Quitting smoking?

[misscheery]

Right. So as cliche as it might be, I am planning to give up smoking from the 1st of January. (yep I know)

I don’t feel like I have a strong motivation. I smoke one pack a day, which is ridiculous. Been smoking for 10 years. Not always this much, but still 10 years.

So far my reasons would be:

1. Money- it obviously costs me a shitload of money even though I’m not in the UK, they still cost the world.
2. I smell of cigarettes and that’s not exactly sexy.
3. I only smoke in the kitchen with the window open but that obviously stinks as well.
4. I have to sneak out at work for a smoke which makes me feel like the ultimate drug addict.

So I guess my questions are: how did you quit smoking and most importantly how did you do it so you don’t start again?
What was your strongest motivation? How did you feel in the first few weeks and what were your tricks to overcome the stress?

Thanks everyone!

[PoptartPoptart]

I switched to vaping. It’s better than cigarettes in that it doesn’t smell, is cheaper and apparently not as bad for your health as smoking (although there is not enough data yet to prove how safe).
I’d tried and failed with patches, gum, hypnotherapy, Alan Carr etc. Vaping is the only thing keeping me off the cigarettes.

[TheSnowFairy]

I quit by going cold turkey in Feb.

All good until I went on holiday in August, had one and that was a mistake.

I have 2 left in my current pack and am not buying any more!

So my tip - do not have one after you quit. At all.

But do you realise that if you give up today, you will save approx £600 by the end of Dec (going by UK prices at 20 a day)?

[Izzabellasasperella]

Dh swears by the Allen Carr stop smoking book.

[Irelandfilly]

Off them 4 weeks using champix tablets, no withdrawals at all😊 only problem for me is to try stop eating sweet stuff!

[Hohofortherobbers]

Used patches. Never ever think you can just have 1, you'll be straight back on them. Think of your health, you are doing yourself the biggest favour ever. Just grit your teeth and get through the first few days and it'll then get easier. Good luck! Once you're off them you'll wonder why you carried on for so long

[misscheery]

Thanks everyone, some fab tips here.

It might sound ridiculous, however I am wondering what I’m going to do with the free time or if I’m going to gain weight, as I already need to lose weight...

But as you say, I’m doing myself a big favour!

[JustMuddlingOn]

Switched to vapeing in june and just got down to 0 nicotine liquid, next step off vaping by new year. My success with vaping was down to starting on high mg liquid and not being afraid to use that as long as I needed before lowering the strength then dropping down slowly not trying to go to quickly.

[Whatamuddleduck]

Used champix after years of trying to quit. Worked for me and then DP. Smoke free since last December. I'd suggest not trying nicotine lozenges- damn things are addictive!
Final incentive was ttc and ivf but didn't need much will power with champix, smoking became disgusting!

[sparkler10]

Champix

[misscheery]

Question about champix. I noticed it also sells in my country (I don’t live in the UK anymore).

I read all sort of weird stuff that it has secondary effects such as depression etc?

Did you experience any?

[didsomeonesaywine]

I agree with Izza. I used Allen Carr Easy Way to Stop Smoking book. Worked like magic, no over eating and have been smoke free for nearly 3 years. Recommend it to all my friends and family and I’d say 90% have found it to work first time easily. It’s only a couple of quid to buy and I read it over four days or so...

[Mollypolly2610]

What is champix please. Another one trying to find the willpower to stop!

[ForFiveMinutes]

Also tried Champix after years of trying everything else. Only side effects were feeling really sick if I took on an empty stomach, other wise fantastic. Take for the last of week of smoking and by the end of the week you've almost forgotten you smoke! No fags for 4 1/2 years now

[kaytee87]

I used an e-cig for 2 weeks then stopped that. The withdrawals I experienced were horrible; diarrhoea, sickness, stomach cramps, mood swings, mouth ulcers, depression. The worst of it lasted 2 weeks and then tapered off. I kept myself busy doing jobs around the house that I had otherwise put off.
The main motivation for quitting was the fact that I hated being controlled by cigarettes, I saw that it made me a weak person.
Good luck op, I’d do it now rather than putting it off til January.
I too had smoked on average a pack a day and had been smoking 10 years.

[CheeseGirl4]

Allen Carr Easyway to Stop Smoking. I did the DVD, bought from Amazon. This doesn't involve vaping etc. as with that you're feeding the nicotine addiction rather than quitting it. It's a bit difficult for a day or so, but genuinely easy after that.

[Kitcat122]

Hi I have been a 15 a day smoker for about 25 years. Never tried to give up before as I didn't think I could do it. On 4th December I decided to quit on a whim . Here I am still not smoking, the first week was very hard but gets easier quite quickly. Good luck you can do it if you really want to.

[ethelfleda]

I got pregnant

[Cornettoninja]

Champix is one of those things that if it works for you it's great but can be not right.

Dp and I took it at the same time years ago and I just hated how it made me feel (spacey) and couldn't even think about alcohol on it and dp (who has mh history) found it triggered a depressive/manic episode in him.

Give it a go by all means but be aware it's potent stuff and be prepared to stop it if you need to.

[timeforachangeithink]

I used an ecig for 12 months. I actually lost 6.5 stone when I stopped as I took up running, which is previously been unable to do. I have recently started smoking again after 7 years smoke free. About to attempt dropping again by signing up for a challenge to run 50 miles in January.

[Desmondo2016]

Lozenges. Although I would up addicted to them instead. They're affordable and don't smell lol

[Kitcat122]

Sorry forgot to say I'm using gum. ☺️

[Chocolatechops84]

Allen Carr Easyway to stop smoking class. It was £250 (6 years ago), but promised a full refund if it didn't work. It was really tough for a couple of days (crying, craving, angry outbursts etc!)... however, six years on I've not even been tempted to have one puff. Best thing I ever did. Good luck.

[Chickenagain]

Another vote for Alan Carr. The book, I.didn't do the course. Worked brilliantly & also for my exH who stopped completely on his 50th having smoked up to 60 a day for many, many years.

[KatyaZamolodchikova]

I did champix with a history of depression, that was my biggest worry of trying them. But actually I was fine, a bit grumpy & short tempered for a while but I didn’t relapse. I’d have stopped them right away if I thought it was starting again. It worked for me though, I’ve not had a cig since May 2014.

[Juicyfruitloop]

You can listen to the Allen Carr audiobook, Its a good start. I listened to it, used patches, and bought a vape as a temporary and I was still like a demon that should have been locked in a padded cell.

I have given up 20 times and failed 19, still off them. It is very hard but very work it, do listen to Allen Carr especially the health chapter it hits home, I listened to a certain 4 chapters over and over after the health chapter it gets boring that the rest is blah blah.