robert

I was passing by this evening and saw your post. Joel wrote an article that may be of interest to you. Please think carefully about what happened. Quitting smoking is very difficult to pull off, and your health is too valuable to take such chances. BTW, hello to everyone -- it has been a long time. Yes, I am still enjoying my freedom. All the best

:)

This is too cute not to post even if the image has to be removed because of permissions issues.

Good advice there mr bakon. Why wait? The best thing that you can do for your lungs is use them. Some of us exercised while we were smoking, albeit somewhat less efficiently, and then simply continued after quitting -- it's a great way to see how much your lungs improve in a short period. I'm curious whether those who waited for sometime before getting serious about exercise after quitting still believe that waiting was the right thing to do or whether they would have started sooner knowing what they know now? Please do tell.

While I completely agree, this is easier said than done. I have been trying for years to reach this level of Zen, but much work remains to even get close to this. In my way of thinking, one must be able to remain completely centered and able to dissipate negativity meditatively on the fly. Tough, but an excellent goal. Good luck.

First of all congrats on the big one year ... You'll be okay. We really only need to worry about the ones who don't know that they are a trainwreck. :) Enjoy being single -- many married folks wish that they were free.

Hi Action, Big thumbs up on the 18 months quit buddy. Not surprisingly, I wasn't aware either. :)

Along the lines of what Marti said, I would like to make a suggestion. Many here seem to have difficulty handling the stress of quitting smoking, and the stress of the life related changes. Maybe ways of handling this stress should be explored further rather than looking for physical solutions. Mindfulness, and mediation has been mentioned by several folks here and could not agree more. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote a book years ago called "Full Catastrophe Living". This book, which is written within the context of a stress reduction clinic, can be very helpful as a method of change. Here is a brief discussion about mindfulness if anyone is interested. Full Catastrophe Living has been around for many years and is available in any book store or library. Hope this is of some help.

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? -- Satchel paige The reality is that our bodies need more exercise as we age. Sadly most folks do the exact opposite if they ever exercised at all. :(

Any guys out there who wish to firm up their quits might want to read this.

Mike, Does your homeostasis still include nicotine or have you stopped smoking?

The Lays cat is cool. Leave it!

The penalty for eating an extra cupcake is an extra three days of Babs abs :biggrin:

Thought that this article might be relevant. Imagine what your body is like if you never exercise. :wacko:

I hope that you and Leanna feel better soon. Anyone who has searched for core exercises has most likely seen the name Dr Stuart McGill. Given that Dr McGill is recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the field of spinal reseach, his ideas about the spine and related exercises should be considered. Here is a core exercise video by Dr McGill which describes some of the basics. If you can't relate to this video, there are many many other videos and articles available on the web based on Dr McGill's work. Sorry if I'm messing up the abs challenge ...

What you are describing is normal. Some stop coughing after a few days, some after a few weeks, and some don't cough at all. If a cough lasts more than 3-4 weeks after quitting, it would probably be a good idea to see a doctor. Your lungs will clean themselves at their own pace without coughing -- not to worry.

I agree bumbleb .. I too have tried to remember as accurately as possible what is was like to both smoke and quit. Reality is the best weapon against romancing and relapsing.

The Law of Addiction "Administration of a drug to an addict will cause reestablishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance." Smokers are often furious with me because they believe I caused them to go back to smoking. Why do they think this? Well, I have this nasty habit of making a really big deal any time a clinic participant takes one puff or maybe just a few cigarettes. The smoker feels I am so persuasive in my arguments that he has no choice but to have a full-fledged relapse. In his opinion, I forced him back to the lifetime dependency which will impair his health and may eventually cost him his life. He is convinced that if I had not made such a major issue out of the incident, he would just have smoked that one time and would never have done it again. How can I sleep each night knowing what I have done? I sleep quite well, thank you. For, you see, I am not responsible for these people's relapses to cigarettes. They can take full credit for becoming smokers again. They relapsed because they broke the one major law of nicotine addiction - they took a puff. This is not my law. I am not setting myself up to be judge, jury, and executioner. The law of physiological addiction states that administration of a drug to an addict will cause reestablishment of the dependence on that substance. I didn't write that law. I don't execute that law. My job is much simpler than that. All I do is interpret the law. This means, by taking a puff, the smoker either goes back to full-fledged smoking or goes through the withdrawal process associated with quitting. Most don't opt for the withdrawal. Every clinic has a number of participants who have quit in the past for one year or longer. In fact, I had one clinic participant who had stopped for a period of 24 years before he relapsed. He never heard that such a law existed, that even after 24 years, the ex-smoker is not totally freed from his imprisonment of addiction. He didn't understand that the day he tossed his "last" cigarette, he was placed "on probation" for the rest of his life. But ignorance of the law is not excusable - not the way the laws of a physiological nature are written. By the American standards of justice, this seems to be cruel and unusual punishment. But this is the way things are. Maybe instead of going to a smoking clinic, a recently relapsed person should contact his attorney to plead his case of why he should be able to have an occasional cigarette when he desires. Maybe he can cheat just once, get a sympathetic jury, be judged innocent, and walk out of the courtroom a free and independent person. Surely, in pleading his case before twelve impartial people, he will probably have no problem convincing them that he is innocent of any wrongdoing. And, as he happily walks out of court a free and independent person, he will probably have an uncontrollable urge and then light a cigarette. Don't look for loopholes in the law of addiction. You will be convicting yourself back to smoking. While it may seem harsh and unfair, to many, smoking is a crime punishable by death. Don't try to cheat the system - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! Joel © Joel Spitzer 1988

Was this just a garden variety relapse or did something extraordinary happen? Please tell us more, we would like to help.

There is nothing more useless than an impossible wish. One can only do their best to choose wisely moving forward. I'm glad that I chose to stop smoking ...

While it is essential to help those who relapse, this is a very dangerous thought. I would also like to add that even with how little time I usually spend here, I see many folks relapsing without saying a word (let alone posting an SOS). Obviously the board can only help you, if you use it.

I would also like to point out that the world is FLAT despite all nonsensical evidence to the contrary.

Tyme, Each of us who have quit smoking went though withdrawal as you are now. Although withdrawal may seem to be very difficult, it really does not last very long. Have faith that you will soon begin to feel better. Believe it or not, you will reach a point very soon when you will wonder what all the fuss was about. Remain 100 percent committed to your decision to quit. Trust in what those of us who have not smoked for a long time are telling you -- freedom from nicotine is totally worth any temporary discomfort associated with withdrawal. Hang in there. Best wishes.

It really is that simple ...

From my somewhat warped point of view, a workout is only a success if I become nauseated. The nausea is basically your body telling you that enough is enough already. Early in a quit your body is dedicating a lot of resources to cleaning up the mess made by smoking. It only makes sense that your tolerance for exercise is somewhat reduced in the short term. The good news is that soon you will start to see improvements which will allow you to workout longer and harder than you thought possible. Enjoy your new found freedom and health. Best Wishes.