Lent 2009

jessie08

Hey,

Anyone out there give up smoking yesterday?? Im on Day 2 and finding it a lot easier than expected.

Didnt plan to do it for Lent but it just happened to be Lent when I was ready to give it a go!

Great to hear from anyone else who is off them!

adelcrowsmel

Yeah, same here - day 2. Had a thumper of a headache all day yesterday but I'm putting that down to caffeine withdrawal rather than nicotine (have to cut out the coffee or ill miss the cigs more), but feeling good today. I was just looking at that other Lent thread there and I'm really hoping that that will be me two years down the line!!:)

Terry

You were supposed to start yesterday?
Damn. i thought it was tomorrow. Probably should have paid attention in mass.

Starting champix tomorrow though.

Donny5

I'm on Day3, nothing to do with lent, but the timing co-incides. The only time I reckon will be diffcult will be out on the town, my first test of which is coming tonight.

Still, it's easier than I expected to date. Touch wood.

jessie08

Defo easier than expected, I think the thoughts of it are actually worse..! Think I'll be avoiding alcohol for a bit though, don't really trust my willpower when I've had a few.


Well done so far everyone

Harpy

im on day two, but i've been in bed all day today cause i have a head cold. so not finding it too bad so far tomorrow will be interesting and saturday will be a huge test going out drinking..

jessie08

Day 3 for me. The weekend will be harder though I imagine.

Donny5 - How did you get on out on the beer last night?

Donny5

jessie08 wrote: »

Day 3 for me. The weekend will be harder though I imagine.

Donny5 - How did you get on out on the beer last night?

Well, I don't remember smoking, so I probably didn't! I'm using nicorette, and had a couple of those, but overall, it wasn't too bad. None of the group smoked, though, which helped, I'd say.

I quit for about four or five months in 2007, and I remember the worst part was sitting in cars with people smoking. I'll have to try to avoid that.

Harpy

Donny5 wrote: »

Well, I don't remember smoking, so I probably didn't! I'm using nicorette, and had a couple of those, but overall, it wasn't too bad. None of the group smoked, though, which helped, I'd say.

I quit for about four or five months in 2007, and I remember the worst part was sitting in cars with people smoking. I'll have to try to avoid that.

oh no im on day three now but tomorrow going to be on a 2-3 hour car journey with three other people and they all smoke its ok i'll get through it..

Donny5

How's everyone holding up? How was that car journey, Harpy?

I'm five days in, and getting used to this non-smoker lark. The Nicorette gum seems to be working, although I had a dodgy few moments in the first few days, as I had forgotten you just chew it until you get a strong flavour, then simply leave it between you're gums. I was chewing away like it was Wrigley's, and felt a little sick once or twice, paticularly when cycling. Live and learn.

I've been coughing up lots of candy, lollipops and rainbows too, which isn't very appealing. This has, however, been concurrent with an increase of energy, noticeably greater lung capacity, lower heart rate and lower run times, so I'm not complaining.

Harpy

Donny5 wrote: »

How's everyone holding up? How was that car journey, Harpy?

not too good, it was all going grand managed to get to dingle grand and then we had to go out of dingle to watch a match but we got lost three or four times on the way and when we finally got there all i wanted was a fag so that was the end of my no smoking was smoking last night then as well.. i'm off them again now so fingers crossed this time will go a bit better..

jessie08

Morning everyone.

Day 6 for me. Weekend was hard-ish but find myself thinking about them less and less as the days go on. Drank wine 2 of the nights and it was a bit harder then. Still haven't been to the pub, will wait until I feel a bit 'stronger'.

Dont feel any different yet really. Well done Donny5 you sound like you are reaping the benefits already.

I wouldnt worry too much about yesterday Harpy, at least you are starting again today and didnt put it off.

jessie08

Day 7 for me yippee

It definitely gets easier. I have given up before though and then started having the odd one when out socialising then slowly but surely went back on them. This time I can't put another one near my mouth - ever.

I can do this :mad:

How is everyone else doing?

Donny5

I'm doing well, although I'm a little worried about the stuff I've been coughing up. I find I'm coughing whenever I pick up speed running, and it's pissing me off. I'm now slower than before I quit. Ah, well, hopefully it's a clearing out phase for my lungs, before I get back to normal.

Otherwise, I'm happy. No cravings, although I'm still thinking about cigarettes (not favourably, though). I can't bloody stand to be around the things, now. I start coughing. I can see myself becoming one of those ex-smoker, whiney hipocrytes that smokers hate so much.

Donal

Harpy

well how's everyone doingd.. im still doing ok just the hiccup saturday night and been off them since.. haven't had much cravings at all its really weird. i was expecting to be going mental but im grand so far fingers crossed it'll continue to be this easy..

Donny5

Harpy wrote: »

well how's everyone doingd.. im still doing ok just the hiccup saturday night and been off them since.. haven't had much cravings at all its really weird. i was expecting to be going mental but im grand so far fingers crossed it'll continue to be this easy..

I'm doing well, except that I'm still coughing up crap all the time. Otherwise, very few cravings. I have been using Nicorette, but only 3 in as many days now. It's certainly not as difficult as I found it before.

I should have done it years ago,
Dónal

jessie08

I'm doing great... Day 11 for me..:) Not many cravings either and I'm definitely finding it easier than any previous attempts.
It's all frame of mind for me. Before when I quit I would feel sorry for myself and have a feeling of 'being deprived' but this time I'm glad to be rid of them which makes it a whole lot easier.

I wouldn't worry about coughing up stuff Donny, in fact I would be loving it as it shows that your lungs are cleaning themselves out. Your running times should improve dramatically soon enough.
I've been doing lots of activities tennis, squash and fitness dvd's which I also find help a lot.

Good luck for the weekend everyone!

Harpy

getting ready now to go out, so tonight will be my big test, hopefully it'll go better this weekend..

Donny5

Harpy wrote: »

getting ready now to go out, so tonight will be my big test, hopefully it'll go better this weekend..

How'd it go, Harpy?

Harpy

Donny5 wrote: »

How'd it go, Harpy?

Great i got through it.was so happy this morning there was moments last night were i was like i could just have one, but i managed to resist..
I even had a fag in my hand for half the night cause i wanted one but then i didn't know whether i wanted to smoke it or not..after a few more drinks i ended up getting very attached to this fag and we named it and everything, haha so at that stage i was so drunk the fag was my new friend so i didn't want to smoke it... (wow that made so much sense last night, now i just sound crazy)

one thing i did notice is everyone smokes! it's crazy the amount of people that smoke, never noticed it before.. i was in the pub and when some one went out for a fag everyone was gone..

jessie08

Well done Harpy..!! I nearly had one myself on Saturday night. Was out in the pub and constantly toyed with the idea of having one. Eventually I got it straight in my head that I wasn't going to have one and sure enough it was much easier after that. I must remember that next time!
Was delighted when i woke up too... will be two weeks tomorrow yay

Donny5

Good stuff, Harpy.

You're the same as myself, Jessie, two weeks, and it feels good.

Fey!

Great to see that you're all doing so well.

I stopped for Lent in 2007 (not a great, religious, conscious decision; I decided to try not to smoke for National No-Smoking Day, or Ash Wednesday, and then went one day at a time), and my partner stopped for Lent in 2008. Thankfully we're both still off them.

I smoked anywhere between 20 and 40 a day (down from 40 to 60) for about 15 years, so my stopping surprised a lot of people. I used patches for the first day, but they didn't really agree with me!

Best of luck in continuing to stay off them.

David.

Donny5

Fey! wrote: »

Great to see that you're all doing so well.

I stopped for Lent in 2007 (not a great, religious, conscious decision;

...

Best of luck in continuing to stay off them.

David.

That's a lot like myself. I just happened to stop on the first day of lent. I'm not even Christian.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Donny5

I'm still a non-smoker, three weeks in. How's everyone else doing?

jessie08

Same here 3 weeks tomorrow!

Nearly caved again on Saturday night but didn't. Have been out 3 or 4 times now so I reckon each time it's easier and I should be ok next time!
Don't think of them at all during the day.

Well done Donny5..!

Donny5

Thanks, Jessis, and good stuff yourself. Three weeks feels good, plus I've saved about 90 quid so far. Well, 75 if you take off the one and a half packs of Nicorette I've gone through.

So far, difficulties I've come across are:

Nights out - not so much a desire to smoke than the fact I've been drinking a lot more since I quit.
Being in cars with smokers - this is pretty bad, since I'm so used to smoking in cars. Lots of Nicorette has been taken in cars.

I'm also still coughing up crap.

Dónal

bridge

was off them till ihad a drink

Donny5

Any updates? It's just passed 6 weeks, and I'm feeling good. I hope everyone else is still with me?

jessie08

Still with you Donny5