soul

e-v-o-l-v-e .....................................such a lovely journey Congrats!

Part of changing is not repeating our choices..........................

Good news from you Paula! Another type of Freedom in your life!!............................. Glad that you are now facing life with your kids and their love...................No need to tag along a person similar to Nico-Demon............. Funny the choices we can make in life.............right?...................You deserve better than what you have been choosing for yourself........... Change is an action and it sounds like you are willing and ready to change as you keep your quit!~

We are creatures of habit..................... Our reaction are the fruit of years of conditioning and it takes time to undo that conditioning.............just like with any "pavlovian dog" behavior we develop. Have a plan B for all events/situations that might be triggers and use the plan B........................... Create a time and place where you can talk about your stress and handle it physically in another way than self-poisoning................Many people feel they can release their anxiety anr/or anger from stress by running, by cleaning their kitchen, by screaming in a pillow, by calling a friend and talking, by taking a long shower, etc, etc, etc............................ Take that bull by the horns and show yourself that you are way strong than Nico-Demon..................... Never let a bully rule your life! Chin up and go for it!

I remember taking the crave by the horns.................i remember getting active in any way i could when i would feel the crave creep in............Distraction..................Jump into any activity, take a shower, go for a walk, vacuum your place, call a friend............etc, etc......the list is infinite.....the craves are not infinite................they will stop

Hell week will get you to Freedom................. Stick with it, no matter what! You deserve better than what Nico-Demon has planned for us all if we keep him active. Remember that eternal vigilance is part of staying quit...........................

Freedom is indeed priceless!~...............................................

Happy Mother's day to all moms indeed.............and to the guys as well, since most people have been called a "mother" at some point or another......... :lol:

almost done!

Keep us posted............................... Hang in there and more importantly, I am so glad that you are getting further tests...............!! You are in my thoughts.............

Colleen........you didn't take the "decadent" suggestion lightly eh? lol

I agree that some triggers are caused by our environment, routines, reactions to actions..................we are such good candidats to being a Pavlovian dog............ ............but there are plenty of other triggers caused by our emotions, by situations............by our state of being (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired......)............. I wish that this addiction would be dependent only on habits and routines..............It is much more devious than that...........

I think that one of the components to that "fear" of never smoking again is related to the feeling of loss. Cigarettes in many ways were our companions, our friends, our escapes, our link to others, our door to conversations, etc............and one day we gather the courage to let go of that friend..........................which was simply a wolf disguised as a sheep............not a friend. We must learn to be our own companion, our own friend, escape within in order to feel free, open healthy doors to conversations with others................ Quitting is a journey indeed, a journey through Freedom and a journey of discoveries.

Sarah, remember that education on quitting and on the nature of the addiction to smoking/tobacco is one of the most important things in a successful quit. Create and use support...................this forum is available 24/7, just like cigarettes are......................chose the forum.........it leads to Freedom!! You can do this..............

There are no rules in this recipe thread.........healthy,...................vegan.............carnivore......................gluten free.......................decadent.............................. go for it!

ZUCCHINI CAKES 2 medium zucchini; 1 tsp salt; 2 green onions, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 egg; ½ cup almond flour (optional); ½ tsp baking powder; Coconut oil or clarified butter, for cooking Cooking Instructions Begin by using a large-scale grater to grate your zucchini. You want to avoid creating small, thin strands, as the zucchini could get mushy upon frying. Once grated, place in a bowl and toss in the salt. Allow the zucchini to sit in the salt for at least 10 minutes. Then, extract any excess water from the zucchini (if you have never done this before, I am sure you will be surprised at how much water there actually is!). The easiest way to do this is to place the grated vegetable in a large piece of cheese cloth and wring it out. Use a strainer if no cheese cloth available. Return the zucchini to a large bowl and combine with the green onions, garlic, egg and baking powder. You could use almond flour, as it really helps in keeping the cakes from crumbling a apart, but you can also do without. Once everything has been mixed, form cakes of about 2 to 2.5″ in diameter out of the mixture. Place a large skillet over a medium-high heat. You want to allow the skillet to really warm up prior to adding any cooking fat to the pan. Add some of your chosen cooking fat to the pan, just enough to coat the surface.

As I have said it before, ........................Nico-Demon is doing push-ups in your driveway, waiting for you................................. Also.....................check on :HALT.............Hungry Angry Lonely Tired.................. Eternal vigilance.............................

Libertad....................

well done Jacki! I would smoke as i did because I had cigarettes available to me 24/7................... To stay quit I needed support available to me 24/7.......................

I have the feeling that you know exactly what to do Juan.................. Remember that posting, even if 20 times a day is part of the solution!

There is no wrong place to post such events! Keep on moving forward..........every victory brings more freedom!

That's exactly how it's done..............one day at a time.....................sometimes, one hour at a time................... What matters is that you stand up for yourself and show that Nico-Demon who you truly are..................... Stay close, ...............reply to posts, ........ask for help.........read................. change.................

Amy, Such incredible freedom is at your fingertips......................... Just like anything in life, there is some work involved and it seems like you are willing to do that work. Change is scary.................... disrupting our comfort zone is not something we like to do but do remember that your comfort zone is run and ruled by Nico-Demon, not by you................so it is time now to take over and take full responsibility for your life...........do not let that nasty pest manipulate and destroy you. You deserve way better than that. Stand up Amy and let me hear you roar................!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little bit about myself.............. I came to America in 1984, with $400 and a position as an understudy in a ballet and modern dance company.......... I do have to say that it was scarier than stopping smoking..............because I did it alone, with barely any knowledge of English .......................... A few songs played continuously in my Walkman (do you remember the Walkman?) ................and this was one of them ..............

Awesome accomplishment my friend!!.............. That feeling of victory is priceless.............................you deserve it