El Bandito

My life is complete

Great to see you Rain.... Congrats!

dropping in...

coming through....

Never doubted you for a second. Nice work ;)

Six months - big milestone. Well done!

Water. Drink Lots. Then drink some more.

Stop it! I'm blushing. (In colour) ;)

I find that chocolate and coffee and many other things act and taste much stronger. I used to drink 5/6 fresh espresso in the morning. Now I drink 1 or 2 - but enjoy them much more.

They do come as such as a surprise don't they? Ticking along and then BAM! Don't worry Jess. The surprise makes it feel worse than it is. You think you want a cigarette - but if you actually think about the act of lighting up a tube of paper, of smoke getting into your eyes, the catch in your throat as the poison goes in - the rekindling of the desire to smoke another one and another one and another one - of you stinking, your clothes stinking... You don't want that. Recognise the trigger, laugh at it and get on with having a cracking time! You'll be fine Jess. ;)

Great work on 2 months! Chocolate - yeah it can happen. But - you quit smoking. Slowing down on chocolate will be a breeze. Well done!

Hey! Bakon is very nice at lunch time too! (Don't worry Porky - I've got this) :D

Absolutely NOT. Oh... All right then. As it's you. (((((((((( ))))))))))

Taking Mumsy out for some dinner in Episkopi. Might even risk a cold beer or two.... :popcorm1:

Ha! I posted a duplicate thread Tracey Great minds think alike or Fools seldom differ

On another thread - CPK posted some questions that she had for Old Phartes... 1) What was the hardest month in your quit, and why? The month before I quit. I was so scared. 2) What was the best month in your quit, and why? Every month has had its moments. Life still keeps getting better. BUT - how I feel is, at the end of the day, a choice. 3) Did certain foods increase thoughts about smoking? Nope 4) Did you experience anxiety that you thought was related to not smoking? How did you handle it? Yes. I obeyed the Sarge. "Embrace the Suck". I explored these feelings. 5) How long did it take you to lose pounds gained while quitting? I lost weight while quitting. But I used walking as a distraction, not snacking. 6) Did your sleep patterns change after you quit smoking? Yes. For about 4/5 months. Then settled down. 7) At what month did you 100% feel you were forever done with smoking? Ummm...not sure. Very gradually. 8) What worked best in the early months that you still do? Walk. Drink water. Laugh. 9) Did you experience depression you thought was related to not smoking? How did you handle it? No. 10) If over a year quit, why do you continue to visit and post on QT? To try to help where I can. To laugh. And cos I love lots of people here. 11) When was the last time you had a smoking dream/smokes dream? None after 9 months or so I think. 12) What is the very best thing that has happened to you since doing the sticky quit? The feeling of liberation - of control of my own destiny. That's this old Pharte's gas.... What does yours smell like?

Great work! Well done.

Hmmm....what is my chill? I remember when all of a sudden my emotions were heightened. I seemed to have taken up crying, and emotional explosions. "Oh No! what's happening? Why is everything so intense? So difficult?" "Wait. This started since I quit smoking. Ah....so this is what they call 'life'? Wow. This is pretty cool. These feelings are in colour where they used to be stained grey and yellow by smoke. Wow. I'm going to spend some time in these feelings - and enjoy them" Life in colour. That's my chill.

Hey Toni Tough times. So Hang tough. A little perspective. Every single second of every single minute of every single hour of every single day as a non smoker has been better for me than when I smoked. Do I sometimes think "ummm...I really fancy a smoke"? Yes, I do. But thinking it doesn't hurt. It doesn't cost. It doesn't stink. It doesn't enslave and it doesn't kill. I dismiss the thought and move on. You are doing great Toni. Keep on keeping on!

Make sure you fritter it wisely on something fun and frivolous.

-12

Great work TEW! Congratulations.

nope

Hey DF! I still get moments now. They used to really scare me - and I therefore did what you are doing and gave them power. Now? I laugh. Literally I laugh (Helps relax me) and say to myself "That thirty years I smoked - I really ingrained some habits and triggers". There are literally millions of situations where I used to smoke - it is inevitable that I come across them day by day - even 15 months after I quit. Don't worry DF - just laugh them off!

Nice quit Erik. I smoked for thirty years. So I figured it would take a wee while for my mind and body to sort themselves out. You have done a great thing - and every day you are a little bit healthier, physically and mentally. It gets better.