Now it is this time of year when everyone wants to start the new year all fresh and healthy and that bollox but I'm gonna be one of these people as well.

I'm trying desperately to stop smoking. I've started this morning because i'm back in work today and i knew if i tried giving them up over a weekend it would be impossible with the temptation of being out and seeing everyone smoke around me.

So then, I have to give up this year for 2 reasons.

Reason 1: Its too fucking expensive. In Ireland a pack of smokes cost between €8.45 - €8.65 for a pack of 20. Its an obscene amount of money when you break it down and add up the cost over a year. I calculated last year that i spent nearly €1800 on the fucking things. That's money i could have saved for a car, house, holiday etc. I've not put a hand in my pocket to buy smokes this year and hopefully i never will.

Reason 2: I want to get fit again before it gets too late. I've just gone 29 and my body just isn't up to regular exercise at a drop of a hat. I used to play football regularly doing 5 a side in the astro turf pitches with my mates but the last few times after 5-10 mins i was done completely and couldn't manage a jog. Fuck that shit.

Now i know i have to change other habits as well, such as drinking and eating fast food shite but i can cut that out easier that i can with smoking.

So the point of the thread is this, either you want to give the smoking as well or anything you want to give up, say it here or if you have given them up before, share your experiences and say why you went back on them or stayed off them etc.

Day 1 begins today....... Fuck I need a smoke

You can try Champix, it helped me. It is a bit expensive but it truly helps. In Finland you can't buy it without a receipt so you probably have to visit a doctor.

Good luck Stuie, I tried quitting numerous times, but I just can't.
Sure it's a waste of money, but I'm like fuck it.

Congrats on your decision and good luck my friend, you have 2 great reasons 2 do it and good motivation. I've quit smoking a year ago coz doctor said to me if i wanna live 30-40 years more i should stop , and that was the moment when i said 2 myself "fuk it , i'm done with smoking". But bad thing was i couldn't control eating, my hands were free and i had 2 grab smth , any food was good , few weeks later i was 10kg heavier . But all in all i'm happy i quit coz now i can sleep better , i don't smell like cig , taste & smell senses are now much stronger , i'm not feelin tired all the time and i saved lots of money hehe.

Cheers!!!!

I'm planning this aswell but i'm gonna take it slower, no more week smoking, only when i go out.

And after some time, cut that out too.



Sounds so simple doesnt it?

yea it does sound simple man! I've cut down a lot myself over the past 6 months but anytime I feel a bit stressed or depressed, or I'm out on the lash the temptations just too much for me to handle! The times when your stressed and shit, it takes more will power than I've got to leave the cigs alone.

I smoked a lot when I was a teenager but I cut down a lot later also. I occasionally do smoke a cig with people when I am in the group. I rarely purchased cigarettes (as already mentioned by Stuie they are expensive). I tried to stop smoking in 2008 and been like that for 4 month, but started again. I don't know why. I gues sometimes you just need to chill out, have a puff, relax and look around. Have those rare moments of peace to myself. Sometimes I don't smoke for a week, sometimes a whole pack within a week. It's like that.

Go to Japan and get yourself a wife

no! go to slovenia and get a wife

Just don't do it.

Go for it! My advice is, set yourself realistic goals, say to yourself that you won't smoke for a week, when the week is up, say to yourself, if you can go for a week, you can go for a month etc. Timescales are also good, a year can seem daunting, yet a month can seem like nothing.

My other advice is reward yourself. You say you spend 1800 euros a year on fags? Well maybe when 6 months is up, reward yourself with a holiday for 900 euros, or a new computer, or whatever you enjoy. Something big though, something significant, obviously it doesn't have to be 6 months, you could split it up in 3 month sections or whatever.

I'd also share your resolution with friends. Tell them what you're trying to achieve, that way, you'll feel more pressure to stick to it.

Write it down. Just write it down and stick it up somewhere, "I am going to give up smoking." There's just something about writing it down that makes it seem more real.

Good luck, hope my tips help. These tips come from extensive research that psychologists conducted and they found that people who did these things had a much much higher rate of success than those who didn't, so if you're serious about this, which you sound like you are, I'd follow those tips.

I was the same stuie, loved footy, free weights and was fit and took it for granted. I don't really smoke, cut that out at 20, also the weed is an occasuional pleasure from time to time. But drinking and fastfood has done most damage I reckon. I just want the inspiration to get back into sport , that's all.

Oh and to stop getting stressed with Man-U-fucking-ited.

I don't see myself stopping to smoke any soon. I didn't even start yet

i just started again, i start and stop for a couple weeks every time i get a bit down

I say good luck to you man- its a bitch. The 2 biggest things that get in the way are booze and caffeine. I quit drinking over a year ago and it helped for a bit- but as a caffeine junkie I need to smoke with it. I've smoked about a pack a day since 1999.. have always tried to stay in shape but I'm starting to notice the toll it takes on me.

I've pulled successful 'quits' over the past 3 weekends but once Im back at work on Monday, Im back at it.. I didnt make it past 6:30 this morning without buying a pack (and picking up an energy drink aswell), and thats on top of taking nicotine lozenges- they kill the urge but dont take care of that oral fixation.

I've heard that chantix (prescription name here) is pretty much the silver bullet to kill the habit- Im nearing going in to get some. It's a pointless fucking addiction when you think about it.

keep water and mints, gum, candy around- they can help.

good luck Im with you.

My grandfather quit cold turkey after 25 years, 2 packs unfiltered a day.. and hes 94 and happy now. Guaranteed we wont make it even near that age (or at least not in good shape) if we dont give it up.