Diary of a smoker

[smokeysmoo]

Quite.
A few years ago on this very forum I had a bit of a ding dong with someone who claimed that a non smoker would not be able to smell that someone had been smoking in a car. Even after cleaning and the windows had been kept open. He was very wrong or should I say in denial. It may be faint but the smell is there.

For a non-smoker there's nothing worse than buying a car that's been owned by a smoker. The smell will hang in there for years IME. I bought one a one a few years ago and I ended up deep cleaning all the seats, carpets and even scrubbing the headlining. Even after that I found if it was parked in the sun the heat seemed to intensify any remaining smell and it knocked your socks off when you got back in

 

[Peteaud]

For a non-smoker there's nothing worse than buying a car that's been owned by a smoker. The smell will hang in there for years IME. I bought one a one a few years ago and I ended up deep cleaning all the seats, carpets and even scrubbing the headlining. Even after that I found if it was parked in the sun the heat seemed to intensify any remaining smell and it knocked your socks off when you got back in

As a smoker who smoked in his car i will admit i too was in denial.

edited to add "ex smoker" - lol

 

[paulw1969]

[ At £5 a day, say, that's £27,300 I've saved![/quote]

Thats a lot of money isn't it Think of that coming off the mortgage

 

[Peteaud]

Oh, well done to you all! Stick with it, it really does get easier and easier - and as time passes, the thought that you would ruin the achievement you've accumulated if you weakened really helps, at least that's what I found. I wonder if there's something about the 'cyclist' determination mindset that helps with this?

Anyway, every year I mark on the calendar the anniversary of my last day as a smoker - and it's 15 years tomorrow! At £5 a day, say, that's £27,300 I've saved! (And yet I still occasionally have that awful dream where, oh no!, I lit a cigarette!!)

Congrats on the 15 years.

£27k+

 

[rich p]

I gave up when my daughter was one, 29 years ago after seeing a picture of me holding her trying to stop the smoke drifting onto her. How disgusting, ignorant and thoughtless could I have been? It beggars belief.
I have friends who gave up many years ago but still have a cigar on special occasions but I have never been brave (or foolish) enough to put a cigarette or cigar between my lips since.
Good luck everyone - it gets easier by the day.

 

[Cubist]

Hey, nearly four whole weeks now..... just think of all the poisons leaving your system, and the tar shifting itself out of your lungs leaving them clear for that O2 hit next time you climb a hill.

Your food should be starting to taste better now, and that weird metallic taste starting to fade a bit.

They may not keep on telling you this, but those near to you will appreciate that you smell just so much better than you used to.

Great effort guys, keep it up!

 

[slowmotion]

A word of advice from a serious veteran in these matters, and a many times loser! The danger that you face in the weeks and months ahead is that you consider yourself as a non-smoker, so what is the harm in having just one? Well, friends, don't go there. You really cannot handle even one. I know this. Trust me. I really am an expert!

Maximum respect to you all.

 

[Croydonian]

Just found this thread (another newbie). Good to hear that there are so many people out there beating the addiction.

I smoked for about 16 years and it took a lot of trying before I was actually able to quit the addiction - just a bit shy of 20 years ago now. I never believed, as an addict, that I could make the transition but in the end, I was "forced" by my employer, who introduced an incremental non-smoking policy in 1992. Sounds ludicrous now, but we used to smoke in the office, at our desks.

As many others have said, I can now see the lunatic twists of logic I used to keep myself tight to Mr Nicotine. I finally found that a mixture of hypnosis followed up with daily playing of a reinforcement tape helped (Paul McKenna does one). That and eating kilos of biscuits. When I had a craving after the first few weeks, it was because I was hungry. That doesn't last and the weight I gained dropped back within a year. Still that is often the excuse people give for readdicting.

Keeping active helped a great deal to beat the cravings (and weightgain) and my increasing fitness was a discovery to me. I came to cycling as a adult because I finally realised that it was both possible and enjoyable. I am fitter hitting 50 than I ever was in my 20s.

Keep it up all of you! the rewards are astonishing.

 

[Peteaud]

A word of advice from a serious veteran in these matters, and a many times loser! The danger that you face in the weeks and months ahead is that you consider yourself as a non-smoker, so what is the harm in having just one? Well, friends, don't go there. You really cannot handle even one. I know this. Trust me. I really am an expert!

Maximum respect to you all.

I wont even have the one, i am not going to even touch one, and that includes cigars (whicj i used to really enjoy) because, as you say, i can't handle it, and that is 100% true.

One now, not a chance.

 

[gbb]

I wont even have the one, i am not going to even touch one, and that includes cigars (whicj i used to really enjoy) because, as you say, i can't handle it, and that is 100% true.

One now, not a chance.

Slowmo has a very worthwhile point, i 'could' have had a ciggie on any of the last few days, they still smell so nice, it would kill that very mild craving i'm having,...and i can still remember how nice that first inhale is....but like you Pete, there's less than NO chance of me trying one, it'd be too dangerous as Slownotion says.

It is a very dangerous time, you feel youve beaten it....but its just lurking there....
Get thee behind me satan !!!!

3 weeks today BTW...

 

[Peteaud]

Slowmo has a very worthwhile point, i 'could' have had a ciggie on any of the last few days, they still smell so nice, it would kill that very mild craving i'm having,...and i can still remember how nice that first inhale is....but like you Pete, there's less than NO chance of me trying one, it'd be too dangerous as Slownotion says.

It is a very dangerous time, you feel youve beaten it....but its just lurking there....
Get thee behind me satan !!!!

3 weeks today BTW...

Well done on the 3 weeks.

I know if i had just "the one" i would be back on the weed immediately. The nicotine gremlins would love it so just to piss them off i an saying no, or as you put it "get thee behind me satan"

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

Well done stopping Pete. I have been stopped for 8 days. I have stopped numerous times thoughout my life once for about 7 years. But it was always having a cigar or stuck at some boring all day event like a wedding that I would usually cave in and have a few. That was always the end for me, I just need to never touch them again. I stopped this time as I was having a knee operation, so I stopped on the day I had it. It is not ideal as whenever I have stopped in the past I always started some kind of fitness regime at the same time as the two always seemed to go together. At the moment I cannot get on my bike so it is not ideal, but hopefully will be able to soon.

 

[col]

Well done to all you who have stopped. I still havnt had the balls to do it.

 

[Peteaud]

Well its now 4 weeks as an ex smoker.

Still want one, but not as difficult now as in the first week.

My taste had definately improved, as has my sense of smell.

Fitness, or should i say recovery time, again improved, long, long way to go but the signs are there.

Bike fund now at £80


One thing that really annoyed me, i watched crocodile Dundee yesterday, nearly every scene shows mick dundee rolling / smoking, i could almost taste it.

To all those given up well done and keep at it.

To those who are thinking about giving it up, its your choice, but you could do worse than joining us on cc and giving it a go.

 

[Peteaud]

Well done stopping Pete. I have been stopped for 8 days. I have stopped numerous times thoughout my life once for about 7 years. But it was always having a cigar or stuck at some boring all day event like a wedding that I would usually cave in and have a few. That was always the end for me, I just need to never touch them again. I stopped this time as I was having a knee operation, so I stopped on the day I had it. It is not ideal as whenever I have stopped in the past I always started some kind of fitness regime at the same time as the two always seemed to go together. At the moment I cannot get on my bike so it is not ideal, but hopefully will be able to soon.

Keep it up, i wish you well.