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NOPE!

Nope!

NOPE

Yes! Long time, no see ! @Lin-quitting - glad to see you're still with us 'quitters' and it's a NOPE for me too!

Nope... Never will I smoke again!!!

Good to see you @Lin-quitting, Congratulations on that awesome quit you have! NOPE for me too

NOPE! And NOPE again. Just wanted to check in and gaze at my ticker, it's been so long since I've checked it. Hello to all the oldsters. And it never hurts to re-commit to core principles. I am still so delighted to be smoke-free after 5+ years.

NOPE - no freakin way!

NOPE

NOPE…

NOPE!

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

Confession: I tore the tag off my mattress

Keeping with the theme...while I'm at the iffice Christmas in July Party.... here's and Aussie Christmas song...

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

Just so we are clear on this, would that be you or the bunny? Either way you are both beautiful. My confessions, I can't give them, they close the church when they see me coming!

Top-shelf quit. First Class lady. Congratulations Nancy. If I remember correctly, I dedicated a little sing-along of "Rocky Top" to you last year. I'll go with another one of our official state songs this year. Sending this one out to Nancy...

Thank you so much, everyone. When I started this journey 9 years ago, I was only hoping to quit smoking. Thanks to the support I received on a prior board, and then on this one, I received the encouragement to keep my quit. We have lost loved ones to this addiction along the way, and it still saddens me. What I never suspected 9 years ago is that I would end up with lifelong friends from all over the world. I treasure all of you. Special thanks and much love to Doreen, who has been my companion and friend throughout this journey. Next month we celebrate you, dear friend, and the it is on to double digit quits!!

Love it! Thank you, Boo!!

My JAC (jillars air cigarette) and soft peppermint puffs got me through my whole first year. I bought them by the tub full lol

Push-Ups done to exhaustion got me through the heaviest bouts in the early days of my quit. Any kind of physical activity is good for alleviating stress and resetting the mind and body. It may be intense exercise or something as simple as a quick walk-around. Other times, I would simply put on headphones and listen to music I like. You can never have too many tools in your toolbox.

I love nuts and mints too... Your doing just fine O.....I used to chew regular gum alot too....it kept my mouth busy ... Sugar free ...

Two of my favorite things to grab when cravings got tense, I don't recommend eating two tins of mints in a day though.

Congratulations, Nancy! Thanks for lighting the way for so many of us!

Hey !!!! Love the new ticker Now you see all the money you will save mount up....

Huge Congratulations To My Dear Friend Nancy .. 9 Years ....How fast this time has flown by .... You were the one that reached out your hand to me ,when I stumbled in this place looking for someone or something to help me find a way to quit . I called you my Fairy Godmother ...and I still do ...I couldn't have done it without you .. You have stayed my close friend since that day .... It's my Huge Pleasure to share this special Day with you ... And I'm sure My Nicky would sent her best too... I Love You Lady ..

That's what a lot of frustrated quitters feel when they are still young and fresh in their quit......water, deep breaths, walking, distracting, cleaning, exercising, posting, talking to a friend....the list is endless...but each and every one of those things are temporary...and as a new quitter...you get frustrated ya know? Yes...I tried all those things..and it never lasts...I tried the water 20 minutes ago...helped temporarily but it's back full swing now...so what should I do...I'm tired of these cravings....these things mentioned only help for the moment and i'm sick of it...why won't it just go away???????????????????? Sound familiar??? Well....of course the alternatives to smoking a cigarette are only a temporary distraction. 20 minutes later...that craving is back. But guess what? That's what you went through every 20 minutes as a smoker too. The cigarette is also a temporary fix....you smoke..and 20 minutes later...you want another. The difference between the smoker and the one who has quit is this: The Smoker continues this pattern for life. The quitter starts off with the pattern of every 20 minutes..however as the quitter continues to ward off the craving with the alternative choices (ie water, exercise..etc) the time between cravings becomes more and more. 20 minutes today...25 minutes tomorrow...45 minutes by next week....a week later it's like "wow...2 hours went by and I didn't think about smoking once" The smoker...is still feeding his addiction...every 20 minutes. Nothing has changed with that guy.... So.....the craving blocker is temporary? Temporarily it is......but continue to choose alternatives..and you will break free....you will. Choose to smoke..and be prepared for a lifetime of slavery. The only person who continues to suffer with regular cravings is the smoker....ironic isn't it? As smokers...we avoided quitting because we didn't want to suffer....turns out...the smoker is always suffering. which do you choose? Smoker or non-smoker?

Bump...

Confession: one of my nose holes is bigger than the other......

All right, 7 days down. Less than 24 hrs to go. Had a crappy day today and of course the brain tried to rationalize - it's ok to eat since it was such a crappy day. Sound familiar? Crappy day at work. Then in the evening someone decided they wanted to change lanes into my car. Not a big deal, no one was injured but there's the hassle of going through the whole process of reporting etc. Anyway, tomorrow's the day. The fish is marinated, have some takeout and I expect it will be a long meal as I introduce food slowly with gaps.

But I'm all better now!

Congratulations Nancy, this is a truly a awesome and inspirational quit. Thank you for showing us all that this is truly possible.

Nope!

NOPE

Next year you and Doreen will have gather all the Summer 2013 quitters for the big decade party. Congratulations on NINE YEARS!

Congrats on 9 Years Nancy! Wow! Double digits next year

You're doing great @overcome! Please read up on triggers - there are the daily triggers that you're already overcoming. Then when you start feeling a bit confident, you get hit by the occasional triggers - going on vacation, meeting someone after many years, etc. It's important to guard against those as it catches us unawares. Then there are the life-event triggers - someone passes away, loss of job, etc. Again, smoking doesn't really help solve anything but at those moments we're not thinking clearly. Being aware and being prepared will help. Wishing you strength in your journey. It does get easier after some time.

Well it has been a rollercoaster of a day, but seems to be tapering off now. Thanks for sharing suggestions and experiences of what helped you all. i do know brain fog is real, oh my gosh. Looks like I will make it and hit the 3 day mark in a few hours.....woohoohoo! I never did use the nicotine lozenges so those will go back ........ told wifee I want a chocolate cake instead. You guys/gals are awesome, thank you all so much!

I agree with all who are affirming that your day #3 struggles are very normal, @overcome. I am one of those people for whom breathing exercises (ironically) increase anxiety. Instead, I do grounding countdowns: concentrate hard on 5 things I can see, 4 I can hear, 3 I can touch, 2 I can smell, 1 thing I can taste, then repeat. I also do Alphabet Gratitude Lists (something I’m grateful for starting with A, then B, then all the way to Z). I fiddle with Silly Putty and got a couple aromatherapy inhalers. Push ups help, too. You CAN make it through this. I promise, it gets easier!

Boo was forever damaged after that

Reflecting on my time on the Quit Train. I was notified when I signed in that my new rank is "Veteran." I think back on the numbers game battles. We took a few losses along the way, but the victories were sweet. Hanging out in Sonic's Man Cave polishing our trophies while attractive young women poured drink after drink...the spoils of victory! There was the battle for "Babe of the Day." The chicks no longer content to keep the battle within the confines of the numbers game made an incursion into our most sacred thread. Started posting beefcake pics in grounds reserved for Babes...It was a day that will live in infamy. I was here when the SPAM army launched a blitzkrieg on our little corner of the internet. No threads were safe from "Free MILF porn" and boner pill ads. The moderators took the lead in that battle, but we all remember where we were when the shelling started. In a minor skirmish, a vaping advocate called me an "asshole." I vanquished that silly person and farted in her general direction. I'm not one to call myself a hero, but I would understand if you wanted to call me one.

We are grateful that you found your way here too, @overcomelove that positive energy you have. You are doing great. You got this.

Back to our NAIDOC Week broadcasting and I present the always wonderful Pigram Brothers...

Late at night when nothing is going on I come to the board. This was the best find yet, I actually wet my pants laughing, not a full out pee, You older ladies know what I mean. A good laugh, a cough or sneeze can cause a little leak.