Leaderboard

Hello @Slow progress! You are doing a wonderful thing by quitting smoking again. You know what to expect because you’ve done it before but, it’s still going to be hard and one of the hardest things to do is to come up with ways to fill all of that time you normally would have spent smoking. Don’t dwell on the ‘missing’! Dwell on taking in deep breaths of fresh air! Going on short brisk walks or long runs. Literally anything other than lighting up! I look forward to seeing you around and following your quit. We have an SOS thread that has been successfully used by others when they reach out in times of intense cravings and want help getting through it. You can find it on the main page of this site. Welcome aboard!!!

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

Hi all day 1 of quitting after 40 years of smoking. Am initially using patches (quit once before for 2 years). Struggling with feeling like I will miss smoking so much. It was such a big part of my life for so long! determined to persevere although I imagine I’m going to face some really rough days ….

NOPE

Hello QT Folks, I am still here. Free from nicotine slavery. Could be more graceful and eloquent and pulled together, but hey, where's the fun in that? I am struggling everyday and making different crappy choices, and still grateful to be free of nicotine. Hopeful that things will level out and I will find my groove of feeling like me again. As it stands right now....I feel semi sick lots, low energy, eating way too much , not swimming anywhere near enough and enjoying the return of circulation, realizing and saying aloud I do not smoke whenever the urge comes up. I am being extra kid gloveish with myself when I am tired or grumpy.....I just stop.....often eat something....maybe just sit and breathe. Jillar's air cigarette seems especially useful when I am beyond my energy limit for the day and still need to get home before feeling "safe" from buying cigarettes. Have had a dental opportunity come up and am negotiating that delightful foray into the world of medical professionals. Really hoping I find the RIGHT dental care provider. Love the ones you're with and the ones who are far way as best you can.....today is all we ever have.

Hi Slow progress So glad you jumping back on the train. Finding ways to fill that time is hard at first. You did this once so already know you can do it. Just remember it ok to still give yourself breaks like you use to when smoking (I had to give myself permission for that) now just do it with something else ...short walks, coming here to read, a funny video whatever you like and remember how good you felt for those 2 years.....cheering for you all the way

Welcome @Slow progress, Congratulations on deciding to quit this nasty habit The first year can be a struggle with thoughts of .pissing the very thing that was killing you but as your quit grows and things like your sense of taste and smell return, your breathing improves and your bank account grows you'll start seeing that there's more to love about NOT smoking then there is to miss smoking I recommend making yourself a ticker for your signature so you can see all the time, cigarettes NOT smoked and cash saved since quitting, it's a huge inspiration to keep the quit

NOPE!

NOPE!!!!

Nope...

NOPE…

NOPE!

NOPE

NOPE…

Great approach....One day at a time ... Don't forget our daily NOPE thread ...it's a great way to start your day ...It's a powerful tool ... Your hubby may follow when he sees how great you are doing...

Well I’m trying to keep super busy - long walk with dog - supermarket, cooking, cleaning and gonna walk dog again soon - oh yay! hubby was meant to quit today too, but hasn’t (he didn’t quit last time either) so that’s a little annoying. Read lots on the site and am going with the approach that I am not going to smoke today! Lately have been feeling the effects of smoking so I think if I don’t do this now I’m gonna be in trouble fairly soon! On a positive note, I’m going away on Friday for a month - none of my family smokes, so hopefully will be easier with a change of routine and location. thanks to all for the cheerleading x

Hello and welcome @Slow progress.... Congratulations on the making the decision to quit smoking ...I too smoked for many decades .. Being free is the most wonderful feeling ... Check out all the green pinned posts on the Main Smoking Discussion Board .. There is tons of useful information there to get you started ... We will support you on your journey to Freedom.... Stay Close

NOPE!

NOPE

NOPE!

Being FREE and sharing ....You have it all. Way to go, Catlover.

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

NOPE

babs609 Quit Date: 07/13/2012 Posted March 29, 2014 Quitting tobacco is a process. It doesn't happen overnight, but compared to the amount of time most of us spent smoking, recovery from nicotine addiction is relatively short. Years of smoking taught us to react to literally everything by lighting a cigarette. When we were happy, we'd celebrate by lighting up. When we got angry, smoking would calm us down, or so we thought. Tired? Smoke a cigarette to stay awake. Hungry? Feed yourself a smoke. This list goes on and on. Between the physical addiction to nicotine and the mental associations that tie what seems like all of our activities to cigarettes, it can feel as though we're chained to the habit with links of steel. Successful recovery includes learning how to hear the message behind the urge to smoke and respond with more appropriate choices, such as a nap or a meal, for instance. Have patience with yourself. This skill takes some time to hone, but you'll get better at it. Eventually, cigarettes will fade as a fix for physical and emotional needs, and you'll make choices that actually address the signal your body is sending without thinking twice about it. When the Urge to Smoke Hits, Think H.A.L.T. H.A.L.T. (Hungry,Angry,Lonely,Tired) is a powerful checklist to help you decode the urges to smoke that you experience. Nine times out of ten, a craving can be traced to one of these four things: Hungry Have a snack or a meal. If you are hungry, food is the answer, not a cigarette. If you're concerned about weight gain, try drinking water before you eat a snack to help control the amount you eat. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Celery sticks, raw baby carrots and frozen grapes make good low calorie snacks. Normal weight gain due to quitting smoking is 5-8 pounds. Metabolism does slow a bit initially, so some daily exercise is a good idea. Things will balance out and that quit-related weight will drop off within a couple of months as long as you're eating the same as you were before you stopped smoking. Don't be too hard on yourself. Try to eat in moderation, but until you get your quit program under solid control, don't fret if you gain a few pounds. Quitting tobacco must be in the top slot of your priority list for as long as it takes. Weight can always be lost later. Angry Anger is a big trigger for most of us. Find healthy outlets for your feelings of frustration. If at all possible, deal with the situation that is bothering you head on and be done with it. Talk to friends and family about your feelings or write in your journal. The important thing is not to let anger simmer and get the upper hand. Reaching for a cigarette can seem like a quick fix, but it is a false fix. We may not always be able to choose the events that happen around us, but we do have control over how we let external situations affect us emotionally. Come up with a few ideas of things you can do to help you shift negative energy that bubbles up before it has the chance to do any damage. That way, when a situation arises, you're prepared. It will help you maintain control and get through it without smoking. Remind yourself that no one has the power to affect your emotions without your approval. You control your inner environment, for better or worse. Take responsibility for how you feel and it will empower you to control difficult emotions smoke-free. Lonely For most ex-smokers, loneliness is more accurately described as boredom. Smoking was such a constant companion it was an activity in and of itself. Early on in cessation, distraction is a useful tool that can help you manage feelings of boredom. Get out for a walk, watch a movie, or work on a hobby. Come up with a list of things you enjoy doing and do some of them. Make them fun and they will help you over the hump of this type of smoking trigger. Depression also falls under this category. People quitting tobacco are especially susceptible to the blues, at least early on. Leaving cigarettes behind can feel like the loss of a friend, albeit a destructive, life-stealing friend. After years of smoking, most of us feel the loss of smoking in this way to some extent. If you feel yourself slipping into a funk, take action. Change your environment(internal, external, or both) and it will help you change your attitude. It's ok to mourn the death of your smoking habit, but don't glorify it as something it was not. It was out to KILL you, remember that! Tired Fatigue can be a big trigger for the newly quit. Instead of lighting up when you're tired, give yourself permission to slow down and relax a little, take a nap, or go to bed early if you need to. Sounds so simple, yet people often push themselves too far with all of the demands of life these days. Be aware and take care. Don't let yourself get run down. A tired you is going to be more susceptible to junkie thinking and the threat of relapse. Protect your quit by protecting your health, both physically and mentally. It may feel like you'll never be free of cigarettes and thoughts of smoking will always plague you, but have some faith in yourself and the process, and please be patient. We taught ourselves to smoke, and we can teach ourselves to live comfortably without smokes too. Soon enough, you'll get to a place where smoking cessation is no longer a daily effort. You may even wonder why you didn't quit sooner, because life without cigarettes has become natural and easy. In the meantime, keep H.A.L.T. in your arsenal of quit tools and use it to decipher those urges as they come, one by one. great article by Terry Martin Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/9-halt/

Congratulations on five years quit @catlover, I hope you have a great day and thank you for sticking around and giving your support to everyone

Darcey... Your body is in repair ..it has a lot of healing to do...all your feeling is Temporary... Be kind and gentle with yourself ... Don't worry about the eating ..you will get around to that later on in your journey

OMG thankyou for your support and sharing that story - I do this thing where I think - Ah well I could have just one ciggy- or I could pick a different day! it’s so ridiculous! You have given me the determination to at least get through until tomorrow - so thankyou for that!

NOPE…

NOPE!!

How doing @darcy ?

Yay! Truly it such a beautiful thing to break through that first week than the second and to keep going till finally one day you just happy you did it. You should be proud.

Thanks everyone.................but it's 7 months

Congratulations on your 6 month quit @overcome!

Congratulations this is

Congratulations @overcome

Huge Congratulations. Your halfway there . You are a much loved member here it feels like you have been here longer Up and onwards !!

Well done, @overcome! You’re building a fantastic quit, buddy! Congrats on 6 months!

Congratulations on 6 months smoke free @overcome You are doing great.

fantastic quit @overcome way to go!!

Congratulations of such an incredible quit.

A big congrats to you @catlover !

Such a wonderful accomplishment! Congratulations to you and thanks for all the wonderful support you provide here!

Yahoo @catlover..... Five years smoke free...This is massive ....A huge Congratulations.... hope you treat yourself to something special.... So happy to be sharing this with you ...thank you for your constant support for our Newbies. Not so Newbies and the Oldies who still like a friend sometimes

You're doing great @darcy, you're done with HELL week, the hardest week of all and you're also almost through HECK week already! Yay you!!!

Congratulations on your 5 year quit @catlover and thanks for hanging around to help others along the way!

Congrats on 5 years @catlover that's a quit to be proud of.

Congratulations Catlover on your awesome 5 year quit and thanks for sticking around to help others. Awesome job!

Thank you DenaliBlues. Love seeing your quit grow, nearly time for you big celebration