculation but it works for me!

Paul - that's exactly what I'm doing. All the money I would have spent on fags is going into a savings account labelled 'new bike fund' at the end of the week. I was smoking about 15 a day, so that's about £40 a week. As an incentive my better half, who has always hated me smoking, has promised to match fund it. Bless her.

The plan is to keep putting the money away and ride my present bike through the winter, then spank all the cash next spring on a very nice custom build. Doing the maths, by next May I'm going to be looking at a very very nicely specced new 650b Orange P7

I'm going to be looking at a very very nicely specced new 650b Orange P7

Paul - that's exactly what I'm doing. All the money I would have spent on fags is going into a savings account labelled 'new bike fund' at the end of the week. I was smoking about 15 a day, so that's about £40 a week

Do it !! It's like having a free new bike every year or so. It's so easy to justify nice toys when the money is essentially free... proper man maths that!

Afterstarting at 16 and jacking at probably 40, only then to have the occasional few when drunk,I am not a non smoker proper like.

To "give up" initially ( not including temporary intoxicated smokes), I initially identified my triggers. They were:

Instant coffee
Lager
Leaving work at the end of the day
A particular set of traffic lights on the way to work.

I drank tea or propercoffee, drank wine instead of Lager, drove a different way to work. The hardest tab to give up on was the after work one but the ridiculousness of the traffic lights making me wanting smoke made it all the easier to Jack in.

I am proud to say I cold turkey'd my self off them about 7 years ago.

Avoid your triggers. You'll succeed.

triggers maybe, for me it was/is def more about routine. Every time I broke my routine ie holidays, I could easily go without, but I'd be straight back on the cigs once I got back into everyday routine. I hated smoking for all the usual reasons and discovered e-cigs about 4 years ago and haven't smoked since, but still vape regularly. The real smoking crunch came when I realised I couldn't romp uphill and hold a conversation at the same time, time to deal with it. I have zero self discipline, but vaping has put my lungs back to where they were 20 years ago, I can now easily hill walk and talk without issue. I have some concerns about vaping, but it has been obvious that my lungs and fitness have massively benefited from vaping.
keep at it everyone/anyone, even if it is just becomes a substitute, it will always be 100 times better than smoking IMO.

So how is it going for everyone, Hope you're all getting on ok?

I joined the club on Monday and so far I'm smoke free and no vaping either. I was on 8 a day when at work but never at the weekends unless drinking. Looking forward to getting my lungs back together!

Aye oop.

Well I'm still off the fags. Its a god few weeks now. The new bike fund is looking healthy.

I confess that I had a brief lapse last Sunday as I'd been to Anfield to watch a Liverpool game, and it was so unbelievably tedious and depressingly boring that I had a B&H or two in the pub afterwards.

However, disgusted with myself for caving in, I immediately developed such a venomous bout of man flu that I not only haven't had a fag since then, I haven't even been resorting to my e-cig either. This is major progress

Oh... and good luck teadrinker!

Hows everyone else getting on?

Good stuff bins.

[quote=binners said]Aye oop.
Well I'm still off the fags. Its a god few weeks now. The new bike fund is looking healthy.
I confess that I had a brief lapse last Sunday

So you're on day 5 then 😉

Just thought I'd resurrect this for a bit of an update, and see how everyone else is getting on.

I'm coming up for 6 weeks off the things now (except the brief Scouser induced lapse), and feeling so much better for it. I'm starting to allow myself the thought that I might actually have cracked it for good this time. Not that I'm allowing myself to get complacent.

My problem was that the thought that I'd be less annoying or irritating than usual if I stopped smoking. I needn't have worried. I've got it covered. I now look down my nose, in that smug condescending manner so familiar to a lot of people on here, as my mates come back in to the pub having been outside in the rain for a fag, that horrible faggy smell wafting in behind them. I really have lost the desire to join them. So I've actually managed to become even more annoying. Result, eh? 😀

The new bike fund was looking very healthy, so I just spanked that, and quite a bit more as well, on a new toy! Yay!!! But I'm going to keep putting away the B&H money away in the new bike fund, on an N+1 basis

Hows everyone else getting on then?

2 months off them now. Hurray for the new smug, sanctimonious me!!! 😀

Now I need to address the elephant in the room - literally - me. I've put on over half a stone. I was hardly svelte to begin with. The pies have been working their comfort food replacement magic 😥

Anyone else got an update then?

I'm back on the e-cigs now after a bad couple of months back on the roll ups.

Reduced my nic level to 6mg and feeling optimistic.
The only problem with the e cigs though is that they get rid of the desire to give up completely as they feel relatively harmless

The only problem with the e cigs though is that they get rid of the desire to give up completely as they feel relatively harmless

Reduced my nic level to 6mg and feeling optimistic.

The Nicorette mints worked for me all those years ago. I had to break the habit of hand to mouth, breathing in, exhaling etc. E-Cigs weren't even a thing when I quit, but they probably wouldn't have worked for me for that reason.

[quote="binners"]I've put on over half a stone.You could just go out and ride the new bike? Or use the bike fund to buy the kit to actually go out riding in all weathers (and don't stop off at the pub on the way home. I reckon 50% of rides that finish at the pub you put more back in than you've just burnt off!)

You could do a Hora, and buy a road bike? (and then try not to sell it)

The only problem with the e cigs though is that they get rid of the desire to give up completely as they feel relatively harmless

Good work binners. That post-fag smell really is bloody awful isn't it? At work I've asked people to go away and come back in 10 minutes not out of any kind of sanctimony but because the stink makes me feel nauseated.

The only problem with the e cigs though is that they get rid of the desire to give up completely as they feel relatively harmless

They are.

great stuff Binners, well done!! 😀

..the other problem is that you look like a complete bell-end.

I couldn't care less, to be honest. I am absolutely determined that this is it, and I'm not starting smoking again. So if that helps me do that while I'm at my greatest risk - having a pint - then I really wouldn't care if it was 3ft long, neon pink, with flashing lights on it*

You could just go out and ride the new bike? Or use the bike fund to buy the kit to actually go out riding in all weathers (and don't stop off at the pub on the way home.

The problem is that the packing in smoking has coincided with me working somewhere that is just that bit too far to commute on the bike. And I've been banging the hours in, so haven't been able to get out much in the evenings either. 🙁

However, this changes today when I finish this contract. The next one is a 7 mile each way commute which I intend to do at least 3 times a week, tagging in an extended off-road route home. That should shift some timber.

* This may be a gross exaggeration

.the other problem is that you look like a complete bell-end

My looking cool days are over anyway so that doesn't bother me + It allows me to buy weird looking steel and glass devices from China and smoke them.

whats that equivalent in normal cigs? 10 a day? 20? less?

I have been told by the internet that a cigarette is around 18mg.

18 mg in one cigarette?

I have been told by the internet that a cigarette is around 18mg

That's per PACK, not per cigarette.

And the amounts quoted on eliquids are per mg/ml

So if you smoke a pack of 18mg cigs/day you've had 18mg of nicotine.

To get the same from an ecig (using 6mg juice) you would need to get through 30ml/day. (No chance!)

I seem to get through between 3 - 5ml per day and have found a few of the £1 liquids quite pleasing which keeps the cost down

Personally I wouldn't trust the Chinese made cheapie liquids, and certainly not anything that costs £1

I use Decadent Vapours stuff and mix my own. Costs me £10/month (ish) and I use it a fair bit as I drive all day.

Its top quality UK manufactured stuff l, and as I mix it myself, I know exactly what is in it.

Never started smoking myself, literally tried it once, (a mate up the road swiped some of his dad's ciggies and we went up the woods and lit up), and just thought it was disgusting. My dad smoked, died from a heart attack when I was thirteen, cigs were probably the cause.
One of my best mates used to smoke regularly, usually Galloise, and one day just thought, "right, that's it, I'm stopping", put the part smoked packet in a drawer in his desk, and as far as I know, it's still where he left it; that must be twenty-odd years ago now.
It's perfectly possible if you have the strength of will to tell yourself to stop, so very best of luck to everyone who are trying to give up.

There is literally [i]nothing funny[/i] about vaping. 😯

[IMG] [/IMG]

Personally I wouldn't trust the Chinese made cheapie liquids

Me neither but the ones I'm talking about are made in Stockport using UK nic etc

it is amazing people still smoke

Aye oop all. Seeing as its new year I thought I'd resurrect this thread, as I'm sure people will be thinking of packing in

I've not had a fag in over 4 months now, after having a crack with the e-cig as a result of this thread.

If I'm honest I'm sort of missing my annual grudging, obligatory half-arsed attempt to pack in smoking that the end of December ushers in.

Good luck to anyone giving up tonight. I seem to have managed it. And I'm the most weak willed human being ever to have walked the earth

Good stuff binners. Faster on the bike yet?

Still dog slow Molls. That'll never change. I just don't sound like a slowly deflating bagpipe on the climbs any more. Which is nice 😀

Fair play to all who have a go at quitting, no matter how!
I've been on ecigs for nearly two years, and am much better off, both financially and health wise....no doubt.

And it's easy too......

Good luck to anyone giving up tonight. I seem to have managed it. And [b]I'm the most weak willed human being ever to have walked the earth[/b]

I have been touched by Master Binners determination to become a smoke free cycling adonis. This thread is very encouring, knowing that it is actually possible to quit and stay quit.

I also want to become a smoke free cycling mucsle bound hottie. Midnight is the start of my smoke free life.

Good luck with it mrsfry! Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can. I'm legendary for my total absence of will power

I've hit that point where not only do I not want a fag, when I smell people smoking I think its a bit minging. And I never ever thought I'd reach that point!

Good call, I was only wondering this morning how people were getting on. Well done all.

I also want to become a smoke free cycling mucsle bound hottie. Midnight is the start of my smoke free life.

I packed up 5 years ago after having Been a smoker for 25 years.
Went from 40 a day to 0 overnight. I had tried and failed many times previously but on this occasion it was very easy.
My brother gave up a couple of years ago but substituted his cigs with e cigs and after 2 years is still vaping.

I am glad I swerved the whole vaping thing as although I understand they are much healthier I am glad I am not addicted to anything.

Thank you Binners 🙂

@Cougar Look out your bedroom window....i'm on the ladder 😉

I have just "stopped" smoking about a month plus now due to the depletion of my tobacco stock. Now down to 70grams (bought £72 from Deutschland for a lot of tobacco).

My reason is partly due to the stain caused by smoking that makes me look as if I have my native head hunters' teeth on ...

Instead I have taken up a bit of vaping but they taste disgusting to be honest but since the Vaper is made of nice stainless steel I thought I would give it a try to see how it goes ... still taste shite tbh.

I think I am in the process of giving up. 😮

edit: I think I will give up vaping too coz it's shite ... then take up my hobby of knife collection.

Well I gave up over 15 years ago after 15 years of puffing away & TBH it was real easy.

Giving up drinking silly amounts, I can sense is going to be harder

... But I'd really, really appreciate a cigar right now.

Haven't smoked for a month - and six weeks before that - I might need one soon. Only trouble is I need a smoke when I've had a beer and then I can't drive to get some cigars!

I still have my Peterson pipe and tobacco so might give that a try ... 😀

Stopped in August last year after 35 years on the fags bought an ecig to give it a go found it most effective, i've had one cigarette since stopping I was drunk one night and had one ..I felt sick haven't touched em again since slowly weaning myself of the ecig which Im finding quite easy to do my aim is to quit it completely by the summer

1 tin of corned beef (out the tin, under the duvet)
1 Packet of ginger nuts (on top of the duvet. I'm not a barbarian)
4 Slices of Black Pudding (On the floor while googling important stuff)
1 Tray of flap jacks (in the kitchen looking in the fridge for something to eat)

Don't judge me. Least i'm not smoking

Judge you?

if you look at the share price of crisp manufacturers, you'll have noted a hefty spike since I packed in smoking. 😳

😆 😆 Thank you

My dad is a lifelong smoker. 40 a day until 57, when he was diagnosed with COPD. He basically quit when he threw his cigs in the bin in the consultants office. He's 60 now and hasn't touched any since, but the damage is done. He gets out of breath very quickly. This Christmas, he was out of breath pressure washing the drive, and he's on three different meds to assist with what he's got left.

At the moment, he's still capable of working, and as a not very active type, it's not affected his lifestyle much so far, but I'm acutely aware that it will. He's just a little bit worse every year.

I know I face the prospect of watching him become as weak as a kitten and fade to nothing in the most horrible way.

For his sake, when he's no longer able to enjoy his life, I hope he dies suddenly from a massive heart attack instead of slipping away, slowly throttled, without his dignity, by the consequences of his own actions.

I gave up fags about 2 1/2 years ago and started vaping instead. I started when I was about 14 or so and gave up when I was 42. I had been on 20+ a day for years, I dread to think how much I spent.

I do use the vape quite a lot, but am down to 6mg liquid now and when I started I was on 24mg, so quite pleased with that.

On day 6 smoke free. Tomorrow will be testing as kids and wife go back to school / work. One day at a time right?

Keep at it everyone that's just stopped, smoked my last one in July and haven't had any since then (patches)
Has made a lot of difference although the Cornish pasty industry will have seen hefty spike in sales in the last 6 months 😳

One day at a time indeed. It won't be too many days before you stop thinking about it. In the meantime I find that eating lots of rubbish stuff has helped my body not go into toxic shock by being suddenly deprived of unhealthiness. Just keep one of these by your desk....

[img] [/img]

I'm not actually joking 😳

Grrrr.... Not easy is it? :/

No, not for the first couple of months, as much mental a physical cravings for personally.
Ate so much food as it all tasted so much better.
I reckon an extra stone to pedal up the hills is better resistance training so should loose the weight quicker than usual 😆 😳

Regarding the vaping things, I did try one but tasted grim and was pretty close to smoking, i.e putting something in your mouth and inhaling vapour so not breaking some part of the physical addiction (purely a personal thing)
Also didn't like the idea of inhaling chemicals (yes I do get the irony of this from a ex heavy ish smoker)

No one mentioned the nightmares 😯 and trouble getting off 🙁 and the leaking nose.

@mrsfry I haven't noticed the nightmares (vaping for nearly 2 years now). As for trouble getting off - I assume you're referring to 'sleep'? I've found that if I vape a lot throughout the evening, then it can be difficult nodding off to sleep. The leaking nose - yep, occupational hazard!

Thank you Freddyg. Picked up a vape kit so i will try that. I am tierd when i go to bed, but as soon as i am tucked in i am wide awake, running out of things to clean and rearange. Tried running, weights and situps to get me tierd and nothing works.

Quitting has turned me into a creature of the night