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G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min Hour Day as required!)

NOPE

NOPE!!!!!

Nope!

NOPE

NOPE...

NOPE - I don't smoke anymore.

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE...

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min Hour Day as required!)

NOPE

I think that's one of Joel Spitzer's best videos, "Whatever you do don't quit cold turkey." It was John R Polito's Freedom from Nicotine ebook posted on the Whyquit website that got me thinking seriously about just going cold. That was my intro to Joel Spitzer!

NOPE

NOPE - Smoking sucks!

NOPE

Iso & Quarry are kinda here to stay I reckon. My brother and his mates have their kids running an iso Olympics. So the poor supermarket workers are copping a fair wake of verbal so they are a but fragile at the moment....last time I was down the shops the checkout chick burst into tears when the old bloke in front of me said "Thanks darl" as he left. Now here I am thinking it was happy tears cos someone was nice to her...yeah nah it was a language/cultural/accent issue. Being me I ask her if she's alright. She says it's too much she is sick of everyone being racist to her all the time. (Huh??)...yes all the time men and women are being racist to her and calling her "Darl"....huh?, How the fruck is calling someone darling (darl) racist...I do it all the frickin time...so I tell her 'i don't think they mean to be racist, they are just saying thank you'...."but just because I am indian why do they have to call me Darl"....an then I jerried....when an aussie says Darl it sounds like Dahl....so trying not to laugh I say....'yeah-nah they aren't calling you Dahl....they are calling you darrrrl...short for Darling...if they wanted to be racists an nasty they'd call you curry muncher. Girls and boys will both say it to you...sometimes ladies will say thanks love or thanks sweetie too. It's just that we don't say r properly." An yep as I walked off...thanks Darl. But at least she smiled this time.

Every day ..you cleanse more H ....Thank you for the update ... I never had a cough ..or coughed up phlegm..... This worried me at first after Smoking over 5 decades ...when I heard folks were cleansing.... I think I would have been happier to cough ... But all,s well...

l ol, yes so true i seem to simply love water now - not just to quench the thirst but the feel good factor i feel after i gulp down a few sips. never had much when i was on the poison. coke, coffee, never water. now i have quit all these and replaced all with just warm water and honey. even today and right now i feel like my mouth is parched dry. i must really seal a tap onto my mouth and connect a discharge hose at the other end, lol. my body must be working in overdrive mode and flushing the toxins out. the never ending dryness is the only side effect that stood out in my quit. nothing else really lasted long. maybe a week or so and i will be back to normal. let me see. rest is all is well and all you magicians out here - thank you again and take good care.

I have been reading this dialogue for a few days, and for myself would say, it didn't come easy, (not a lie) Why because I didn't have enough knowledge of the Nicotine factor in cigarettes, at the time and my self belief was not strong. There are so many confusing issues surrounding NRT The Medical profession for one advocates you use NRT this is a big deciding factor, why this is I cannot say except to surmise, that they think, you might get too aggressive in the process of quitting cold turkey I used Champix, albeit one per day and none at night, the difficulty came when I had to let go of the champix, it was the thought more than the actuality. I hung on for a week more than I should have because of this. Finally when I let go and went cold turkey, things weren't as bad as I imagined. I did find that I would be quick to temper at times, but I had to work on these things and change my view on various fronts without destroying my fighting spirit so to speak. I don't think whatever method you choose warrants an overzealous approach to helping another. Something will resonate within the knowledge presented for each individual person, but our own little voice is perhaps the best one to decide when and how. I was at odds with this dilemma simply because my niece (who is a health professional) and a beautiful person as one could ever meet was still using gum while I was home free. There was no desire to help her by telling her to stop the gum, or hitting her over the head. I had noticed she only used the gum at odd times, like a safety valve for her own stress levels. She is an adult, and has ceased smoking the cigarette which includes other chemicals like Tar, this in itself shows me although it has taken her quite a long time, she is committed to not smoking the cigarette.

It's possible that I'm not thinking about smoking every day. Just had a craving for a smoke a few minutes ago, and wasn't in any risk of lapsing, but it reminded me that I hadn't been on the forum for a few days. I guess that's how I know I haven't been thinking about smoking--I've been forgetting to post the daily pledge. The stressor this time was a tense scene while watching a movie. Triggers to smoke are fewer than I expected. I didn't expect to be at this comfort level with being a nonsmoker for many months.

You got this now Kate. Now keep looking ahead and never look back. Life is wonderful without smoking!

Thank you MQ for a great train to ride and thanks to a great bunch of passengers to ride with

I remember that day in March, many (6) years ago. Action sent me a private message letting me know about this place... I was struggling with my quit, and quite frankly, I don’t think I would have made it out the other side without the help MQ and this train was able to provide! i want to give a shout out to all of the “original” members...teaming together and getting the word out and building what is this is today! I would like to name a few, but there are way to many, and I wouldn’t want to offend anyone That I forget mention! ..... But I do want give a HUGE thank you to MQ and everyone else who help me to a successful quit!! 6 years and 4 months free! happy belated birthday, a Quit Train ( & crew)

Welcome iwantone and congratulations on 41 days quit. I had shortness of breath, which ironically was the reason I quit to begin with, when I hit about the three week mark and it lasted a good three weeks or so before it started getting better. I also went to the Dr to make sure it wasn't something else so I recommend that if it's bad or particularly worrisome to call your dr. If nothing else they can reassure you that it's only your lungs cleaning themselves out. They may also prescribe something like a rescue inhaler to help.

Hey Hh, Just wondering how the weekend shaped up for you. Just reread this thread. Amazing!!! You are FREE. What an incredible turn of events. Considering you had no idea you were quitting and once the idea came about ... YOU quit. Chuckled and nodded at your posting of THIS IS THE QUIT because once you give your all, it is all or nothing. I can relate. My last relapse lasted around 5 years. I had the mindset (of which I am usually VERY SET on some things) that once I picked up smoking again it was a forever thing. BELIEVED that junkie thinking, too....for almost 5 years. Surprised and grateful beyond words that my belief was terribly wrong. I have quit. Yay! Really glad you are clicking along on the QT track. We have sticky quits!!! The photo from the ship deck..... thanks for sharing that bit of beauty and awe. you got this.

Walnuts are a good snack and also an appetite suppressant. Black chai tea without sugar is a good appetite suppressant & it boosts your metabolism. Strawberries and blueberries are the best fruit for diabetics....and strawberries are an appetite suppressant. You can do this. No reason not to have a cuppa tea or coffee in the morning.

random update - i did cough out a bit of poison, lol. a light cough and that is all. why i am posting this insignificant thing is this - once i coughed out the poison - i feel a cool cool feeling in my throat. as if i had a icy mint. this happened ever since my quit =. when i cough out this poison i feel the throat turn cold, very cold on the inside and i can feel the air going in and out. today i coughed out after some few days. i think i may have logged my last cough out before today as well just logged it for record keeping, lol. maybe make an excel sheet with the data after 1 year of the quit.

thank you sazerac for the inspirational post . next step is one month now. 5 opponents down and this next fight may last a while. 9 rounds of one month each. well- best is to go for a quick knockout like i did in the last 5. thank you to all my trainers out here. you turned a weakling into a fighter, lol.

Well said.

Laurel.... Although if you look at Boo's first post that was me except instead of watching a Laurel and Hardy skit I watched Abbott n Costello's who's on first...cos I remembered Laurel and Hardy shit me to tears.

LIE. Everyone CAN quit cold turkey. Many people Don't quit cold turkey. Pure Choice. "I Can't Quit" or "I Won't Quit" During my first few days of my 'quiting-on-a-whim' quit, my quit of 6+ years now, I was googling around and found so much misinformation about 'cold turkey'. Thankfully, found Joel Spitzer and this actual video. I was heartened and cheered. Whatever You Do Don't Quit Cold Turkey Breaking Free From Nicotine's Grip Is More Doable Than Most People Think

Nope!

We had a similar situation here in Tennessee a few years ago. A man referred to an Indian store owner as "chief." The store owner assumed there was some racist connotation to it. Locals explained that men around here will often refer to other men they don't know as "chief", "big guy", or "boss man" just to name a few. I'm a white guy, very white in fact, and I've been called "chief" many times by many different men. Learning a new language is tough enough. Making sense of regional eccentricities adds a degree of difficulty to the process. Also worth mentioning, if you're a man and come down South some older women will refer to you as "darling" or "honey." They're probably not flirting with you, that's just how they greet you.

learning about sloths, don't ask me why......

Devoured another youngster

Nicotine is Nicotine is Nicotine As we have said before, learn about your addiction, S. here are some things that helped us through the early days Your First Days Nicotine Free

I have been watching the Hemsworth Iso exercises videos...and I don't even break a sweat .

Who knew? Enjoy!

Hey all just checking in ... still smoke free , going on two months!!! not really having any urges to even have a cigarette. battling really dry sinus nowadays. Nose feels like is plugged at times but it’s just pressure it seems. I know smoking does a number on our sinuses as well. Other than that holding strong. Stay safe everyone.

Way to go H .... Cocky Naa.....sounds to me ...you made your mind up ..and that's it .... Lovely pic ..... beautiful colours ..... When I joined ..I was in threat of amputation of both feet ..due to smoking .... I too had to make the decision to never stick anything in my mouth ,and light it ... It wasn't as plain sailing at your quit ...but ...I had made that decision. Just want to add ...Our Boo...is so loved around here ...he is one hell of a guy .... I'm sure he will be pleased to have a Gym Partner....you can walk around like Farmers together lol... Keep doing what your doing H...

thank you - the quit is long dead and buried and no - resurrection is a lie. so it is an impossible scenario now. not realistically possible. it would have been possible prior 24 hrs into my quit - once that passed - it became impossible. your quit is done,dusted and buried too - so hello, non-smoker. glad to have you on the quit-train. if you do not believe me - stare into the mirror - a non-smoker will stare back at you. magic, right. funny what a little dose of self-belief and truck loads of stubbornness can do.

"There are people who can make love standing on a hammock, but it is not the easiest way." --Allen Carr I don't have anything else to add. I just really enjoyed that line.

I'm not one for long posts but this one really reached out to me in my first year and was definitely worth reading. THE SMALL DARK ROOM; an analogy of a quit (Reposted from Laurap414 from The QuitNet ) Once, my existence was confined to a small, dark room. In the room was a button. When I pressed the button the room was filled with light. It was a warm, sunny light, which filled every crevice of the room with its brilliance. The light made me happy, and made me feel safe. The problem was, after a few minutes, the light would begin to fade. Soon the room would be completely dark again and I would have to press the button again. My life consisted of always getting to that button when the darkness began to fall. The darkness was scary. It was tiring getting to that button hour after hour. And in this life, it was always, always night. I heard people say that if you could endure one night in the dark, without pushing that button, you could experience Day. In Day, the button would not be needed. It would always be light, and there would be no dark to be afraid of. People said that when it was Day, you could actually leave the room. The button was still there, but you would not be reliant on it anymore. I remembered my life before the button, and looked at my friends who lived in the Day. And I knew that was what I wanted, more than anything. I hated it always being night; even though I had my button to light the world it was still depressing living from brightness to darkness, never being free, and never seeing the sun. And so one day I decided to stop pushing the button, to try and be free. At first, the darkness was a little uncomfortable. I could not see a thing, but then again the light had only been out for a short while. I knew what was in the room, no monsters there, right? Just the dark. But then, as the night progressed, scary things began to happen. I heard strange noises in the dark. Sometimes ghosts and apparitions would appear to me. And each time, no matter how much I wanted to be brave, something scared me so bad that I would reach for that button again. I never made it for more than a few hours in the dark. I would run screaming for the button, and give it a good smack. Thank God!!! The light would be warmer and more lovely than it had ever been. But then, as always, the light would begin to fade. And I would realize to my horror that it was midnight again. And I was even more afraid of the encroaching dark than ever. One day I heard of a group of people who had made it through to Day. I wanted to get out of my terrible night, and so I asked them how they made it to dawn, and then to sunrise and Day. And they told me some secrets. They told me how to deal with the ghosts who would appear in the dark, how the room would change and how all sorts of horrible things would happen. They warned me that it would be worse than a nightmare at times, but that I could do it. Best of all, they said they would help me make it through the night. This is the story of how it happened, one minute at a time. 11:59 pm. I push the button for the Very Last Time. I am very afraid.. 12:00 midnight. The room is dark. Not so bad. I can do this. 12:15 am Hearing scary noises. Scared, but Im ready for this. I can do it. 12:30 am A man appears out of nowhere. "Push the button!!!!" he screams. "Arent you afraid of the monsters? Arent you scared of the demons? Push the button! It will be light again!!!! Just do it!!!!". He is scaring me. I look at him fiercely. He goes away. He comes back many times during the night. 1:00 am The floor has turned to snakes. I am horrified. I can hear them slithering around. I want to turn on the light. I need to see them. I need them to go away. I ask my friends and they say this is normal, that it will get better. 1:30 am I can hear moans in the dark. The snakes are still here. I think this room is haunted. I am so scared of the dark. I want to push the button so the light will make the ghosts go away. I keep telling myself I am headed towards the dawn. 1:45 am Something cold and dead brushes my face. I scream. I reach for the button. My friends tell me Im doing a great job. They tell me the noises are just phantom noises. They tell me to think of the coming dawn. The snakes are still around my legs. I think the floor is getting wet and sticky, I cant tell. The noises are getting stranger. I am shivering with fear and revulsion. 2:00 am If it werent for my friends I would have gone insane or hit the button hours ago. I begin to think that the floor is wet and sticky with the blood of people who have killed themselves in here. My friends tell me its just my own sweat. I know that if I hit the button it will all go away. The noises are unbearable. My only comfort is knowing I have made it this far. I tell myself I can make it a little longer. I break down in tears from exhaustion. 2:15 am Its getting a little better now. The dark is still filled with bizarre monsters and strange sounds. 2:30 am I look out the window to see if the sun is coming up yet. It is still pitch dark. I cannot see a thing. 2:45 am The scariest part of night. I sense that I am surrounded by ghouls. I am trying to be strong even though I am beside myself with fright. Suddenly a woman appears in the room. She is holding a candle. She looks like a very competent lawyer or something, and looks very kind. I am so relieved to see her, and I invite her to sit down. She explains that she has contacted the owners of the room and that they have agreed to make an exception for me. Since I am experiencing so much fear, they will let me push the button once without setting the clock back to midnight (right back where I started). She said that they have been watching me, and since Ive been so brave, they will allow me a little bit of light to "get me through the night". "I thought that once I hit the button, I go right back to where I started no mater what", I say. "No, no, we have made a special exception in your case," she says, smiling. She looks so caring and professional. I begin to believe her. She seems completely trustworthy. I look over the contract she has brought. It all looks very legal and above-board. I get to push the button once, and the clock is not set back to midnight. It sounds extremely sensible. I am listening to the noises in the dark. There is a big bump from the darkest corner. "What was that?" I say. "That was a ghoul," she says pleasantly. "It will rip your throat out and kill you if it gets you. So not to rush things, but perhaps you want to sign the contract right NOW". I look into her eyes. I want to believe her. I reach for the pen. And then I see behind her smile, this evil green glimmer. And I smell death on her clothes. With horror, I realize that she has been sent by the Nicodemon. She is pure evil. She leans in closer, and hands me the pen. I pull back. "Get away!" I scream. "Get out of here at once!!!!". "Oh no, sweetie" she says in her pleasant voice of death. "You asked me to sit down. You read my contract. Im going to stay a while". I know she is in league with the Demon but I cant seem to move or scream. I am transfixed with her voice, her glinting eyes, her tempting smile. "Why dont we sit and chat awhile my dear?" she smiles sweetly. It seems like two hours pass. I cannot move. I have never been so scared. Crazily, I still think about signing the contract she is holding. I think of how hitting the button would make her go away. Finally I summon all of my strength, and with great effort I am able to make myself realize that she is evil and full of lies. Finally, when I admit this to myself, she stands up to leave . "Ill be back for you!!!!!!" she shrieks as she leaves. I smell her horrible stench after she goes and I want to vomit. I am shaking with the effort and terrified, but I realize I have won a battle. I am slightly proud. 3:00 am Still afraid but hanging in there. Telling myself Ive made it this far. Trying to ignore the snakes and ghouls. When I ignore them they are not so bad. 3:15 am The man keeps coming back. He is not as scary anymore. 4:00 am I think I can finally see the dawn rising in the far distance. I am completely exhausted. But I think , this is it! I have made it to Day! I am very excited. 4:15 am A little old lady appears. She is very sweet looking and gentle. "Hi honey!" she says. "Hi there" I say, glad for some company. "Rough night, huh?" she says. "Ill say", I agree. I feel relaxed, relieved, happy, so proud of myself. "And youve done such a great job," she says. I thank her for the compliment. "Such a great job, " she says, "that you deserve to hit that button one more time. Just to see it once before its gone. It was such a lovely light wasnt it?" she says sweetly. "It was a lovely light," I say. I look fondly at the button, and then look outside to the greying sky, which is filling with a dirty pale light. I think of my brilliant warm light and how it used to cheer me up instantly. "You do deserve it," she says. We chat for some time about what a great job Ive done getting through the night. She is a very sweet and understanding lady. We stroll around the room for a while, and then I look down. When I do, I realize my hand is on the button. I look into the nice ladys eyes, and suddenly I see the glint of evil green grinning back at me. "Why dont you push the button now?" she growls, in a voice that sounds like the grave. "AARGH!" I yell. I jerk my hand off the button. The lady vanishes in a puff of noxious fumes. But her words were powerful poison and it is a while before I can walk away from the button. I am terrified by the close call. 4:15 am Its getting brighter now. 5:00 am Things are going OK. I have survived a few more close calls. The old lady came back, and so did the lawyer lady, but I fought them off. The snakes and ghouls I realize were only in my head. Things are looking normal. I can see again! 6:00 am Sunrise! I never thought I would see it. Its only a matter of time before I get to see the Day. I realize I will never need my horrible button again. I am so relieved I could just cry. I am full of gratitude and thanks. I am so proud of myself, so humble. Ive come so far. And then I hear the voice. It is icy cold and gravelly, and sounds like a thousand monsters whispering together. It comes from everywhere and nowhere, it echoes through my brain. "There are monsters everywhere, my friend," it says. "There are monsters which can attack you in the grey light of dawn, monsters under the bed at sunrise, and monsters which will haunt you invisibly during the Day. These monsters can only be conquered by pressing that magic button. Did you think that daylight would protect you? Oh no. Never forget that the monsters are ALL AROUND, my friend. And the button is the only thing that will keep them away FOREVER. So watch out where you step, and listen wherever you go". I am chilled. I am terrified. I look to make sure the button is not far away. It is still there, and I am slightly comforted by this. The sunrise is not as safe as it seemed. 6:15 am I look around for day-monsters. Sometimes I can see them lurking under the bed. I had no idea that I would be afraid after sunrise. I miss my brilliant warm light. Just waiting for Day to come. 7:00 am. Sun keeps rising. Doing much better now. Monsters are less frightening. Really beginning to feel positive. 7:15 am Getting very bright. Feeling great. Knock at the door. Its the neighbour. "Hey lady," he says. "Howya doing in here? Listen, I dropped off because I noticed your light wasnt on. I just wanted to let you know that if you push that button over there, you can see a whole lot better!" "Yeah I know", I say, "but when you push the button, it stays night. The longer I leave it off, the brighter it gets, and eventually itll be as bright as Day." "Well, I hate to tell you this," he says, "but you know, it never really gets as bright in the Daytime as that light was. I mean, I tried that whole Day thing and it aint what its cracked up to be. Sure, the light gets kind of bright during the Day, but then there are cloudy days, and whatnot. And you can never really read a book with the same amount of clarity as you get with that button". "Really?" I say. "I did not know this. Because you know, I am a big reader". "Oh, yeah, that Day light, its never the same! You cant read by Day light!!! Not the way you can with this baby you got right here. I tell you what -if you want, I can jimmy this light so that it doesnt get dark at all! That way, itll be on all the time, and youll NEVER know its night outside. What do you think?" "You can do that?" I say. "I mean, I tried that before. I tried a LOT of different things to make it not seem so bad. But I still knew it was night. That light still kept going out." "No, no, no -- that was last time. I guarantee you I can fix it so that you will never feel scared that its night, and that light will always be on. Believe me, it beats the hell out of Day. I promise you. I mean look at this crappy light", he said, jerking his thumb towards the weak sunrise. "Well, OK" I said. "What do I have to do?" "Just push the button once, so I can get it going, then youll be all set," he said. "And if you dont like it, you can always try this Day thing another time, right?" He grinned pleasantly, and gave me a friendly wink. I looked him over to size him up. He was really a good-looking guy, so friendly and polite. It was obvious he knew what he was talking about, and he had a very honest face. Perhaps, I thought, my friends were wrong about this Day thing? I mean, here was a guy who could just rig up my button to fix it up just like that. And it sounded like he knew from experience that the button light was better and brighter than Day. Plus he had promised that it would work. Why would this guy lie to me? He was still standing there, smiling at me. "OK" I said, "What the heck". And I reached to shake his hand. "Excellent" he grinned. But as he smiled I got a glimpse of what was between his lips, and saw that his mouth was full of maggots. Suddenly I realized that he reeked of rotting corpses and death, and when I touched his hand, it felt like cold icy death. I looked into his eyes and saw that I was staring face-to-face with none other than the Nicodemon. "Nicodemon!!!" I shrieked. "Yes, my dear" he growled, and as he grinned at me, moving his face closer to mine, his breath smelled like ashes and cancer. "Just push that button and Ill fix that little button for you RIGHT AWAY". The maggots were still spilling out of his mouth, and to my horror I realized that his body was made up of decaying flesh. Every surface of his body was covered with sores, and from the sores leaked pus and phlegm. I looked down and saw that I was still clutching his rotting, deadened hand. "Argh!" I yelled. "You are a LIAR!!!!!! That stuff is not true! What you say is never true!!! You cant fix that button! If I push it Ill be back in the night! The button will not make the monsters go away! It never did! All it did was keep me in eternal night!!!!! NOW GO AWAY AND GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!! YOU BASTARD!!!!!" And I kicked him right in the balls. "AAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!" shrieked the Nicodemon. With a cloud of poisonous fumes and toxic gases he began to melt into a puddle of phlegm, until nothing was left of him except a small pile of ash. "Ha". I said. I swept up the ash and put it outside. I had won this battle, and I deserved to be proud. I had outwitted the most clever villain of all. And I had done it all by myself (with a little help from my friends). But I knew he would be back. Epilogue Sometime Around High Noon Well the sun has finally come up and its Day. Its everything my friends promised it would be. The sun is out, the birds are singing, and its simply glorious. Eventually, I even walked out of that small dark room, and left the button behind. The best part about it is, the sun never goes down here. It just stays high noon all day long, and the sun is shining almost all the time. My friends are here with me, and we never have to go back into that horrible night. The Demon came back a few more times, in a few more disguises. He almost fooled me that night that I went through the dark, and he might fool me again. But Ive got my friends behind me and they tell me about the different tricks he likes to use. He is a crafty, conniving, horrible, evil spirit, and I know that he will always do everything in his power to try and get me back. But I will be ready, and waiting. And God willing, Ill keep outwitting that son-of-a-bitch.

AndrewAsh, I have had panic disorder for many years and the best way to get over a panic attack is with distraction. My favorite way is by holding your nose and singing the silliest song you know. Then, all of a sudden, you realize how silly you look and can't help but laugh at yourself. Seriously, it is difficult to believe a panic attack is nothing, when your body seems to be doing these scary things. I do think yours will subside soon. You have been using nicotine gum and it will take a couple of days to get the nicotine out of your system. If not, check with your doctor. There is medication that helps panic. The beginning of a quit can be very scary and most of us panicked at the thought of not having our nicotine fix. Every day without, you get stronger and more powerful. When you realize, you do not need cigarettes anymore, you will look back and marvel at how easy it really was. Never be afraid to post any of you feeling or symptoms. There is always someone here to connect with your feelings. I so enjoyed the humor on the forum. It got me through some of the most difficult days. Keep rocking that quit!