Giving up

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Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 9:17 am

Right, here we go.

As of 4 minutes ago, I have given up. I usually smoke about 20 a day (more if I'm at home) so this should be fun Confused

A mate of mine gave me a really good tip for the hand-to-mouth reflex action. Get yourself a straw (white is best) and cut to the length of a fag and then stuff a small piece of sponge in on end. Looks like a fag, feels like a fag and if you try and light it, you get a burning plastic smell.

I also have a little Firefox extension that will be using. Every time I use the computer I see the little Quitzilla icon which if you hover the mouse over tells how many cigarettes you have not smoked since your stop date and the cost of these. The figures soon assist you to stay off the cigs. http://www.quitometro.org/quitomzilla_en.php

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

Good luck mate Very Happy

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 9:41 am

^^^ This FF extension sounds just the thing. I'll install it when I'm at home later today.
With the help of this thread I have almost stopped smoking already. Currently on about 4 a day (previously 20+) and reducing by one every 3 days. Plus, I'm not smoking anymore at home or when going out. This may not be the mainstream way of doing it, but I think it'll work for me...

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

That little Firefox extension is great.
I just hit 2 milestones

1) 800 fags
2) �140
happy crowd

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 1:45 pm

Way to go!

The cost factor of smoking is, in my location, unfortunately not much of an incentive as a packet costs about 80 pence (20 pence only if you buy the ones made in Egypt, but even at my most desparate I wouldn't smoke those).
I reckon, though, that the number of fags not smoked should provide enough of an incentive.

In short, the mission is: Number of Eater posts up, number of fags down! Wink

Master Baiter Joined: 22 Dec 2005 Posts: 211

Congrats on the impressive milestone, Bombardier! It's always refreshing to see willpower prevail. Smile

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 7:01 pm

10 hours (nearly), 15 fags and �4 saved so far and I'm climbing the bloody walls.

Going out for a walk now and leaving my wallet and cash at home so I don't get tempted. I'll probably get wet, but hey-ho.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

Mate, the first week is hell but once you get past it life becomes easier, make sure you got plenty of headache pills handy and make sure you tell every one that you "given up" not "giving up", that way its impossible to start again due to the fact that you don,t want all your mates to realise you got the breaking strain of a KitKat.
It is hard but so worth it, keep it up mate Thumbs up

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 7:58 pm

I don't want to tempt fate, but the last couple of days have been unreal.
I've not even thought about smoking, much less had any cravings. It's almost as if the only time I think about smoking is because I'm suprised that I haven't thought about it (work it out).
I reckon I might finally be there.

That said, I'll probably be gagging for a B&H in 5 minutes because I've written this.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

Same here mate, only time i really wanted a fag in the last week was this morning when i crashed the car (�3000 worth of damage Sad

). Smoking just seemed to be the natural thing to do but i refrained Very Happy

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:42 pm

Good luck...

My bro-in-law quit smoking by cold turkey too. He never lit a cigarrette since he started... it's been 6-7 years since he quit. He was smoking for over 20 years before he quit.

My sister made him quit. Laughing

It's one of her conditions for marriage.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:45 pm

Treading on thin ice with cranky non-smokers with hair-trigger tempers but anyway....... some people find quitting easier than others because they haven't developed a chemical/physiological dependency on nicotine. It's not the act of smoking they need so much as the actual nicotine. However, for many smokers the 'pleasure' is in the act of smoking rather than getting a nicotine fix (although it's a bonus) and it becomes more of a habit than anything else. When I quit I found the first week or so difficult but I knew what my 'smoking triggers' were and so deliberately avoided those situations and it was amazing how quickly I found myself not even thinking about smoking, let alone 'needing' a cigarette. However, I do know how hard it is for smokers who have become dependant/addicted to nicotine because they have to go through a genuine withdrawal process. So congrats to all of you who have toughed it out and good luck for continued success.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

Hmmm, everyones gone quiet Confused

I haven't smoked for 3 weeks, 4 days and 7 hours, saving 1,013.32 cigarettes and �177.33 .

419Eater Admin Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 7469

Like Leslie Nielson at the end of Airplane, good luck. We're all counting on you Smile

Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:19 pm

I still smoke.

I'm currently on huge 500gram amoxicillin capsules trying to get rid of a chest infection.

That should keep you focused.

Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:45 pm

@bombardier,

Don't worry. I'm still with you. I haven't really thought a lot about smoking recently so haven't really bothered posting in this thread. It's not a sign that I've fallen off the wagon!!!

3 weeks and 4 days? Is it really that long? I must admit, I haven't been keeping count, but it feels like we only gave up a yesterday. I didn't realise it was so long.

Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:08 pm

Well done you lot!! I'm quitting when the ban comes in (I think!)

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

Yep, who would have thought it eh Very Happy

I don,t even feel like a smoker anymore, i can get pissed out my head and still not think about fags.

419Eater Admin Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 7469

You might want to re-word your previous post Bombardier Wink

Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:26 pm

bombardier wrote:

... iv,e smoked for 28 years ...

bombardier wrote:

... I haven't smoked for 3 weeks, 4 days and 7 hours, saving 1,013.32 cigarettes and �177.33 .

I've never smoked, so I'm about �71,511.65 ahead of you. Very Happy

Hey, we're talking about one of these at list price!

Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:42 pm

kleindoofy wrote:

I've never smoked, so I'm about �71,511.65 ahead of you.

That's a very sexy motorbike. Cool

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:15 am

Way to go, Bomb. I'm rooting for ya.

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:21 am

Good on ya Bomb! You've passed another '3' milestone (3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks, etc). The next one is 3 months and you won't even be counting by then.

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:34 am

I'm still stopped from last August (yay me!) and I just installed that FF extension for fun - over �2,100 saved so far. Very Happy

I'm still finding that there are circumstances when I think about smoking - one was when I was away for a week at a place I have been to loads of times, always as a smoker, and once was when I had a weekend at a place I have never been to before, so I have no idea what that trigger was. Also, every time I check into a hotel, I still feel the urge to light up after I have unpacked. Most of the other triggers have just ceased, and life is more comfortable generally for not smoking. And I've not turned rabidly anti-smoking, which I am really pleased about. Smile

Good luck to the ones who are struggling, and congrats to the ones who are quitting. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:40 pm

bump

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkFY_UyOh08