Page 1 of New years resolutions... smoking

Every year i seen to make resolutions... then break them within a few hours...This year I have decided to actually stick with my resolutions..

Stop smoking
Diet
Cut back on alcohol

So far today i havent had a cigarette, but i CANT stop thinking about it! Which is subsequently messing with my diet resolution as i cant stop eating!!
I hadn`t realised just how much i smoked! Cooking dinner, playing PS3, everything seems to involve smoking!

Has anyone given up before and can give me a few tips in succeeding?

Just a little help


Snaps

Every Third Car

With the best will in the world, I don`t think you should try all three of those things at the same time. Tackle smoking first, as that`s the greatest killer, but you WILL put on weight while you do it. Then once, you`ve beaten that urge, move on to the other two, which are easier to face without the fags.

Good luck, and stick with it, as you could be a whole new person by this time next year.

This item was edited on Sunday, 1st January 2012, 18:28

Cold Turkey on all three sounds a very tough job indeed! Not that any of those are my vices. Smoking and cutting down on alcohol might be a good combo though. Technically that`s also part of diet too!


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Only ever smoked one cigarette I stole from my Uncle`s cigarette pack when i was nine, and I got such a bawling out, I never tried one again.

Good luck Poppy, certainly set yourself quite a challenge there!

Only one new years resolution for me, stop eating so much crap.

Was going great till I got to work, where I`ve stuffed my face with chocolate, biscuits, and half a tub of Ben & Jerry`s.

In my defence, I always planned on starting Tuesday anyway. I find it tough to stay awake on nights without a huge sugar hit, and even that doesn`t always work. Last shift today then a week off, I`m giving myself tomorrow to recover from nights then from Tuesday I`ll begin.

Not going cold turkey though, it`s all about moderation for me. Fortunately my eating habits haven`t affected my weight too much, but it`s only a matter of time...

When I stopped I used those Nicorette inhalators, the wee plastic tube with the nicotine cartridges.
Didn`t use as they are supposed to be used (basically replace a cigarette with puffs on the inhalator and replace the cartridge about 6 to 10 times a day or something) but instead had it hanging out my mouth like a pen and just sort of breathed it in or inhaled it every now and again until the cartridge needed replaced and put a new one in.
I smoked on average 25 to 30 a day for about 20 years and only used 3 to 6 cartridges per day but never really changed the amount in the whole period.

You`re only supposed to use them for about 4 or 5 months but I checked with my Doc at 6 months and asked for advice, he asked what I would do if I stopped the inhalators and I said probably start smoking again so he said stay on them.
The disclaimer is standard for anything medicinal in case something does go wrong so you can`t sue them.

Anywhoo, I used them for about 11 months or so and had sort of replaced the ciggie habit with the inhalators (but being clean nicotine only it was still much better than ciggies) and then broke that with chewing gum.
That was about 6 years ago and I couldn`t care less if someone smoked in my company. Doesn`t make me want one and don`t get cravings any more.
It was about my 5th attempt at giving up and the FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT point to giving up (regardless of what anyone else says) is you have to be READY to give up.
I kept saying I was but never really was til the time I did it. If you`re not 100% ready to go for it then don`t get disheartened.

It also helps to have someone to egg you on, someone who will give the impression of disappointment if you had a ciggie but that in your head you will say "f*** you! I`m not giving you the satisfaction of me giving in" every time you get a craving.

3 weeks.
3 months.
6 month.
1 year.
occasionally for the next year and a bit.

Those are the points I found the heaviest and hardest to overcome cravings.
They DO subside, try your damnedest not to give into them and they get easier.

If you make it to 12 months then in my experience, you`ve done it. It`s a cnut of a hard slog but you will get there if you keep reminding yourself that you can beat it.

And don`t make excuses to "just have one" etc., it doesn`t work and starts you off again.
Don`t listen to all the "Ohhhh, I tried so many times and I just can`t kick it" crowd or the "I stopped for (x) years and just started up again, just like that" ones, tell them to go away politely, using the two word method the second of which is off ;)

Finally, GOOD LUCK. Don`t give in, I`m living proof you can do it.

Jimbo : oÞ

"There`s that word again... is there a problem with the Earth`s gravitational pull in the future?"

Good luck Poppy!

I`ll be joining you on the no smoking, but not til 1st February (I can`t stand new years resolutions, and around me, everyone else gives up on there`s by bout 15th Jan, so its tempting to just throw in the towel with everyone else so I intend to start quitting once everyone else has given up and gone back to it)

Well done Jimbo, thanks for the tips :)  I have an inhalator bought and ready to go lol