robert

I was passing by this evening and saw your post. Joel wrote an article that may be of interest to you. Please think carefully about what happened. Quitting smoking is very difficult to pull off, and your health is too valuable to take such chances. BTW, hello to everyone -- it has been a long time. Yes, I am still enjoying my freedom. All the best

:)

This is too cute not to post even if the image has to be removed because of permissions issues.

Good advice there mr bakon. Why wait? The best thing that you can do for your lungs is use them. Some of us exercised while we were smoking, albeit somewhat less efficiently, and then simply continued after quitting -- it's a great way to see how much your lungs improve in a short period. I'm curious whether those who waited for sometime before getting serious about exercise after quitting still believe that waiting was the right thing to do or whether they would have started sooner knowing what they know now? Please do tell.

While I completely agree, this is easier said than done. I have been trying for years to reach this level of Zen, but much work remains to even get close to this. In my way of thinking, one must be able to remain completely centered and able to dissipate negativity meditatively on the fly. Tough, but an excellent goal. Good luck.

First of all congrats on the big one year ... You'll be okay. We really only need to worry about the ones who don't know that they are a trainwreck. :) Enjoy being single -- many married folks wish that they were free.

Hi Action, Big thumbs up on the 18 months quit buddy. Not surprisingly, I wasn't aware either. :)

Along the lines of what Marti said, I would like to make a suggestion. Many here seem to have difficulty handling the stress of quitting smoking, and the stress of the life related changes. Maybe ways of handling this stress should be explored further rather than looking for physical solutions. Mindfulness, and mediation has been mentioned by several folks here and could not agree more. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote a book years ago called "Full Catastrophe Living". This book, which is written within the context of a stress reduction clinic, can be very helpful as a method of change. Here is a brief discussion about mindfulness if anyone is interested. Full Catastrophe Living has been around for many years and is available in any book store or library. Hope this is of some help.

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? -- Satchel paige The reality is that our bodies need more exercise as we age. Sadly most folks do the exact opposite if they ever exercised at all. :(

Any guys out there who wish to firm up their quits might want to read this.

Mike, Does your homeostasis still include nicotine or have you stopped smoking?

The Lays cat is cool. Leave it!

The penalty for eating an extra cupcake is an extra three days of Babs abs :biggrin:

Thought that this article might be relevant. Imagine what your body is like if you never exercise. :wacko:

I hope that you and Leanna feel better soon. Anyone who has searched for core exercises has most likely seen the name Dr Stuart McGill. Given that Dr McGill is recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the field of spinal reseach, his ideas about the spine and related exercises should be considered. Here is a core exercise video by Dr McGill which describes some of the basics. If you can't relate to this video, there are many many other videos and articles available on the web based on Dr McGill's work. Sorry if I'm messing up the abs challenge ...