Mmmmm... Nicotine...

[Theo]

I think I'll join you Stewart.

[IBM]

Well Done!!!!

One less smoker, only a billion or so more to go....

[mosherben]

longest I went was 3 months.. and then started again..

Prolly gonna try pack it in next month.. am currently doing 7 a day. I guess it's more to do with I have a cig as soon as the alarm rings every morning to keep awake for 5 mins so I don't fall back to sleep

[Whalefish]

I had tried several times to stop smoking. In the end it was just down to me not being bothered to stop on the way to work to buy fags.
I think if you can see (visualise) yourself as a non-smoker and not as someone who is trying to stop smoking it can really help.

[Clunk]

Another good incentive to giving up smoking is that fact that when you smoke, you smell bad, your breath smells bad, your clothes smell bad, people do notice, and as you give up, your sense of smell comes back, and you can smell this smell on other smokers and its not good.

It really is a filthy habit

(Mike Fishcake was right in the other thread )

[IBM]

And your sense of taste is much improved also.

[listy]

good for you

never tried it in my life was really put off thank good by my dad who coughed his guts up every morning for most of my life

till he gave up

[Mrs Dak]

Well done

I stopped (again ) at the New Year and, like you, did the cold turkey thing. Been having headaches ever since, but pharmacist reckons it can take up to six weeks to clear system and it could be the nicotine withdrawal.

The pub problem I've overcome by taking cards/yahtzee/pass the pig with me so hands have something to fiddle with. I'm also going to spend the money I would have spent on smoking on me, all me, not the kids/dog/cat//dak for the first few months as an incentive.

[Stewart]

The 72 hour mark has come and gone, still not so much as held a ciggie. I feel good.

I dont know if it actually would, because I'm obviously not going to do it, but I've got a sort of feeling that so much of a drag on a ciggie now, would make me feel sick.

I quite like being able to smell and taste as well.

Famous last words and all that, but I can't see why I'd have another ciggie now. \o/

A good cold turkey site Mrs Dak - http://whyquit.com/

Been very helpful for me.

[Stewart]

And you're a terrible liar... but I'm leaving that one right there.

If I've said to you I'm quitting before, it wasn't a flat lie, I would have meant it when I said it, but this smoking lark isn't the sort of thing you kick if you are not 100% commited and in the right frame of mind.

but kudos for finally doing it.

Thanks love. 3 days in, and for the first time since I had my last drag alllllll those days ago, I'm in a good mood, not ratty or snaping. Got to be a good sign.

*Laughs at ciggies* *Drops ice cubes down the vest of cravings*

[Mrs Dak]

Good site, cheers .

Need to poke Dak in this direction. He keeps saying he'll give up, has tried the patches/gum, is cutting back how many he smokes............... He also uses the excuse that he'll be (even more) grumpy and bad tempered to live with.

[Stewart]

Quick update - nothings happened.

The ciggieless week is now in sight. Think I'm home and dry.

Give it a shot Dakky... 4 days of agony the like of which you've never dreamed possible, then smoke free bliss.

[Theo]

Apologies for the wee bump, but how is it going for you?

I stopped on the 31st and haven't smoked since. I gave away 30-odd packets of cigarette papers, a few handfuls of roachbooks, my ashtray and the cd case that has covered it for the last 3 years.

Going strong.. I've never actually had a craving for nicotine in the years that I've smoked (7). So the only withdrawal symptom I'm experiencing is change.

Not even one of my hands smells like smoke.
I don't have an ashtray covering half of my mousemat.
I leave the house a few minutes later than usual because I'm not having a cigarette while I wait for the bus.
I'm picking my nose more often, because I don't know what to do while I'm watching TV series.

I hate change, but I've already saved about £25.

[Mike Fishcake]

(Mike Fishcake was right in the other thread )

That confused the hell out of me for a few minutes, then I found it:

A couple of my friends gave themselves something to aim for: List how much you used to spend on ciggies per day/week/month and then see what you can afford from then

You too can be a self-righteous non-smoker like the rest of us

That helped you did it? Excellent

How much does a pack of 20 cost now? £5ish?

So, at 10 a day, that's £2.50 a day... £17.50 a week, £75ish per month... £900 per year

[Clunk]

That helped you did it? Excellent

I was meaning that I have become a self righteous non-smoker, the kind that smokers really hate

You too can be a self-righteous non-smoker like the rest of us

[wombar]

Quick update - nothings happened.

The ciggieless week is now in sight. Think I'm home and dry.

Give it a shot Dakky... 4 days of agony the like of which you've never dreamed possible, then smoke free bliss.

Good on your Stewart, I kicked the cancer sticks about 5 years ago and have never looked back and never even had a puff on one. Absolutely one of the best things I ever did. I went cold turkey purely because I didn't want to rely on gum etc, I got myself into this so I was gonna get myself out of it

One of the things that kept me going was keeping a count of the number of days I'd gone without a smoke. Might seem a bit sad to some but the fact that the counter would reset to 0 if I had even one puff really kept me going. Just don't be tempted to have "just one puff" because:

a) That's a slippery slope you don't want to start down
b) It's cheating and you have to go back to 0 days without a smoke

You honestly won't believe how much better your sense of smell/taste gets, my mates who smoke don't realise just how much they smell of it and neither did I when I was smoking.

Get some new routines such as reading a paper with your tea in the morning(gives your hands something to do).

Anyway, good luck and keep us up to date.