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My quit date was originally last Friday and today is Tuesday, so I am already behind the ball. The reason I didn't start last Friday is because I was reading the EasyWay to Quit by Allen Carr and he said to keep smoking until I finished the entire book. Also, I have joined a community quit smoking group which meets tomorrow night. I guess it meets once a week and you can continue as long as you want. So I just finished my last cigarette and I am looking forward to starting my new life. Yesterday, I totally cleaned and defumed my car so I would not have to bear that smell anymore. That's my first happy step in this journey. Today I plan to remove all ashtrays, butts, lighters, and anything else related in my house. It's trash pick up day so perfect timing. I have been smoking for almost 40 years so I know this will be rough at times, but I also know I am a strong person and I just have to keep my eye on the ball and keep reminding myself that I made the right decision. My go to's will be this forum group, my Allen Carr book, and my community support group. I have always had trouble asking others for help so I need to remind myself that its okay to ask. I am going to get started now. Wishing everybody a smoke free day!

Good for you B57!! Make sure you start posting in the daily NOPE thread here. I do it pretty much first thing in the morning each day as a reminder to myself NOT to smoke for just today. That's what we do initially, just deal with today or this hour even. Don't look too far ahead. Make sure to post in the other threads too as more people will see you posts and don't even be timid about asking for help. That what we are here for ! We will only be disappointed if you don't lean on us for support :) Welcome to you first steps toward freedom.

Ok, so I picked up my Chantix today! I'm ready! I quit about 10 years ago, after using patches for about a week! Unfortunately, I started back 3 months shy of 3 years!! So here I go again! I'm dedicated... problem is -> my boyfriend smokes 2-3 packs a day.. he's had a box of Chantix (that he's not yet used) for a year!!! He also drinks pretty heavily, so I'm just going to have to change my routine around him! I'm only a social drinker, and declined his offers to have a beer, today!! (Go me!! :D ) Car's cleaned out (we've never smoked in the house), but there are ash trays in the garage, and on our back deck (we live on the lake!)... HIS truck is smoked in all the time.. maybe I'll just not go anywhere with him for the first few weeks. So I'm gonna need extra reinforcement. :blink: :excl: I'm taking my first one in the morning!! Let's get this going!! :yes:

7am up bright and early.... oww, cant move.... curse that physical trainer, im in pain, i got out of bed like im 80 yrs old. Took the dog outside, cant do stairs cuz my quads hurt from 30 squats.... ugh... ahh ha theres the purple monster in my head laughing at me and my pain.... he says he can take my pain away for 1 cigatette..... no thanks dude iv made it this far just fine. 11 am cooking forever it seems, made 3 complete meals because i want to eat better. And honestly it takes my mind off my pain and the purple monster in my head. 4pm at work now, bored the purple monster is trying to talk to me, been good about ignoring him even tho he is playing with the neurons in my brain, cuz just like me, he is bored too. Ill keep reading this book "Quit and Stay Quit" by Terry A Rustin MD.... it at least helps me pass the time and stay focused forward so i dont have to look at the purple monster. 11pm. Ugh i hate this... went out with my boyfriend and a few of his friends.... was fine until he went to join them to have a cigarette.... i was mad, hurt, and disappointed because he was supposed to have been quit for a few weeks at this point... i went outside and was going to join in, i took the cigatette someone handed me took 2 puffs and thought, this doent help me, im not getting bavk at him more then im throwing away my quit.... i handed my boyfriend the cigarette and went back into the bar.... i waited a little bit but gouldnt get over my frustration sovi glosed out my bar tab and left.... i csme home and im in bed now, im disappointed my boyfriend has not texted me back.... since i left the bar almost 2 hrs ago iv texted him a damn book explaining how i felt. Guess i just go to bed angry, confused, and maybe a little jealous.

I'm sorry your boyfriend is not being more sensitive to your fragile quit situation but your quit is for YOU, not him or anyone else. You alone are accountable for how your quit turns out. You alone took that cigarette, put it in your mouth lit it on fire and took 2 puffs. No one else made you do that. You know that you can't take even one puff without putting yourself right back to the start of your quit. So now you need to start over again. What will you do differently the next time a similar situation arises? You need to have a plan or you will end up with the same result. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but it's reality. You had studied this addiction well and had planned your quit well and done all the things you needed to do in the first 2 days or so. Now you have had a major setback - yes, 2 even 1 puff is a major setback. How will you deal with that? I sincerely hope you find it within yourself to make a new and even stronger commitment to quit. Quit for YOU! You deserve a healthier, happier life! I understand relationships in life are important too, of course they are but so is your health and your future health. I really hope you do not end up feeling you have to choose between the two. Maybe you can talk with your boyfriend once things settle down a little. Let him know how important quitting is to you. If he truly loves and respects you, he will do whatever he has to in support of you. I wish you well Kellemae . I know you can quit permanently if you make it the top priority in your life :)

hours 1- 9 Sleeping 8:22AM I woke up and looked around, hey I'm still alive. Took one look at the clock, "crap I need to be at the gym at 8:30" ran out the house, did not brush my hair or take the dog out, "shit i wont be too long". Got to the gym and realized I did not have a craving yet.... probably because the trigger is taking the dog out. "huh that's interesting" hour 11: 10:00AM- Got home, still no craving, took the dog out, still no craving. had a protein shake, small craving. spent the next 2 hrs playing with the dog, and cleaning my kitchen. hour 14: 1pm - I feel fine. eat lunch, big salad with chicken and crutons and cheese.... for desert, a donut and glass of milk..... now im tired. Hour 16: 3pm exhaustion leads to naps, naps ensure my quit, woke up from the nap and went to the grocery store, no major cravings yet. Hour 18: 5pm cooking breakfasts for the next few days just to keep occupied. Hour 21: 8pm. My boyfriend came to visit, watched a movie, ate some snacks, cuddled on the couch. Bo cravings at all while he was here. Hour 23: 10 pm, what is it about this time of night that i always get a massive craving? Fought tooth and nail through the craving.... giving up and going to bed.....

Keeping a daily journal (blog) about what you are experiencing is a great thing to do because the changes in what is happening to you are so subtle and happen so slowly that it's hard to tell they're happening from one day to the next but, in a weeks time when you go back and read what you were experiencing then, you'll be surprised at how much things have changed. Keep at it Kell! You're doing great :)

Hour 1-9: easy.... I was asleep through this part. Hour 10: 8AM I woke up and had the usual morning craving when I took my dog out for a walk, I actually went around the block instead of sitting on the step to have a smoke. Hour 12: 10AM cravings getting a little more intense now, but I read alot of information online about nicotine and what it really actually does to your body. Hour 15: 1pm Had to go to the school for a program planning session, I had major road rage on the way there, so I stopped and got some food and ended up eatting more then normal which scared me a little, but then thought I had not eatten anything at all today. Hour 17: 3pm Went to work right after my program planning session, I got there a full hour before I was scheduled to start, I was feeling pretty exhausted so I took a catnap in my car. Hour 24: Through work I was absolutely fine, my exhaustion went away, I was left with a pretty minor headache...... When I left work I was hit with a massive craving..... if I closed my eyes I saw the little purple monster behind my eyelids playing with my nervous system begging for me to feed him. every time I came upon a gas station he would send his signals through my brain as hard as he could to cause me to stop and buy cigarettes, but I screamed louder reciting my nope pledge until he shut up. That was the most exhausting drive home ever.

Sounds pretty much normal Kell :) Certainly nothing out of the ordinary. You can expect that kind of up and down roller-coaster ride for a bit, then it will gradually start to settle down for you. As uncomfortable as it may seem at times, embrace the process. This is you healing yourself. What could be better? You are now gathering those tools you need to fight the nicodemon. Yelling back at him and refusing him his demands not only keeps your quit intact but it weakens him. Every single time you fight him off, he gets weaker and you get stronger. You're doing everything right here. Just keep pushing onward! And keep posting here. It really does help :)