Still winning

Get a plan in place for the first few triggers. Ie, if it's the morning that gets you...take your drink and sit in a different room to start. Go and take a feew breaths outside. I actually clean my worksurfaces first thing now as it was a huge trigger point for me, weirdly over a year on I still wake and clean my kitchen worksurfaces lol. If your trigger point is the car, get some gum, or candy, or whatever is your thing. Carry a small bottle of water round with you to sip, that stopped a few of my craves in their track. If you are not doing nrt get some fruit juice too and sip some every few hours. Our bloodsugar levels go nuts for 3/4 days causing feelings that are like a trigger but actually aren't (how unfair!) and the sips of fruit juice combat that. xx

Oops! Dunno what I did there haha.

Oh my, you are going to have such a great and enlightening journey if you just trust in a couple of thing and learn a few bits and pieces about nicotine addiction. I can't work out if nrt does or doesn't work. However, no great shakes...people quit with and without. Statistics say cold turkey is higher but only cause of the mindset. I used chantix, still quit though. It becomes about learning how the addiction works (will try and explain in a mo), using whatever tools you need to support a mindset that goes I simply do not want to be a smoker anymore. What's your answer to yourself, when I tell you smoking CAUSES stress! It does not alleviate it (this is a myth). It causes spikes and all stress sucks all nicotine out of your bloodstream thus leaving you in immediate need of a fix. Yes a fix, it sounds scary doesn't it. You can't think or function at YOUR full capacity until you "scratch the itch" and replenish the nicotine. Google it, read around here. I was honestly shocked at this. Dopamine spikes are a real thing, for sure. The natural way to create this is by food or movement. We have literally re programmed our brain to spike at nicotine and to demand we feed it when it's running low. A never smoker (someone who never ever smoked) will never had or need this! You and I don't need this either! There are some emotional ups and downs, I believe (but no science to prove it) that a percentage of that is errant chemicals leaving your body, as much as smoking thoughts. The bit your missing in this festival of panic of quitting, which is perfectly normal by the way - is how great things can be! Good days and bad days are a fact of life, it is EXACTLY the same with a quit. Not every day, for every hour and minute is going to feel hard. I described some parts as a euphoric free fall. Ok, I can be dramatic lol, but hand on heart, if you don't over think things and just plot one foot in front of the other with tools to support you when you feel it's a bit harder - then you can do this! None of us are special, we are all different folks who embraced the support of others who understood. The only trick as it were, is to be sick to the back teeth of being a smoker and making a choice to not do that, no matter how we feel in a particular moment. That's actually it in a nutshell. To choose to go through whatever, to stop doing something that makes you unhappy, a lot poorer and fairly unhealthy. That first hour, that first day, that first need to jog to chase a child running off, that first deep breath, omg that first month, first wave of money that you have "left over", that first massive crave that you batter down shouting nope like a nutjob...all of these are AMAZING feelings and there are so many more. Don't be afraid. Your addicted part of your brain is screaming at you, but your logical and together part of your brain knows this is right for you. And shhhh, a secret for quitting...the before is MUCH harder than the moving forward when you've quit. I promise you it won't all be easy or hard but it is worth it and the unexpected benefits like physical strength, self belief and personal empowerment means I would recommend this journey to anyone. You will be ok, better than ok. Keep asking questions though, it gives us a chance to support you and you never know who else is reading and wondering if they can leap into their journey too :) x

nope. x

2 months is amazing Toni!! Utterly delighted for you. Keep marching. xx

I love the moving title of nope. I too once was a nope connoisseur you know Evelyn.... I don't want to brag but I too was rather awesome at starting a nope (cause the 'mericans are sleeping init lol). But I said go europe and the mantle must move at times :) We will rise to a higher place of nope and keep it moving forward...

Awww no, I lost me man.... Check the pub or office!! This is where previous morons, I mean partners, have been found!

we're hugging mammy, well I'm in (((((((((((((((Doreen)))))))))))))) genuinely love you lady. xx

Ah, so you are growing along with your quit, imagine that :) Your body is now giving you true readings of what it needs and "shock/horror" you are responding and treating it kindly!! This is where you get too. Where, amazingly, you can understand what you need! Sleep, food, movement etc! you are doing amazing in this quit my lovely! Honestly, give yourself a round of applause and a treat. No, I was serious! Treat yourself well, you are doing amazing things to treat the vessel that carries you better and yeah, sometimes it needs odd stuff like bucketloads of sleep but you saw it and honoured it! Go thon!! Over 1 week and 3 days free already!! Smashing it :) x

Welcome :) Life, don't it cause you stress!! Thing is, not everyone smokes then do they...that at least gets us thinking. Think and study, ask about the addiction when you're ready to hear the answers and we will share! Or read and find the answers yourself, almost more powerful that way. Either way, welcome to the support you need to kick this nasty habit to the kerb. x

Oh Tracey, I am so very sorry. Going to message you my number now while I think about it. When you get home chick, any day, any time. I promise nothing other than to just cry with you! Free this weekend coming if you want someone. x

Nope. Need the money for a day trip to the zoo!

Fantastic Jenny!! Amazing :) xx

Hi Erin, It sounds like you believed they would get you through the stress, we all believed they did that for us. The reality is we only believed that and it was never true, smoking actually elevated our adrenaline and the stress mechanism in our bodies actually steals all the nicotine from our bloodstream...leaving us desperate to smoke straight away. Literally the knowledge can be a real game changer for quietning the crazy thoughts that smoking is doing anything for us. The biggest success rate in quitters is apparently the cold turkey method statistically. I quit with champix as I needed a crutch. I think the biggest quit aid is to decide you are done, no matter what. Also a healthy dose of trust came in handy as I listened to these guys say it would get so wonderful if I just stuck by the bad days and celebrated the good days. My quit became part of my life which also has good and bad days, the only difference was I was financially better off and my self belief started to rise as I realized I could do this. So that's my message for you. YOU can do this too. believe in yourself, set a date and stop. Let your sense of self worth and us tell you that you deserve this quit and your body and health deserve it too. xx

nope

It's getting on my nerves! Agree it's all T&A and just battering folks. Kinda think they've done a wrongun this series and forgotten to add an actual storyline. Dissapointing for me but my other half still think's it's good.

Nope Happy birthday my lovely, hope you have a beautiful day. xx

Hey and welcome :) How is day 1 going? x

So basically.... you pissheads are managing and I need to woman up? lol.

not entirely clever enough :huh: :wacko: Hopefully,brainy folk will be here soon lol.

Kids are far more brilliant than adults ever could be :) xx

nope. xx

oh no, no, no, there's none for that! Nope!

I'm lost.... Earth to Bakon, come in buddy.....