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I'm heading backtoreality (hence my screen name) after being a smoker for 27 years out of 57. I quit for nine of them and felt the best I've ever felt but relapsed and it started another chapter of smoking for over a decade. My mother lost her life at age 41 (I was 15) to smoking, but that never slowed me down and I considered myself a confirmed smoker who would/could never even consider quitting again. Then my younger sister (another forever smoker) quit a year ago. I was so impressed and amazed that it inspired me to start harboring a tiny flicker of hope that I could quit, too, maybe? I decided to be free from cigarettes two weeks ago (1/11/18) but then spent the first week and a half mooching smokes off people, buying whole packs, smoking one to four of them, then soaking them in the sink and tossing them away. I tried not to beat myself up over it and just kept educating myself and strengthening my resolve. Thanks to Allen Carr's book, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, I have new hope and a whole other way of seeing this addiction for what it really is. This is Day 4 and it's been emotional and strange quitting. Lots of feelings bombing into my psyche, insomnia for a couple of days running and alternating states of frustrated "arrrgh's" and proudly amazed "ahhh's." What a rollercoaster! It's been a Godsend, having this forum, and I've been educating myself with YouTube videos, the reddit stop smoking forums and lots of books. I put a quit smoking app on my phone and look at my early progress dozens of times a day. I've also cut way back on sugar and caffeine, chugging water instead (which seems to lessen the cravings) Prior to quitting, I drank sweet tea and cola all day, every day, so the concept of hydrating my body with actual water never crossed my mind. Here's to healthy changes! I will never take another puff of a cigarette. No matter what. My final cigarette was smushed out at 10:30 a.m. on January 18th, 2018.

Start your week off on a high note. Belt it out loud and proud... NOPE!

Nope. Not one puff ever. Or at least, for today.

Nope

NOPE! Not today....

You are not the first to relapse. My first "quit" in years was Oct 2nd and lasted 4 hours. So I got a better plan in place and Oct 6th I quit again, and have not lit up since. Some might shame you or whatever but here is what i have to say - When we fail at something, the best thing to do is to re-examine what went wrong so we can come back next time more prepared to fight. Each time we do not succeed, we learn more. learn by our mistakes. So now is the time to rethink what you could have done different, like what caused you to buy some, and next time you can beat that temptation. Beating yourself up does no good. Just get back up and jump back in.

Strength work this morning (Power Cleans, Bench Press, Bulgarian Split Squats, Dips, and Farmer's Walks). Felt good and had some time left so I threw in a couple of sets of suitcase carries and three rounds on the heavy bag. I've been off the booze for three-weeks now. I've also cutback on the sugar and make a point to match my carb intake with my activity levels. I wasn't really focused on leaning out during this phase, but that's what is happening. As much as I like to point and laugh at the aesthetics guys...if I get six-pack abs I'm gonna be finding reasons to take my shirt off all day.

Smoking didn't solve anything. The cigarette was not enjoyable. The regret was instant. The idea of smoking we have as addicts versus the reality of actually smoking are polar opposites. The addicted mind paints a portrait of the cigarette as a portal to relaxation and clarity. It's a myth, a lie. The reality of smoking is the inhalation of poison that provides a very temporary fix. The mind and body do not relax after smoking. The relief sought by addicts in smoking "just one" is an illusion that never comes to fruition. You smoked a cigarette Katie. It's unfortunate, but there is no way to unring that bell. Take it as a hard lesson learned and move forward with renewed and unwavering commitment.

Lost 70 lbs 3 years ago...kept it off for a year and even lost a few more inches. Then...over the last year and a half....the scale slowly moved up. I have kept a fairly regular routine at gym (though it slacked somewhat in frequency and intensity) ..but the main problem was...cheat meals and alcohol. Which is funny because I really wasn't a drinker before and found myself having more and more cocktails....Result was: 35 lbs back on! UGGHHHHH...Oh the downfalls of living life to it's fullest! haha! So.... I've cut out the booze, am really watching my diet -making smarter choices...and amped up my gym time ( since 12/26) I have lost 10 lbs 25 to go I am thankful I didn't put it ALL back on before catching it...and extremely grateful I didn't turn to something stupid like smoking! and!...life is still awesome...I am not suffering or feeling deprived at all...just made a few adjustments...tweaking Hope you are all well!! Moving forward and learning my lessons....one day at a time!

NOPE!

NOPE!!!

NOPE!!

Nope

NOPE!

I'm with you !!!!......NOPE !!!!!

After 8 years of running Marathons ... The Sarges have both gone insane committed to an Iron Man in their 50th year of life (year-and-a-half from now). 2.4 mile swim, followed by 112 mile bike, followed by 26.2 mile run... in that order, no break in between events. 17 hour limit to complete all 3 events. 3 immediate problems. (1) Sarge, himself, downgraded to Half Marathons 2 years ago and hasn't run anything longer than 13.1 miles in those same 2 years. His last Full Monte 26.2 was almost 3 years ago. (2) Sarge has no suitable bicycle. (3) Mrs. Sarge ... she has to learn to swim ... and is TERRIFIED (but committed). One longer-term issue: Neither of us has kept up a training plan for more than 8 months. We've always trained for a season, run a couple of races, then taken the rest of the year off. There will be no time off for the next year-and-a-half. Uh-oh! ** Training kicked off yesterday. 4-miler run, moderate pace @ 7:08/mile EZPZ

Completely slacked off today- got up too late and will get home too late to do anything meaningful so I'm taking the day off. Tomorrow morning back on the elliptical and away we go again.

KATIE!! You can do this. Somethings that works for me that may work for you. I can, I just don’t want to. Tell me I “can’t“ do something, well you know.. Do things you did when you smoked but didn’t smoke when you did them. Get on YouTube and find Allen Carr’s book. Take your quit extremely serious, your life depends on it. You have to find what works for you and use it. They do nothing for you. They take your money, your time and your health. Stick close to the board. Let people know what you’re feeling. Not only does it help you, It helps us as well.

Another day, another spanking.

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Already NOPE ed but gonna NOPE again for good measure

Me too on the wine and snacks....like you I was not a big drinker previously and then I found the wine for hummingbirds (pink moscato) and Henry's Orange well you know with that comes snacks and lack of control...I put 50 of the 80 lbs lost back on....sigh...now my 25th wedding anni is coming up and I wanted to be back down hence the HMR diet...its working and it does and did help me reset my brain in I know when I go into the phase II of the diet, I will focus on a better diet and more portion control as before...also will limit my alcohol intake also as that is one of the problems. I have a time limit over my goal weight as to how long I am going to be on this even if I do not reach my goal weight by March/mid April I will transition then as I feel I will be ready to be focused on my changes by then. 25 down 25 to go Lisa

Hey, Janie girl... Breathe deep and take in the freedom. Yeah, it may feel like a cigarette will solve these emotions but you know it's just a lie. Every single time you fight an urge, you starve the beast. Embrace those struggles! It means the beast is dying with every ignored craving. Your quit is a fragile sprout, a newborn. Treat it just that gently and before you know it, you won't even miss these horrible nicotine sticks. Life is worth living and this is the best gift you can give yourself.

And, I'll change my profile pic to ..........

I shoveled lots of snow multiple times today does that count as a workout? Other than that called in worm cause roads were crappy as it was a blizzard for most of the day we have 9 inches so far. It slowed down a bit now but they are calling for it to go until midnight. Lisa

Welcome BTR it is good to have you along on this train. There are many people here that will be more than happy to help you along the way -- especially when the going might get a little tough, there is always a hand there. I have been only doing this for the last 2 1/2 weeks and this sight and the people here have been fantastic. Read, research and post -- it really does help.

Katie you can do this. I won't go over the points the others have stated already. Just remember that we are here for you --- you just have to reach out. When I get my strong cravings I remember what made me want to quit and how lousy those last few cigarettes were or I come to this site and read from all the past posts--- it helps keep me centered on "NOPE". We can all do this together.

Welcome to this wonderful train, BTR! Your 5th day is coming to a close soon! This is a great accomplishment. You can definitely do this BTR. We are all doing it here and some of us, like me, never really thought we could. It's a myth that you can't quit smoking or that it's too difficult. It's definitely doable as you can see. Keep your outlook as positive as you can- if you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself, deprived, depressed, angry, whatever, acknowledge that feeling, attribute it to the addiction, and move on. Think instead about the positive aspects of your quit and don't fall into that hole. We're here when you need a boost or a hand-up out of the hole, should you start to fall in. KTQ!!! (Keep that quit!)

Dem people in Gander 'r sum awful nice! (Newfie accent der boys) Honestly, in Canada .... the further east you go, the nicer the people are. They will accept complete strangers into the homes and give you the shirt off their backs no questions asked and no expectation of repayment of any kind. They would then bid you goodbye by asking you " So, when you comin' home again?"

Aww noooooo.... Ok....let's do this for real... You've found out ...losing your precious quit stinks... So let's make this one count...... Learn by your mistake...and move on..... Pity you didn't SOS first..this old girl might have helped you through the tough time...and saved your quit..... That frying pan is hanging there ,for times like this ...

Still nope

GOOD GAME

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Sorry to learn you relapsed Katie. I agree with what Boo said and yes, you now know that the image in your head of how pleasurable smoking a cigarette will be is just a lie that your addiction wants you to believe. Get right back on the train here and learn from this so you don't repeat it. You CAN do this Katie! You know you must do it.

You know what..... 500!!!!

It's been at least ... what ... 15 years since Sarge played. And he can *still* hear that music running in the background of his brain. EZPZ

Not all sports. I think smoking is required if you want to play pool. Obesity is required if one wants to bowl. Corporate butt-kissery is needed to play Golf. Endurance in these though - nah...

Well I was totally unaware of what Final Fantasy 10 meant but just did a quick search on it to see that it is a role playing video game. The reason I felt the need to look is that you said that you were a top ten speed runner. Through my years of dealing with smokers I didn't encounter many who were top athletes in any sport that required real intense stamina and endurance. Now that you have quit smoking you may find that you might even be able to expand your horizons and be able to do real life activities that when you smoked seemed painful if not impossible. Here are three pages addressing this benefit to quitting: http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/so-i-cant-run-marathons/ http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/incorporating-exercise-after-quitting/ http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/quitting-may-lead-to-other-self-improvements/

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Congrats on having 4 and Congrats on avoiding the lifelong tag of Stinky Grandma Not to mention being around to watch them grow. Enjoy your anniversary day!

3 Morning, D heading out to catch a boat for a ride around the Gulf to various islands so the ladies can do some "shelling" https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34252-d3318092-Reviews-Reel_Kind_Fishing_and_Tours-Goodland_Marco_Island_Florida.html

Way happy for you, PeaceTrain. No doubt, you're skin is glowing by now.

It must be pretty restrictive- those are amazing results! Good going, Lisa!!!

That's the sign of a true friend! i also didn't workout per se, but I did walk about 2.5-3 miles. Felt great to have some sun!

In my opinion, this show was a masterpiece. I was riveted from the first rousing opening musical number till the very last second. It was an incredibly moving story about the small town of Gander, Newfoundland and surrounding communities who opened their homes and their hearts to over 7,000 airline passengers from all over the world who were diverted to the Gander airport when US airspace was closed because of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The staging was brilliant, the music was masterful, the performances superb. It did win the Tony for best direction of a musical but I'm surprised you don't hear more about it. If you have a chance to see it, go!

Still Nope.

NOPE!!!

Nope! No time for that. Gotta take the cat for a walk

Thanks everyone. I missed it. I was looking forward to the milestone and it slipped right by me. Oh well there's always next year