Leaderboard

nope

One week plus nic free. Gets harder everyday..... BUT NOPE

G’day NOPE ......

Nope! (Been a while ....)

Positively NOPE !!!!!

Its easy, just don’t smoke! NOPE!!

NOPE !!!!

NOPE

Nope not today!

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

NOPE

NOPE!

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nope!

Nope not today!

NOPE

NOPE!!

Nopey nopey nope nope.

Hey everyone - I'm Roark and I'm on day 38 after quitting. This is my second quit. The first came in my late 20s after about ten years of smoking and I did it with nicotine patches. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in my late 30s and had a rough, rough time. At several points I lost up to 20 pounds in the space of a week, only to put it back on with the help of steroids. Discovered the link between smoking and UC and went back to limited smoking to help control symptoms. Have been through about five rough years of trying to get UC under control. Was facing down a pretty significant surgery when the doc finally hit the right medication that is controlling the UC by itself. And to prove that, I put the cigarettes back down because I really need to know if the meds are handling the UC without the help or if I needed to move to the surgery anyway. And 38 days in, my blood tests are better than they ever have been. The meds are working and it seems I've finally hit remission. And that's awesome. But after 38 days I am struggling with this quit in ways I never did with the first one. And I've found that reading other's stories helps me keep my eye on the ball. I'm not folding on this one, no matter what but this is one tough ride that is kicking back a lot harder than I expected.

Nope!

NOPE!

NOPE!

NOPE...

NOPE!

Been for a pamper afternoon ....bubbles galore in a lovely spa pool , sauna.....glass of wine and dinner ... Thanks to a lovely gift from my Nicky ...xxxx

Not at all, not at all -- cuteness will not deter me from my favorite candy!!!

Hang in there Ikea and keep fighting! It WILL get easier with time, I promise

Hi and Welcome! Glad you’re here. The ticker is great motivation! I noticed you used the phrase “gave up”. Remember you haven’t given up anything! You’ve regained control! This is a positive move! Congratulations on taking the leap into freedom!

So great how the human body starts to heal. So glad you are seeing these benefits. Stay determined to go to bed a winner every night.

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!

G’day My thoughts on smoking NOPE As simple as that!

I said hard, not impossible

Welcome aboard Roark. Congratulations on going smoke-free. You already have 38 days under your belt. You can definitely do one more day. And you just keep doing one more day, take 'em as they come. Time accumulates quickly and eventually not smoking will feel far more normal than lighting one up would. Relentless forward progress is the path to freedom.

Welcome aboard Roark glad to have you along on this journey and congrats on the 38 days. As you mentioned already it seems the craves are getting a little bit better and they will continue to do so but it will take a little time but it does get easier as the days go by. The psychological aspect can be at times the rough one to go thru while quitting but each day you battle and win the stronger you will become. Just keep your commitment and your focus and you will get thru this. Come by often to socialize and educate yourself and use the daily NOPE pledge -- it truly helped me!!!

The taste buds are waking up nicely. I remember that from the first time I quit. Should my ticker be updating itself. It's 5 days now.

Welcome to this magical train ...it will take you all the way to Freedom ...all you need is the desire and determination to get there .... Congrats on your great Quit ...this is indeed a journey ...but the reward is amazing ... Stay close to the board ,read,read and more reading ...watch all Joel's videos ...knowledge is the weapon you need ...your stronger than any crave that Nico Monster throws your way ... Take the daily pledge ...one day at a time ,is how you win this war ....

It's hard to eat peanut m&m's when the commercials are so cute....

Hi Roark, welcome aboard our train of quitters Congratulations on 38 days quit, that's awesome! I had those constant all day craves that drive me crazy too What I used was my handy, dandy JAC (jillars air cigarette). I just pretended I was holding a cigarette in my fingers and then went through the motions of 'smoking' it. I looked like an idiot lol but boy it sure worked at tricking my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing. Plus they deep clean breathing doing it felt great I also took advantage of all the various forums from socializing, celebrating, playing games, etc to keep my mind distracted so be sure to check them out

Welcome to Quit Train Roark We are a small but dedicated family of quitters here who love to support others, no matter what their motivation or method of quitting. You certainly have a great motivator to keep that quit going. Our health is of utmost importance and quitting is the best thing you can do to improve your future health. Congrats on your first month. That is normally the hardest period of your quit. What specifically is bothering you at this point> Let us know and someone will no doubt have had experience with the same quit symptom and can possibly help you. Also, read as much as you can on the site here. Education about nicotine addiction is the key to unlocking your smoke free future! Have a look through the library of Joel videos too. They touch on almost every issue you might face. Use all the tools you can to keep that quit.

I can buy cheap smokes here from the Indian Reservation if I want to kill myself faster than smoking the regular coffin nails. Only the Chief knows what's in 'em, other than nicotine. There's no regulatory body looking into how those puppies are made The really sad part is that the more expensive cigarettes get in the regulated world, the more people head to the Reservation for their supply. As smokers, we don't really want to know the truth about the choices we make. It's only after we quit that we start to lament some of those choices.

NOPE

Thanks all. As is always the case and in line with what I've learned - today was a lot easier. It comes and goes but days like today will be more common and days like yesterday will be less. As long as I don't cave and start the whole thing over. Thanks for the insight everyone. Happy to be here.

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations on your quit @Roark ! and welcome to our merry band of quitters. The sooner you acknowledge and distract yourself from smokey thought, the easier it gets. It takes effort, no doubt ! I chose to replace smokey thought with something of beauty. Like, looking at that light on that leaf or listening to a piece of music or revisiting a special memory. Taking serious mindful breaths (with @jillar's air cigarette !) The 'move a muscle change a thought' adage is also very useful and helps to switch up smokey thoughts. Also, something our friend, @Sirius, said really stuck with me, "The next time a craving plunks down on your face ask yourself, "What price you are willing to pay to own yourself?" You also need to reward yourself which helps to re-wire your brain. The Significance of Rewards

Nice to be able to really taste food again Yes, your ticker should be updating but clearly is not. If you sign in anonymously then your ticker won't update. Maybe sign out then sign back in and make sure you don't check the "sign in anonymously" box.

Hi Roark. Don't give into that crave. You are 38 days in so the nicotine is out of your system. Just breath deep and concentrate on the prize - A life free of addiction. Educate yourself, take the NOPE pledge each day and stay close to the forum. This is a wonderful group of people, who are dedicated in helping you quit. Hang in there!

Yes they will stop for sure. I too had that same kind of feeling but it was in the early days of my quit when the cravings seemed to go on 24/7 with no start and no end between them. I can't tell you when all that abated but it did - that's the important thing. It sounds as though you are active and in a purposeful way so that's a good thing. Distraction by what ever way is a good way to over ride the constant cravings. Beep breathing as well to lower the anxiety those cravings cause. I know you're looking forward to day 100 etc. but just focus on today. Then tomorrow. We pledge our NOPE (Not One Puff Ever) daily - just for that day. Then, we do the same thing tomorrow. And so it goes. Easier in small bites sometimes

I am having all day craves. For the second week in a row, Monday has started with me wanting to fold on the quit and I am fighting mentally for what feels like the whole day to keep from going to the store for a smoke. This Monday was easier than last week, where this went on until well into Wednesday. The good news is that the end of the week and the weekend are getting almost easy. I read a lot of the websites saying craves will come and go in minutes and that isn't the world I'm in right now. I know that seeing cigarettes as the horrible things they are is the key. Being glad I'm quit and free from the addiction - and at good times I'm all over that. Spend this weekend exercising. Swimming and also pulled my old bike back out and rode for 3 miles on Saturday (to come home gasping for air and wanting the whole "lungs coming back" thing to go faster). But in the bad times, like today, my brain just cannot accept that cigarettes are the enemy and I torture myself for the full day. I've got my eye on day 50, coming up next week. Then day 100 beyond that. Somewhere along the way these cravings will stop.

I am so happy for you and may the benefits of quitting smoking continue, Boo. Quitting smoking was the catalyst for change that set off a chain of events that transformed me, too. Well, not Every facet of my life... Quitting smoking didn't transform my marital status for which I am ever gratefully single. lol. But, the changes have been quantum none-the-less and the thing is now, I know how to change. I have the skills to identify where change is needed and the skills to facilitate change, I also gained the trust in myself and self-confidence to meet these challenges. I love seeing this in other quitters, too. It is remarkable to witness.