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Hello everybody thank you for having me! I quit smoking on June 11, 2018 and so far it has not been too bad. I have had one other successful quit in my life that lasted for six years. I am using Chantix and it is helping tremendously! The first time I quit I had a group that I could connect with during my quit and I’m glad that I could find another.

NOPE!!!

Whoop whoop.. it's Fridays, it's hug time quitty peeps ? And I'll throw in a cheeky wee NOPE ?

NOPE!

NOPE... Not today, not ever...

Queueing up for my Friday hugs. As for smoking it's a big fat Nope!

Nope.

NOPE

Nope!

Hello all you lovely encouraging amazing people (I had around 35 more adjectives, but refrained from using them, saving them for later :p ) The weekend is here, so what plans do you all have? I am going to be watching Ocean's 8, getting a haircut and baking some garlic cheese bread this weekend. Anyone brave enough to sample is welcome, only thing, you gotta travel to India SO what plans for you guys???

Garlic cheese bread..OMG...I'm on the next plane outta here...your weekend sounds fun...me.... I'm painting metal gates ,Oh I know the excitement is too much.... But if Boo is going canoeing... I'll jib the gates off !!...

nope

Nope

NOPE.....

Gday NOPE from me C

NOPE - I don't smoke anymore.

It’s NOPE from me.

Nope x4 ! Headed to our lake cottage for a long wknd . Have no internet , won’t be smoking though. Have a great wknd ?

NOPE

NOPE!

#NOPE

@Kelly someone mentioned you had asked in the Chatroom about tips for getting off the NRT gum. I used NRT gum (chewies) to help me quit. So... the way I see it you can.. Option 1. Stop cold turkey... ultimately this would be the best way, detox is quick and over and done with in a shorter time... but if you are anything like me that option wouldn't work.. I know myself well enough to know that would never have worked for me... so the detox craziness is hard and fast but over much quicker, just more intense... but you are free quicker. Option 2.. You ween off which is what I did. How you go about this would depend on what strength you are still on... I was on 2mg and what worked for me was: I set myself a daily limit of NRT gums... and a minimum amount of time between each gum. Now this next bit worked for me because I have a bit of a competitive issue... but my goal was to push the limit... if I was allowed to have 6 gums a day and they had to be 3 hours apart then i would try to only have 4 and get as long as I could between each one.. i turned it into a competition between me and the addiction... so I said it was ok to have 6 a day but most days I was having 4 or even 3. The other thing I did was allow myself to have as many non-NRT gums as I wanted in the time between.. so I was still chewing.. just not NRT. After a few weeks of this I set a new limit of 4 a day.... with the same rules, try and beat it... see how long I could go without.... and I just went on like that. Always allowing myself as many non-NRT gums as I thought I needed/wanted... then one day I went to get a chewy out of my bag and realised I hadn't had an NRT for about 5 days so that was it... no more NRT gum.... I still carried a sheet of them around for about 2 months but now it is all gone from my house (passed on to a friend who smokes and is thinking of quitting) and I have even kicked the normal gum habbit... but I chewed that for a good couple of months after I quit the NRT. Pro of this is the detox is less intense, but it is prolonged... over a period of weeks or months... which makes other quit stages seem to drag... and it gives the nicob1tch a nice little foothold in your brain. I know a few others had to break the NRT gum habbit, maybe they will see this and come and share their tips.

Hey Silver, glad to see you on board. With a previous 6 year quit under your belt you obviously know what it takes. Congratulations on near two weeks quit this time round. I'd recommend consistent use of the daily nope thread and lots of reading, posting, water and sleep. With the more you post, the better we get to know you and it can help to get a clue if at any point you are struggling.  Settle in and look forward to seeing you around.

Trying to stay in the Here/Now.

I am having a weekend full of watching Footy... or in all probability listening to footy (aussie rules) on the radio and watching soccer on my laptop... I am at the bottom of the tv totum pole in our house as I am the only sport junky... might try and catch some cricket on the radio too. Making cauliflower and bacon soup one day and fried rice with pork pies the other. That's it... its off season for softball so nothing really happening. If I'm upt to it I might go to my little cousin's gig but doubtful.

wow garlic cheese bread sounds right up my street. I'm heading to Portobello tomorrow for a rowing regatta. Its east coast Scotland, not far from Edinburgh. It has a beach wooohooo. Ive never been but looking forward to it and hey the sun is shining so its all good. Sunday my family are coming over for Sunday dinner at mines(courgette soup and not sussed my main yet). Easy night tonight as up early tomorrow, just a bath, pack a bag and chilllllllllll

Wow, just wow, I doff my virtual hat to you @notsmokinjo and everyone else. What dedication this must take, you guys giving so much time and effort to help fools like me realize why it's good to stay quit. The least I can do is respect the life I've been given, and also if by virtue of being on here, I can help someone else, even if it's 1% I think that's just the macadamia nut on top (cherry is too simple for what I feel right now) You all have my gratitude and thanks. and yes NOPE is what I keep mentally repeating to myself.

Hi Doreen, Yes, I am not going to give in, I'm crystal clear about that, I have dogs outside my office building (real ones, though they are stray) who I feed and play with. So will go and goof around with them, but in ten minutes. The craving has passed, almost and another thing I realized is the difference between cravings and hunger. If you are hungry and you don't eat, you feel hungrier, but if you have a craving, and don't give in, the craving lessens in intensity, till it's nothing but just a moment that passed by. which also leads me to another thought that the body knows what's essential (food) and can see through the mind's ways of fooling it, and realizing what is not important (craving for nicotine). Sorry, random thoughts but just typing them out helped. Thanks a lot for the message again, really helps. I'm reading up on a lot of stuff on the forums too, very very helpful.

Good Morning to those of the NOPE. Today our lovely American friends celebrate National Chocolate Eclair Day... now that's something I can get behind... So to Creme Pat in my eclair I say YEP... but to smoke filled lungs (and whipped cream in an eclair) I do declare that its a big fat... NOPE .. cos nothing controls my life but me. Topic of the Day: Things that make you smile.

NOPE!!!!!

Welcome to the weekend NOPErs. Today is Let It Go day.... which was a great life model until Disney came along and kinda destroyed it for everyone over he age of 8...So Let It Go day is about letting the negative stuff go... and focusing on the positives and moving forward. Living in the past isn't going to change it or make the now any better only putting one foot in front of the other and continuing your journey will do that... here's an apt quote: ”I don’t really have any regrets because if I choose not to do something there is usually a very good reason. Once I’ve made the decision I don’t view it as a missed opportunity, just a different path. ~ Andrew Lincoln So those nagging regrets and grudges that tug at your soul weeks, months or even years after the people, jobs or situations which once made them important ceased to be part of your life? That is exactly what Let It Go Day is all about; a day to take the brave step to cast away all those hang-ups from a previous chapter in your life. ... well maybe not all of them... but pick one, just one and let it go.. That's a big fat NOPE for me... cos I'm letting the nicodemon's hold on me go! . Topic of the Day: Silly Place Names.

Welcome aboard Silver. Pull up a chair and stay awhile. Congratulations on making a great decision for yourself.

Playing cricket tomorrow, then watching the England game Sunday and maybe out for a bite to eat.

I'm with Doreen, I'm booking my plane ticket for some of those yummy baked goods

#NOPE

^^ So True...when you first quit there are so many emotions and experiences and random thoughts and by putting them out here someone, maybe tomorrow, maybe next month of next year will be lurking or just quit and read it and think, hey I'm not the only one, someone walked this road before me and they succeeded... I can do this too. Just getting it out there does help... get it all out.

Great you are reading a lot, Tammy. Education about our nicotine addiction is our most powerful tool in a successful quit. You may find this thread helpful, Riffing on H.A.L.T. It helps to distinguish our smoky thoughts from actual needs our bodies have. Thank you for your posts. They will help other people in fighting this addiction. Your experience is invaluable. Stay strong, Tammy. You have a fine quit started, protect it.

NOPE !!!

Congratulations @Jules1977 well done on reaching 7 months Smoke Free!! 7 months is a fantastic quit. Hope you do something to celebrate today and reward yourself for all your work. If you get the chance to pop in let us know how you spoilt yourself,.

Congratulations @KT1973 for being smoke free for 9 months. Your are now officially 75% of the way to the Lido Deck. What a great quit you have going despite the hurdles life has been throwing your way. Well done KT.

Welcome to QuitTrain, Silver. I'm sorry to hear that you lost a six year quit but stick around here. You can make this your final quit and be smoke free for good. There's a lot of support and fun to be found on this site.

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! This is a wonderful site with great information and support. I love how you realized the only one you were fooling is yourself because the habit has control over you. It's so hard to admit that kind of stuff. You're doing great!!!

Yes Football sounds good, tomorrow post the movie, me and a friend will hit the pub and watch whatever match is on then with a few beers. Germany are playing tomorrow so I'm hoping they do some justice by their beer, because I love that... Here and now sounds super cool @Sazerac I'm right now sitting and talking to you guys, and haven't thought about a smoke in a bit :)

Painting metal gates...hmm...reminds me of Tom Sawyer :) Hope you get some people to trade stuff for it ;) Well, rowing sounds amazing. The closest I may get is after a downpour (and that's what actually happens when it rains in Mumbai) I may get to row a raft on the streets, since they'll be flooded. Have fun, oh and I've also included cinnamon rolls to my bake adventures.

Hi Kelly, My experience of getting off the gum is not too dissimilar to Jo's. I started by setting myself a limit and trying to better it. I used a lot of regular gum while transitioning off the NRT stuff. The other thing I'd add is that I found it not too different to giving up smoking. Plenty of water for hydration and to minimise headaches. Some sugary sweets to suck on. It ultimately wasn't as big a deal as giving up cigarettes for me. One thing to remember is at least the gum is not smoking so it should always be your first port of call if you are at breaking point. Don't compromise giving up smoking for the want of a piece of gum. You can do this. Any questions just ask here.

We have all been just where you are Tammy...giving you a helping hand...keeps us oldies ,not so oldies and newbies..to keep focused... This is a horrible addiction that kills so many...saving as many good folks as we can...this is the reason the train keeps going !!! You are already helping the lurkers...who just havnt jumped on yet !!!

@Sazerac this site is amazing. It's wonderful to see everyone pitching in and helping, responding to my posts, even though I've been a member just 2 days...this helps a lot, knowing that you're not necessarily on your own. The physical aspect, yes one has to go through on their own, because it's one's own body that is going through the changes, but the support that is given here really takes a load off mentally. I will keep reading, and certainly will read the thread you've mentioned. Congrats on almost 5 years smoke free.

Hi Tammy... Your stronger than any crave..its just a thought...let it pass.... Spend time here reading..look at the non smoking cats and dogs..they always give you a smile..and will spend some minutes away from the crave... Don't forget to do some deep breathing...fill your lungs with all that fresh air...stay close !!!

Just saw this post! Thank you all so much! Trying to get back into the swing of things....as a rockstar should! ?

the Zoo Gang