Sirius

I make certain I'm nowhere near smokes, guns, vehicles, or women (especially women) when I imbibe. Time to throw the smokes in the trash (after soaking them in vinegar), take a shower and get back on track. This is just a speed bump on your road to success.

It's normal. It's also not fun. Your body has to adjust to being without nicotine. Hang tough. Walk, chew gum, rock out. Whatever it takes to get through the day. Don't forget the reasons your quitting. If you persevere your future self will thank you.

Nope.

NOPE

I agree, Sazerac, I learned a lot about myself when I stopped smoking. The ego went out for a walk and the Id and SuperEgo engaged in a freestyle cage match.

The hardest thing about time is doing it. Paradoxically, it gets easier to do with time. Keep climbing the rope folks. ...and don't get cocky about it.

Sure you can smoke, but where would you be in ten years? When I finish imagining that...I pass on the smoke. As we age the currents we swim against become stronger. Meanwhile if you smoke, you're swimming with a frikkin' boat anchor.

Am I a nicotine addict? Yes, I am. And yet, I choose not to smoke. There is always a choice.

Um...yeah... Sorry I meant Larry Flynt. Odd-ball spelling. He...was the owner of a "men's" magazine called Hustler. It was in this magazine that Larry had his anti-smoking ads. I'm not certain if you can find them online.

...and then there was Larry Flint. Vehemently anti-smoking to the core. He believed that smoking was slow motion suicide and his graphic anti-smoking ads in his magazine were epic in their visceral and visual impacts.

Was chased by a boar hog when I was stationed in West Germany back in winter of 84'-85'. Guard duty, late at night running through knee high snow while savoring the irony of carrying an unloaded M16. Fortunately a DeuceN'Half was nearby so I scrambled up on it. Important safety tip. Don't carry PBJ sandwich on winter exercise in one's cargo pocket.

Everyone has a different metabolism and specific sensitivities which can make every weight loss experience a unique adventure. I like to consume lots of veggies and keep an eye on the glycemic index but when in doubt consume less and exercise more.

Slow and steady wins the race. 20 pounds down.

Speaking more in generalities I would recommend: Don't replace your addiction with another addiction. Don't use smoking cessation as an excuse (too much). Use crutches if you have to but wean yourself off them at some point. The first week or two is hell week. Its tough but the time does pass. Remember why you quit and keep the list at hand. Make the NOPE pledge every morning to yourself, in the mirror. Sugar free gum gives the pucker something to do. Chewing Ice. Hmmm...so much for generalities... Off to the land of the wierd - I have fresh spearmint growing on my property. I'll pick some and grind between hands till hands are wet. Drop spearmint and cup hands over nose and inhale sharply through the nostrils. It may be that strong (and hopefully pleasant)) scents serve to interfere with a craving. It gives me something of a reset. It's like my brain is saying, "gotta have a smoke, gotta have a smo- **SPEARMINT!!!**"

NOPE

Your committed now. Every day is further away from your addiction. Way to go!

I tried shrooms and vitamin c a few times. I stopped because it was too much fun and I couldn't find the price tag.

Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin. So is there anyone thin here that I can fe- erk! Bakon must have rubbed off on me.

I don't really care if your attempts at quitting rivals the worst of the Red Sox losing streaks. Red Sox fans want to see effort, commitment, and...yeahsuccesswouldbeniceeventually. If you don't keep trying you have no chance at all.

My quit was mixed up in other issues. I'd guess that I was mostly out of the woods by the 4th month. The physical craves were intense but passed after a few weeks. It's the mental habit monster that is so tied up with my behaviors and routines that played merry hell with my resolve. I didn't so much as break the habit as slowly bury it in the casual sediments of passing days, weeks, and months.

BTW, seems that the Sugar industry learned a thing or two from big tobacco... https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/12/sugar-industry-harvard-research/

Eating fat doesn't make you fat anymore then eating brains will improve your hat size. Fat is created by an excess of carbohydrate which is transformed by insulin from the pancreas into...think its triglycerides and added to fat cells. Lacking carbohydrates your body releases ketones from fat cells. Ketones can be used as fuel but excess ketones can't be added back to...anywhere really so are eliminated by the kidneys. These are the two mechanisms that low carb dieters use to reduce weight while eating mounds of bacon and sour cream. Its a metabolic trick and not advisable over the long term. Plus you have to REALLY dial back carb intake to make this work and while it will work you also have this weird feeling of starving while not being hungry. But if you need to drop lots of weight in a hurry and need to feel weird, excuse me, more weird then is usual then, yeah, give it a whirl.

When the craves hit I just consumed something else. This worked well enough to get over smoking but eventually I had to address the increased consumption in other areas. Apparently rocky road ice cream is a heavy metal. :blink:

I really don't care how you quit. We can worry about the follow through later. The important thing is ditching the smokes before they smoke you.