[Closed] smoking.......sorry..

the few times i did quit everything tasted, smelt and seemed more pleasant, i just cant seem to kick the habit, also with my brother in law (who i work for) he smokes and i am surrounded by smokers on building sites and houses we do work at. am i classed as a bit of an outcast because i smoke? i NEVER smoke when im on my bike with the people i ride with as it would just feel wrong, but i light up as soon as i get to the car again and everytime i do i feel like a bad schoolboy. anyone else feel the same?

Felt the same as you for a long time.

I'm afraid it's time for a large tablespoon of MTFU matey and the realisation that most smokers who see you giving up are massively envious of you when you succeed. And (secretly) relieved when you fall off the wagon.

Don't give up trying. One time, it'll work.

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/stopping-smoking
You are not alone...

im fine for a few days then my temper gets the better of me and i start to get really angry at everything and everyone (especially my brother in law who is also my boss.lol ) i dont know whether or not to give it another go, i dont think im fully committed to make it work yet.

i dont think im fully committed to make it work yet.

Well, until you are.

Have you considered using sweets or gum (for a few weeks) to curb the irritability of withdrawing from nicotine? You can get them cheaply from Boots or other chemists (well, for the price of a subscription anyway).

Ex smoker here, 40-60 a day on any given day (A really bad day I could smoke 100 cigarettes a day). It was important for me to realise the following things:

- Smokers are drug addicts. I was a drug addict. You are a drug addict.

- Smoking doesn't make you feel better, it just numbs the cravings for nicotine. Each cigarette numbs the cravings created by the last one, and sets up the cravings for the next one. It's a subtle trap.

- You aren't "giving up" anything. You're gaining your life back. Imagine how good it feels not to have to constantly think about your next fix; offending others, being a social leper, stinking. I now enjoy dining out with friends, going to the cinema, things that when I was a smoker I never enjoyed because all I could think about was my next hit. I'm now much healthier and wealthier too.

I would suggest reading the Carr book which is available as a free PDF download now [url=

Docs Allen Carr[/url] - his style is a little blunt and repetitive but his message is spot on.

my fiance recently quit (she is now 4 months clean of the evil sticks) she tried all of the replacement techniques such as patches etc and failed on each, eventualy she found this [url= http://whyquit.com/ ]why quit[/url] watched one or two of his videos a day and read the articles, it helps you understand the power of nicotine and the mental changes your brain has to undergo during the quit process and will help you through it,

good luck

I don't think you'll be able to stop as long as you are 'trying' to stop. It never worked for me. One day i just said '**** it, I don't smoke anymore'. No problem. If a wee craving came on you just have to MTFU and do something to take your mind off it. They only last a few minutes anyway. Not smoking is easy once you decide you've had enough. No need to avoid smokers or drinking etc.

Just do it you blouse. 🙂

It's so hard to quit - been there, done that, but smoking again. You have to really be in the right frame of mind to stop - and I'm not there at the moment. The thought is always at the back of my mind, and I know one day I will quit again, so I don't beat myself up about it.

I'm a day and a half into being fag free now - its got to stick this time as I'm feeling very unfit at the moment compared to how I felt before giving up on giving up last time.

http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk/

I bought an electronic cigarette on December 20th 2009 and haven't had a single cigarette since the day it arrived.

I regulated the nicotine level over the first few months to almost nothing, and now I use nicotine free juice in a variety of flavours (never cigarette flavours after the first month as I hated the taste).

I never have the urge to smoke, and havent right from the start. It worked for me, and a lot of my friends too, may be worth a try ??

Does your OH want to quit? I imagine it'd be considerably easier if you both did it together.

I went cold turkey and kicked the habit about nine years ago now, but I had reached the end of my tether with it.

Friends who have had more difficulty quitting do seem to be doing well with those electric cigarettes.

(OK, I know it might not technically be quitting but it's better than staying on the gaspers, eh?)

You are heaping alot of pressure on yourself trying to stop at this time of year. If you have announced that it is your intention to family and friends then even more-so.

I dont think its the right time to stop, at new year. There are perhaps financial worries, January is a long month and of course the resolution side of things, its doomed.

Stop when you feel like you've had enough and not before as it wont work.

It must be difficult to be surrounded by smokers but that's just another excuse not to stop. Build up to it, if you are thinking along the lines of being a social pariah then your on the right track, pick a time in the not too distant future and don't announce it. Just pack, use whatever aid you require just don't substitute with alcohol or exotic tobacco.

Good luck to you.

January 15th is my first year anniversary of quitting (the wife is more than happy for me to buy a Fargo as a reward!!)
Stopping is sodding hard. BUT IT IS WORTH IT.
I did the NHS sessions with free patches.
Yes some smokers will not help, but ****'em. Just piss them off by becoming a non-smoker.
Stop smoking using a supported method nicotine replacement therapy or Champix.
Do NOT think about smoking.
It is worth it. Good luck.

I quit ages ago. People told me scare stories e.g 'my dad quit 35 years ago and he says he still craves one every day even now'...well I can tell you that's bullshit because after I quit I haven't even thought about it and don't miss it at all.

With the ban, and the fact it's winter it seems like a fine time to give up.

My girlfriend smokes, I gave up pretty easily, just depends how much you want to.

Ex smoker here (but might have the occasional one when very drunk)

I identified what made me want to smoke then avoided those situations.

instant coffee - so I had tea or proper coffee
lager - so I drank red wine or bitter
a set of traffic lights on the way to work - I drove a different way
driving boredom - very very hard to avoid with my job but I did it

when I realised a set of traffic lights could make me want to light up, realised how ridiculous the habit actually is.

Good luck. Recognise the triggers and avoid for about 3 months if not more.

And as regards your other half smoking, just think of the satisfaction you'll get from permanently occupying the moral high ground!

Gave up a while back, and without wanting to make people feel bad, when you 'actually want' to stop, it's really easy. It's very very hard if you don't really want to

Find yourself a family member dying of lung cancer - my father's situation seems to have had a hell of an effect on my brother in law! If being around just one does not do it for you I suggest a visit to a ward full of late middle aged blokes on their last legs surrounded by ashen looking relatives will make you look at them in a very different way. Proper horrible way to finish your days.

Gave up on 5th Nov 2006. Still fancy a fag now. Haven't cracked though. It's a strong addiction.

Forget all the stuff about things tasting and smelling better.

Once you give up properly you become a climbing GOD! Seriously, I was quite quick when I was smoking but about a month after I gave up I noticed I could climb for a lot longer and still feel great. 6 months later I felt like someone had fitted an engine to me while I slept.

It is very hard giving up, but one day, a few months after doing it you will suddenly realise it was the best thing you ever did.

[url= http://www.allencarrseasyway.co.uk/ ]Allen Carr[/url], I can't recommend it enough, you just keep reading it until something clicks and you're suddenly a non-smoker.
Good luck.

Been clean for 4 years today, smoke your last fag today, do it, dont feed yourself with bullshxt, crappy excuses just do it.

Goodluck think of the saving

cold turkey....I stopped about 7 years ago whilst trying for first child, didn't tell anyone I was doing it - it was only after a couple of weeks that my wife noticed the change(never smoked at home). Worked for me - although the odd 'good' cigar at new year doesn't go amiss!!

Ive just got back from riding the wall at afon. Leaned the bike against the van and light up a fag.
Struggled all the way up & got passed by 3 riders.
Been a smoker for 17 years & realised today it's time to give up. Probably would have tried years ago but because other people want you to. Tomorrow is my first day as an adult nonsmoker.

Nice one therag - that's the attitude.

Friends who have had more difficulty quitting do seem to be doing well with those electric cigarettes.

(OK, I know it might not technically be quitting but it's better than staying on the gaspers, eh?)

I "kind of" know what you mean, but even if it looks like you are smoking, you're definitely not ?

It's essentially water vapour you are breathing out, not smoke.

And once you knock the nicotine out of the mix, it's Glycerine and flavour only.

Nothing compared to the 4000 odd different chemicals and poisons that a cigarette feeds into you 😉

I have looked at those a few times. Might buy 1 tomorrow to lend a helping hand

im a smoker and also a very keen cyclist i enjoy both but the smoking is really not doing me any favors

I've lost count of the times I tried to quit. Eventually something clicked and I had this stubborn determination to succeed. The first week is always the hardest as that's when you get the Nicotine withdrawal. After that it's will power. Ex smoker of two and a half years btw.

Really hope you succeed as it's a nasty habit.

ive had the e-cigs before and had a bad time using them they started to make me wheeze and i got sore throats from using it and it also cost me more to smoke them than it did to smoke roll ups. so i just kept on smoking me rollies.lol
it is nice to know that im not the only one who rides and smokes and is not happy about it. i WILL quit but i dont think its the time at the moment as my other half aint keen about quitting just yet so i think we'll have to try and set a date between us so we can give it a go again.

Its your lungs, not your girlfriends or workmates. If your not happy smoking MTFU and stop.

It's my first attempt, might last an hour, a day or who knows but it's the first step.
I can't wait to walk down the street as a non smoker in a few years and do the sarky cough when I see a smoker lol

Yeah they are expensive those joking fags
It's got to be when you want to give up. Hopefully ur mrs will want to soon

don't want to put you down, but either you're a non-smoker now TR, or you're not. if you've stopped, you don't smoke, right? which makes you a non-smoker, correct?
it sounds silly - just language, but it's this sort of thinking that gets you through the difficult bits. i'm another 'easy way' quitter. another little trick that helped me when i got a craving was 'if i still smoked, i would have had one now, but i don't do that any more'. it's enough to get you to move on - in that same way that when you used to smoke you'd get through a film at the cinema, or a flight, because you knew you weren't allowed to smoke in those situations.
oh, and you're either 'on the wagon', or you're not. for the majority of us, there's no such thing as 'just one'.

i'd really recommend the easyway book as above. you don't have to stop as soon as you open the cover. just read it all the way through. if you want to stop smoking you have nothing to loose aside from a few hours of your time.

you don't need luck, it's just a choice, but i understand how a smoker looks at it. a smoker has to understand that it's the drug's effect on them that shapes their thinking.

read the book, loose the fear.

all the best.

I stopped for 4 years and then started again.
I was always quite a heavy smoker, at least 20 per day, double that on a night out. But I was starting to wheeze and they are so expensive too.

I stopped again about 3yrs ago, but that's because I was pregnant, and have not started again.

I'm guessing you're a fella so won't be able to have that incentive 😉

Anyway, it doesn't matter what patches you stick on your body etc , because unless you genuinely want to stop, then you won't. Good luck.

++++++ 10 for the Alan Carr recommendations.
When your still smoking despite all the stuff out there telling you not to, your a stubborn bastard, and Alan Carr brings out some wisdom and sorts it out in your head in the cheapest and most effective way.
That small easy to read and repetitive book worked for me where all other methods failed.
Go and buy it, its called "the easy way to give up smoking".
You smoke while you read the book and he changes the way you think about it.

ive had the e-cigs before and had a bad time using them they started to make me wheeze and i got sore throats from using it and it also cost me more to smoke them than it did to smoke roll ups.

Sounds like you are allergic to "PG" which is one type of the glycerin base used (some people are)

You can get Vegetable Glycerin (VG) based liquid that would be better.

I pay roughly £25 for my liquid, and it lasts me at least 6 weeks.
Compared to the £10/£15 a day I was spending on B&H 😳

Roll ups are waaaaaay cheaper though obviously.

+1 For e cigarettes. Worked for me and am now ramping down the nicotine. Feel a lot more comfortable when working hard on the bike
...

Unless you actually want to stop, you won't. And when you do it will be much easier that you think. I must have attempted stopping at least 7 or 8 times and didn't because I actually wanted a cigarette, so I carried on smoking. It's been about 5 years since I stopped. Basically I'm I still a smoker who hasn't smoked for a while.

Good luck, it is worth it.

I don't think you'll be able to stop as long as you are 'trying' to stop. It never worked for me. One day i just said '**** it, I don't smoke anymore'. No problem. If a wee craving came on you just have to MTFU

without wanting to make people feel bad, when you 'actually want' to stop, it's really easy. It's very very hard if you don't really want to

This is the approach that worked for me. Started at 14 and after more than a decade was up to 40/day. It had its moments, but I knew when enough was enough and stopped overnight. I think that if you've got family, a partner and colleagues who smoke you've got your work cut out for you. Smoker solidarity is strong and you'll be rejecting not just the cigs but the camaraderie, the rituals etc. If you [i]know[/i] you want to give up, chuck out all smoking paraphernalia (lighters, rizlas, tins, ashtrays), ask your partner to smoke outside the house (when your sense of smell returns you'll be shocked at the stench of curtains etc) and perhaps tie in giving up with a holiday, to give yourself a head start. It's quite handy to have the option of going for a swim or a ride when the craving arrives, rather than watching your friends light up. Good luck.

I gave up on 7/3/11 after 32 years of smoking. I would like to add two things - 1) I was scared, essentially of the cravings. Everyone says "I gave up 10 years ago and still need a fag." Well don't be scared - once you're off the physical addiction to nicotene, the mental addiction is just a state of mind.
2) You have to want to give up. There is a part of your mind that wants to not be an addict anymore. For me it was perhaps a masculine thing of not wanting to be dominated by a chemical addiction. Don't think I'm being sanctimonious here - my alcohol habit has worsened since I stopped smoking. That's the next thing to deal with.
3) Let me add a third comment - everyone supposes that NRT treatment is better and for some it may be; I tried full strength patches for 4 days then went cold turkey for 3, as the patches were ****ing with my mind. That experience of 3 days cold turkey is what has stopped me relapsing.

Hey anyway, to each his own, and for all of you who wish to quit you have my support.

[i]I gave up 10 years ago and still need a fag.[/i]

I'd say those people are arseholes. And lying. They've not quit.

I didn't need a cig after less than twelve months. I know the kick though. Those triggers. For me it was coffee and beer.

samuri - Member
I gave up 10 years ago and still need a fag.

I'd say those people are arseholes. And lying. They've not quit.

I didn't need a cig after less than twelve months. I know the kick though. Those triggers. For me it was coffee and beer.

Hmmm "aresholes" eh?

I would say that is very harsh.

Smoking is very individual, the addiction varies from non-existant to something that consumes you.

I gave up almost 2 years ago and as an addict I would say that I still get the pangs for that one second hit one nicotine through my blood and into my brain and then, poof, it's gone!

For those who are trying to give it, keep at it and try all of the different ways that are available nowadays. I reckon there has never been a better time to give up as smokers are now seen as the outcasts by both society and governmental regulation.

Good luck 🙂

Hi Gibbo... loads of suggestions on here, the first step people have mentioned is the motivation to do it, whatever it is, health, cash, feel good factor, not smelling like an ash tray, tasting food, fitter, whatever...

Once thats sorted, pick your method, cold turkey, Alan Carr, e-fags.... the one that worked for me, as I knew it was credible as a method, was hypnotherapy. 2 sessions and that was it. £80 all up and like switching a light on. One day smoking, next day nothing and no side effects or cravings... but I accept its not for everyone.

If you and your partner stopped, imagine what you could do with £10 a day, £310 a month, £3720 a year....

All power to your elbow... there is nothing to loose and everything to gain.... if your going to do it, see it through and dont be another nearly quitter....

Some people on here have no great clue about addictions. It varies from individual to individual. I really wanted to stop smoking and it was very hard for me with physical symptoms that were most unpleasant. NRT was a great help to me.

I will be one of those people who will always have cravings I think - but unlike some I was very heavily addicted to tobacco.

Day 1 nearly done. This is not easy but it will be worth it!

Keep it up therag! The first day is the hardest

Well into day 2 now. Bike cleaning operation is taking place to keep the mind away from smoking

I'm doing the e-cig route.

Not using it like a conventional cigarette with multiple draws, just a quick single hit as required. - This being not as often as I would have expected.
Must have missed something as it's turning out to be totally painless ! ( happily)

Tried a few times over the years going cold turkey (...at other half's 'suggestion') - invariably after two or three days, I was feeling borderline psychopathic.

So far, I'm really really happy the way it's turning out !
( been just over a week now)

Chris

Well done, glad its going well for you. I've just got an ecig or something similar from a petrol station and got the chewing gum now. Not easy though!

I smoked for over 30 years...used to enjoy the ones on the bike when I reached the top of the hill but decided to pack it in along with my partner about 18 months ago. Didnt think I could do it...didnt really want to but havent had one since. Went the cold turkey route and personally think this is the best (and cheapest) way. I used to believe I would be a smoker up to my dying day but now even though I still get the odd craving they only last a matter of seconds and then you just get on with your life.

My father stopped by deciding one day. From that point on he set up an automatic transfer of cash into a seperate bank account for the amount he spent per month on smoking, so he couldn't afford to start again without doing some admin work. He bought a small speedboat with the savings, which then kept him entertained and the cash flow outgoing for running costs 🙂

Well done therag and SnS!

Keep it up. It's not easy, but so worth it 🙂

When I gave up I went for fag breaks with my mates at work still but just chatted and stood with them being a non-smoker. Being a smug c@nt really helped me What works for one may not work for another but I saw no advantage in half measures or dithering because you will go to the pub, be offered one in the van, finish a big fat curry, get stressed etc and its these trigger moments you need to be tough for.

Ten years plus now of no tobacco and its great. Do it and you won't regret it.

7 days now. Still going, just been out on a night ride to celebrate 😉

Just stop. Try to avoid situations that make you reach for fags (pub etc...) and do as much excercise as possible. Make yourself feel as good as you can so the guilt of smoking increases. Worked for me on the third attempt - first two attempts stopping wasn't enough, needed to make a subtle lifestyle change as well.

Haven't read the thread all the way through, but if your partner smokes indoors you'll obviously need to put a stop to that. Have kids? That was the driving force for me... The responsibility of making sure I was there for them in later life made me feel like a dickhead for smoking.

On the plus side I after a few months I realised the amount of money I was saving... When the urge to get a new bike hit I gleefully spent a shit load guilt free 😛

Yeah, got 2 kids so they help, so do the rewards. Not smoking is costing a fortune in rewards. New urge lid, sealskins & shorts this week! 😉

I've avoided this thread until now. The cigarettes are my last vice; I train hard, eat well and don't drink much BUT the cigs have been a bloody nightmare. I've had the tablets, patches and even managed to give up for a year with the help of Mr Carr. One slip up on a night out and I was smoking again. Nevertheless, I keep trying and I'm now 2 days clear. I feel pretty determined, and also know what to expect after last time.

Some great stories here - @therag, @wrecker, keep it up. I'm clear of the fags now, I think it's been 2 months (smoked 40-100 a day before that).

M
T
F
U

M
T
F
U

M
T
F
U

Oh & goodluck 🙂

Over a week now!
My lungs feel like they're down to about 50% though. They just won't fill up. I understand that the mucus hairs or whatever are growing back and it'll take weeks just to get to how I was when I was smoking!!! 😕

Day 8 for me. I've had to cut out alcohol though too - absolutely no self-control when it comes to smoking after a drink.

Well done whippersnapper!

Keep it up.

Concentrate on staying off the cigarettes. I am sure that after a while you will be able to drink again, but not too much as you would not want to undo all of your good work.

My last 25g of tobacco and that's it. No more ... 😐

chewkw - Member
My last 25g of tobacco and that's it. No more ...

Good luck chewkw!

Giving up smoking isn't easy, but lots of people have stopped and stayed stopped. Remember that quitting won't kill you, but carrying on will!

4 weeks today, I still want a smoke but got to keep going!

Keep it up! 2 months (I think) now and still want a fag and am a bit grumpy (some people would say that's normal 👿 )

But still no cigarettes, have put on a stone though 😳

Nice one. Yeah I'm eating my fair share

new winter hack frame on it's way to me so will be getting out in earnest as soon as that's built to shift my little pot belly 😀

two weeks given up for me, thankfully the cravings are not too bad. yesterday was first bike ride where i noticed a significant difference in lung capacity. did have quite bad cravings in the afternoon afterwards, just got to stick with it though.

Well done bob.
I'm riding more often to help keep wait off & to keep my mind occupied

i'm using it as an excuse to eat what i want, not particularly putting weight on cos i caught some gastro disease prior to giving up, but if i do, i have ready made excuse. CHIPS AND CHOCOLATE FOR EVERYBODY. 😀

and well done to everbody who's still there.

mmmm....

[img] [/img]

although personally i prefer this:

[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]

this month i'm a non-smoker. the month before i was. whereas for several months prior i wasn't. i seem to go through phases of wanting a smoke. i'll have a ciggie after lunch or during work and then at some point i'll just decide that i don't want to smoke and will just "give up".

i find i enjoy a smoke in summer after a ride with a beer or when driving long distances, so i end up smoking often during the summer.

my old man smoked from the age of 12 till he was 63. now only 20% of his lungs actually work. he has trouble walkning any distance. enough of a reason to stop.
strangley my mum still smokes, but, in her words "only silk cut lights so it doesn't count". 😕