[bblost]

A very important reason to quit smoking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQUy15nNbFQ

[roamer012]

Originally Posted by roamer012

Well sir, you can welcome me today since in next 3 days i will be completing a month of not touching a stick or unless there is minimum eligibility criterion to be called a non-smoker then i will strive for that.

Completed 2 months of not smoking and regular activity at gym without any fuss, although wanted to enjoy the feeling with a celebratory smoke but stopped

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by roamer012

Completed 2 months of not smoking and regular activity at gym without any fuss,

That's very good news!

although wanted to enjoy the feeling with a celebratory smoke but stopped

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

So finally, I think I have won the battle! Since 20th October 2018, I have not touched a cigarette, it's nearly 3 months now

No more cravings, no more urge to go back to smoking. It was not easy, had to struggle in the past 9-10 months before I could achieve this.

2019 will be Zero Cigarette year for me

It's been 5 months since I have touched a cigarette. But this month I have experienced a craving for smoking quite a few times but I somehow managed to resist it.

I feel maybe this feeling to go back to once in a while smoking is quite natural and experienced by others also.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

... ... ... I feel maybe this feeling to go back to once in a while smoking is quite natural and experienced by others also.

Oh sure. It may suddenly happen for years into the future: you have to resist it. It's such a waste to give up for months or years and then fall to such a temptation.

Of people that, in the long term, failed to give up, I've noticed that six months and two years seem to be danger points.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by roamer012

Completed 2 months of not smoking and regular activity at gym without any fuss

Originally Posted by bluevolt

It's been 5 months since I have touched a cigarette.

Congrats guys! Now stop counting the months as you are a non-smoker for life .

But this month I have experienced a craving for smoking quite a few times but I somehow managed to resist it.

If & when any craving does come, it doesn't last more than 2 - 5 minutes. Just ignore it and move on. Nicotine is out of your system now...the craving is just psychological.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Ah yes, there was a song, to the effect, "While I am counting my freedom in days away from you I am not really free." Great wisdom in some nonsense pop song!

But let people count, at least for the first year. The psychological battle does go on for months. It's ok to remind ourselves both that we are winning and that we have to go on winning.

Approaching the 27th anniversary of my decision to give up. And the final break with nicotine, in the form of patches, came about ten weeks later.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Ah yes, there was a song, to the effect, "While I am counting my freedom in days away from you I am not really free." Great wisdom in some nonsense pop song!

Completely agree.

Smoke free for 3845 days.
One of the reasons I don't even take a single puff is because I don't want to reset that count to 0.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by bblost

Smoke free for 3845 days. ... ... ... I don't want to reset that count to 0.

Too right! But I think we can both stop counting now . The only reason that I recall the date is because my target was my 40th birthday, and I became nicotine-free a week or two before that, realising that I had simply forgotten to put the patches.

Congratulations to all of us non-smokers, young and old!

[Astonite]

I have been trying to quit smoking for quite some time now.
I don't smoke inside the house, not in front of my family. Even few weekends, I haven't touched the cigarette at all.
But on a working day, it is that hard. The mind stops the car automatically in the regular shop, and then I buy. Even if I skip that, the work pressure at office makes me to have one.

The temptation to smoke comes from different places. Colleagues call for one, the smell of cigarette when I walk down somewhere, or the biological clock (this is very annoying, when I work I don't see my watch or time, but that regular time when I go for a smoke, I am forced to see the time and mind shuts down unless I smoke).

Most of these are psychological I guess but getting over it is that hard.

Happy for everyone who has quit - I truly wish I could do the same some day.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Hard words, but they have to be said: the day you truly wish to give up, you will.

Been there... Failed, failed, failed, and eventually succeeded. What was the difference that made for success? A real decision to do it.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by Astonite

But on a working day, it is that hard. The mind stops the car automatically in the regular shop, and then I buy. Even if I skip that, the work pressure at office makes me to have one.

The temptation to smoke comes from different places. Colleagues call for one, the smell of cigarette when I walk down somewhere, or the biological clock (this is very annoying, when I work I don't see my watch or time, but that regular time when I go for a smoke, I am forced to see the time and mind shuts down unless I smoke).

Most of these are psychological I guess but getting over it is that hard.

I have had such unsuccessful tries in the past, but once I was told by a colleague "leave it yaar, aap se nahi hoga". That really hurt me and I took it as a challenge to myself (As the saying goes "kuch bhi karo, ego hurt nahi karneka !").
After around couple of years, I quit and whenever the usual office gang went for a smoke, I stood in front of them, adamant on not smoking. That is a challenge I wanted to pass, because these things make us smokers weak.

There was a point where I even rolled a few for the colleagues, but did not smoke. Made me strong and now I find it easy to brush aside the cravings that I occasionally get. (Yes! cravings are never ending, but our ability to ignore it gets stronger and stronger)

Happy for everyone who has quit - I truly wish I could do the same some day.

Take it as a challenge to yourself that you can do it. And I am sure you will get through quite alright.

[travelwriter]

Originally Posted by Astonite

I have been trying to quit smoking for quite some time now.
... do the same some day.

I can't say about others, but I agree a hundred percent with every word of what you say. I am going through the same conundrum. If I had written a post on this topic, it would contain the exact same words and emotions.

Travelwriter

[roamer012]

Originally Posted by Astonite

I have been trying to quit smoking for quite some time now.
The temptation to smoke comes from different places.
Most of these are psychological I guess but getting over it is that hard.
Happy for everyone who has quit - I truly wish I could do the same some day.

Originally Posted by travelwriter

I can't say about others, but I agree a hundred percent with every word of what you say. I am going through the same conundrum. If I had written a post on this topic, it would contain the exact same words and emotions.
Travelwriter

Guys you said it yourself, as Thad and Vinit explained and even i had written couple of posts back here (Help smoking Team-BHP members quit smoking), these are all crutches which keep us from quitting. Heck i kept procrastinating and continued smoking when i should have quit rather never started smoking in first place. Even my office mate went through the same thing but happy to report that watching me quit made him quit too. Once you have made up your mind, nothing can stop you. And i repeat, this is one failure you should not be afraid off. Every attempt to quit counts and nonetheless, one less smoked cigarette is one step closer to quitting.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Astonite

The temptation to smoke comes from different places. Colleagues call for one, the smell of cigarette when I walk down somewhere, or the biological clock (this is very annoying, when I work I don't see my watch or time, but that regular time when I go for a smoke, I am forced to see the time and mind shuts down unless I smoke).

As you rightly said, it's just out of habit. Us humans are anyway creatures of habit.

No pain, no gain, buddy. Just go ahead & drop it. I'm now 1 year up - totally smoke free. Don't miss cigarettes now even 1%. I don't want to sound like a stuck record here, but please read the Easy Way book by Allen Carr.