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View Full Version : Words of encouragement and tips from an ex smoker of three years!



peggy
16-01-2008, 11:56 PM
hi ladies!

I just wanna wish you load of luck in your quest to conquer smoking and offer a few words of encouragement and some tips, i'm an ex smoker have been nearly three years now! And there is NO going back no no way!!

Hate to tell you this but the first week is the hardest! If you recognise that it is gonna be a tough week, it will probably help you prepare for the withdrawal. So ideally choose a week free of social events or a stress free week where you know your not gonna be tempted. BUT If you can get through seven little days of your life without a cigarette then you are well on way of being a non smoker!

Do try the nicorette replacement schemes, have a chat with your doctor and see what you think will work, i used to smoke when i was bored sometimes and had to do something with my hands, so I used the nicorette inhaler and sometimes rolled up bits of paper to imitate a cigarette!!!

Set your day to quit, i tried several times to quit and cutting down or changing brands didnt work for me personally - i think cold turkey is more sucessful.

Dont convince yourself you can be a social smoker! You are either a smoker or you are not!!! Keep telling yourself that!! There is no reason for you too have a cigarette EVER ...and if you've managed to go through a good few weeks without having a cigarette and hit a bad patch coz of stress etc... tell yourself, that you are an ex smoker and that thousands of ex smokers deal with stress without lighting up (we drink more....only kidding!) - so can you!!

Think of your daily routine when you usually smoke, first thing in the morning, driving the car etc, these will be the hardest cravings to crack. what i did was instead of lighting up, i'd have a chewing gum, or drink some water (i found the water very effective), eat some fruit or something else healthy - I must admit i didnt worry to much about the weight issue, coz i think you shouldnt be tooo hard on yourself, giving up smoking is tough! Allow yourself a few naughties every now and again to celebrate your sucess of being a non smoker - you can sort out shifting the extra pounds you've gained once your through the withdrawal.

Now this is silly, but it helped! I used to think that when i was having a craving that there was this little cigarette monster inside me that was telling me i had to feed it by having a cigarette, and he's a tough little sausage and quite stubborn - eventually this little monster will give up asking for cigarettes soon, do not give in to the monster, if you feed him the more he will want them and the more you will feed him!!! If you dont feed him, he will eventually die and you will be free!! (you can tell i'm a childminder cant you!!)

Keep a money jar, put your cigarette money in there and at the end of the week treat yourself to a new top or whatever!

You do want to quit otherwise you wouldnt be attempting to do so, and whenever you are tempted by a cigarette, remind yourself that if you have one, your cravings will get worse again, and you would of put yourself through all these horrible cravings, only to start all over again! Thats what kept me going, i didnt want to have to keep going through the "giving up" stage all over again.

You CAN do it!! And soon your'll be like me being the worlds worst ex smoker, cursing at people smoking at bus stops and turning my nose up at smelly cigarette stinking people - when you quit your realise just how bad you smelt!!!!!!


Good luck everyone! Loads and Loads of luck - I hope i've been able to help x

angeldelight
17-01-2008, 08:41 AM
I am not a smoker but sounds like great advice thanks for that

Angel xx

LittleMissSparkles
17-01-2008, 09:02 AM
Thanks Peggy xxx

I went cold turkey August bank holiday and have had the odd one now and again but overall have done extremely well xxx

carolinel
17-01-2008, 02:03 PM
thanks for that Peggy, it was good of you to do that and share your experience of how you quit!

Mollymop
17-01-2008, 05:02 PM
Thanks for the advice Peggy, but it is so hard!! But I won't give up giving up.:)

Trouble
17-01-2008, 05:35 PM
i failed miserably so im not even going to go their but thank you anyway i will take it on board:clapping:

Tups
13-04-2009, 09:53 PM
hi ladies!

I just wanna wish you load of luck in your quest to conquer smoking and offer a few words of encouragement and some tips, i'm an ex smoker have been nearly three years now! And there is NO going back no no way!!

Hate to tell you this but the first week is the hardest! If you recognise that it is gonna be a tough week, it will probably help you prepare for the withdrawal. So ideally choose a week free of social events or a stress free week where you know your not gonna be tempted. BUT If you can get through seven little days of your life without a cigarette then you are well on way of being a non smoker!

Do try the nicorette replacement schemes, have a chat with your doctor and see what you think will work, i used to smoke when i was bored sometimes and had to do something with my hands, so I used the nicorette inhaler and sometimes rolled up bits of paper to imitate a cigarette!!!

Set your day to quit, i tried several times to quit and cutting down or changing brands didnt work for me personally - i think cold turkey is more sucessful.

Dont convince yourself you can be a social smoker! You are either a smoker or you are not!!! Keep telling yourself that!! There is no reason for you too have a cigarette EVER ...and if you've managed to go through a good few weeks without having a cigarette and hit a bad patch coz of stress etc... tell yourself, that you are an ex smoker and that thousands of ex smokers deal with stress without lighting up (we drink more....only kidding!) - so can you!!

Think of your daily routine when you usually smoke, first thing in the morning, driving the car etc, these will be the hardest cravings to crack. what i did was instead of lighting up, i'd have a chewing gum, or drink some water (i found the water very effective), eat some fruit or something else healthy - I must admit i didnt worry to much about the weight issue, coz i think you shouldnt be tooo hard on yourself, giving up smoking is tough! Allow yourself a few naughties every now and again to celebrate your sucess of being a non smoker - you can sort out shifting the extra pounds you've gained once your through the withdrawal.

Now this is silly, but it helped! I used to think that when i was having a craving that there was this little cigarette monster inside me that was telling me i had to feed it by having a cigarette, and he's a tough little sausage and quite stubborn - eventually this little monster will give up asking for cigarettes soon, do not give in to the monster, if you feed him the more he will want them and the more you will feed him!!! If you dont feed him, he will eventually die and you will be free!! (you can tell i'm a childminder cant you!!)

Keep a money jar, put your cigarette money in there and at the end of the week treat yourself to a new top or whatever!

You do want to quit otherwise you wouldnt be attempting to do so, and whenever you are tempted by a cigarette, remind yourself that if you have one, your cravings will get worse again, and you would of put yourself through all these horrible cravings, only to start all over again! Thats what kept me going, i didnt want to have to keep going through the "giving up" stage all over again.

You CAN do it!! And soon your'll be like me being the worlds worst ex smoker, cursing at people smoking at bus stops and turning my nose up at smelly cigarette stinking people - when you quit your realise just how bad you smelt!!!!!!


Good luck everyone! Loads and Loads of luck - I hope i've been able to help xHi peggy Igave up in november .I still want one but it only last's for a few seconds BUT I STILL WANT ONE HOW LONG WILL IT LAST ? Ido smell better so ime told tups :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

deeb66
13-04-2009, 10:02 PM
Hi peggy Igave up in november .I still want one but it only last's for a few seconds BUT I STILL WANT ONE HOW LONG WILL IT LAST ? Ido smell better so ime told tups :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I am sorry to tell you that for some people that crabing never fully goes away.

I gave up smoking 14 years ago and I still crave one to this day :( ......I wouldn't say that I crave every day just every now and again but the only thing that keeps me off them is I couldn't stand the thought of smelling like that again.

I am afraid I am a typical ex-smoker (they say we are the wrost!) and I really can't stand the smell of it!

Dee
xx

janet
13-04-2009, 10:23 PM
i have got the e cig coming in the post i started it last week and was doing great untill i lost it but back on it tomorrow everything else has failed but this seems good for me xx

Angela234
13-04-2009, 10:34 PM
I'm the same as Dee i quit about 8 years ago and still sometimes crave for a ciggy but would NEVER give in to one

This is the second time i quit 30 years ago when i had my daughter i quit for 12 years then started again:eek:

It does take a lot of will power but like someone said the craving only lasts a couple of minutes and gets less often.

Angela

lynnfi
16-03-2012, 08:08 PM
I am sorry to tell you that for some people that crabing never fully goes away.

I gave up smoking 14 years ago and I still crave one to this day :( ......I wouldn't say that I crave every day just every now and again but the only thing that keeps me off them is I couldn't stand the thought of smelling like that again.

I am afraid I am a typical ex-smoker (they say we are the wrost!) and I really can't stand the smell of it!

Dee
xx


Been 6 years now and would still love one. And probably always will... I only smoke in my dreams and wake up in a panic (lol) from time to time.
AND I do love the smell! :laughing:
But the benefits are stronger.

Mollymop
16-03-2012, 08:42 PM
Thanks for the advice Peggy, but it is so hard!! But I won't give up giving up.:)

oh my goodness! this is such an old thread!! LOL! I gave up smoking in June 2010 and haven't looked back!!!!!!:clapping::clapping::clapping:

tess1981
16-03-2012, 10:31 PM
Been 6 years now and would still love one. And probably always will... I only smoke in my dreams and wake up in a panic (lol) from time to time.
AND I do love the smell! :laughing:
But the benefits are stronger.

i do this too... and in my dreams i feel really quilty and it takes me a few seconds when i wake up to realise i didnt really smoke... thought i was the only nuts one :jump for joy:

Pipsqueak
16-03-2012, 10:33 PM
Been 6 years now and would still love one. And probably always will... I only smoke in my dreams and wake up in a panic (lol) from time to time.
AND I do love the smell! :laughing:
But the benefits are stronger.

aww now you see I HATE the smell and I really hate that stale smell - I really smell it badly on mindees clothes and belongings and when the parents walk in having just had one.....

I still want one and its 18 months now. don't crave one every day and i know I won't have one but ooooh mmmmhhhh puff puff! lol

have to say though the benefits - my skin and hair are better, my health has improved, when I am exercising - oh way way better...

Messy jesse
17-03-2012, 12:01 PM
Ok. I need some support today. I gave up smoking 2 months ago.

Last night we had all my family round at my mums house to meet my sisters (19)new boyfriend (23) who smokes, mum also smokes with a drink and smoking is permitted in the draftee basement kitchen after
kids are asleep(2 floors up).

I fell off the wagon.... We were up till 3:30 and I had 3 rollies:(

I also have an electronic cig so will be easier for me than my hd who also had 3 but goes cold turkey. We haven't been "getting on like a house on fire" recently and worried about the stress of the coming few days...

Any advice on how to deal with other peoples quitting stress as well as your own?

Jesse x

lynnfi
17-03-2012, 07:26 PM
i do this too... and in my dreams i feel really quilty and it takes me a few seconds when i wake up to realise i didnt really smoke... thought i was the only nuts one :jump for joy:

Exactly the same for me. Very strong "OMG what have I done" as if I had set the Earth on fire, then waking up and a few seconds to recover... And relief :jump for joy:

I wonder how many of us experience this symptom... :laughing:

lynnfi
17-03-2012, 07:32 PM
aww now you see I HATE the smell and I really hate that stale smell - I really smell it badly on mindees clothes and belongings and when the parents walk in having just had one.....

I still want one and its 18 months now. don't crave one every day and i know I won't have one but ooooh mmmmhhhh puff puff! lol

have to say though the benefits - my skin and hair are better, my health has improved, when I am exercising - oh way way better...

I don't particuliarly like the smell of cold tabacco on clothes etc, but if someone smokes nearby I usually quite like it. As I inhale a bit of smoke, I guess my body feels in paradise again!
The cravings are fading in intensity with time, and it is less and less often :):)

lynnfi
17-03-2012, 07:44 PM
Ok. I need some support today. I gave up smoking 2 months ago.

Last night we had all my family round at my mums house to meet my sisters (19)new boyfriend (23) who smokes, mum also smokes with a drink and smoking is permitted in the draftee basement kitchen after
kids are asleep(2 floors up).

I fell off the wagon.... We were up till 3:30 and I had 3 rollies:(

I also have an electronic cig so will be easier for me than my hd who also had 3 but goes cold turkey. We haven't been "getting on like a house on fire" recently and worried about the stress of the coming few days...

Any advice on how to deal with other peoples quitting stress as well as your own?

Jesse x


One thing I did that helped a tremendous lot was write a sort of diary, with my thoughts on the process.
Other things included : I ate a herbal sweet each time I wanted a cigarette (made their fortune), or drink a glass of water, I went outside for a walk twice a day...

I wrote about the triggers, the feelings, the physical craving and the emotional one, people's reactions (you discover lots of interesting things), the number I hadn't smoked, I added up the amount saved, the bebefits I physically discover (ex smelling again) etc etc.
I was a strong addict :rolleyes:

Hope this helps. You can do it. For yourself.
There is someone inside that wishes that. You end up so much stronger.

The Juggler
17-03-2012, 08:23 PM
aww now you see I HATE the smell and I really hate that stale smell - I really smell it badly on mindees clothes and belongings and when the parents walk in having just had one.....

I still want one and its 18 months now. don't crave one every day and i know I won't have one but ooooh mmmmhhhh puff puff! lol

have to say though the benefits - my skin and hair are better, my health has improved, when I am exercising - oh way way better...

well done honey (and all of you who have quit). see I 'gave up' lots of times but never got rid of the craving to want to do it. In the end I had NLP (neuro linguistic programming). Spent £100 it was the best thing ever. For first week it was still a killer (due to nicotine withdrawal) and tough for second week, but after that I was fine. Had to listen to my CD at home every day for 2 weeks, then once a week for a few weeks, then I was fine. That was 7 years ago and I can honestly say it looks weird to watch people smoke and I've NEVER craved one since.

lynnfi
17-03-2012, 08:38 PM
oh my goodness! this is such an old thread!! LOL! I gave up smoking in June 2010 and haven't looked back!!!!!!:clapping::clapping::clapping:

Well done! :clapping::clapping::clapping:

Pipsqueak
17-03-2012, 09:39 PM
Ok. I need some support today. I gave up smoking 2 months ago.

Last night we had all my family round at my mums house to meet my sisters (19)new boyfriend (23) who smokes, mum also smokes with a drink and smoking is permitted in the draftee basement kitchen after
kids are asleep(2 floors up).

I fell off the wagon.... We were up till 3:30 and I had 3 rollies:(

I also have an electronic cig so will be easier for me than my hd who also had 3 but goes cold turkey. We haven't been "getting on like a house on fire" recently and worried about the stress of the coming few days...

Any advice on how to deal with other peoples quitting stress as well as your own?

Jesse x

you slipped up this time - never mind - you just 'restart'.

I think you need to learn to channel those trigger/stress into something else.
I retook up dancing - a passion of mine and that is where all my energies and triggers go....

gegele
17-03-2012, 09:47 PM
i gave up 8 yrs ago. still want to sometimes but if you look at the pattern it's not the fag you miss it's the stopping, the break that smoking a fag gives you.

when you recognise that. sit down, have a glass of cold water and or an orange.

i hate stale smell and nearly walk out on my husband because he smoked after 6yrs quitting!!!

but some bad morning i quite enjoy walking behind a smoking mother :D

it's always going to be there a bit.

just need to be proud and remember it's a really greta achievement. :thumbsup:

Messy jesse
18-03-2012, 07:41 PM
Thank you,
Smoke free again,
This morning was tuff but got through it with only a few casualtys.

Jesse x