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NOPE!

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

Woohoo, Start of day 4. It's 6am and time to go out and get my morning workout done. Going to add more core work this morning. If I could work only one muscle group outside of normal daily activity, it would be the core exercises. Just got back from working out. One thing I forgot to mention I started Mar 1 was a daily check list of activities I must achieve each day. These are habits I wanted to embed. Some are things to stop, some are things to start, some are things I was already doing sporadically, but wanted to make daily. What I found was that when a craving starts, I go do one of the things on my list and it distracts me. Each MUST be done daily. Log my weight 1st thing Enter the # of non-smoking day it is (yay, today is 4) Movement snacks: hanging leg lift, pullups, and pushups No nighttime junk food No chips w/ lunch Floss I've got these on spreadsheet for each day of the month and its sitting on table where I work. Just having this printed list (reminder) I have to complete each day (routine) and then getting the little attaboy of putting a check mark (reward) next to each one each day helps distract me from wanting to smoke.

Nope

Nope!

NOPE

NOPE…

NOPE

NOPE!

Nope.. no way!!!!

A metaphor for life NOPE

@JustinHoot99 @Sunnyside @intoxicated yoda I don't post as a distraction. I am just trying to relate my feelings and struggle with my quit. We are all different in our thoughts and our quits. That is what is so helpful about this board. We can say how we feel, our deepest darkest thoughts. We need to address those things without judgement. Through others I have realized there are so many things that I have never vocalized, even in my mind. Things I had never even thought of. Things that I have done or would do for the habit. The truth, the thing for me at this point is I am older, my smoking is a problem, it has been verified by tests and my doctor. I have got to figure out how and why I want to go forward in my life. I have smoked weed many times over many years but I always enjoyed cigarettes after. I would enjoy it now to help with my migraines. I don't do it now as I am an old lady because it is not legal in my state and I would have no idea how to get it even if I wanted. I will say, that I think one day I will have that choice legally but I will go with the edibles like @jillar. My lungs have had enough of anything I have to inhale. Never think I don't get it because I do. My husband did not have lung cancer but skin cancer that went to his lungs. He never smoked cigarettes but really enjoyed the other. I was there through all the treatments, chemo, surgery, oxygen tanks, concentrators and portables. All the travel for clinical trials. You never think that something will come and tear apart your whole world that you have worked so hard to build. He was only 46 at diagnosis, 51 when I lost him. It made no sense, I was the smoker in our family. That I have seen up close and personal. I have been the caregiver to that person. I don't want my son to ever have to be that person with me. He was only 17 when this happened to his Dad. He was forever scarred by it. I share these things because it is important for people to understand it does happen. Don't think it could not happen to your family. I don't want any child to lose a parent early. I don't want any husband or wife to go through the heartbreak of losing their spouse. If you continue to smoke, accept the risk and prepare for the future. My husband and I did not come from money. We worked hard and made good financial decisions for retirement. My son was able to go to a good college, with no student loans, our home had been paid off and I am safe and comfortable. We had planned and saved for all of this. What we did not expect that he would not be here. Just another truth that I can't change but I can quit smoking.

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

Ending day 4. Checked off all the boxes on my list for the day. Bigly News: I drove my car tonight. Yes, I had to get some miniblinds from Menards that I special order 4wks ago. So I had my wife get the key she hid. Of course she was by the door when I returned and didn't say anything but I knew she was checking to see if there was a hint of smoke on me. This would have been a 3 cigarette trip in the past. Gave her my key to hide again. Won't need car again till next Wed when I have to go to the dentist. I feel like such a putz for feeling great for having driven my car w/o inhaling burning leaves. Such is the life of an addict. Celebrate every win.

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

@JustinHoot99that's the way to do it. It seems you have a plan and a plan beats a goal every time. I just got back from my second 10 minute walk this morning. I try to do 3 a day. Building or keeping your strength and mobility is so important as well as maintaining body composition. Stay strong, you got this.

@JustinHoot99 glad you're back and trying again. This is the most insidious addiction and it has ability to derail especially when we stop being on guard for a moment. Feel free to write meandering posts here - a lot of us have likely done it. As long as you're here, it's all good. Which ... next time when the urge hits, please do post an SOS- it is one of the best mechanisms to keep the quit.

You can have all of mine, past, present and future! Thankfully I want none of them.

Present and accounted for...

Well, I could not tell you how many I could throw on there, but that is not me standing in the far left corner trying to breath in the fumes. LOL

N.O.P.E………..

Howdy

NOPE

I agree. HUGE win. Focus on that my friend. The more things you do without smoking retrains your brain. I remember five years ago I bought a new car and resolved not to smoke in it. That was one of my favorite things, i.e. long road trips and smoking during said long road trips. I was able to wean myself off that and now I rarely think about smoking and driving. Its really just practice in not doing something we used to do. Anyway-blahblah. Just happy you are still on the train tonight

you said it right there. celebrate every win. driving was a huge trigger for me as well so to turn a 3 cigarette trip into a smoke free drive is a gigantic hurdle to clear

NOPE

You sound like it's going well at the moment. Good for you

@Sunnyside I tell it for you and others here. There are so many things we can learn from each other that will strengthen our resolve to quit. I think this place has helped me so much to get through this. I have had some very hard times but am on my own in this one for the first time. I have always had some one here in the house to keep me busy but my son and his family were able to buy a home of their own. My Mom was here until she got really sick. She has since passed. There is no one to look after but myself and the pups. My son knows I have quit but does not know how hard it is for me. I don't intend to tell him.

Jeez, @johnny5 You are one good looking fellow! I can't twerk like @Doreensfree and I do not have a cute face like @jillar The only thing I can offer is a train ride to the best place in the world. If you are very lucky Doreen and Jillar will be there to greet you with a big kiss.

Burn ‘em all!

NOPE

present

That's a HUGE accomplishment @JustinHoot99, you should be super proud of yourself. Now each time you drive will get a little easier

@KrisThey are rolling back the mask mandates here in Southern Colorado (tourist town with lots of retirees). I don't wear a mask all the time but definitely when I am shopping or in a space with many folks (like a recovery meeting). I am vaxxed and boosted, rarely get ill. But I am with you. In addition to avoiding COVID, distancing and masking helps us to not be exposed to other bugs. Stay well my dear.

It's a New Month .... Who,s sitting on the Train ....stand up and be Counted Horney Toad is here of course ....

I'm not really worried if I get questioned. Probably they will just ask whats up. But if they ask me not to workout there at 6am, I will understand. The grade school has lots of tables, bike racks, and outdoor activity things for me to do my "old man parkour" on.

Thank you for being so honest and open about your husband. I'm am so sorry that you had to go through that with him and your son. Life can be so cruel sometimes. I have a work colleague who is only 23. Two years ago his mum die of cancer, leaving him with no other family. It was really sad to see.

Here are mine...over 36,942!

Here are my 39,000+ unsmoked cigarettes. Good riddance.

I'm here. Just figured up how many cigarettes I haven't smoked since quitting. Then worked out how much money I've saved. You can't hide money...

I'm here!

Still on the train! Day 21.

Im here-Hi @Doreensfree. Hope you are doing well!

I agree. A person who has never smoked can easily have one cigarette and not want another the next day. In fact, it will probably make them a little sick. But once the receptors and pathways are created, you are an addict and always will be. You can control your addition, but "just one" is no longer and option for you. Have one and your brain instantly lights up those pathways and demands another. Thats the difference between an addict and a non-addict.

Start of day 3. My previous early morning routine was to walk to the gas station to get my soda, and of course have a cigarette along the way. I would then do some of my job work for an hour or 2, then go to the woods and do my workout, of course having cigarettes before and after the work out (If I was just hiking and not doing a bunch of freebody exercises, I might have some during as well). Today, I put my check on the 1mth calendar I printed out, come straight to my desk and get on here. In about 20min, I will be going to do my workout. I have to be creative because I can't drive for 19 more days so I can't get to the woods where I work out. Have to find things to do locally and have been going to the nearby grade school where the police will eventually stop and question me. Very natural thing to do since they will not be used to seeing a 60yr old man doing rolls over tables, jumping on and off things, and climbing on the playground equipment at 6am in the dark. lol My normal workouts consist of hiking w/ some short slow jogging thrown in, lifting heavy stuff (rocks and logs), free body exercises like pushups/pullups/situps, and movnat ground exercises (which is mobility oriented). Oh yes, and I do "old man Parkour", which basically consists of an old man jumping on/off low objects, simple vaults and rolls, climbing on/over things, and balance work. The old man Parkour is what I'm sure will attract the police. (I'm perfectly fine w/ them doing that by the way and I believe they should.) I wish stopping smoking gave me the kind of dopamine high that exercise does. For me, exercise is a habit. I simply never miss a day. Quitting smoking is simply taking away something. It's kind of like the difference between dieting and exercising. Dieting is basically the elimination of crap foods that give us a "high" in one form or another. Exercising is the addition of a high. Which is why I find it much easier to exercise consistently that eat "right" consistently. Some will point out that quitting smoking is the addition of clean fresh air, removal of stink, easier breathing etc. The thing is, I don't have trouble breathing and the air doesn't taste any different. There is no immediate "buzz" associated w/ quitting smoking like there is exercising. I'm not quitting for better air, etc. I'm quitting because I want to reduce my chances of getting cancer and to save money (and so I can stop scheduling my day around finding time to sneak off an smoke). The saving money is a small buzz, but I'm in a position where I can afford the monetary price of smoking. Well, I don't know even know where I'm going w/ this. I'm just meandering which has distracted me from my major morning crave and that was the whole point of getting on here. I wish you all a smoke free day.