Smoking - I QUIT

[Chili]

The 3 week mark arrived last night, I am still "clean".

Maria had a bit of a ("I wanna ciggie") crisis last night, she had the screaming abdabs for 20 minutes while we were down at Southampton, but she came through, there was never any doubt, but weird she should suddenly have a little problem with it. Soon passed, though, & she will NEVER smoke again, ever.

Will I ever smoke again? Well, this debate took the entire 3 hour drive home from Southampton to Notts last night to discuss....I told Maria that I maight - might - start again on Christmas Day. My diet starts on Wednesday, that's till Xmas Day, & I thought I may "let go" on Xmas Day & start smoking & eating properly again, having proven I can kick the habit. Maria went up the wall - "what? - WHAT?" sorta thing.

Her view is that I'm mad, & she ain't far out I guess,. But it's different for me. I did not pack up for health reasons, & I'm on the last chapter, as it were, so I may as well enjoy myself. But then again, there is the anti-social, stinky-clothes, thing......So maybe not. Probably, almost certainly, not. But that's all in the future, for now, I still have to prove I can quit. I'm doing just fine in that area. Look, if I say I'll NEVER smoke again, I won't, & that's that. Fact. I'm just not ready to say that yet. That's all.

Another oddity I have noticed. I'm eating a lot more, to be expected, & starting to enjoy food again. You don't notice not being able to taste food until you CAN taste it again! But my sense of smell has improved 100%. I was sat in a cardroom recently, & was incredibly conscious that someone very near me stunk of body odour. Was it me, I wondered?, covertly "smelling myself" at every opportunity. I had clean clothes on, & had showered a few hours before, but one does worry. (I know, old people DO smell....). It was not me, thank the Lord, though when I got in the car, I did the full "can I smell myself?" routine. We've all done it, don't deny it!

Not entirely sure if being able to smell others bad BO counts as a benefit of quitting smoking though.....

  Slow down, slow down, you can't possibly be considering a start date! Read back what you are saying. For what reason would you possibly want to start smoking again? And actually choosing a date to do it is crazy. You realize you are considering giving yourself the worst possible Christmas present. It will make you feel miserable, make you stink, cost you money and probably kill you.

If you feel that saying you'll never smoke again will mean you will never smoke again, then that's what you have to do to quit. Starting again at any time doesn't prove anything other than you failed to quit smoking.

Sorry to sound like I'm ranting, but I suppose I am.

I believe you'll come round, you know yourself that there is absolutely no logic in starting smoking again. Old nic is trying to persuade you otherwise.

 

Sorry for laughing but I gave the exact same speach to his lordship last night and it really doesn't make any odds with him.  He has explained himself already but it just goes to show that people have to come to decisions entirely on their own. 

This smoking thing has proved one thing between us though.  He is a stubborn git and I am more stubborn than i thought I was 

[Decider]

I think it's just a passing trend, he'll come over from the dark side and admit that he'll never smoke again soon enough. Psychological games work!

[tikay]

The 3 week mark arrived last night, I am still "clean".

Maria had a bit of a ("I wanna ciggie") crisis last night, she had the screaming abdabs for 20 minutes while we were down at Southampton, but she came through, there was never any doubt, but weird she should suddenly have a little problem with it. Soon passed, though, & she will NEVER smoke again, ever.

Will I ever smoke again? Well, this debate took the entire 3 hour drive home from Southampton to Notts last night to discuss....I told Maria that I maight - might - start again on Christmas Day. My diet starts on Wednesday, that's till Xmas Day, & I thought I may "let go" on Xmas Day & start smoking & eating properly again, having proven I can kick the habit. Maria went up the wall - "what? - WHAT?" sorta thing.

Her view is that I'm mad, & she ain't far out I guess,. But it's different for me. I did not pack up for health reasons, & I'm on the last chapter, as it were, so I may as well enjoy myself. But then again, there is the anti-social, stinky-clothes, thing......So maybe not. Probably, almost certainly, not. But that's all in the future, for now, I still have to prove I can quit. I'm doing just fine in that area. Look, if I say I'll NEVER smoke again, I won't, & that's that. Fact. I'm just not ready to say that yet. That's all.

Another oddity I have noticed. I'm eating a lot more, to be expected, & starting to enjoy food again. You don't notice not being able to taste food until you CAN taste it again! But my sense of smell has improved 100%. I was sat in a cardroom recently, & was incredibly conscious that someone very near me stunk of body odour. Was it me, I wondered?, covertly "smelling myself" at every opportunity. I had clean clothes on, & had showered a few hours before, but one does worry. (I know, old people DO smell....). It was not me, thank the Lord, though when I got in the car, I did the full "can I smell myself?" routine. We've all done it, don't deny it!

Not entirely sure if being able to smell others bad BO counts as a benefit of quitting smoking though.....

  Slow down, slow down, you can't possibly be considering a start date! Read back what you are saying. For what reason would you possibly want to start smoking again? And actually choosing a date to do it is crazy. You realize you are considering giving yourself the worst possible Christmas present. It will make you feel miserable, make you stink, cost you money and probably kill you.

If you feel that saying you'll never smoke again will mean you will never smoke again, then that's what you have to do to quit. Starting again at any time doesn't prove anything other than you failed to quit smoking.

Sorry to sound like I'm ranting, but I suppose I am.

I believe you'll come round, you know yourself that there is absolutely no logic in starting smoking again. Old nic is trying to persuade you otherwise.

 

Sorry for laughing but I gave the exact same speach to his lordship last night and it really doesn't make any odds with him.  He has explained himself already but it just goes to show that people have to come to decisions entirely on their own. 

This smoking thing has proved one thing between us though.  He is a stubborn git and I am more stubborn than i thought I was 

Yes, I am stubborn, but you are stubbornerer. You start with the natural advantage in the Stubborn Stakes of being Female, right?

[sofa----king]

i just caught up on your smoking posts tikay,i do agree m8 im a bit disapointed in you saying you may start at christmas,you only have to read your thread subject and that should be enough for you,SMOKING I QUIT .....it doesnt say anywhere that you quit for a bit m8 ,dont give yourself a starting date coz now i put prresure on you like in poker you raise ill call IF YOU SMOKE I WILL TOO and my wife and 9 year old son will blame you lol,,dont do it m8 you will feel more healthier as you get oldr than be in bed coughing your way till your death you dont want that m8 ,cmon willpower and quit for good m8,dont give yourself temptation i know you got willpower ,but cmon dont be an old man coughing in bed be a young dancing singing poker god ,,,just think ,,DOYLE BRUNSON   you are a british him ,but not as good in the poker department lol

[sofa----king]

i didnt want this thread to die either lol

[snoopy1239]

Well done to all those who have got this far.

Like many others, I am very concerned that tikay is threatening to restart on Christmas Day.

My Grandad died at 62 when I was about 10 and I was devestated as he was an important part of my life at that time. His death was due to smoking and his inability to stop. His lungs were full of tar and the doctor's told him that if he didn't stop he would die, which, of course, he did. He was way too young to die and I am still gutted that he left us at such an early stage in my life.

So, to hear that tikay has quit smoking just to prove a point or fulfill a challenge makes me somewhat disheartened. I understand why you like smoking, but the real challenge lies in quitting for a long period. At the moment, you have quit for a short period, safe in the knowledge that you will be restarting at Christmas. Surely that proves nothing except you can hold out for 3 of months. I know many people who have stopped for 3 months, and then succumbed all of a sudden when the going got tough. So I'd suggest to really accomplish something you need to take it further. You may say that you have the ability to stop smoking forever, but until you actually do it, it's only words and you can never be sure.

However, I read your explaniation and I understand the reasons, but I am confused as to why you wouldn't be quitting for health issues. Are you beyond recovery? Can you not extend your life span at all? Will it not make you feel healthier? You say that you want to enjoy life, but doesn't smoking give you more of it to enjoy?

I'm not a smoker, so someone will have to answer these questions for me.

Please don't take this as peer pressure, it is just concern from someone who has lost a loved one due to tobacco.

Good luck to everyone trying to achieve their goals.

regards,

a deeply concerned snoopy

[sofa----king]

Well done to all those who have got this far.

Like many others, I am very concerned that tikay is threatening to restart on Christmas Day.

My Grandad died at 62 when I was about 10 and I was devestated as he was an important part of my life at that time. His death was due to smoking and his inability to stop. His lungs were full of tar and the doctor's told him that if he didn't stop he would die, which, of course, he did. He was way too young to die and I am still gutted that he left us at such an early stage in my life.

So, to hear that tikay has quit smoking just to prove a point or fulfill a challenge makes me somewhat disheartened. I understand why you like smoking, but the real challenge lies in quitting for a long period. At the moment, you have quit for a short period, safe in the knowledge that you will be restarting at Christmas. Surely that proves nothing except you can hold out for 3 of months. I know many people who have stopped for 3 months, and then succumbed all of a sudden when the going got tough. So I'd suggest to really accomplish something you need to take it further. You may say that you have the ability to stop smoking forever, but until you actually do it, it's only words and you can never be sure.

However, I read your explaniation and I understand the reasons, but I am confused as to why you wouldn't be quitting for health issues. Are you beyond recovery? Can you not extend your life span at all? Will it not make you feel healthier? You say that you want to enjoy life, but doesn't smoking give you more of it to enjoy?

I'm not a smoker, so someone will have to answer these questions for me.

Please don't take this as peer pressure, it is just concern from someone who has lost a loved one due to tobacco.

Good luck to everyone trying to achieve their goals.

regards,

a deeply concerned snoopy

this is what i wanted to say,but snoops is posher than me and worded it better so cmon tony pull your finger out and delete your re-start at christmas thread out and do it for good

[snoopy1239]

I promise you I'm not posh. 

[thetank]

The old joke "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it 1,000 times"

All very well and good, but the reality is, you can only quit smoking once.


When you start again, the last time you quit doesn't count. All you did was take a fair bit of time between cigarettes.

Is that an achievemnet? Well let's say I'm on a cramped train between Edinburgh and London, and somebody next to me is coughing all over the shop without covering their mouth. If they make an extra special effort to not do this after Doncaster, but start up again after Sheffield, is anyone in the carriage supposed to be cheddar cheesed?

It's not a perfect analogy I'll grant you, stopping smoking probably has more to do with the effects on yourselves than on others, but it had a train in it so thought it appropriate.

You say "I still have to prove I can quit."

My point is (forgive the bluntness) if you start again, you've proved f*** all





I'd love to say something along the lines of....

I quit because I was inspired buy Tikay, and if he let up and gave in, I'm worried that it may give me licence to wire into the ciggies again during a weak moment.

That would be a load of bollox though, I stopped for myself, and I'll stay stopped for myself.
Tiaky doesn't have any responsibility in this to anyone beyond himself, ultimately it's Tikay's choice what he does.


I would advise this though, if you want to get back in the habit, go and open this thread. Read it all again, every word, every one wishing you well, everyone hoping you can do it, everyone believing in you. If you still want to smoke, print out a page. Roll it all up, and set it ablaze to light your first puff.

Seek advise from a parent or other grown up before playing with fire in this manner.

[snoopy1239]

Good post, tank.

I agree, quitting is about stopping permanently, not just having a break. To say I've proved I can quit is inaccurate if you start up again after three months. I would be very disappointed if this was to occure, I sincerely hope it doesn't, but in the end it's tikay's deicision.

[Decider]

True folks, only thing I'll point out is on Tk's very first post on this thread he mentioned Christmas day, it's obviously been in his head. We should probably have noticed this before, but got caught up in the euphoria of helping someone else get free from the trap.

There are several people quitting, so lets not forget them, the more we remind Tk the more he's liable to keep thinking about it. Besides that, he's doing superbly well having gone over 3 weeks.

How are folk getting on now? As some of you passed the 3 week mark I passed the 7 week mark, a head start, but you'll be there soon. I'm still saving my cig money up for overpaying the mortgage, aiming for £300 a month and we'll see how I cope with that. Would be £300 easy if my partner would stop, but I'll make up the difference myself.  It's great seeing it build up, not so great pressing the button to transfer it all to the mortgage, but will be good when I finally pay the house off 9 years early Debt free and smoke free, theres a combination and a 1/2.

[Chili]

Very well said Snoops and Tank 

It is now 3 weeks and 4 days and all is great except for a little struggle last Sunday in Southampton.  A bit weird it was at the 3 week mark, precisely when most of the nicotine has said adios and you are supposed to feel less "cravings!"  It wasn't even a bad beat but very bad play by me.  It suddenly occured to me, as my heart was pounding, that I could have a fag.  I stood up, still angry at myself and suddenly for the first time understood the expression "clawing at the walls!"  Instead of breaking all my nails or giving in to nicotine, I went in search of Jen and ranted at her for a bit.  .  Poor girl, she even ended up appologising for smoking infront of me earlier in the day 

Anyway, the feeling soon passed and I got on with the comp with no further glitches (other than donking all my chips away).  Tonight I am off to Napoleons in Sheffield, which is one of the very rare venues left where you can still smoke at the tables.  Lets see if I can stay a calm rational ex smoker or turn into a ex smoking pyscho, jumping from table to table booting all the ashtrays out of the way!!

p.s as each day goes by the gap between the "thought" of a cigarette is getting longer and longer.

[Dingdell]

Tikay - you may think you are 'on the last chapter' but do you really want to get to the end of the book quicker?

If this book you are reading is a real page turner don't you want it to go on and on? Have you ever read a book where there are lots of pages to go and when you turn over a page you find that a lot of the pages at the end are blank and you are at the last page unexpectedly? It's always a dissappointment. 

Every day you go without a cigarette extends your life. Simple. If you submit to the weed you will leave a lot of empty pages and I, for one, don't want the story to end.

Christmas is a time for gifts to others and ourselves - an early death is a strange gift if you ask me.

Tracey xxxx

[Poppet7]

Well done to all those who have got this far.

Like many others, I am very concerned that tikay is threatening to restart on Christmas Day.

My Grandad died at 62 when I was about 10 and I was devestated as he was an important part of my life at that time. His death was due to smoking and his inability to stop. His lungs were full of tar and the doctor's told him that if he didn't stop he would die, which, of course, he did. He was way too young to die and I am still gutted that he left us at such an early stage in my life.

So, to hear that tikay has quit smoking just to prove a point or fulfill a challenge makes me somewhat disheartened. I understand why you like smoking, but the real challenge lies in quitting for a long period. At the moment, you have quit for a short period, safe in the knowledge that you will be restarting at Christmas. Surely that proves nothing except you can hold out for 3 of months. I know many people who have stopped for 3 months, and then succumbed all of a sudden when the going got tough. So I'd suggest to really accomplish something you need to take it further. You may say that you have the ability to stop smoking forever, but until you actually do it, it's only words and you can never be sure.

However, I read your explaniation and I understand the reasons, but I am confused as to why you wouldn't be quitting for health issues. Are you beyond recovery? Can you not extend your life span at all? Will it not make you feel healthier? You say that you want to enjoy life, but doesn't smoking give you more of it to enjoy?

I'm not a smoker, so someone will have to answer these questions for me.

Please don't take this as peer pressure, it is just concern from someone who has lost a loved one due to tobacco.

Good luck to everyone trying to achieve their goals.

regards,

a deeply concerned snoopy

Good Post Snoopy, similar thing happened to my Nan aged 66 and I'll never forget watching her during the last few days.

I hope Tikay, Chili, thetank etc can find the willpower to quit forever, before it is too late.

I always go on a rant about smoking, so I'll try not to do that now.

Best of luck to you all

Sophie xxx

[Rookie (Rodney)]

The old joke "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it 1,000 times"

All very well and good, but the reality is, you can only quit smoking once.


When you start again, the last time you quit doesn't count. All you did was take a fair bit of time between cigarettes.

Is that an achievemnet? Well let's say I'm on a cramped train between Edinburgh and London, and somebody next to me is coughing all over the shop without covering their mouth. If they make an extra special effort to not do this after Doncaster, but start up again after Sheffield, is anyone in the carriage supposed to be cheddar cheesed?

It's not a perfect analogy I'll grant you, stopping smoking probably has more to do with the effects on yourselves than on others, but it had a train in it so thought it appropriate.

You say "I still have to prove I can quit."

My point is (forgive the bluntness) if you start again, you've proved f*** all





I'd love to say something along the lines of....

I quit because I was inspired buy Tikay, and if he let up and gave in, I'm worried that it may give me licence to wire into the ciggies again during a weak moment.

That would be a load of bollox though, I stopped for myself, and I'll stay stopped for myself.
Tiaky doesn't have any responsibility in this to anyone beyond himself, ultimately it's Tikay's choice what he does.


I would advise this though, if you want to get back in the habit, go and open this thread. Read it all again, every word, every one wishing you well, everyone hoping you can do it, everyone believing in you. If you still want to smoke, print out a page. Roll it all up, and set it ablaze to light your first puff.

Seek advise from a parent or other grown up before playing with fire in this manner.

Superb post Tank. Well done all blondes given up so far. And tikay, dont do it. Say those words, I GIVE UP SMOKING FOREVER.