Hey people! Just saying hello

[dirty130]

Hello everyone! 

 

Just introducing myself.  I think the people posting on these boards have a lot of solid advice and it's fun to read the stories that I can actually relate to, having "quit" so many times, but as of yet I haven't made the pledge.  I still can't imagine my life without cigarettes but the pressure is consistent from my non-smoking partner who hates it (which is fair enough.) I've promised her so many times I'd stop and I feel bad that I can't stay true to my word. 

 

I've smoked for about 7 years and "quit" a few times, once for a period of about 3 months.  I've apparently got signs of asthma, I'm certainly not as fit as I was when I was 18 and I worry about the damage I'm doing to my body every day. Despite this I don't know how I'd fill time in the day without smokes and instead do something productive with that time.  Is that what non-smokers do? I literally can't imagine my life without smokes and that's usually the first hurdle whenever I try to quit. I just don't see how non-smokers "live" without them.  I'm hoping that by reading some of the posts here I'll get to learn about some of the people who do just that and maybe inspire me to do the same.

 

Anyway feel free to leave me a reply, I'd love to chat to some of you.

 

Kind regards,

 

Luke 

[Markus]

.

[Doreensfree]

Hi Luke...

Congrats on making the choice to quit while your young...

I'm a life long smoker...but came with a price...

Read all you can here...so much great imformation...what keeps us hooked ?....how to stay quit...

Stay close to the board...post as often as you like...we will support you all the way...

[dirty130]

/

[larklibby]

Hey Luke,

 

Welcome!

 

I always dismissed the health reasons and was never a factor for my quit. For me, it was the dependency on something that gave me nothing. Something that just returns you to the state you would already be at. Thinking differently about the smokes gave me the will to let go. Each quit is different, but my bit of advice would be to look at what smoking gives you and when you break it down, it's nothing. 

 

You are not really giving something up, it gave you nothing. Listen to these guys and take back control.

[Colleen]

Welcome to the QT Luke :)

[El Bandito]

Use the force Luke....

 

 

Oh c'mon, everybody thought it,

 

Luke. It's a con.

 

I smoked anywhere between 1 and 3 packs a day for 30 years.

 

I knew that I enjoyed smoking and could not go without.

 

Utter, utter nonsense.

 

Read Allen Carr. The easyway.

 

Then quit.

 

I don't smoke, and I don't miss them.

 

You will quit Luke. Don't worry. Just make the leap.

[BAT]

Quit Now Luke ..... NOPE.

[dirty130]

Thanks for the kind messages.  We have some talent for motivational speaking in this forum.  I'm gonna make the leap and you'll hear about it when I do. Nice one, Bandito. Haha!

[Still winning]

Hey Luke, I am fit and well and quit cause it scared my daughter and I couldn't afford things I needed and wanted, like family holidays. 

 

Shhh but the biggest fear was "the before" bit. I smoked a good 2 packs a day, I did have a lot of time to fill. I struggled a little at first but then made a list of things I wanted to do and if I thought of smoking I just looked at my own list and ticked stuff off. Some were physical, some were deep clean bits in my house. others were google related, like I googled the white/red rose royal line and became immersed in the history of England for that time. I tried crochet and knitting, I was rubbish but I did try lol. You see lots of things to do with the time you save.

 

The guys here told me to make new habits for crucial times on the day before I quit and that helps. Like read this forum with a coffee in a different location to where you would have smoked in the morning. Cough candy/sweets for car journey. Basically to start with the best techniques are distracting yourself, small treats for yourself and patience. 

 

Welcome. xx

[Ramona]

Quitting frees up about 2 hours a day.

I have a new aquarium hobby.

I run.

I spend time on this forum.

It's all good.

[Pippa]

Hi Luke - welcome to QT :-). I have to say quitting is the best thing I have ever done!!

 

I was convinced I was the special snow flake who couldn't quit so I didn't try !! I also told myself if I quit I wouldn't know what to do with myself ! I finally decided enough was enough and proved both those thoughts were lies .... Not only could I quit but all that extra time was womderful ... More time to exercise, travel becomes fantastic, you get to stay inside with friends and talk rather than going out to smoke when you are socialising the list goes on !

 

It can be strange to start with but that is where this board can help ... Stick close, post away, play the games, look at cat pictures - heaps of things to do while you discover the new you ! :-). Make the decision and quit now - it will be your best decision ever !:-)

[MichelleDoesntSmoke]

Hi Luke...welcome! I love this board too. So I have the same problem of having a hard time imagining not having smokes, even tho they are slowly killing me. I have such a strong compulsion to smoke that I smoke when I really dont want to and when I know I am somewhere where I cant smoke I feel trapped. I get the feeling that "somethings missing" even if I am not having a physical craving.

 

Maybe this will help you, maybe it wont, but have you thought about getting downright ANGRY with the tobacco comanies?I mean sure, we willingly smoked that first cig, but they go out of their way to, and are sneaky about, making them as addictive as possible. Lets get FURIOUS and refuse to give them one more red cent!!!!

 

My husband doesnt smoke and like your partner, hates it. I like the way you put it..."fair enough". For me, I am quitting almost as much for him as I am with me.

 

Keep logged in as much as possible. It really helps.

 

Michelle

[Devil Doll]

I'm late to this party!

I was totally going to make a Star Wars reference but Bandito beat me to it.

Anyway welcome to the QT! :)

[superduperhooper]

Hi, welcome to the train! Choo choo!

[smuld]

hello! my name is Smuld and i don't smoke for 2 years! ^_^ and that's great!

[Ria]

WELCOME, Luke! xox

 

At my age, I don't see the point of wasting precious time on anger, resentment, or self-loathing! All of which I harboured as a smoker!

You too, can be "FREE" and living 'the dream'!!!!

[Jengelsnew1]

I cannot remember my life WITH cigarettes. Never thought I would say that...ha

 

F smoking

[Nicole Diver]

I cannot remember my life WITH cigarettes. Never thought I would say that...ha

F smoking

I know! Never ever thought I'd say that either.

[Evelyn]

I do yoga, (yeah really) I have now 3!!!! freakin' funny Guinea pigs who keep me busy and I seem to inspire others, not my therapist though. 8 months and 20blabla days quit he's still puffin in the rain while he once said we're not people who can quit ;)

 

Everbody can if you have the right mindset :D

[MichelleDoesntSmoke]

Hello!!!!!! Happy to see you!

[sgt.barney]

You don't have to imagine it. You just do it, right?

 

 

Easy Peasy

[dirty130]

Hey guys.

 

So you're probably not surprised but I started smoking again. I went for just under 3 months and lit up again with my friend a few weeks ago (who said I'd never be able to quit haha) as much as he tried to discourage me from doing it I gave up on defending my quit. Some girl at work accused me of fondling her which wasn't true but she wanted my shifts. I didn't know who I could talk to at work because it's a restaurant full of girls. I work with my girlfriend too and she didn't know what to believe. Anyway all the managers came around to my side and saw what a pig this girl is and now her shifts are getting cut after I said I won't work with her.

 

I started working out at the gym almost from day 1 when I quit and loved it so much so that I signed up to a personal training course which would have been starting now but I can't afford it. My car broke down and cost a small fortune to repair, work cut my hours over school holidays to use students for cheap labour, I had to replace my phone which died and defer my personal training course for a few months because I can't make repayments. So now I'm housebound pretty much and just feeling down all the time. I've bought myself 3 packets over this week to pass time but I really don't wanna get back into it. I know these are the sort of things life throws at everyone and I'll have to face it without cigarettes next time.

 

Thanks for the message by the way Marti. I'm sorry I stopped dropping in.

[Doreensfree]

We're here....when you get the desire to be smoke free.....

Ps....make it soon ....

[Sunnyside]

Maybe if you can it could be an idea to hang around here a bit more weather you are quitting or not. It will help you get motivated and inspired to stop again, but also support is here on tap not just for smoking.

 

I hope things get better for you. Life can be hard at times but I is worth fighting because when it is good, well it is just amazing.