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[Doreensfree]

Jump right back on...you can do it....learn by your mistakes....make this your sticky....

We do have a SOS thread....post before you smoke....it has saved quite a few quits in the past...

You can do it...

[Devil Doll]

You are never powerless, quite the opposite! You are the one who has the power to not take a puff. Take the pledge every hour

If you need to... That helped me during the first week. Not one puff (from 11-12). Count your hours in, if that makes sense. Read the SOS threads and post a response to yourself.

http://www.quittrain.com/topic/259-pre-respond-to-your-own-sos/

[Evelyn]

Don't go in discussion with your nicodemon; NOPE and NO DISCUSSION, or excuses

Because when you stat doubting you are halfway smoking!!!

 

You CAN do this!!!

[etd]

thanks for the support and the encouragement. I am 14 hours in! no nrt, lots of fruit juice and healthy snacks and I did drink my coffee on the couch this am rather than sit on my front porch. The porch is a HUGE trigger for me and I am going to stay away for a bit. which is fine b/c it is getting humid down here. I figure once i have some time under my belt, I can enjoy my southern porch in a different, healthy way :)

 

I also took a lunch break- which I rarely do and went home and let my dog out. 

 

and I forgot about the SOS board. I will definitely use it and reach out when I get a craving. 

 

Hope y'all have a great day!!

[Still winning]

thanks for the support and the encouragement. I am 14 hours in! no nrt, lots of fruit juice and healthy snacks and I did drink my coffee on the couch this am rather than sit on my front porch. The porch is a HUGE trigger for me and I am going to stay away for a bit. which is fine b/c it is getting humid down here. I figure once i have some time under my belt, I can enjoy my southern porch in a different, healthy way :)

 

I also took a lunch break- which I rarely do and went home and let my dog out. 

 

and I forgot about the SOS board. I will definitely use it and reach out when I get a craving. 

 

Hope y'all have a great day!!

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

[Evelyn]

Hows it going today?

[etd]

I'm going to be honest- I had a rough morning. Really bad withdrawal- restless and irritable- I was a little rough on the kids. I had a lot of stomach issues too. but I am at the half way point for the first 72 hours so maybe that is why? - 36 hours right now. I am totally commited and actually feel cognitively positive and just trying to take it one min, hour, day at a time. willing to do whatever it takes. life is too precious. also, drinking a lot of water and juice and trying to eat every few hours. I allowed myself to pig out on chik fil a and ice cream with the kids last night b/c it was a rough day at work :)

 

Thanks for asking and for all the support. I really appreciate it.

[El Bandito]

Great work ETD!

 

water, breathe....

 

You don't smoke. You don't smoke. You don't smoke

 

FANTASTIC!

[Ramona]

Please stay with us ETD.

 

Sometimes we're complete A-holes when we stop.  But would our family rather have a few months of bitchiness or an early death?  I think most family members would (hopefully) choose the bitchiness.  

 

I love the sound of commitment in your post but I'm worried you'll allow mood swings to sabotage your quit.  GO EASY ON YOURSELF and forgive yourself for what might seem like irrational responses and behavior.  I have done some nutty things in my quit but I have persevered and learned from all the freak-outs.  This has meant a lot of apologizing and making of amends but it has been totally worth it.

 

REMEMBER:

 

NO EXCUSES

NO EXCUSES

 

Recall why you want this and PLEASE stay committed.  

Soon those snacks with your family are going to taste better than ever.

You need to allow yourself time to feel & experience all the benefits of a smoke free life.

[Colleen]

I'm going to be honest- I had a rough morning. Really bad withdrawal- restless and irritable- I was a little rough on the kids. I had a lot of stomach issues too. but I am at the half way point for the first 72 hours so maybe that is why? - 36 hours right now. I am totally commited and actually feel cognitively positive and just trying to take it one min, hour, day at a time. willing to do whatever it takes. life is too precious. also, drinking a lot of water and juice and trying to eat every few hours. I allowed myself to pig out on chik fil a and ice cream with the kids last night b/c it was a rough day at work :)

 

Thanks for asking and for all the support. I really appreciate it.

A belated welcome Erin :)  Do whatever you want, just don't smoke.  I ate like an animal for three months, yes I gained weight.  Fat cells are easier to get rid of than cancer cells.  You can do this, it get easier :)

[etd]

Here I am- starting Day 3.

 

I LOVE all of your advice. I think really switiching the wording from "I am trying to quit smoking" to "I don't smoke" has made a HUGE difference. We are in the middle of a state audit at work and one of my coworkers asked if I wanted to smoke with her and I said "I don't smoke anymore". Normally, I would say "trying" and then rationalize the smoke and say something like "well, at least I am trying...I am cutting back...I will try again tomorrow".

 

As for the withdrawal, I think I am going to have to cut back on my caffeine intake b/c I am VERY shaky this morning and I did read about the effect of nicotine with caffiene. It didn't affect me the past two days but I probably have less nicotine in my system now so I think I will try 1/2 cup tomorrow am. Less irritable today, but MAN all I did was EAT last night. Lots of sugar. I am allowing myself this until the end of today but then I am going to switch to healthy snacks b/c I really don't want to gain a ton of weight

[Still winning]

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

[Evelyn]

awesome job you're doing a wonderful job Erin

[etd]

Marti- Is your blog here or separate? If not here, can you sen dme the link b/c I would love to check it out. ty

 

xoxo

[Still winning]

http://www.quittrain.com/blog/27-martis-blog/   The blog is on this site, there's a section for it. Maybe think about creating your own? I started it as a way to keep track of how far I was coming and actually, it's been brilliant to be able to look back.

 

Day 4 Erin, great work!!  Hope the audits aren't too bad. x

[etd]

thanks for the link. I think I might create my own just to help motivate me and track things, like emotions and triggers.

 

hope y'all are having a great day!!!

 

xoxo

[El Bandito]

Keep on keeping on ETD.

 

Cheering you on.

[etd]

Thanks, El Bandito! Feeling pretty good today even though I am at work. It actually is a good distraction and I plan on working on my laptop once I put the littles to bed b/c night is the most difficult time- it's when I used to sit on my porch and smoke and drink tea. It helped with my loneliness as I am settling into my newly divorced status. But I have found reading on the couch and checking in here and playing with the kids in the playroom have been very good alternatives the past three nights.

[mfic]

Sounds like your doing great ETD- it gets easier an easier- The "pop up[" urges are short lived,,  

even if ya gain a few pounds it will "shed later when you settle into your natural zone- getting some exercise  ,,,,

 

smoke free is really enjoyable to me after 30 years,, I,m still learning to live again-- you got it now,, stay your coarse  no matter what.

 

RC 

[etd]

Well, I was doing great but I slipped :( I had four last night around midnight that I bought at the local gas station. I was hungry, angry, lonely and tired and did not use any of my coping skills. I didn't reach out on SOS. I'm an alcoholic in recovery and I REALLY wanted to drink so I reached for the cigs but NO EXCUSES. It's an addiction and I slipped but I'm back on today and I'm going to do a daily check in here so that I am held accountable. This is a life and death issue. Life will always have its stressors- it's life. Smoking is NOT an option and it made me feel like shit anyway.

 

Xoxo

[Nancy]

So sorry to hear this, Erin.   You can't unsmoke them now, but what you can do is figure out what you will do differently next time.  We are all here to support you.  You have to make up your mind that you will not smoke under any circumstance.  You can do this!

[etd]

Thanks, Nancy. It's all about learning from the past and my commitment issues that I've had my whole life are what I believe are holding me back. But I've committed to change before and while it was hard I did it. Yes I had some slips but I learned from each one. So I'm taking what I learned from this a picking myself back up and staring fresh.

[Ramona]

ETD - please don't use alcohol/drug recovery as your excuse.  It's way too easy to do.  The majority of folks in recovery will always give you an "out" for cigarettes:  They'll say:

 

"Oh, just as long as you aren't doing the 'real' drugs!  Better to smoke cigarettes than drink or use."  

 

Oh really?  

 

Would you say that to a middle aged widow whose life long partner is now dead from smoking?

or

To one of the many people out there who have lost their limbs?

or

To once athletic folks who now feel like they're breathing through a pin hole? 

 

NICOTINE IS A DRUG - - - USING IT IS "USING."

[Runfree]

This is a life and death issue.

 

And let's all ponder this for a quiet while.  

 

Today is another day and I'm glad you're here Erin.

[Runfree]

ETD - please don't use alcohol/drug recovery as your excuse.  It's way too easy to do.  The majority of folks in recovery will always give you an "out" for cigarettes:  They'll say:

 

"Oh, just as long as you aren't doing the 'real' drugs!  Better to smoke cigarettes than drink or use."  

 

Oh really?  

 

Would you say that to a middle aged widow whose life long partner is now dead from smoking?

or

To one of the many people out there who have lost their limbs?

or

To once athletic folks who now feel like they're breathing through a pin hole? 

 

NICOTINE IS A DRUG - - - USING IT IS "USING."

 

Makes me think about sugar and how that addiction is scoffed at in our culture.  SMH

 

It's about honoring your honesty, huh?