h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's not a particular pub, but that environment, you step in the door and immediately feel the urge to smoke. I think Lear's idea that it's genetically inherited may be correct. Or if you're with a particular friend who used to be a smoking buddy, that's a hard one that I've never been able to overcome.

If you think of a habit that you do every day or more, something that you don't even think "oh I best do that" because it's so habitual it's engrained on your brain. Anything from salting your dinner to biting your nails; try to not do it a couple of times, it may feel a bit weird, then exaggerate that feeling a few thousand times, it may be a slight inkling of how it feels not to have a fag!

I went through all that, believe me! The withdrawal was horrible. Even though I wanted to give up smoking, and did it cold-turkey, it was still very difficult ignoring the craving.
I've banned any visitors smoking in my home, because I hate the smell afterwards. And in the winter, you can't have all the windows open to banish the smell.
I stopped going in pubs, so I wouldn't be tempted.
I stayed away from friends who smoked.
I wish nobody smoked!
I've been free now for seven years+; but apparently it'll be another 3 years before my lungs are back to the way they were before I ever smoked.
I will try & help anybody give up.
I don't actively encourage it, as the first thing to conquer is your *love* of smoking.
You have to *want* to give up, or you won't. Only you can do that for yourself, but the reward is well worth it.
Freedom!

It helps if you don't tell everybody that you're trying to give up, as you'll get asked constantly about how it's going. Especially annoying if you haven't thought about fags for a whole day! Plus then you don't feel as though you've let anybody down if you've had the odd one, and you don't feel bad and guilty about admitting it when you do get asked. Hope that makes sense!!

My daughter & son-in-law made a pact on New Year's Eve.
She gave upif he gave up the fags.
So far, they have both stuck to it!
*fingers crossed*

AGB - a quick question for you (and all the other ex's out there!)

How do you conquer the love of it? From the financial and health aspects, I know it makes sense, but I enjoy it and don't really want to give up. Help!

Sue, that there is the tuffest thing that you have to overcome. I am still feeling the urge to smoke because I use to love to do it.
There's nothing like sitting back and relaxing smoking a cigerett. I use to live for that break where you could just forget about everything else and have those 10 min to do nothing. I always thought that was the best way to releave stress.

I still love smoking but I am/have given it up for a couple of reasons, that every smoker knows but won't/dosn't realize untill the actually stop for a while...

better health (what scared me is how much my lung capacity has diminished, I was starting to get winded walking up stairs)

Save money (you wouldn't beleive how much you save)

Stop smelling bad (yes, smokers do smell extreamly foul - when you quit you will not beleave that you use to smell that bad)

And the biggest reason... I just didn't want that monkey on my back anymore. I don't like to be beholdent (is that a word?) to anyone or anything.

I disagree with Queeglesproggit. Tell everyone you know, especially if it's making you bad tempered. Give everyone permission to take any ciggie out of your hand and stub it out, preferably in an ashtray filled with flowery disinfectant so that neither you nor anyone else can relight it.
Find yourself a super non-smoking partner who refuses to even kiss you until you've brushed your teeth and washed your hair

It's said that habits are easier to break if you make another major change in your life. I had two I needed to be free of, (smoking was one!) and I changed my venue.......I moved 3000 miles away.

Of course, that may not be an option for everyone.......

Seriously, I found that I was an absolute b***h for the 6 months it took (and I'd only had the habits for 2 years!), and that I had a couple of jewels for friends/roommates who put up with me like that. They 're still the best.

SC

Sue, I can only agree with what Zorpheus said.
You have to *want* to give up.
Believe me, I know it's nice to have a smoke.
Which is why I don't bug the people I love/as opposed to passing comments that I'd like them to live longer...
I lost a schoolfriend the year before last to throat cancer. There were over 200 people at his funeral last January.
You don't need this information.
You don't want to hear it, I know.
I ignored the tv adverts with the pickled black lungs in the jar...when I smoked.
I tried to give up many times.
I only succeeded when I fell out of love with it.
You have to hate your habit, hate what it costs you, hate the restrictions...
OK you may still love the cigs but hopefully the things you hate about them will conquer your addiction.
Don't forget that tobacco itself is not addictive.
The addictive chemicals are put into the cigs by the manufacturers to get you hooked and KEEP you hooked.
That's what annoys me.
I've heard that kicking nicotine addiction is worse than kicking heroin. I can't comment on that, as I have never tried heroin!
But I can believe it.
How my kids nagged me to give up when they were young. I used to say to them "But it's my only pleasure"...

I get more pleasure ~now~, knowing I got "that monkey" off my back { I prefer to think of it as an early-death-sentence release } than I ever did from smoking.
I feel so sorry for people still addicted.
I agree withthat you should tell people.
Clever people will not mention it, I don't to my son-in-law, but I tell my daughter that I think he's doing very well! Almost 3 weeks now As she is a non-smoker, she's delighted...

Ah ha! Found it. I knew this was back here somewhere.

The monkey is off my back

Gave up on Friday 13th.

I feel rich

You may perhaps get the impression I'm slightly please with myself

Good for you Sue!

Good stuff, Sue.
I'm off them about 18 months now and don't miss them at all - I have actually noticed that my bank balance has got healthier...and hope that I have too

Well done Sue & Duncan!
Unfortunately my son-in-law succumbed.
He lasted 3 months, then caved in.
At the moment he doesn't want to know about trying to stop again, so I'm keeping my councel.

Niwt asked me why I ever started...and I couldn't answer. I wish I never had!

Ditto. If you went through the withdrawal stuff first, nobody would smoke...

There's a moral here somewhere....something about being wise after the event?
At least I know I have an addictive personality, and steer clear of things likely to get me hooked.

~AGB~
*sticking to*

So do any of you have any ideas on avoiding sticking loads of weight on?

I'm OK now, when I'm doing something I want to do, but at work is a nightmare, I'm nibbling my way through the day to the point I'm scared of getting on the scales now. I know it's boredom and trying to find (for want of a better way of putting it) a 'taste substitute' but I'm getting sick of polo's and chewing gum (ordinary stuff, not the nicotine stuff)


And thank you all for the encouragement - could you tell I was ing for

Hello again, Sue. I hope you're sleeping better now?

Have you tried filling an extra lunchbox with little sticks of carrot or celery and taking it with you to work? Not much use if you don't actually like carrot or celery...but if you can stand them, try it. Eat your normal lunch as well, of course. When you feel like nibbling, however, nibble on something that is nice and crunchy but uses up more calories in its consumption than is actually contained in the food.

I just remembered: you can buy little ready-to-eat packets or carrot, dried apricot, banana chips, etc, from the supermarket. Saves you the hassle of chopping it all up yourself. And you get the extra thrill of opening a plastic packet (pretending it's a packet of cheese and onion crisps...) Costs more, of course (but not nearly so much as a pack of 20) and it's less friendly on the environment.

That was the one thing I was not happy about giving up smoking, was the weight I put on.
Although, if I'd had my computer then, I wouldn't have snacked so much.
I hardly eat now, can't tear myself away from h2g2 long enough to go cook.
Wish I could lose the odd stone though.
But that's another thread....!

Sorry about taking so long to get back - 4 weeks no ciggies now

Anyhow, I've done a bit of thinking and I've come to the conclusion the vast majority of the overeating at work has sod all to do with giving up ciggies - it's comfort eating, plain & simple. Yes, I'm eating a little more at other times, but to a far smaller degree. Any ideas as to why it's only stodgy stuff that I'm hankering after?

I've managed to sleep a lot better this last week - last Friday I stayed awake all night (spent most of the time on here - it's really quiet in the wee small hours), forced myself to stay awake all day Saturday and actually managed to sleep straight though Saturday night. Once the pattern was broken, I haven't had nearly so much problem.

Endured the first evening surrounded by smokers last night - a bit of a gathering for a birthday - blimey that was difficult! Worse because I was driving so couldn't even have a drink.

But I got though it intact.