Tips on giving up smoking without nicotine replacement

dudette2001uk

dudette2001uk

I will be a Princess!
Hi all! :)

Well I've finally decided that it's time for me to give up smoking once and for all! I managed to give up for 2 months last year taking the Champix tablets, but started again after 2 months :eek:

It's got to the point now where I really can't afford to be smoking any more, and I'm sick of constantly having a cough/bad chest!

Does anyone have any tips on how to give up smoking cold turkey? I've tried patches before and they didn't work, and I can't stand chewing gum. I also don't want to put on any weight, so any tips on how to give up and keep the weight off would be gratefully received.

I've got to move house in the next few weeks, and will probably end up in a houseshare where smoking usually isn't allowed, so I need to try to kick the habit before the end of my school summer holidays :)

Thanks in advance.

Sian xxx
 
Hi hun. I tried many different ways to give up & it all comes down to willpower i'm afraid. NRT will work, if you want it to work. Similarly so will champix. You have to really really really want to give up- for your health more than your wallet, cos like any other addict (no offence) you will always find money for your particular brand of poison!

I have now been a non smoker for 18 months. My OH still smokes - in the house - & i never crave a cigerette - equally it doesn't bother me, as long as he keeps the windows open. All my friends smoke - i never want one no matter how much i've had to drink.

Good Luck! X
 
Well done you hun, that's fabulous! :D

I do want to give up for health reasons...the constant bad chest gets me down, and I have high blood pressure and a history of strokes in the family, so it's probably a good idea to quit!

I guess my summer holidays might be a good time to give up...away from the stress of teaching teenagers, lol! xx :D
 
Would you be able to get Champix again? I also gave up last year on Champix but restarted after 2 months, but went back to Smoking cessation nurse this year and went back onto them. Currently haven't smoked for 3 months and going strong and hopefully will be successful this time.
Definately worth trying it again.
 
They do have some odd side effects, I have felt sick & a bit chilled / spaced out. Also had a few episodes of dizziness. I spoke to my nurse and we decided to drop my dose to one tablet once a day which is working out fine.
I was very worried about putting on weight hence I have joined weightwatchers online. I have stick to my points allowance and to date haven't put on any weight but haven't lost any either ( would love to lose a stone). Starting weightwatchers at the same time has kept my mind focused on point counting etc rather than not smoking.
 
Have you tried Allen Carr Easy way to stop Smoking?
I read it (I actually had it as a PDF on my phone which really helped me as I felt it was always at hand if I was feeling weak) and it clicked. I stopped in November and haven't had a single puff since. I had failed on previous attempts. OH still smokes (like Kingleds) but unlike Kingleds, I have had some tough moments and still do miss it sometimes (when drinking / in majorly stressful moments / on Friday nights when I want to let the hair down) but I resist, it passes and every week there are fewer and fewer such moments. I think about smoking less than once a week now (the first week it was more like once every minute!) OH smoking doesn't bother me, in fact it makes me feel all superior as I can see that he doesn't really want to (but like I was, he's an addicit)
I also downloaded a free ap called Quit Smoking and it keeps track of the health, money etc benefits. This REALLY motivated me and helped me, especially in the early days.
I had tried many times before and lasted a few days max. As the ad says, don't give up giving up.
Wishing you lots of luck. When I quit, I felt like anything in the world was possible. Money can't buy that feeling. I hope you experience that too x
 
P.S. Just looked at your stats - you are doing really well on the weight loss! If you quit smoking you will be doubly triply proud of yourself
 
My daughter successfully gave up smoking after hypnotherapy. She's not had a ciggie in 18 months & doesn't even want one, most of her friends smoke so it can't have been easy for her.
 
kingleds said:
I have now been a non smoker for 18 months. My OH still smokes - in the house - & i never crave a cigerette - equally it doesn't bother me, as long as he keeps the windows open. All my friends smoke - i never want one no matter how much i've had to drink.

Good Luck! X
Click to expand...

I'm glad you said that. I am a smoker and have been smoking since I was a teenager. I got really ill with glandular fever when I was younger and was unable to smoke for two months and thought I'd be able to kick it, but unfortunately as soon as I was well again I was back on them.

I'd constantly been told by people that no matter how long you've stopped for, the cravings will always be there, so I find it great to hear from former smokers on this thread who say this is not the case!

I was prescribed Zyban a number of years ago by my GP, but literally a few days after I got them, something upsetting happened in my personal life and giving up smoking was no longer a priority - once I'd gotten back into the right frame of mind to think about it again they were out of date, and apparently the GP will only prescrible them to you once.

I'd managed to stop smoking during the week and only smoke at the weekends, but I was on holiday there and brought a carton of cigs back with me, and because I knew they were there I just smoked them whenever I felt like it.

I've almost finished the last packet, so when that's done I'm going to stop buying them during the week and try to cut down as much as possible.

Good luck Dudette!! :D
 
Well it's day 1 of my stop smoking attempt, and not too bad so far! I decided to go for patches in the end, and they definitely seem to be reducing the craving for a cigarette. I'm determined that this is going to be the time I give up for good, wooo! :D xx
 
try a heart attack... worked for my Dad when he had his, and Mom too who gave up at the same time because she was visiting dad in hospital and couldn't smoke in there..

don't go outside with pals during breaks, if you're inside then you can't smoke..
don't buy any ciggies, and don't carry enough cash to buy some on the way home..
get yourself some t-shirts that read "I'm quitting smoking, please don't sell me any cigarettes" ( or however you spell it :) ) to wear whilst going shopping..
try an do something else to keep your hands busy and your mind occupied ( mom cleaned the house from top to bottom during the first week when she wasn't at hospital with dad.. )

find and print pictures of smokers lungs and faces and so on and stick them all over the place in your house and set one ( or more ) as your computer desktop and screensaver at home and work etc..

elastic band on the wrist and snap it hard whenever you think about having a ciggie..
ask friends / co-workers to smack you one if they see you with a ciggie or hear you talking about them..
 
Hi Dudette,
I used bic biro lids

let me explain...when I wanted a ciggie I would puff on that for 5 mins - I realised that one of the reasons I smoked to relieve stress, and that I needed a fag break - even without the cigarette...taking yourself off for 5 mins peace is not a bad thing!

the biro lid also acts as a kind of dummy since you are used to comforting yourself by putting something in your mouth

I also cut back on the social events / drinking to begin with, and tried to cut out tea as I would associate tea with a smoke - but quitting caffeine and nicotine out at the same time was too much!

its now almost 10 years on, and I went from 30 a day that way! Ultimately though I think it was because it was time for me to stop, not because of money, health, smells etc, but because I decided I no longer wanted to be a smoker.

Good luck to you.....
 
Dudette - you could also get yourself one of the inhalaters. As already said sometimes the 5 mins away from it all is good for you - this still allows you to do this and when you need that little extra nicotine boost, its there.

I always had one in my car for the first few months after I gave up, and one in my handbag, and one in my living room :) My 3 habit fags were always, when I stopped at a red light in the car, when I got off the tube at work, and when i was watching TV in the evening - so I always made sure i had one available for these times. I was a bit worried I'd get addicted, but after a few months i stopped using putting the cartridges in, and after another month stopped using altogether.

Having one to hand will also help you not eat as a substitute!
 
I tried to give up loads of times. But I found that the hints of the first cough/bad chest of the season was enough to put me off fags this time.

It's been nearly 3 years now and while I've taken a hit with the weight (4 stone up), I know I'll never take it up again as I just couldn't afford to! If you smoke straights you could save as much as £3k a year by giving up!

Instead of fags, I sucked on sugar-free lollipops and tried to 'mix up' my schedule - keeping especially busy at times when I'd normally be smoking. It's amazing how much of one's day can involve smoking. I even stopped myself going to the tobacco kiosk and the local shop to keep temptation at bay.

I had the nicotine inhalers, but found they left me craving that smoking feeling that little bit more, so I left them aside.
I've not tried hypnotherapy for smoking, but I've heard that it is very effective.

Good luck with whichever course you take!
 
Thankyou all for the advice and good luck wishes :) I'm using patches this time, and they seem to be working ok (after the alcohol-induced blip on day 1, oops! :eek:). Although I do feel like clawing my arm off with them, lol! Must have a sensitivity to the adhesive I think :)
 
One of my friends can't use any kind of nicotine replacement products because he's allergic to the adhesive on the patches and the gum/lozenges/etc. make him feel sick!!

I've never smoked, but friends who have given up have raved about the Allen Carr book as well.
 
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