DenaliBlues

NOPE

Congrats on hitting the 11 month mark, Yoda. Way to rock your quit!

Reading posts and playing games on the Train. The number one reason I kept my sanity. Wall push-ups. Hundreds. And hundreds. Sadly, this has not made me buff, but it did help me not light up! Mashing Silly Putty. Also good during idiotic work Zoom calls. Speed-weeding... dash outside, pull as many weeds as I can in 5 min, dash back inside. Mini-honey-do-list. Silly little 5-minute tasks that need doing around the house... stuff like "tighten the screws on the leg chairs" or "clorox wipe the mystery slime out of the bottom of the recycle bin." Shaking my arms and legs really, really hard. @Doreensfree, the next time I'll do it to Bohemian Rhapsody!

sashimi

NOPE!

Hi, @FunkyMonkey. Welcome to the train! You have found the right crowd of folks to support you in your forever quit. I, too, once lit up a cigarette on the way out of a cardiologist's office... and smoked the whole time I was on a holter heart recorder... and through dozens of sinus infections and bouts of bronchitis.... It's a miracle my junkie brain didn't explode from all the cognitive dissonance. I am 51/2 months into my quit and I used NRT to get here. The patch, supplemented by occasional lozenges or gum. I chose the patch because I had to quit in a hurry without time to gear up, because I was a very heavy smoker and needed to uncouple the physical/psychological dependencies, and because my stomach cannot handle a ton of oral nicotine. As others have said, NRT does indeed prolong the pain of withdrawal. I ultimately accelerated my step-down to be rid of the misery sooner. But in the beginning, the NRT got me over a hump that I hadn't been able to get over before, so I'm grateful. There are a lot of ways to quit, pick whatever method works for you. The general guidance is to start with the higher doses of NRT if you smoke your first cigarette right away when you wake up in the morning. For the first few days I used a 4 mg mini-lozenge or gum early in the day but then used a lower dosage in the afternoon or evening if I needed support again. If you are having cardiac stuff it is a good idea to check in with a doctor about your NRT plan. But still be prepared to listen to your own body and adjust - use less if you feel funky, either by shortening the duration or the dosage. Also, definitely have a plan for other things to do besides NRT to get you through the cravings. The urges will be intense, and NRT alone is not enough ammunition. I needed many different tasks, physical exercises, things to do with my hands, new rituals, etc. I love your new watchband and nail polish approach - get creative! I needed a list of at least 50 things I could do instead of sticking something in my mouth and setting it on fire.... because when the cravings hit I lost my ability to think for a while. But the misery passed. It got easier. You can do this, and there are lots of people here who are ready to help!

Attaway, @Linda!

NOPE, good riddance.

So glad you are building a strong foundation for your forever quit, Overcome. Three weeks is great - congrats!

7. Put inside a locket

7. Waterbeds

2. Document evidence at a crime scene

NOPE

Congratulations on 9 years of freedom! Inspiring!

N O P E

Thanks for starting this thread, Nancy - good to see these affirmations and positive experiences. Some to add: I enjoy sleeping in. Used to be that my need for a nicotine fix would wrest me out of bed by 5 or 6 am. Now I can make it to 7 am most days. Hugging nonsmokers is more rewarding for them, and for me, now that I don’t smell like an ash tray. But the thing I enjoy most is the absence of cognitive dissonance!

hardtack

LOL, Jo’s not smokin but she may be a wee bit squiffy. 5. search online for fish taco recipes

NOPE!