Still winning

-9

I hope it's ok to say but these comments about free time made me smile. It's true that there is a wealth of time suddenly and it feels like nothing can fill it. May I suggest a list of things to do. Write a list of all those jobs and hobbies that you've meant to get round too and when you get restless thinking free time do the next thing or something you fancy doing off your list? I mixed up some googling of information that interested me (crystals, kings and queen lineage and so on), meditation, cleaning out under the sink, under the stairs and basically jobs I'd put off. I also had new things to try and bake and all sorts. It's really made me smile to remember finding loads of things to do and having the time to follow them through. Either way, week 3 can feel long Indigo, I don't know why. Some say there's something in the 3's, others don't buy into that "nonsense" and I just want to say - great job on trudging through this week! You're doing amazing. xx

Karen, pictures and a plan...you da man (or woman ;) ) xx

How young? My 6 year olds favourite is The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child - shhh but I kinda love reading these too :) My 10 year old favours Harry Potter. Going back for my older daughter.. Age 7 we did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and loads of other Roahl Dahl books but for sure that one is the best. Age 8 she loved The Worst Witch and the Horrid Henry books, Henry books are early readers and quite funny actually. Age 9 we discovered an author called jacqueline Wilson and she's quite a girlie author. Would suggest avoiding the phonics learning to read books like the plague....watching paint dry is more enjoyable! As a child I liked Worst Witch too and all the lord of the rings books. I applaud your commitment to books :) I love them and it's never too early to pass on the passion. Nothing teaches children like reading, their vocabulary gets better both written and spoken and their imagination is encouraged. So I love this post and will be watching for anything I may have missed for my girls. xx

nope

Not one for me either. A lot of us were in the same boat. Good job on the asking hubby to counter you, sometimes a little reality check does us good all round our lives, none more so then not picking up a ciggie if you're quit. So are you quit now, or is it not tomorrow where you are yet (time differences have me confused)?

Well done! 4 months is amazing and yes, Lido deck will sneak up on you quite quickly now! Shame you're so busy and we can't follow all of your journey (vicarious celebrating lol) but delighted your quit is secure. x

Hi Morgan, Good to see you've found some support. Massive congrats on your decision to quit. I too went through the living with smokers for months on end and have a "sneaky smoker" partner, I reacted much worse then you but I can say I understand that frustration and how it can easily interlink itself to your own quit. However it seems YOU want to quit and the trick now is going to be to mentally seperate it from everything else in your life. I promise you that can be done :) Welcome. Looking forward to your posts. x

Bless you, sounds like you've ended up confused. I want to re iterate that picking a path, no matter what it is will help your quit. A lot of folks here advocate cold turkey. Statistically this has the highest rate of staying quit...however I think they only measure to a year or something. The medical profession seem to advocate Nicotine replacement. Saying you can deal with the habit with not so much of the "cravings". But for sure this can drag out the getting free of nicotine and create craves intermittently, it whether it helps more then it hinders and no one seems to be answering convincingly. Some people quit using wellbutin (sp) and chantix, because it supposedly rewired the brain to find smoking hard to tolerate and taste. Again, mixed results. I want to say all the above are useful to the right person! Only you know which support YOU need. I know Beacon quit using the patches, Jen quit using Allen Carr, I quit by Chantix and then going cold turkey whereas Nancy quit using the full dose of Chantix. This shows me that was is crucial is not your techniquer but your mental commitment - the rest is just "equipment". So I suggest you sit calmly and quietly on your own and pick your path. Some practicalities. Every step down will create a crave situation. Your body adjusts fairly quickly, some notice it a lot, some not so much. Don't make it a big thing in your head or you'll dread the next step down I think. Just counter it with cold water, fruit juice every few hours and a technique to calm your thoughts (something physical like jumping as Tracey said works well), walk it off, click your fingers etc. You are looking for a distraction as it tricks your brain to stop obsessing about smoking and soon it's passed and you can carry on with your day. The distraction thing was helpful for me during cravings, again others do a "face your fears" thing. No right or wrong. All the above are just ideas :) Pick what works for you and ignore what doesn't, none of us will mind. xx

Your stomach area is normally the first area to lose weight but I googled and it seems it's not carb thing, but calorie controlled with some extra rubbish things to eat - enjoy! Can whole grains help you lose belly fat?A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a calorie-controlled diet rich in whole grains trimmed extra fat from the waistline of obese subjects. Study participants who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish or poultry) lost more weight from the abdominal area than another group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains. Eating refined foods such as white bread and sugary foods triggers a series of events. A rapid rise in blood sugar level is followed by an increased insulinresponse which can cause fat to be deposited more readily. However, eating a diet rich in whole grains (which also tend to be higher in fibre) helps improve insulin sensitivity. This, in turn helps the body more efficiently use blood glucose, controls blood glucose levels and reduces fat deposition.

As a suggestion, a couple of us had calming meditations (guided ones to stop the thinking) for overnight waking. Sometimes quitting can mess with your sleep patterns but it will settle for you. Smoking dreams are another thing that most, not all, seem to get. I wonder if it's the subconcious way of processing that we all no longer do that? They could seem quite real and a number of folks wake upset so hugs for that. Agree that if in doubt you should post an SOS, that shows how committed to this quit you are, great job in beating the trigger down! x

I feel like I missed out, Beth was never mean to me. I once called myself the relapse queen and she accused me of trying to steal her title and it made me laugh...from then on I trusted she had been where I was going and she simply called BS when that happened and hi five'd you when you did good. I like real people. Sending love and light to wish her well on her journey home, safe in the knowledge she will be safe and well with her sister by now. Pleased in a way that they are together. Personally, I feel really sad and can't quite believe it. Can't imagine what her family are going through so sending love to all of them. xx

I bought him a frying pan - he took me to Star Wars.... Romance! I like being mildly certain, nice term ;)

Marti here. x

My heart hurts for you my friend, really tough times. Can't say I disagree with him, that Chemo is a tough gig and it's supposedly a less painful journey without. Hoping for miracles. Thinking of you Chrispy. x

21.191 for you Beth, thank you for the journey I, and all here travelled together with you. May your belief carry you gently to a place where your soul can rest easy. RIP. x

nope

I think anytime you become complacent then a relapse is possible. So it could hit at any time if you get over confident I think. xx

This all resonates with me so I hope it's ok to comment again. I can confirm your child will be utterly delighted! They have more of a clue then we give them credit for! Your Mum will do what she must do for herself and my advice is to keep your journey very seperate. Sometimes, a quit can inspire, but sometimes it doesn't. Just hold your own space and do it for you and your child :) x

Great job! Hard to walk away sometimes but exactly what you said - you know too much, you felt too bad whilst smoking - no such thing as "one". Congrats on your first week free!! x

congrats to you guys. x

I hear you too! Pleased you are taking some control back. x

You are all in my thoughts. x

Creating distractions is an excellent plan! Sounds like the nico funeral must have gone well :) Congrats! x

You are doing great. Your Mum won't get it at the moment and will think she's helping to offer - explain it's not now not ever, it will help you. x