Ex-smokers

I, Brian · 06-13-2005, 02:52 PM

I'm an ex-smoker - bloody hard to give it up, but I've been stopped somewhere over two years, now, I think.

However, it's something I've been really tempted to restart - it's such an insidious habit that becomes a part of you - I think Chandler on Friends once describd it best by saying something on the lines of "Think of it as what has always been missing from your hand".

Doubt I'll restart, because it could be really bad on the asthma and my lungs are pretty clear now. Besides, we demonised it to the children, so the eldest would be especially horrified if I started.

The one thing you really have to watch qhwn quitting is weight gain - smoking suppresses your appetite, but once you quite, it's easy to want to snack all the time.

Anyway, here's an ex-smoker hoping to stay that way.

Princess Ivy · 06-13-2005, 03:00 PM

I wish i could quit, unfortunatly its more for financial than health reasons. but i can't.
I have however managed to cut back to ten a day again. which is a lot better, and much cheaper

I, Brian · 06-13-2005, 10:12 PM

What helped me quit is one of those really bad cold days when you can't even breathe properly, let alone drag a cigarette. So I figured I should use the opportunitity - and I also tried a little re-programming by telling myself how much smoking that last one tasted like smoking an ashtray, to rid myself of the association that cigarette smoking tasted nice.

Seemed to have worked - been very tempted to pick up smoking again, but I aways reminded myself what a cigarette actually tasted like - especially when you've smoked too many too fast and your mouth tastes like an ashtray - so that's helped so far.

Very very tempting to start sometimes, but not yet.

Alexa · 06-14-2005, 01:37 AM

I used to smoke during the university. I had a friend who used to smoke one after another. Once we separated, I didn't feel the need to smoke again.

Actually smokers are quite frustrated in Québec as they are not aloud to smoke in bars and restaurants anymore.

There are not many in the company I work for. Not funny for them to get out during winter. Inside is forbidden.

Instead I cannot get rid of coffee. :biggrin:

Princess Ivy · 06-14-2005, 12:00 PM

i used to be bad with coffee. but at the moment with the stress i'm under, i just can't give up. it makes me get very jumpy when i try.

Alexa · 06-14-2005, 01:43 PM

Actually I'm not so bad. I drink less coffee than I used. I need at least one per day.

Princess Ivy · 06-14-2005, 01:45 PM

i'm about to have my first cup. its funny. i used to drink five or six cups of really strong black coffee. now i only have one or two really weak cups. got used to weak stuff from work vending machines

Leto · 06-14-2005, 01:50 PM

I usually drink only one or two cups of strong mocha coffee. And can't wake up proprely without it. Strangely, even the weakest on past 4 PM have me wake up at 4 AM and for all the rest of the night.
Now, on cigs, I've got the chance not to be addicted to nicotine and decided long ago when I started (was 14) never to rush to find tobacco if I ran out of it.
Hence, smoking is still a pleasure and not an habit for me. I can smoke the whole pack in a social event or stay without any cigarettes for weeks. Usually though I smoke a pack in roughly 2 weeks.

Princess Ivy · 06-14-2005, 01:56 PM

i'm trying to do ten a day at the moment. went up to 20 when things were really bad.