PW Quit Smoking Group.

[Frenchieboy]

Hey Guys, I haven't heard much about it for quite a while now and it is as near as damn it a full year since I quit smoking so how is everyone else doing that tried to quit?

I will not say that it has been easy for me and I still get a few cravings now and then which I have to really fight against, I surpose that is something that I am going to have to live with! I personally find that the time when I gat these cravings is when I am bored with nothing that need my attention, after all you can not spend every spare minute you have playing online poker can you!

Like I said, it is a year since I last smoked (Give or take a week), I don't feel that much healthier (physically) as a lifetime of heavy smoking has done it's (unrepairable) damage but I do have the mental satisfaction of being able to say that I did manage to beat the habit of a lifetime, and believe me that really is a hell of an achievement for me!

How about all of you that also tried to quit letting us know how you are doing and maybe offering some encouragement to others who would like to quit?

To all of you that did manage to quit and stuck with it - I raise my hat to you! :blink: :look:

[Supersonic]

Fag free for 9 months, and now.....

 

 

20 a day again :blink:

 

Nige

[Aled]

This is from the NHS web site Frenchie boy so you have made a massive difference. Well done mate

 

I have been smoking for 25 years. Is it really worth me trying to give up?

Yes. Whenever you give up, you will experience health benefits from not smoking.

 

Explanation

The sooner you stop smoking, the more you will benefit. However, regardless of when you quit, you will still be better off than if you carry on.

 

Stopping smoking at any age will reduce your risk of developing a long-term illness caused by smoking, such as heart disease or emphysema. If you already have a smoking-related illness, giving up smoking can prevent it from getting any worse.

 

There's some evidence to suggest that if you give up before you're 30, you will experience very little of the long-term damage that smoking can cause. One study shows that if you give up by the time you're 30, your chance of dying from an illness caused by smoking is one-tenth that of someone who smokes for their whole life. You may also live 10 years longer than if you never give up smoking.

 

If you quit by the time you are 40, you could live nine years longer than if you carried on smoking, and if you quit by 50, you could live six years longer. Even if you're over 60, giving up smoking could mean you live three years longer than if you never give up.

 

As an aside i know you like fly fishing do you tie your own flies? If so thats a great way to beat boredom.

Cheers

Aled

[ME]

I have given up for 15 years and dont miss it at all, although I do miss the 30" waist that I had as a smoker. I used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day and gave up by cutting down and willpower. (no patches, no gum nothing) I dont hold any sympathy with anyone who says that they cant give up, to me this just translates as dont want to.

 

I am relaxed with mates smoking round me or in my car, (with my permission) but it really irritates me when people smoke in public places where I have to breathe their smoke - especially in pub beer gardens when we are out as a family for lunch. We had that scenario quite a bit in the summer and whilst on holiday in restaurants in Majorca and it gets right on my norks.

 

I was always a considerate smoker and I think that since the ban in pubs etc some of the hardcore smokers that are left are very biligerent about their "right to smoke". :blink:

[noodly]

207 days smoke free for me!!!

[Benellimelody]

Done about 5 weeks now and feel a little better for quitting. The hardest times are when shooting as used to love a tab when on a stand or with a coffee when decoying, or when lamping. (Think i associate good times with fags and shooting) - not gonna start again tho cos i will hate ma sel for it

[the_commoner]

i was fine for 2 years and then started again january this year - arrrrggggghhhhhhhhhh

 

will definately be trying to get off em again soon though, definately feel worse for it

[WGD]

Been back on it for a month or two now :look: End of next week, off them again.

[Cannon]

It'll be 6 weeks off them tomorrow :look:

[Dunkield]

I have given up for 15 years and dont miss it at all, although I do miss the 30" waist that I had as a smoker. I used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day and gave up by cutting down and willpower. (no patches, no gum nothing) I dont hold any sympathy with anyone who says that they cant give up, to me this just translates as dont want to.

So are you saying can't give up eating and drinking, or you don't want to then :look:

 

I am relaxed with mates smoking round me or in my car, (with my permission) but it really irritates me when people smoke in public places where I have to breathe their smoke

My dad is an ex-smoker and he is very vocal about this, he openly admits ex-smokers are the worst at complaining about this though..

[ME]

So are you saying can't give up eating and drinking, or you don't want to then :look:

 

Correct - I dont want to give up eating or drinking.

 

 

My dad is an ex-smoker and he is very vocal about this, he openly admits ex-smokers are the worst at complaining about this though..

 

Like most things in life I dont mind what others do, until their activities negatively affect me. If I have paid for a meal and want to sit in a beer garden on a sunny day I dont expect to have to breathe some selfish ****ers smoke.

[MC]

So are you saying can't give up eating and drinking, or you don't want to then :look:

 

 

My dad is an ex-smoker and he is very vocal about this, he openly admits ex-smokers are the worst at complaining about this though..

 

 

That is a pretty dumb argument,

 

You HAVE to eat and drink to survive, you do NOT have to smoke.

[Frenchieboy]

I think that we need to be a little careful here because as Dunkield quite rightly says Ex-Smokers can go a little overboard at times. Now before any of you shoot me down for making that statement please look carefully at the wording - I am saying that some of us can not that we all do!

I am not going to try saying that everyone should stop smoking, we live in a society that says that we should all have free choice, but what I will say is that if someone wants to quit then we should encourage and support them whenever and wherever possible!

All I was asking in my original post was how are the ones that originally decided to try quitting getting on now that we are a year or so down the line?

[Dunkield]

That is a pretty dumb argument,

 

You HAVE to eat and drink to survive, you do NOT have to smoke.

OK so I should have said 'excessive eating and drinking'

 

If you blended all your food you could just drink and survive, but let's not split hairs eh

[mudpatten]

Five months for me. I got fed up with the wheezing and feeling out of breath and have better things to spend the money on.

 

For me, I just needed to get into the right psychological frame of mind to stop. I have`nt needed any aids although I thought that my first days pigeon shooting without fags might have been difficult, but was pleasantly pleased to find that it was quite easy.

 

My physical health has considerably improved and I no longer wheeze or get out of breath easily. My only regret, apart from starting in the first place, is that I did`nt give it up sooner.

[Themacclad]

My physical health has considerably improved and I no longer wheeze or get out of breath easily. My only regret, apart from starting in the first place, is that I did`nt give it up sooner.

 

Totally agree, been 4 months now, no aids, no help wish I'd done it years ago ............... with money saved bought the Remmy :look:

[Mrs Sweepy]

Its comming up too a year for Sweepy

 

its nice that none of us now smell like a ashtray.

 

Thats what used too bug me the most though i didnt smoke

 

My hair and clothes said i did.

Well done Sweepy

[nipper]

5 months for me now

Looking forward to the season starting,and giving all my beaters sh1 t. (they all said I wouldnt stop )

Already bought myself a new rifle(shot a stag with it last week !)

 

And life is sweet again .

 

I really miss coughing up fried eggs every morning,then lighting up to start poisoning myself again........YEH RIGHT !

 

Well done to all who stopped and good luck to all who are trying .

[Bloke]

Just over a year now - don't miss it, but I still get the odd craving that comes at me out of the blue. Mind you, the fag money is all spent on cartridges now, so it's got to be a good thing, hasn't it ?

Edited October 8, 2010 by Bloke

[Beretta28g]

10 months so far so good the season will be the test for me!

[decoying mad]

10 months and i have had a cig this week like a toss pot ???

[Heilan Coo]

Feel a bit of a fraud as I've only stopped 2 weeks but have found it easier than I thought it would be.Only real cravings have been when boredom has set in and the few minutes last night before the ducks started flighting in when I'd normally be having a puff. Excuses I had for not stopping was talking to people who have stopped for years still craving a fag and also the amount of folk who started again having been off them for so long. I just thought "whats the point?"

Anyway I've decided to give it a bash, and if I do have a fag I wont beat myself up about it, I'll just try again.

Best bit so far: Not having the wife nag me about my wheezing

[Aled]

In view of Frenchieboys brillaint achivement thought i'd get going again. This is my situation.

 

OK, back in 2003 i stoped my daily 5 a day habit (20 with me beer on Saturday) with ease, however i carried on with having a fag with my pint or when i went fishing, so i smoked 2-3 times a week, rather than daily!

Between 2005 and October 2009 (marriage and children) fags became a very rare treat, either at the pub, or when i went fishing, no effort to give up, my life had changed, how much i drank was also reduced, as well as how often i played rugby, went fishing shooting etc

Between the 13th of October 09 and 3rd of April 10, i had 1 cigar (rather stupidly ) at the Wales v Ireland match (ps was the first time i'd been pi**ed for 12 months too mind!)

 

However 3rd of April 10 to 7th of October 10, weekly fags (around 5-8 per week) at one location only, the river. Got to say i really enjoy a smoke when i'm fishing. Season closed on the 7th, aint smoked since and aint felt the need for one either.

OK this is my problem, i know i wont miss a smoke, at home, and since the ban, in the pub. But come next April when i'm waiting for dark to go sea trout fishing....

Ah well we'll cross that bridge again in April, 6 smoke free months coming up!

Cheers

Aled

Edited October 21, 2010 by Aled

[WRX_Soldier]

Hi Guys,

 

I had smoked 40 a day for the last 20 years, had tried giving up lots of times but always started again

 

I think it was another post on here about giving up smoking that lead me to a book called THE EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING by ALLAN CARR (not the comedian).

 

Since reading it a few months ago I have not had one fag or cigar or had any cravings. It has also helped atleast two of my friends become non smokers (not ex smokers :yes: )

 

Give the book a go what have you got to lose.

[Themacclad]

Hi Guys,

 

I had smoked 40 a day for the last 20 years, had tried giving up lots of times but always started again

 

I think it was another post on here about giving up smoking that lead me to a book called THE EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING by ALLAN CARR (not the comedian).

 

Since reading it a few months ago I have not had one fag or cigar or had any cravings. It has also helped atleast two of my friends become non smokers (not ex smokers :yes: )

 

Give the book a go what have you got to lose.

 

there is also a pocket size version, "The little book of quitting smoking" just pick a random page and read when your feeling weak. nearly 5 months on , book worked a treat for me ............