The Himalayan Quit

Welcome @HimalayanClimber and welcome to QuitTrain. You are doing a great thing in quitting smoking. Looking forward to following your journey to smoke-free freedom.

Good to see you here @HimalayanClimber! Very solid and practical post in your Blog. I hope you stay away from what you refer to as "slips". I've always disliked that label because to me it minimizes what is actually happening when a quitter lights up a smoke after they've quit. The actual gravity of a "slip" is the awakening of your addiction again when the chemical reactions after reintroducing nicotine again into your brain kick your addiction back into high gear immediately leaving you virtually right back to where you started and it's extremely difficult to get back on board with your quit again so in my mind, it's critical that any quitter never lights up even just one - not even one puff after they've made the commitment to quit.

I wish you the very best in gaining your freedom from being controlled by nicotine. It's the best thing any of us could possibly do to improve our lives. I also look forward to sharing ideas and information with you as you move forward with your quit. Stick around here because the support from others who "get it" is second to none, avaiable to all and is invaluable🙂

7 hours ago, Reciprocity said:

Good to see you here @HimalayanClimber! Very solid and practical post in your Blog. I hope you stay away from what you refer to as "slips". I've always disliked that label because to me it minimizes what is actually happening when a quitter lights up a smoke after they've quit. The actual gravity of a "slip" is the awakening of your addiction again when the chemical reactions after reintroducing nicotine again into your brain kick your addiction back into high gear immediately leaving you virtually right back to where you started and it's extremely difficult to get back on board with your quit again so in my mind, it's critical that any quitter never lights up even just one - not even one puff after they've made the commitment to quit.

I wish you the very best in gaining your freedom from being controlled by nicotine. It's the best thing any of us could possibly do to improve our lives. I also look forward to sharing ideas and information with you as you move forward with your quit. Stick around here because the support from others who "get it" is second to none, avaiable to all and is invaluable🙂

Thank you so much for the warm welcome and kind words! You make a very good point about the word “slip.” It makes it sound small, but even one puff can wake the addiction up again. I’ll remember that: not one puff. I’m glad to be here, and I look forward to learning from you and everyone else.

Base Camp: My Quit Date Is Set

Namaste again, friends.

Before climbers go up a mountain, they stop at base camp. They rest, check their gear, and get ready for the climb. This week, I am at my base camp.

My quit date is set which is Sunday, 8 November 2026.

I did not expect so many kind words after my first post. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me here. Some of you have been free for years, and you still came back to help a stranger from Kathmandu. That means more to me than I can say.

A word I am leaving behind

In my first post, I used the word “slip.” A member here, free for a long time, told me he dislikes that word, and he explained why. A slip sounds small, like losing your footing for a second. But one cigarette is not small. It brings nicotine back into the brain and wakes the addiction up again. On a mountain, one wrong step near the edge is not a slip. It is a fall, and you may end up back at the bottom.

I know this is true, because it has happened to me. Every “just one” became the next one.

So I am changing my rule. From my quit date: not one puff.

Another member shared something I want to keep with me. She said she now focuses less on her reasons and more on how good she feels when she is free. When I stopped before, even for a short time, I could breathe more easily. I had more energy. Food tasted better. I will look for these small views along the path and write them down here.

Checking my gear

Here is what I am packing for the climb:

1. All cigarettes and lighters will be gone before Sunday.

2. My tea time will change, because for me, tea and smoking always went together.

3. When a craving comes, I will drink water, take a short walk, and wait. Cravings feel like a storm, but they pass in a few minutes.

4. I will come here on the hard days, read your stories, and write the truth.

One step at a time

I am a little nervous, and I will be honest about that. But I am not climbing alone this time.

We don’t have to win forever. We only have to win today.

Excellent plan @HimalayanClimber! I'm very impressed by not only your planning but your expectations and your statedaim to focus on the small positives you begin to notice as your quit progresses. Quitting is a journey not a sprint so as you say it's best to take it a day or even a moment at a time. Looking too far ahead can make the process seem overwhelming.

Another resourse here on the forum is a thread on themain home page titled "The Daily NOPE Pledge". It's a thread where we can go each day and pledge to NOPE (Not One Puff Ever).

Some people find it a great way to reaffirm evech day that you are committed to not smoking just for today! Another resourse you may want to check out if you're into watching videos, is the Thread on the main home page titled "Joel Spitzer's Quit Smoking VideoLibrary". There are a collection of quit smoking videos there that examine some of the odd reasons we giive ourselves as to why we smoke and seemingly enjoy it when the reality is the opposite from enjoyment.

In any case, we'll all be watching for your quit start day and cheering you on along the way. If you can any questions or comments or just want to rant a little, by all means, this is the place to do it. We've all been standing at Base Camp looking up at the mountain we wanted to scale so we know generally what you'll be going through.

Hello and welcome @HimalayanClimber

So glad you found us

Keeping a blog has worked very well for some folks

We have tons of great information here

Maybe spend the days waiting for your Quit date to read all you can

Watch all the videos You’ll need all the tools in your toolbox to help you through the early days

Have to agree about slips , there is no such thing , when you throw away your quit it’s you deciding to end your fabulous quit .

Keep all your thoughts positive not negatives

Looking forward to getting to know you better 🐸