Will power, or lack of it.

themadchef

I finally gave up the smokes in September '10 after years and years of smoking 20 a day. Cold turkey, made a decision to do it with a friend and we did it together. Easy? No, i was like a demon but i did it.

I can pass by someone on the street and inhale their smoke and remember how nice it felt, and not light up (for now anyway). I keep promising myself to exercise more, even bought the poxy bike and knew it would end up as a clothes horse! I'm motivated by the dent my arse leaves on the couch, just not feeling the push i felt with cigarettes.

I cant imagine what it's like to give up a harder drug or even imagine how tough life must be for an alcoholic.

What's your take on will power.....

Cuddlesworth

Nothing can be worse then being addicted to food. You can get away from it, you can't go cold turkey and its obvious to others through weight gain.

Having done some seriously hard drugs including smoking I still say it would be the worst addiction to have.

Savage Tyrant

themadchef wrote: »

I finally gave up the smokes in September '10 after years and years of smoking 20 a day. Cold turkey, made a decision to do it with a friend and we did it together. Easy? No, i was like a demon but i did it.

I can pass by someone on the street and inhale their smoke and remember how nice it felt, and not light up (for now anyway). I keep promising myself to exercise more, even bought the poxy bike and knew it would end up as a clothes horse! I'm motivated by the dent my arse leaves on the couch, just not feeling the push i felt with cigarettes.

I cant imagine what it's like to give up a harder drug or even imagine how tough life must be for an alcoholic.

What's your take on will power.....

You have to REALLY want to do something for the will power to kick in. I'm the same as yourself in that I gave up smoking cold turkey (6 years this summer)
Yet when it comes to sticking to a fitness/exercise regime or heathy eating I'm lucky to reach 3 weeks with the food or 3 months with the fitness/exercise.
There has to be motivation in conjunction with the will power but for the most part I just can't seem to find it.

admiralofthefleet

i did the same on new years eve 05 and lasted til the following september. i went cold turkey and it was better than the patches and that shite. i went to the shops one day that september and bought smokes without even realising i was doing it and lit up. im now a prefessional benson hedges tester

themadchef

I find i have an easy excuse, with my job when it comes to food. Not like i can get away from it.

The exercise though, not so easy to run away from. Will power lasts 3 weeks, then "it's raining" or "im tired" until i completly cant be arsed.

I really wanted to stop smoking, for the kids. They are only young and shouldint have to inhale my choice of poison.

kfallon

It takes a while for me to decide to do something that involves will power but once I do decide to do it my will power won't be broken!

Dudess

Does anyone else find the "cold turkey" expression amusing in relation to food addiction?

MagicMarker

I don't even have the will power to finish this pos

admiralofthefleet

MagicMarker wrote: »

I don't even have the will power to finish this pos

point of sale?

themadchef

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

i did the same on new years eve 05 and lasted til the following september. i went cold turkey and it was better than the patches and that shite. i went to the shops one day that september and bought smokes without even realising i was doing it and lit up. im now a prefessional benson hedges tester

This is it. There isint a day that passes that i dont drift to the thought of a cigarette. I reached into my hand bag for them on Sat morning! Then "oh, yeah, forgot, i dont smoke anymore". Part of me is strong, and part of me remember how much i loved my Benson.... Fecker!

When the Summers rolls around, and im back to working 80 hrs a week can i honestly say i wont crack? Nope.

Miss my coffee too, had to stop drinking it, was a complete trigger in the first month.

sbsquarepants

Savage Tyrant wrote: »

I'm the same as yourself in that I gave up smoking cold turkey (6 years this summer)
.

I hear it's much harder to give up smoking tobacco though:)

Cianos

Self improvement is such an abstract idea and always so far in to the distance that it's easy to put off until tomorrow.

Solidifying your goals in immediate terms I think makes things easier. Building structure as well. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight", say "I want to be able to run 5k in 10 weeks, starting with 20 minutes exercise today".

Things like the couch to 5k programme are good for this.

Minstrel27

Cold turkey is easy to do but only if you are mentally in the right place. It took me 4 attempts to give up and thankfully I still am.

I had notions to do it for financial reasons the previous three times and I failed miserably each time. Then one night at work I said "no more fags after work, sick of them" and sure enough it worked.

Daegerty

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

point of sale?

piece of sh1t.

I remember reading a brochure selling computers which were intended as point of sale terminals and thinking 'why would anyone market their computer as a piece of sh1t? and besides I have one of those already'

El Guapo!

Same with me, I gave up the smokes cold turkey in March'10 and EVERY single day I wish I could have just 1 smoke. Even just 1 drag. I think its always gonna be like that though. I know a guy who's off them 10 years and still wants to smoke every day.
I think you really need someone else to help motivate you and keep you on the right track. Whether its someone giving up the smokes with you, or a new gym buddy who pushes you to keep going, or just somebody who knows what your going through.

Minstrel27

Dean09 wrote: »

Same with me, I gave up the smokes cold turkey in March'10 and EVERY single day I wish I could have just 1 smoke. Even just 1 drag. I think its always gonna be like that though. I know a guy who's off them 10 years and still wants to smoke every day.

I have no desire to smoke so that wouldn't be the same for everyone.

AnonoBoy

I knew a Will Power once. He had a brother called Max too.

El Guapo!

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I have no desire to smoke so that wouldn't be the same for everyone.

Your one of the lucky ones so! I wish I was like that. Maybe its just cause I actually really enjoyed smoking and only gave up cause I was worried about what my health will be like in the future.

Minstrel27

Dean09 wrote: »

Your one of the lucky ones so! I wish I was like that. Maybe its just cause I actually really enjoyed smoking and only gave up cause I was worried about what my health will be like in the future.

I too enjoyed it once upon a time but I really got sick of it. Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones.

Savage Tyrant

Dean09 wrote: »

Same with me, I gave up the smokes cold turkey in March'10 and EVERY single day I wish I could have just 1 smoke. Even just 1 drag. I think its always gonna be like that though. I know a guy who's off them 10 years and still wants to smoke every day.
I think you really need someone else to help motivate you and keep you on the right track. Whether its someone giving up the smokes with you, or a new gym buddy who pushes you to keep going, or just somebody who knows what your going through.

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I have no desire to smoke so that wouldn't be the same for everyone.

Me neither. Certainly nor every day or even regularly. About 3 times in the last 2 years though I have got a really strong crave for a smoke but on all occasions it passed in 10 or 15 mins. Even though the dragon smokes so I could have easily taken a ciggy I managed not to.
But when I try to stick to a healthy eating regime I only need to see a cake or a biscuit to be completely derailed.

nacho libre

Speaking of will power, I really admire anyone who has managed to kicked their heroin habitat. I went through a week of being irritable due to not being able to sleep properly when giving up alcohol. Which of course is nothing in comparison to what someone coming off heroin has to go through.

Poor Craythur

Cianos wrote: »

Self improvement is such an abstract idea and always so far in to the distance that it's easy to put off until tomorrow.

Solidifying your goals in immediate terms I think makes things easier. Building structure as well. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight", say "I want to be able to run 5k in 10 weeks, starting with 20 minutes exercise today".

Things like the couch to 5k programme are good for this.

Yup, you need to set a focussed goal. I'm losing weight at the moment and set a specific goal weight which has really helped me stay focussed.

gargleblaster

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I too enjoyed it once upon a time but I really got sick of it. Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones.

Same here. No cravings for it at all.


Have to disagree about setting goals for healthy eating and fitness regimens though. I think it's easiest when you make these decisions part of a total change of lifestyle, and not about reaching a specific goal. Just my opinion of course.

Poor Craythur

gargleblaster wrote: »

Have to disagree about setting goals for healthy eating and fitness regimens though. I think it's easiest when you make these decisions part of a total change of lifestyle, and not about reaching a specific goal. Just my opinion of course.

I have made lifestyle changes but at the beginning to get started, I think goals are needed.

Dangerous Man

Well, as a 1980's businessman and philanderer, I can tell you that Will Power is a great fella. A great guy to have in any boardroom. Did you know that it was he who originally came up with the idea that greed was good and that lunch was for the weak? He also had the idea of buying up small provincial airline companies and then selling them off in parts. His formula went like this.

1: Buy airline from Martin Sheen
2: Convince Charlie Sheen everything will be okay
3: ????
4: Profit

Saila

will power, some have it some dont, its a learned skill

gargleblaster

Poor Craythur wrote: »

I have made lifestyle changes but at the beginning to get started, I think goals are needed.

Yes, anything that helps you get started is good. Sometimes though when people reach those goals, they fall back into old habits, so that's something to watch out for.

CrazyRabbit

I had decided to give up making useless posts on boards.ie.

I haven't succeeded yet. I need some more encouragement.

Johro

Gave them up around the middle of January, rollies, haven't had a drag since, but I've put on about a stone.:D
Mind you, I needed to put on a bit of weight, am just about the right weight now, which means I have to stop snacking on biccies and crisps.
I miss a smoke most after dinner, relaxing with a cuppa in the evenings and after doing em.. strenuous stuff.
I do feel a lot better though.
Will power is the best way, but you have to really want to stop.

Johro

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I had decided to give up making useless posts on boards.ie.

I haven't succeeded yet. I need some more encouragement.

Stop posting crap. There ya go.