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that's a serious cloche!!! ;D ;D

That's because I'm a serious woman  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

'morning folks! another smoke - free day ahead?? ;)

Well done everyone. I'm still here keeping my eye on you all. I think that the encouragement you all give each other has helped you all enormously. I bet when you look back at the first week of quitting you have come such a long way.You will still want a cig but you know now that you are strong enough not to give in. Have a great day

and thanks for all the support from you, shirl and others who have already stopped!! ;)

I'd like to thank you Shirl and all those that have given us moral support, it really does help.  Like you say Shirl even when the craving gets you, now you know it will pass quicker than you think.  I've lost the urge of ripping off the patch and slinging the inhalator and grabbing a cigarette.

I know I have a long, long way to go and am not out of the woods yet, if I'll ever be, but common sense seems to be my saving grace, at the moment, where over smoking I never had much of it before.  I love to be able to breath and nearly run up the stairs and to be able to dig without hanging over the fork gasping for air.

Tony and Star what patches do you use?  I find the NiQuitin really irritate and leave a black mark where the sticky stuff has been, so have changed to Nicotinell.


Star, how are you doing with Allen?

Hope you are still doing well SBG, not many days for your fella to go now before he joins you :)

Hope we all have a really good day.

What a great bunch of folk ;D ;D ;D I feel so proud........and pretty humble........to be part of this thread. Everyone is doing so well!!

I echo what Sinbad said about moral support given by people popping in and keeping us going. We really do need you.............and it does help, big time :D

The patches I used were Nicorette, I have tried the others in the past, they all leave the black mark I found. At the end of the day, I'd rather have a black mark to scrub off and not smoke. You're doing so well Sinbad :D

Springers ;D......How fabulous.....a new man ;D!! And he's stopping too? Even better. Sweet smelling salad days, all the very best of happiness to both of you in your new relationship ;). I agree with you, its better to change certain things in your routine associated with ciggies, like coffee. (  ;D ;D ;D I just read yer post again, my new blokie is *Allen Carr, the Easyway to stop smoking guru*Been reading his book!! So I still got me ol' model...and perfectly happy with him......for now 8) ;D ;D

Tony........so good to hear today's a better day. You are doing what you want to do, and you won't look back ;D  Big back slaps hun ;D

LLB........Congrats on your anniversary, yeah it must feel so good. Thank you for you encouragement and very well done ;D ;)

Shirl......You've been so supportive from the start. Thank you ;D ;D

Ok my progress report........Im having a couple of very good days. Haven't been craving and really dont like the smell any more :-X. I do dabble and tweek my routine to avoid certain situations and it seems to work. I'm not eating too much nice stuff either. The book has been marvelous, Im very impressed ;D.

I hope we all keep having those good days ;)

I remember when I went to the nhs clinic theladies who helped us were both ex smokers. I remember them telling us to change our habits i.e going through the ritual of gathering all our utensils together. I remember what I used to do in the mornings like getting me cup of tea/coffee and me cigs and lighter and ashtray all by the pc. Like you said Star you have to change your routine. Might sound strange but I really used to enjoy going through the motions of getting the cig out of the packet let alone smoking it.

I used to smoke roll - ups, and the ritual is part of it! I just use either diversionary tactics or chocolate, now!!
Star, I'm glad you back on the bus, also glad you're getting on well with allen!! ;D ;D
Sinbad7, I'm on the nicorette, patches, yes they leave a bit of glue behind, but it washes off easier than tobacco smoke! ;)
SBG, how lucky are you? not only a new fella, but 1 who's prepared 2 give up tobacco? Definately a good find ;D ;D ;D
OllieC, you still with us?

Just checking in here... still doing well! Even had a smoking mate over on Sunday evening & didn't feel tempted... well, not enough to partake!

Keep it up guys!

O

Wooh Wooh! well done ollie!

Excellent Ollie ;D ;D ;D

I used to smoke roll ups as well Tony, the one thing I dont miss is rolling a few if I was travelling anywhere. Now I get up and go...... 8) ;D ;D

Im doing well at the mo, had a couple of little cravings this evenin. So I made a cake instead ;D ;D ;D

I was a rollie man too...

That's it then, the Rollie boys and girls have it easier than the more sophisticated of us who buy shop bought ones with tips in  ;D  ; D   ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

I knew I found it harder than all of you , I know the reason why now  ;D  ;D

Well done Star, cake is good, expect tony will be calling on you soon, now you've started making cakes LOL 

At last I quit the coffin nails, those dreaded cancer sticks.
I yield to them no longer. I shall not require 'a fix'.
My master is not cigarettes. From now on it is me.
Tis I who rule my life and I will live in it smoke free.

Why did I start? It does not matter. Reasons count but one.
There's no good way to justify decisions clearly dumb.
But it was my decision. I admit that to my peers.
And so I smoked the dreaded weed for twenty eight long years!

Did I enjoy a cigarette? Yes there were quite a few.
Especially after food or if I had a drink or two.
But there were many, many more not nice or sweet sublime,
when Mr Nicotine required attention all the time.

In all the years I smoked I was supported by
those who
Because they smoked, like me, enjoyed reciprocation too.
Collusion fed collective myths of social interaction.
The club required participants of 'ciggy satisfaction'.

We had one thing in common (Not withstanding coughs and choking).
The group was barred from many a place by these two words, 'No Smoking'.
I s'pose for those who did not smoke there had to be a club
excluding those whose lives were ruled by smoke and filtered stub.

The smokers often scorned those who did not lay out the cash
to buy some fags, then burn it, turning money into ash.
How could 'non-smokes' appreciate indifference to wealth?
Or understand our cavalier disdain towards our health?

I know. I was that smoker and embraced that dreadful role.
Until it hit me suddenly that I had no control.
My life was run by cigarettes, so firm was my conviction
that something had to change. I had to cast out my addiction.

With patches at the ready and my will power on top.
I picked a day to quit the stick and then I'd simply stop.
And that I did, one Sunday morning, filled with self belief,
which crumbled two hours later as the habit caused me grief.

Was it hard to stop? You betchya! Every single day.
Some minutes seemed like hours till the craving went away.
I conjured up so many good excuses to give in.
But I was so determined that tobacco would not win.

The war raged on inside my head. Withdrawal was no fun.
But I could stop it all with just one cigarette. Just one.
So tempting was the subtle, slimy, wheedling, nagging voice.
And yet I knew that 'just one more' would leave me with no choice.

I had to shut my ears and eyes and mind to that foul creature.
I had to be the student and I had to be the teacher.
I had to practice what I preached. I had to be a bore.
I had to do whatever it would take to smoke no more.

The first day was the worst until the second day became.
The third day was the worst and then the fourth was much the same.
The fifth day? That was not so bad but bad enough to bear
But then I felt the sixth day I had got it beat. So there!

And now a week has passed and I am finally smoke free.
The fog has lifted from my life. T'was worth the agony.
Of course the cravings come and go - and will do for a time
But I'm no longer listening. To start again? A crime!

Already, in a single week, (and smokers you may scoff)
In health and wealth, in self esteem, I find I'm better off.
My life belongs to me again. I must have been so thick
to be a slave to nicotine - that smelly cancer stick!

Of course there's nought that irritates like new reformed non-smokers
They bore you with self righteous statements. Verbal red hot pokers.
I count myself amongst them so my smoker friends beware.
I'll tell you I can smell your smoke in rooms and clothes and hair.

Telling you to stop is not what I would like to do.
The reason that I quit was choice. The same is up to you.
To quit is hard, I don't deny it. Really it's no joke.
But if you can withstand the strain, you'll not return to smoke.

And finally a warning - and I say this in good heart.
If you have never ever smoked - then never ever start.
If you think that it's cool to smoke then just try stopping it.
You'll find it's easier not to start, than smoking is to quit.

you've got too much time on your hands, Sinbad7!!!

 ;D  ;D  ;D I know tony  ;D  ;D  ;D 

It's been very, very hard today.  Odd as the only time it wasn't so bad other than out walking was when I was at a friends house and they were puffing away.  Longing for one at this very moment :(

But you don't smoke anymore do you Sinbad ;D

No Shirl, not today  ;D   ;D  ;D

Never ever on a Wednesday, I have to go blow in the chemist's puff thing on Thursday's  ;D

one more week on the 10 mg patches, then down to 5mg. should be interesting for those around me!! ;D ;D