blonde poker forum

Apologies for using this forum for selfish purposes.

Having smoked for most of my adult life (except for a period when I was playing Senior Rugby) I have decided to give up again. The previous efforts were feeble to say the least and having adjoining patches on every spare piece of skin did not suit. With apologies to all, I intend to use this tread to post a daily diary. I have tried the secret method but that was only kidding myself so this very public method will, I hope, have a cathartic effect and prompt me to stay on the straight and narrow.

I have found that playing on-line poker has increased my intake (cracking nearly 40 a day recently) so the embarrassment of having to tell people I respect that I have failed in my task hopefully will increase my resolve. Every other effort was doomed to failure because I was lying to myself (and I was overdosing on mints). This time I would have to lie to others and I will not do that.

Zero hour is midnight tonight and when I arrive in Luton for the APAT I should have been smoke free for 2 weeks (just look out for the aggressive Irish B’tard all in on the first hand)

Ger

Good Luck M8  ;hattip;

I keep failing in this also & keep running out of excuses to give up...............I know there are no excuses!!!

good luck in kicking the filthy habit  ;goodluck;

I admire your courage in going public over your desire to quit smoking, never an easy thing to do? You leave yourself open to all sorts of witty and abusive comments from friends and associates if you fail in your attempt, which could have long term effects on your inner confidence and self esteem? This of course could also effect your ability to play your poker 'A' game and consequently drain your bankroll and see you drift into a perpetual haze which spills over into your personal life......well, need i go on?

I for one gave up 30 years ago after watching an autopsy on a 55 year old man who died of lung cancer-he was a smoker? I vowed never to smoke again and live longer than 55, only 5 years to go!

I look forward to shaking your hand in congratulation at Luton because you sound like a person who makes a decision then makes it work.

Kevin 

Indeed, good luck to you.

I gave up a couple of weeks ago, no patches, no gum, just my grim determination.

First week was nuts, felt like I had insects eating through my brain and a kind of schizophrenia, one voice was giving my excellent reasons to smoke and the other was telling "NO, NO, NO".

I carry a lighter around to test my resolve, the day I forget to carry the lighter is the day I have quit completely.

Completely the same as usual then?

:dontask:

ger,
       am arriving in luton early friday evening hoping to play the
       75er at 8.0 in the g, do some hynotherapy and other stuff
       usually works well for addictions etc.guy i know a dentist
       uses a heirarchical approach to help people stop smoking
       he determines the most important/enjoyable fags then
       collapses the urge for them then the others collapse themselves,
       simple,anyway if you fancy a pint and a blether feel free (no
       charge by the way)i am also in the process of composing a
       hypnotic sript solely for poker, i firmly believe that our
       subconscious provides us with all the tools to basically take in
       all that is happening at a poker table eg.betting patterns
       mannerisms,personalities of opponents, it is how we access
       (effortlessly) this powerful tool that the script is about.I would
       love to hear any feedback/input from any blondes who will be
       luton.

                              cheers
                                              derek curran

         ps giving up smoking is the easy,i`ve done it hundreds of times.

         pps ger, checkout emofree.com

                       

Thanks for the encouragement.. I have identified the most enjoyable moments (ie when I simply must have a ciggy) and solutions

1. First thing in the morning (I don't smoke upstairs so don't come down stairs) -- impracticable
2. When I get in the car (don't drive) -- impossible, I'm a lazy b'tard
3. When I eat (Don't eat) -- Hey thats a point I could do with losing a few pounds
4. When I have some alcohol (Don't even go there I must have some solice)
5. When I play poke on-line (Don't go there either)

So if I don't get up, don't drive, don't eat, don't drink and don't play poker it will be a doddle.

My life is over  ;hide; ;reallyamsorry;

Ger

Play more live poker!!

finished early -- smoked last cigarette at 23:04 -- cos i ran out .... see how we get on

oh and I finished 77th on sky tonight -- so maybe the omens aren't good

duke buy a cd set by alan carr on how to quit smoking.


my step dad smoked more than you and plays online poker, my mum used to smoke 20 a day and my sister probably 10.


They all listened to this cd set at different times and all decided to quit roughly 8 months ago. They all said it was a lot easier to quit than they thought and they havnt touched a ciggie since. Consider it in mind mate.

Day -- Sat 11th August

My son is gone to his mothers for a week -- he's safe
I never see my daughter she's always out clubbing -- she's safe
The dog is cowering in the corner of the garden (how do they know??)

I have just bombed out of the APAT heads up -- not my format anyway. I really really want a cigarette.. I have not sucumbed and will survive day 1.

Ger

Just do it!! gl pal

Why dont you consider my advice that i posted above? It may sound cheesy listening to a cd set on how to quit smoking but ive seen two chain smokers happily quit after spending a few hours listening to them :) Have fun.

Try the inhalator - it worked disgustingly well on me and have now given up for approx 3 months. Also don't buy into the hype that its hard to give up - unfortunately it is all to easy.. so I have no excuse to go back.

Oh dear busted - it's skrikera not Rookie who smoked - damn must learn to log people off

Day 2

I know its early but posting helps in a funny way an if I offend anyone by being self defecating I am sorry.

I know it's only day 2 but (and its probably psychological) but I am dying (short term I know I was dying longterm anyway  :dontask: ) for a smoke so I have done the only thing possible to stop me driving to the shop (I'm too lazy to walk). I necked a few beers so now I can't drive. If any of you know me personally you know that's unusual  ;cupcake;.  I am in the WCOAP at 6 so expect erratic play -- no change there then.

This dreaded weed it has me in its clutches
I cannot for the life of me break free
The only time, I can say that it is beaten
Is when the mask of sleep reduces me.

Apologies to Rex Tyler.....


Ger

wondered what that smell was  ;)

gl with giving up

GL Ger, keep up the good work!

I am The Duke's next door neighbour for his sins..!!!

He told me about this on Friday evening, so now it is public to his friends also.  Due to the fact that I am in his house pretty much every day, for sure I will know if he wains his attempts..

I smoked from the age of 16 to 36 and one day while talking to the doctor about something non-related to smoking, the doctor said to me, "Do you smoke?"...  "Yes" i said... "Well, from now on, you do not smoke.!!".....  And just like a little boy to his daddy, I said "OK"... I have not smoked since...!!!

2002 that was...  Took me 3 weeks for my brain to stop thinking about those habitual things, like, when I got in the car and reversed away from my driveway, brain says cigarette, I have to tell brain I do not smoke any more, stop being stupid..!!  So many times per day it happened, after 1 week, happening less, afer 2 weeks, much less, and afte 3.5 weeks, gone was the messages in my mind telling me to light up..!!

Now, come up to my face, blow as much smoke as you like, it does not bother me (unlike some ex-smokers)...  I do not wheeze any more getting out of bed, I can 'taste' a lot more food, and much much more because I stopped..

I can only hope that Ger, and all the others who have made an attempt to give up smoking, make it past that stage which took me over 3 weeks to get to..  After that stage it is almost plain sailing..

Good luck Ger, and I will help you as much as I can, but, when you have had a beer, dont ask me to drive to the shops for you for smokes..!!! LOL...

Cheers

Carl..

Nice one Ger. How many days now? And are you still smoke free?

The real challange is tonight, a home game without a smoke. At least you'll have a change to get top of the league now I've stopped playing ;)

:D

When I decided to give up (after 13 years of 20-30 a day) I went to Boots and bought the entire course of patches for around £60.   I did not change any other aspect of my life, which included binge drinking sessions, poker in pubs, casinos and home games, but I did stop looking for reasons to smoke (I've just done x I really need a fag etc) and after a few weeks it became easier, after 7 weeks I realised I hadnt had a patch on for a few days and never went back to them.   That was 5 years ago in October, never had a drag since. 

My advice - Spend the money on patches and stop thinking about it so much!