Day one of no smoking, hit me with your success stories!

[Somuchroom]

I’m on day one of no smoking and feeling insanely positive. I imagine later on in the day I’m going to crumble. To all you who have given up please tell me how great you feel now so I can read back when I’m struggling. Thank you!!!

God it was hard. Gave up (for the 2nd time) on May 13th 2007. Black depression , even hallucinating at one point. Thought about smoking all the time. Persevered.

Created a spreadsheet that every time I opened it, calculated how many fags I hadn't smoked and how much I hadn't spent.

DH gave up at the same time. We saved the cigarette cash and the following year went on holiday in California with the kids. In an open top Mustang up Highway 1 and down Sunset Boulevard. Bloody amazing.

Give yourself a goal, and realise that you will always be a smoker, it's just that you have chosen not to have a cigarette in x days.

Keep going.

OP, you say that you admire those who go cold turkey, but I would have found it hard to stop if I had replaced cigarettes with patches, etc.
I stopped smoking 15 years ago, after smoking for 25 years, after attending an Allen Carr day ( not the comedian).
The first week was hardest, and after that it became easier.
Remember that each nicotine hit makes you crave the next one.

I gave up on 3rd March 2006. I remembered how many days since my last fag for a good 9 months, because I literally had to take one day at a time.

It’s really easy to give up giving up because you worry about dealing with certain scenarios or events where you’d normally smoke, so I used to say “I’m not smoking today” and that helped a lot.

We did have apps back then but I roughly worked out my expenditure on cigarettes for the week, month, year and it came in at what my student loan & student overdraft was I’d just graduated and had no money to move out on my own, so had to go back home, living with my parents and it was a huge motivator to quit for the money side of things.

Within 12 months I’d cleared my overdraft and brought a second hand car. It felt great.

Keep going and keep remembering why you’re doing it, those kisses and snuggles with DS will be awesome every day.

2 weeks 2 days cigarette free for me. I've got a vape with nicotine I use about 4 times a day. Was on 15 - 20 a day. Am feeling so much better already.

I have never been a smoker but I am the daughter of 2 smokers.

My Mum died of lung cancer. She was the type of person who would light a cigarette before even swinging her feet out of bed in the morning. She smoked 20 -30 a day.

She managed to quit after smoking from the age of about 13. But sadly it was too late. She was early 60s.

It is truly lovely to hear of people quitting, because you are giving yourself the chance at more time with your own children/grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren. I miss my Mum terribly.

It must be fucking awful to quit but you can do this. Stay strong.

TheJobNeverEnded - so sorry to read about your DMum

Somuchroom - well done on day 2!! I found the app was a great help. I check in on it only occasionally now and it's encouraging to see the health progress info.

TheJobNeverEnded your post is so powerful to me. I don’t want my son to be writing those words in years to come. I’m so sorry about your mum. Thank you for sharing this with me.

DreamingofZakynthos Well done!! You are doing amazing, keep it up! We got this!

Thank you everyone. I’ve come back and read this post a lot. It’s really helping. Day three and feeling good.

I think it was Gerri Hallowell who said just don't smoke for the next 3 minutes. When they cravings strike just promise yourself that you're a competent human who can go the next 3 minutes without smoking. 3 minutes later you're probably doing or thinking about something else, and if you're not - just tell yourself that it's only another 3 minutes you need to not smoke for.

The cravings are strong, bit you are stronger.

Somuchroom ( sorry, new to this! ) thanks, you're doing fab , totally got this! The fact that you've chosen to give up is a massive step in itself. 😄 I'm just doing a day at a time.

Morning Somuchroom. How's it going?

Do it!!!! Don't let nicotine rule your life. It's a tyrant. Kick it into touch.
Have been a non-smoker for 16 years now. It took a couple of serious attempts for me to stop--with occasional drunken relapses in the early days. But am so glad I did it.

You have to beat the habit first- using a nicotine replacement while you change your routines/ associations. Then beat the physical addiction.
If you relapse for any reason, don't use it as an excuse to give in. You will never regret it.

Hi!
Yeah doing really good actually. I got quite a bad throat so haven’t been using the inhaler as much. Just have a couple goes on it when necessary, usually after eating my evening meal. But hope to have stopped that in a couple weeks.
My gums though! Oh my goodness. I’ve never had issues with them before and after a bit of research have seen it’s quite common for them to become inflamed when quitting. Seeing the dentist tomorrow just to make sure my teeth are not going to fall out. Also got back into the habit of flossing. But my mouth overall is a million times nicer. No bad tastes and much fresher breath!

It’s made such a difference to my confidence overall, I saw my therapist Wednesday evening and she said she can see a change in me already, for the good, so it’s spurring me on.

My DH leaves me motivational notes on the fridge every morning before he leaves for work and I’m making him so proud and it’s just lovely.

I was seriously addicted, I literally would have a cigarette first thing in the morning as soon as my eyes were open. A year ago I never imagined I could do this. But my Nan dying of lung cancer last month has been the sharp shock I needed to make me wake up to what I’m doing to myself.

How are you doing DreamingofZaknthos?

Also thanks to other posters, please keep them coming, every single one of your posts is helping. It’s reaffirming all the reasons I’m doing this. Well done to all of you who have quit, you are my inspirations!!

I gave up 7 years ago after 30 years.You can do it!!! Make sure you put the money away, don't just leave it in your account to be absorbed by anything. It may sound strange but I used to suck on a straw/pen exactly as I would a cigarette.
The best advice I have ever had was - Having one won't stop you wanting one, so don't bother...

176 days since I had my last cig. I haven't quit. I'm just seeing how long I can go between fags.

Somuchroom - sorry to hear about your nan
You are doing so well - you should be proud of yourself!!

Cheddar - your post made me laugh out loud

If I'd had cigarettes in the house, I'd have had one last night! It was a particularly trying evening and the first thing I wanted to do was smoke . Fortunately, I didn't have any and had plans so the moment passed very quickly - phew!!

I'm now 3 years smoke free.
Things that helped me:
B Vitamins
having a bottle of water handy at all times. When I craved a cigarette I sipped water instead. This kept my hand to mouth action satisfied and also had the added benefit of hydrating me. Being properly hydrated contributed to me feeling so much better.

The hardest cigarettes for me were what I called my 'punctuation marks'....the ones after meals, the last one before bed. These were a big psychological battle for me. Developing a new post meal/pre bed 'ritual' to replace the cigarette was instrumental in me getting past these.

I have other health issues but the smoking was being blamed for them. Now I am smoke free I have been able to get referals and treatment for these issues and I feel a million times better as a result.

Keep going, you can do this!

So sorry to hear about your nan Somuchroom.

That is brilliant having DH leaving notes, bless him.

Fab news on your therapist seeing the difference already .

I've had this flipping virusy thing for almost 2 weeks, so I'm on the vape just like you. Not even enjoying it that much.

Look how far you've you've come. You TOTALLY got this! 😊

Get yourself a vape.

I stopped 13 weeks ago after smoking for 15 years.

It's hard I won't lie, even now when I'm stressed when ds is tantrumming for the thousandth time I could light up. But the feeling soon passes.

You save so much money.

It gets easier, even if you slip up just get back on it. Never give up.

day 36, I'm looking forward to day 60. After starting again 15 years ago, I'm feeling quite chuffed with myself. I can now go a day without spending any cash, it's pissed off my X and I stink a bit less

Hi all!

Thanks to posters suggestions about a vape. I’ve heard very good things about them but I’m very conscious of my habit being visible to others which is why the inhaler suits me better. It gets minimal use now anyway so I think the hand to mouth habit is breaking, hopefully! The tip about the water I’m actioning that today as I do think I’m a little dehydrated as would normally drink 1000 cups of coffee a day, but this urge has gone, strangely enough, and I now have 3/4 cups a day instead, so need to replace the lost fluids.

“Having one won’t stop you wanting another, so don’t bother.” Priceless. I’ve added that to my mantras! It’s up there with “become the mother and woman you want to be.” And “I can do this.”

DreamingofZakynthos quitters flu is real and it’s not nice and it’s a reason people relapse. Stay strong! Imagine how disappointed you will feel if you give in.

Thank you all. This thread is a very strong tool in my toolbox.

Well done OP. I quit the fags just over 18 months ago and am massively rich now

I've not spent about £6k on cigs since I quit.

Well done OP.

I quit 4 years ago using the patches, started with the strongest and worked my way down. It was hard but I love not smoking.

Things that I love about not smoking

I love walking up a flight of stairs and not being out of breath.

Not having to leave the table at a restaurant between courses to have a quick fag and know that everyone can smell the smoke stink on me when I get back but be too polite to say anything.

The money you save!

Not having the stress of running low on fags and all the shops being closed so you have to drive around looking for an all night garage.

Bit of a random one but my DH commenting that my hair smelled nice after I washed it. He could smell the shampoo and conditioner rather than cigarette smoke. Now I always buy a lovely smelling shampoo and have a sniff of my hair when I'm on my way to work.

These things keep me going if I'm ever tempted but to be honest I am never tempted anymore. I smoked from being 15 until I was 35.

Good luck.

Good luck and keep with it! I took these photos from the app I use, and the money saved is based on the price when I gave up, which was about £7 for 20 Marlboro.DH and I gave up in the same week, so double that amount of money. We go on holiday once a year long haul for 6 weeks. I said to DH one year I’d love to go first class. I looked at the prices and it was about £3k extra for the flight. That same holiday I had a lightbulb moment. I realised that as we were paying £1 locally for 20 branded cigs, we were actually giving the UK government £50 extra in tax each, all the while we smoked. If we gave up smoking, we could go first class. I’m NEVER going long haul economy again. It’s a wonderful incentive!

@Buxtonstill bloody Nora! 30k that's insane!

I just worked mine out and mine would be 22k ish for 20 a day over 7 years, double if I add dh on too. You don't think of it like that do you! Wow.