Still winning

I used to take two sugars in tea and coffee. I cut out half a spoon at a time and prolonged it far too much lol. Your way is ideal, you soon get used to it and it will taste nasty with any sugar after a while!! Good on you.

Who knows...never understood a word each other said ;)

It's a common problem....

Sue, So sorry babe. xx Sandy, hope you're ok. xx

Hey Sarge A, hope all is going well and we know you're busy but massive congrats on your 2 weeks of freedom. Brilliant!! Check in when you can. x

yabmob, doing amazing!! Massive congrats on 2 weeks. Be great to hear from you, how ya feeling etc. xx

So happy to see this Wendy. Massive congrats on 1 month!! xx

I will take it to PM if I might be able to help. I pick newer people who I feel drawn too and message them. There is no rhyme or reason to this, some people I just feel right to message, I leave them be mostly if they don't message back. I think at the core of it the strength is this place is being able to relate, so if I can share something that someone else relates too then I feel like that's about right. It's what others did for me too and the paying it forward thing is my thing anyway. I can't be fake though...I sometimes walk away from overly dramatic as I wouldn't know what to say anyway. I like all the styles here though. I love how there's gentle advice and then Bakon or Sarge's advice :) I also think humour is crucial and I really should spend more time on social sections. I think we could do with starting more threads and I think that would help. I'm in touch with a newbie who doesn't want to hassle people. I can say you're not but if there were more general type quitting threads then maybe she would join in more on her own, that's how I did it. I love this place but I still feel like it might be intimidating to get involved sometimes?? Just thinking out loud though. x

lol, love this. How funny.

happy birthday to you. x

Happy birthday to a rare and wonderful lady who is beautiful through and through. Have a fantabulous day and I hope you're getting spoilt rotten!! Much love. xx

I have posted an SOS, I did it once and I really was hunting for a cig to smoke at the time. My quit was just under 2 months old and I was heavy on the vino and knew I was at risk. After that there was a time I was close to posting an SOS and truth to tell, I realy could have used the support. However, I felt I shouldn't as I had already posted one once?? It's fair to say I wasn't thinking straight - thankfully I was able to message someone that I saw online so I did it that way. I also spend a proportion of time venting on the swear thread lol. The moral of this story is I ALWAYS think SOS is fine, lesson learnt here. Will a newbie really give up trying because I at 9 months am having a proper wobble - really doubtful I think. I literally cried at certain people losing their quits and never giving me or others the chance to support them. Think that's worth saying. It doesn't hurt anyone's quit to support another. x

Yes, it's tonight. I've gone for the long one and now my hair matches it :D Could always add a hint of fire engine red?!

Tea is good!! Smoking will make you feel lousy honey. Sorry you feel so bad but smoking will no longer fix it - you're past that now Evelyn, you know too much and have come too far. You deserve this quit Evelyn, you've owned it and you are proud of it. Hold onto the good in that. x

I'm so sorry it's so hard right now...but Evelyn, this too will pass. All things, good or bad pass in time, give it some time. Breath...deep breath in and literally blow the breath and all the bad stuff out with it. Imagine with every out breath all the nasty bits are leaving your body. Crying is healthy, body's way of releasing emotions...let it happen, get tissues. Smoking would still be a terrible plan cause my lovely, you're a non smoker now. Non smokers don't smoke! x

nope

Jess I'm with el bandito... Sorry I was asleep and hope you're feeling ok now?? I too could never have given up forever, TOO BIG!! I don't even call it give up, I say I won't smoke today, today I can do. Hugs beauty. xx

Rudolph!!

Carpet is sooo last decade sweetie ;) Thank you all. Always wanted to add purple or pink but never quite been brave enough. Lots of reds, blonde etc but never a colour. I absolutely bloody love it!!

What a fabulous date!! I feel a little left out in England though. Someone should absolutely use this as a motivator...fingers crossed!! x

You chaps and chap'esses are utterly fabulous. Feeling the love over in the cheap seats of Aylesbury :) I love my new hair, I love all the support and comments, it genuinely means something to me - I do so love a celebration, mine and others! As I am ridiculously smiley and happy I am being taken out to dinner to celebrate...why the hell not ey :) With my new and amazing mid life crisis hair haha..BOOM!

Really happy with it. Not too obvious yet, adjusting slowly before going more purple on the bottom half next time :)

It was simply time. I had run out of excuses as to why I couldn't. Tried being every type of smoker and relapsed at a rate that would scare you silly. Every single person in my life wanted me to quit. Some to help them quit too, most because they worried for me. I would smoke 30-40 per day, indoors or out socialising. Every day! My quit is a bit of a non entity to me now. I almost think that can be a bit sad, so I make sure I celebrate myself so I never forget what was for me, a battle that I continue to win. New hairdo for me later today :) I never forget - My chest hurt, I was often ill with the kids, bugs from school and such. My cough was terrifying, but not to me then. I couldn't really laugh too much, it made me cough. I simply can't believe that I accepted all of that and didn't fight sooner? I still worry about my previous world record of quitting smoking at 364 days when I relapsed through emotional drama. Jeez, what a numpty! Now, I miss having a crutch. Yes it was smoking, but by my choice, not any more. I work out a lot and I am still learning new things daily and planning more training. I would have laughed at you even 6 months ago if you told me the way I would manage my stress and mood levels would be yoga or pilates...yet I do them most days now and do genuinely benefit!! I can see me having an alternatively type of career that I would not have had the confidence for, but I am perhaps not as close as I hoped I was ...but that's ok, I trust I can get there, when it's the right time :) So 9 months for me is more an ongoing journey of self discovery but it isn't the crave/trigger infested times of days gone by and I am forever greatful that ended and I was able to trust other folks here that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I won't lie, thoughts do pop in my head, sometimes they feel like they "take hold" a little and I need support to get them gone - but I have that support, so I'm pretty lucky. Health wise, I feel good overall. I am in good health and recover from every illness quicker, but that took me 4/5 months to get too - so I am noticing it now. I am much stronger, faster and far more emotionally resiliant too. I grew in ways I never could have anticipated. Now I am just going to continue with my vigilance and try and simplify more of my life. I really want a peaceful life, as much as I can and thanks to my quit I feel justified to pursue things that make me feel good.

Bat's gonna be well jealous at your art work!! and NOPE :)