Still winning

nope!

Focus on quitting, then focus on eating less. Where you can, add healthy snacks but don't put the additional pressure on yourself. Honest, weight can be lost :) I have two girls Erin. I have a blog you can read if you ever get some time and want to listen to a lunatic ranting haha. I quit for my 8 year old asking. It took multiple attempts (July until March) until I found this back up support too. This quit, Day 3, my then 8 year old said she couldn't keep up with my mood swings, I was up and down like a looney. Over a year later, she said she is very proud of me and so delighted we don't smell anymore and that I will have more life with her! My now 5 year old forgot I used to be a smoker! The child card is a powerful button pusher and I hear your concern at some over reactions ....but I raise you actual experience of childrens feelings on Mum being a smoker and how much children really hate it! Don't even get me started on how many times we left doing something with them to go and smoke... No excuses for yourself you beautiful smelling non smoker :) Massive congrats on being on day 3 now! Huge accomplishment!! You are doing so fabulous. One step at a time. xx

I can't believe it tyme, 4 months is amazing. You are truly nailing this quit down. So pleased and proud for you. 4 months of freedome, fabulous! xx

Just do it my lovely. The dread of it is greater than the doing it. The running away is no longer working. I have always believed in you - what would happen if YOU believed in you. I like Bakons plan. One day and come back..... x

Have all that hope and more. All you have to do is not smoke today, not smoke now and if you want to...read, distract, educate. Then go to sleep and wake up the next day alive and well...and we do it again. Don't over think, don't let yourself panic and don't let errant thoughts grow in your mind as smoking was never great and mostly, we didn't want to be smokers when it comes down to it...the price was too heavy in so many ways. So break it down and keep up the excellent work! make sure you treat yourself too, it's an amazing gift you are giving to yourself and you deserve the treats! x

Aww, sorry you feel sad. I just wanted to say some people are unable to forgive. It's sometimes more to do with the people like your friend, not you and what was clearly a genuine apology. After all, everyone makes mistakes from time to time, we are none of us perfect. Also I'm all for setting things straight but if it doesn't help, then move on. Not everyone needs to stay in your life for you to have grown and shared what you needed too. x

Fantastic news!! Good work on swopping up the key times in your schedule. Time enough to reintroduce things but a superbly wonderful time to get free from this first. The SOS board saved a number of quits, mine included. Don't think twice about using it, just get on it and let people jump in and support you. You get the support and we get the opportunity to pay it forward for the support we got so it's a wonderful part of the board. x

You are a warning in and of yourself - a most wonderful hazard :D . Nil point for you buddy! We should be so lucky lol.

I'm here sober...as it's day time I will be back at the weekend on form :)

Lol, all good thanks. Missing Sarah too.

Oh no idea Wendy, sounds rough that you're having to struggle with something new though. Good to hear your quit is solid and to just hear from you though. x

nope

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

Oh Tew, if you think we all don't feel shame for some of the thing we could have done better... Damn girl, we are human!! Those other shitty human press our buttons and they're off licking their wounds and we're feeling like crap! So no, there's none for that. You hold your head up high now, you hear me. Bad decisions are made in the heat of the moment and someone else lit the litmus paper. So moving swiftly on!! That's my point, move forward. do not stay stagnant in that energy, YOU deserve more. Sorry for your sister an all, bad choices make bad places but it's not you and I will be the one to say that. YOU can move forward because you have made a series of right choices. So assuming you deserve more, find somewhere safe and secure to lay your head. A space that is yours. There is no right and wrong sweetie, there is only moving forward with your own life choices. xx

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