Still winning

No waiting. No creating "relapse stories". You don't smoke, so don't smoke love. Simple. x

Wow, they never fail to P me right off these jokers! It's like saying if I cut my leg off, I'll lose a stone or something, like we could promote that as a diet with no thought to the after effects. I just really want to take the jack a++es who write this poop and put em in a COPD clinic, or with someone dying of lung cancer etc etc. I wonder how they sleep at night?!! I too wonder how we never really got the opportunity to "see" this addiction for what it was until we'd stopped. Sad times for those still there.

About time chick, delighted to welcome you home!! Let's get er done shall we. x

BOOM!!! Done and done :)

Tomorrow I officially become a healing teacher, of Reiki. You wouldn't believe me if I told you all the changes this wonderful journey has bought to me. I still swear a lot, I admit it's not very "spiritual" but I do celebrate that I am creative with it? haha. I started this in Feb 2014 and at the time I smoked and was being emotionally abused. Fast forward to today and I am completely ready (although a little trembly, is trembly a word?) to lead others onto an enlightening and healing journey. An ex pub landlady who is now a healer, lol, who da thunk it :) One solid quit. One ex communicated mother (finally). One sketchy relationship that I am commited to working on but can accept what will be. A new hairdo (thanks to my sister, see photo) and a brand new career path that I am embracing. This month I also bought my first order of crystals to sell and it's going very well (touch wood). Sticking with some waitressing though, I actually just love it and am doing it because I adore the team and talking to people. Phew, what a ride!! ^^^new red and black hair...if you're gonna be alternative, might as well embrace the cliche right :wub: Love to you all. xx

I think you should celebrate every month, stuff waiting till 6 months! Lovin the new attitude :) x

Hope it wasn't too painful. xx

Scenic route ey! x

Well thank goodness :)

Hey hey buddy, where is our smart quitter at?

Amazing. You will create such fabulous memories (and don't worry, you'll forget about the tantrum bits lol). Thanks for making me smile :)

Today is the time we celebrate you, your birthday!! I hope there is cake and wine and maybe even a scotch in your future! Have the most wonderful day, which you richly deserve. Happy birthday my friend. x

Hmm, I got bored and went to bed about 3/4 way through it...

This made me smile like this for you :D Hope it's fabulous my lovely. x

Alcohol can unsettle our brains. Take a moment to ditch the thoughts about smoking for a second and think back to previous drunken moments. I won't speak for you lol, but for me I can name pointless arguments, some suspicious choices of partner, un-natural levels of upset, over reactions and the list could go on. So the point is alcohol changes our perceptions that our sober mind would dismiss. Be careful of it. For the smoking bit. Yes, there will come a time when a skinfull won't associate with smoking, at all. It's a nice feeling, you'll like it. x

I'm not sure how to answer this one. Of course, good job jumping back on. And I was on/off quitting for almost a year so I understand the temptation of relapse but there's a couple of red flags for me. 1)You kept the tobacco, why? I mean really ask yourself why - not to answer me. I don't think you'll much like the answer when you understand it, it's because you are addicted to nicotine and you were mentally still giving yourself a way back in. 2)You've occasionally been drinking and felt some small craves - so went onto whiskey and then smoked. Ask yourself why on this one too. You'll get the same answer as a heads up to help you out. Now I want to raise these not to bash you with them but to tell you unless you face those down your journey will be a tough one and open to the danger of falling off. I get it, I really do. I think the first 6 weeks of my quit was me abstaining and then when the horrible choice came (and in my experience it does come) then I chose no (the last time, umpteen times before I would smoke and restart). The difference was an SOS here, it was my last line of defence against making the wrong choice. So my advice to you is if you take nothing new to this quit that you promise yourself you will do an SOS - BEFORE you smoke and wait for at least 3 responses. Hopefully our minds will not be clouded by alcohol and we can at least help you see the choice. So moving on. Congratulations on day 1! x

Hi Karen, I had to separate things for it to make sense. I am a whatever works kind of quitter. The most powerful tool you have is to choose, daily, to not be a smoker. Don't think too big or too far, there's time enough for that later. The way to quit is simply to not smoke the next time the addiction tries to urge you to do it. Each battle is unique and each win gives the next thought less of a chance. Fingers crossed you got first class seating :) xx

Agree with the gist of this. It becomes about how you are prepared to live. If you are constantly off balance or unhappy then something must give. Also I want to say the first while of being alone can be terrifying and feel extremely lonely. I use a smoking thought of it's more like a journey then an event to separate. Give the thoughts and adjustments some time and go gently on yourself. Lots of self work. You mention work and a man child mentality but now the time of judgements are finished you get to make the tweaks and choices to how you want to be. Feeling lonely, join clubs, online forums for hobbies, take upa course at the local college... Choices, life is all about making them and we're here to live, not exist! That's the good and the bad, a "wallow day" is a good and healthy thing whereas a wallowing life is not. Mood enhancers, excersise, walking in nature, connections to people you care for, meditation (yes really!, try free guided ones on youtube), having or doing things that make you smile. x

Have you tried resetting your body since quitting. I know a few people, me included, who had very different reactions to food and drink after quitting. Went natural eating (no junk, processed etc) for a week and now as long as I don't go overboard I can eat ok. My stomach will grumble about having bread but if I don't eat to many other processed options the same day then I'm not too bad and it's not painful, just bloat a little (but sometimes for a steak or bacon sandwich I am prepared to suffer lol). Fairly sure the key was the clearing our systems as other people I know had better results too. I do buy gluten free where I can. Overly processed seems as bad as gluten as a heads up. Don't know if that helps. xx

For me, smoking is such a red alert that I wouldn't touch anything, nicotine or not. No point reawakening the beast! I see no drama with eating cake, of any kind :) x

Blimey, I always thinkg "how far have you driven" when I read some of the trips you guys think are normal. 10 hours later, I'd have past a country's border lol. I hope your host keeps it interesting enough and that your back offers you some relief. x

A very clever chap then! :) How wonderful to have those languages, it must make travelling so amazing! x

Watched lots of documentaries last night. You forget what a disaster 92 was don't you, don't think I connected it all happened in one year even back then. Woman of steel, g'wan Liz!! Love her :)

Very cool! Looks a little "dark" but if that's what you're going for then great. You're amazing at those banners by the way, great job! Do you do those sort of designs as a job or just because you're a clever chap?

Part of the process is really breaking down those regular times and triggers that it causes. What we once called a treat or reward, was realistically our addiction to nicotine demanding to be fed. I found it helped to write a list of distractions that I could engage. Maybe you could treat yourself to some magazines that interest you and read the articles when you are ready to have a small breather? x