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NOPE

Still hanging out on the train. Had my first dream where I was smoking last night. That was weird! My family & my doctor are thrilled with my quit and so am I even though I am still struggling with how annoyed I get .... like were all of them this annoying before????

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

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Thank you, that's great advice. I can't really play games now because I'm setting my house in a new town and thw housework is endless, but that also has heped me to take my mind off smoking. I wish I had clarity enough to get my bearings in this new town but exhaustion is a strange way to redirect the craving. So, there's that.

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It's been so long I have serious doubts I will be remembered! But, I wanted to pop in and give thanks. I was an old QSMB quitter. There, I made some amazing friends. A few I am still in contact with today. Why is that important? Because quitting, and yes, I am still solidly nicotine free, quitting gave me my life back. I'm here to have those relationships. Although I'm now diabetic, I'm healthier and happier than I have ever been. I have lost all of my quit weight plus, almost 80lbs. I can hike, and breathe! I can dance, and breathe!! For everyone in doubt, those first few weeks are hard, yes they are, but keep going and growing! Love to all!! Gon

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You are doing great @FunkyMonkey! Remember that we are here if you need us. I am glad that you have such great support from your family!

Ahhhhh! My friend Jillar!!! So nice to see you! I have thought of you often. I hope you are doing well. I very much miss the old days at QSMB. It was a perfect environment to quit. I am in fact seeing my sis next week. Her and her husband are also still nicotine free. Denali, I quit cold turkey after 40+ years of smoking. I can say this: The method does not matter. The best method is the one that sticks. I never wish anyone luck on a quit, I wish you strength, support, commitment and diligence . The beginning is never easy, but the result is glorious. I am almost 8 years quit now, I think. After a while it's easy to lose track. That is when you know you have won. Jillar, I will thank you for being a part of my quit as well. Support is so important. And even though we met after I believe I conquered the demon, the continuing support is crucial. I am proud of you to see that you are still fighting the fight as well. As a smoker I felt picked on. And even though I am not a nicotine nazi now, I know the whole world would be a much better place if smoking had a worldwide ban.

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Love to hear these stories - good motivation for those of us who are just starting out. Thanks so much for sharing.

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@gonfishn21 Like @DenaliBlues, I love it when those who have quit before us pop in for a surprise update and give a pep talk to those still early in their quit. But best of all, I’ve yet to hear one of you complain about quitting, how much you miss it, how miserable you are. Everyone always mentions being active and engaged in life, and how they have real relationships with people! You know, instead of all the ducking and hiding we did before, when we let nicotine control our lives! Thanks for the update!

I remember you from the QSMB....I was a floating Butterfly back then .... It's really good to see you ...you were a great support to all.... Why not stay a while ...

It's great to hear from you @gonfishn21. You were very helpful and supportive of me and many others in our quits. I'm glad you are doing well and thanks for checking in.

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

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@gonfishn21!!!! Oh it's so good to hear from you Your ears must have been ringing, (or is it eyes watering?!) because you've popped into my head several times over the last few days What a great update too, say hi to little sis for me

Well, distraction is the key thing you need to find in order to help get through those nagging thoughts of smoking that are relentless in the early days of our quit. It's doable for everyone, just a matter of finding the right path for you and your current lifestyle. Keep at it because it's so worthwhile in the end.

They are expanding across the South now. Can world domination be far behind? Hey !!!!....Maybe Liverpool one day ...us Brits do seem to follow you guys alot

@Booyou make a good point. (me checking to see if they are publicly traded)

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Way to go FM, happy to hear you are doing good!

I,ll fit in nicely your neck of the woods O.... I inherited this name ,along with others thanks to our Bakon ...

Congrats on your two month quit @overcome! That's huge!

Food/baking over the last few days. Beef stew Pumpkin Spice Latte Cinnamon Rolls (I'm basic) Cookies

I just finished baking cookies and packing my kid's lunch for school tomorrow. Now I'm trying to stay awake long enough to finish a book. Whoever said adulting was fun must have been on something, lol.

After a full day of drinking at the trailer park, I decided to tell the neighbour exactly what I think of him and his precious horseshoe pit!!

G’day I eat a lot of no meat foods. My gut cant tolerate too much meat and animal fats. Tried the vegan thing but discovered we are really supposed to be omnivores and eat everything to keep healthy. Definitly don’t do the artificial things trying to be something else like tutu burgers and soy steaks. Vegan bacon….. really! A slice of bacon can be a full meal for me. Cut up fried off to bring out the flavour. Make some buckwheat pancakes and serve with taziki and a salad. Can’t get better than that. Chris

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Hi all - just a quick update. Gave up April 2017. Not had one puff since then. My smoke free app says I have saved £42,700! I never have cravings anymore. Just to say to you newbies...keep at it! NOPE

You can do this! Keep at it. Quit cold turkey and it was awful for first 6-9 months. Never think about it now!

@Doreensfree we have horny toads here in US-Arizona also, guess you could call them the desert horny toads:

(That detached feeling) Brain fog .... typical early quit symptom. If you're looking for mindless activity to partake in while your mind is lost in a fog, there's plenty of mindless games in the 'Games' section. Keeps one's mind occupied so it doesn't keep focusing on having a smoke. A day at a time for now, that'll get you to where it won't all be so overwhelming.

From the American Cancer Society... Staying Tobacco-free After You Quit Nicotine is the main addictive substance in tobacco. When a person uses tobacco, many parts of the body get used to having nicotine in them. When a person quits tobacco, they also quit nicotine and will likely have withdrawal from it. This is because the body has to get used to not having nicotine. Dealing with withdrawal Withdrawal can be uncomfortable. Withdrawal from nicotine has 2 parts – the physical and the mental. The physical symptoms are annoying but not life-threatening. Still, if you’re not ready to resist them, they can tempt you to go back to smoking or chewing. Nicotine replacement and other medicines can help reduce many of these symptoms. Most people who use tobacco find that the mental part of quitting is the bigger challenge. If you’ve been using tobacco for any length of time, it has become linked with a lot of the things you do – waking up in the morning, eating, reading, watching TV, and drinking coffee, for example. It will take time to “un-link” tobacco from these activities. This is why, even if you’re using nicotine replacement therapy, you may still have strong urges to smoke or chew. Rationalizations are sneaky One way to overcome urges or cravings is to notice and identify rationalizations as they come up. A rationalization is a mistaken thought that seems to make sense at the time, but isn’t based on reality. If you choose to believe in such a thought even for a short time, it can serve as a way to justify using tobacco. If you’ve tried to quit before, you might recognize many of these common rationalizations: “I'll just do it once to get through this rough spot.” “Today isn’t a good day. I’ll quit tomorrow.” “It’s my only vice.” “How bad is smoking/chewing, really? Uncle Harry smoked/chewed all his life and he lived to be over 90.” “Air pollution is probably just as bad.” “You’ve got to die of something.” “Life is no fun without tobacco.” You may be able to add more to the list. As you go through the first few days without tobacco, write down rationalizations as they come up and recognize them for what they are – messages that can trick you into going back to smoking/chewing. Look out for them, because they always show up when you’re trying to quit. After you write down the thought, let it go and move on. Be ready with a distraction, a plan of action, and other ways to re-direct your thoughts. Use these ideas to help you stay committed to quitting Avoid temptation. Stay away from people and places that tempt you to smoke or chew. Later on you’ll be able to handle these with more confidence. Change your habits. Switch to juices or water instead of alcohol or coffee. Choose foods that don’t make you want to smoke or chew. Take a different route to work. Take a brisk walk instead of a tobacco break. Choose other things for your mouth: Use substitutes you can put in your mouth like sugarless gum or hard candy, raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, or sunflower seeds. Some people chew on a coffee stirrer or a straw. Get active: Do something to reduce your stress. Exercise or do something that keeps your hands busy, such as needlework or woodworking, which can help distract you from the urge to use tobacco. Clean out a closet, vacuum the floors, go for a walk, or work in the yard. Breathe deeply: When you were smoking, you breathed deeply as you inhaled the smoke. When the urge strikes now, breathe deeply and picture your lungs filling with fresh, clean air. Remind yourself of your reasons for quitting and the benefits you’ll gain when you do. Deep breathing may help you also remember that you’re cleaning the toxins from tobacco out of your body. Delay: If you feel that you’re about to light up, hold off. Tell yourself you must wait at least 10 minutes. Often this simple trick will allow you to move beyond the strong urge to smoke. This works for smokeless tobacco too: wait 10 minutes until the urge lessens. Reward yourself. What you’re doing isn’t easy, and you deserve a reward. Put the money you would have spent on cigarettes or tobacco in a jar every day and then buy yourself a weekly treat. Buy a book or some new music, go out to eat, start a new hobby, or join a gym. Or save the money for a major purchase. You can also reward yourself in ways that don’t cost money: Visit a park or go to the library. Check local news listings for museums, community centers, and colleges that have free classes, exhibits, films, and other things to do.

Sorry to hear you lost the quit but great job getting right back on the train. You have the right attitude to make it stick. Glad to have you right back. Best wishes..

Glad to read your back onto a quit. Pretty much anything I can say here has already been said. So maybe some advice that helped me... you only have to quit for one day... don't focus on forever or for a year... just focus on 1 day... you quit for a month last time so you know you can quit for 1 day.. each morning, wake up and say to yourself "NOPE, I will not smoke today, it's 1 day, I can do that, I've done that, yep I got this just 1 day"... then the next morning you repeat. You are tricking your brain, in the moment you are telling yourself I only have to quit for 1 day it's not long, I can do it.... and you can, easily... the stupid part of your brain that wants to smoke goes.. cool we are smoking tomorrow, the pressures off...but then first thing next morning the smart part of your brain goes "NOPE, I will not smoke today, it's just 1 day I can do that, I've done that, yep I got this just one day".... strangely the stupid part of your brain, the bit that wants to smoke, forgets that you made the same deal the day before and it goes.. yep only hanging out today I'm getting a smoke tomorrow.... but it's not, and it gets easier each day. Oh and tip with the Air Cigarette don't use a pen, I kept drawing back too hard and getting a mouth full of ink...the air cigarette was much better... or a pencil.

Yes - I took @jillar's advise on the peppermint candy and am now on my third bucket, highly recommended.

Great job at keeping your quit @FunkyMonkey!