Newbie

[TracyB]

Hello all

 

I thought I'd introduce myself to make this even more real. I've been reading the website all week.

 

So, I live in South East London, am married with two teenage boys and turned 50 last September. I have smoked since I was 11. Have stopped occasionally but not for long and haven't tried for about eight years now. I have tried Allen Carr book years ago, hypnosis, patches, vaping ~ this final time I'm going cold turkey. I have a cold at the moment and feel a bit rubbish anyway.

 

My husband was away this week and I only told him on Thursday that I was stopping on Friday. He was really surprised- hates me smoking - has never smoked himself. Unbelievably he had bought me 200 fags - which he has never ever done before !! He's selling them to someone else.

 

I don't know why I decided this week that this was the time - probably spending another £20 on the buggers. I stopped yesterday morning so have passed my first 24 hours. Had a meltdown last night about 6pm because cricket was on TV and number one son was sitting in my favourite chair. Had a good cry upstairs and read through forums and felt OK. I can't wait for the next few days to be over.

 

Drinking hot water with lemon as I would normally drink coffee and read that caffeine feels stronger when not smoking.

 

Anyway just thought I'd say hi and hope to be speaking to you all lots in the coming weeks.

[Doreensfree]

Hi Tracey...welcome aboard the quit train...best journey of your life...

Congrats..on your wonderful decision to rid yourself of a killer addiction....

It IS doable...

Read all you can...stay close to the board...daily nope pledge...join in...play games....

We will support you one hundred per cent...my favourite saying.....

Smoking is not on the table .....Ever.....

Your already a beautiful non smoker...

[Tink]

Hi Tracy, great name :)

 

Vent, breath, drink, eat your way through the next few days it's actually quite liberating being able to blow off steam with a great excuse, where otherwise we might be diplomatic ;)

 

Read and post we will support you, sounds like hubby will be supportive which is great, just buy him a helmet and a bag of patience ;)

 

Congratulations on quitting smoking, it's the smartest thing to do for you and your loved ones!

 

Welcome to the train x

[BAT]

Welcome and congratulations on your quit  :)

[TracyB]

Thanks for replies. So half way through day 2 and no breakdowns- quite a lot of food though - yummy bacon and eggs, marmite on toast and only one cup of coffee. I would usually have had about six cups already!

 

My usual smoking place is by the back door - all set up with comfy chair and pretty table. God I spent hours in that chair. I've cleared all the table off so there's no evidence of cigarettes and turned the chair around to face the other way. I feel pangs anytime I go near the back door though - I have two little dogs who are also used to mummy sitting in her chair whilst they pop in and out. I think they're confused! I think I need to actually move the table and chair.

 

I'm off to watch my eldest play rugby now - not sure how that will go as I'd usually chain smoke my way through the whole match! I'll check back in later and let you know how it goes.

 

Sorry for the rambling as a newbie!

[beacon]

Hi Tracey!  Welcome.  :) All of us have struggled here but have managed to quit successfully. You are on your way too.  I smoked for more than 30 years.  I did everything for this quit:  the patch, Allen Carr, the message board, reading, exercising, candy, whining, etc!  Whatever it takes is my motto!

[beacon]

You will do great!

 

[Nancy]

Hi, Tracey and welcome to the board!  Congratulations on your wonderful decision to quit.   Quitting is a physical and emotional roller coaster, but it does not hurt and it definitely will not kill you. You can do this...keep us posted!

[REZ]

Welcome to the board and congratulations on your quit! Yes i would change the table and chair. Best bet is to remove them to a different location or get rid of them as they will remind you of smoking or at least make a sign and place it on top of the table saying: NOPE! I DO NOT SMOKE!

[Sunnyside]

Hiya Tracy, lovely to have you here.

[comrade simba]

I lived on the message board for at least the first week of my quit. Reading all the articles we have stickied in the Discussions forums and watching all the joel videos carried me through countless hours. And believe me, I kept everyone here posted about my progress multiple times a day which we encourage anyone in their first week to do.

 

Post away, and just don't light the first one.

[Doreensfree]

My smoking place was also the back step...I stayed away from it for months...

Put your table and chair in a total different place...cover it up....

I has to change all my habits...52 years worth...

Retraining the brain...

[Ramona]

I have to respectfully disagree with Nancy on the "does not hurt" take.  Sometimes quitting CAN hurt if we punch some walls once in awhile or inflict other minor damage to our bodies.  However- a few minor injuries are a small price to pay.  A few minor injuries to pull us free from a chain that tugs every twenty minutes?  Not too shabby.

[El Bandito]

Hiya Tracy.

 

Congratulations! Quitting is a brilliant idea. 

 

You can absolutely do it - plenty on here, living proof of that.

 

What position does your boy play?

[buMbLeB]

Welcome from me too, sounds like you're off to a great start! Never apologize for rambling, it's like Comrade S says - the more you read and post here, and watch things like Joel Spitzer videos here (sorry I meant HERE, but the other link is good reading too), the better. Knowledge is power, and that's never more true than when quitting. Also, drink lotsa water and acidic fruit juices if you can stomach them, it cleans out the nicotine quicker and helps stabilize plunging blood sugars.

 

Hope to see you around lots!

[Jenny]

Welcome Tracy!   The first weeks can have difficult moments for sure.  Work through them and I can promise you it gets so much better and easier.  Stay close to the board and let us know when you are struggling.  We want to help.

 

This is the best decision you will ever make.  I'm excited for you!!!   You're going to love being a non smoker.  

[Still winning]

Hi and welcome. How's day 3 shaping up? x

[TracyB]

Well day 3 is going OK so far. BUT day 2 was a bad one. I thought it would be OK to have a few glasses of wine (4) but it obviously wasn't a good idea. Everything went wrong - emotional - stupidly found the fags that hubby had bought and smoked 5. This was about 8 pm last night. I didn't enjoy them and felt really cross with myself - but obviously still smoked them anyway. Thankfully I've woken up with renewed positivity. I will do this. No more wine for me!!

[TracyB]

Sorry Stuart - 18 year old plays scrum half and 17 year old flanker.

[Doreensfree]

Well day 3 is going OK so far. BUT day 2 was a bad one. I thought it would be OK to have a few glasses of wine (4) but it obviously wasn't a good idea. Everything went wrong - emotional - stupidly found the fags that hubby had bought and smoked 5. This was about 8 pm last night. I didn't enjoy them and felt really cross with myself - but obviously still smoked them anyway. Thankfully I've woken up with renewed positivity. I will do this. No more wine for me!!

Oh alcohol ..the qitters enemy...

A lot of us here...me included...stayed well away...until we felt much stronger...

All we can do is learn by our mistakes...good you dusted down ..and started over..

[REZ]

I would make a pledge with yourself and say no more alcohol for minumum of 2 weeks if not a month before you even consider drink anything containing alcohol and then only in moderation. Have seen so many people post about falling off the train due to drinking!

[buMbLeB]

Well day 3 is going OK so far. BUT day 2 day 0 was a bad one. I thought it would be OK to have a few glasses of wine (4) but it obviously wasn't a good idea. Everything went wrong - emotional - stupidly found the fags that hubby had bought and smoked 5. This was about 8 pm last night. I didn't enjoy them and felt really cross with myself - but obviously still smoked them anyway. Thankfully I've woken up with renewed positivity. I will do this. No more wine for me!!

 

Sorry, may as well call it what it is. Anyway, I very much agree with Rez, booze is not your friend right now. Then again, neither are cigarettes, so can I please suggest that you get those out of your house ASAP?!?! This is not a game, unless it's a game of "chicken", and that's a stupid game anyway (sez the Duck). If he's waiting to sell them then make sure he hides them somewhere you can't find them.

 

You absolutely can do this, even if it's hard, but why not stack the odds in your favour?

[I can do this]

I would make a pledge with yourself and say no more alcohol for minumum of 2 weeks if not a month before you even consider drink anything containing alcohol and then only in moderation. Have seen so many people post about falling off the train due to drinking!

Welcome! I'm new too having quit on 1/3.

I have to agree about the alcohol. I've drank alcohol twice since quitting and both times have been rough. The first time I broke down and hit off the e-cig. Last night was the other time and I made it, but it was rough. Also throw those packs out! Too much temptation!

 

Hang in there! 3 weeks in and it's finally starting to get easier.

[Petra]

You can drink and not smoke  (but curses to to the drink). 

Resolve not to smoke.  You can!  I quit while drinking.  Don't let drinking be an excuse.

Some people only quit smoking. Some only drinking.  Pick your demon and rid it. 

Smoking sucks.  Please don't do it anymore.  

[TracyB]

Yes I will get rid of the cigarettes - and I won't drink for a few weeks. I'm not stupid. I do know that alcohol is a problem when stopping smoking. I think I've read so much over the last week and some of it is conflicting. Some people keep a pack of cigarettes in the house. Some people try to carry on living as usual so the association us broken straight away. Anyway I'm still going for it and will not smoke again EVER. Mornings are odd!