Boo

Good job Mac.

Welcome aboard LadyDraga. Good call on giving up the smokes. Congratulations on two weeks smoke-free.

Here.

Putting that first week behind you is a big milestone Dullyboi. Congratulations.

Kate, you're putting a lot of unwarranted stress on yourself. Using words like "crazy" and "weak" to describe your thoughts. You have committed to a process that forced us all to deal with contradictory thought patterns and differentiate between perception and reality. You thought about smoking, but stayed true to your commitment and didn't smoke. Give yourself some credit...that's a win.

Make a list of the things that stress you out in your day-to-day life. Now, put a check by any of those stressors that are directly alleviated by the act of smoking a cigarette. Not a lot of check marks are there? Smoking alleviates one problem and one problem only: nicotine withdrawal. The only problem solved by smoking is the problem created by smoking...it's a dead-end loop.

We smoked. We got addicted to nicotine. We agreed to a bad deal. The inability to go back in time and choose to never begin smoking in the first place left us with two options: (1) Wave the white flag of surrender and continue smoking until it eventually kills us. Or: (2) Commit to the quit. Both options present their own unique series of challenges. However, one option is clearly preferable to the other. Quitting requires a period of adjustment that can present moments of feeling out of sorts, but offers many positive benefits that accrue over time. Choosing to continue to smoke allows you to avoid the temporary adjustment period but offers nothing in return and will eventually take everything from you. The choice basically boils down to: dealing with a bump in the road or continuing to fall into the abyss. The choice is obvious.

Good job Tina.

Welcome aboard Lordy. Good call on giving up the smokes. If it didn't get better with time most of us wouldn't be here. The roller coaster ride that is the early days of a quit levels out eventually. With persistence and repetition, once difficult tasks become second nature.

If not for the ability to workout at home, I would be a miserable pain in the ass right now. We had two straight days of perfect weather here in Tennessee on Friday and Saturday but opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors are severely limited right now. The state parks are all closed meaning I couldn't go to Laurel Snow for a run or Foster Falls for a bit of climbing. I've tried to be patient through this ordeal, but I started to feel a bit stir crazy yesterday. Getting in a couple of good workouts (boxing in the morning and lifting in the evening) helped me sort things out and work through some irritability. Do yourself a favor and try to get some physical activity each and every day.

Welcome aboard Amierouge. Congratulations on quitting smoking...it's the right thing to do. You'll find your way. With time, what feels weird today becomes your new normal. Be patient with the process. You won't regret it.

George Will is mostly known as a political commentator, but he also has a deep understanding and appreciation for the game of baseball. "Men at Work" is a good read for any fan of the game. In lieu of any baseball being played right now, I suppose reading some books about baseball will have to suffice. I've read "The Summer Game" and "Five Seasons" by Roger Angell. I enjoyed both of those books. So I will probably check out "Season Ticket" next.

Great job Mac.

If distraction isn't working for you anymore, you could just face the craves head-on. When you recognize them for what they are, they're really not all that scary.

Congratulations Angeleek. You've earned every yoo-hoo and yippee...truly cause for celebration.

You made a commitment to yourself to no longer be a slave to the cigarette. Be relentless with that commitment. The early days of a quit are a baptism by fire. The rewards of quitting are worth every bit of the effort and then some.

Would you look at that! His Birthday wish actually came true...

Congratulations Darcy. You're doing great.

You're off to a good start Igamoo. Enjoy the ride.

Welcome to the Quit Train Tina. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. That's how it's done. It is a marathon not a sprint. Just run the mile you're in and keep putting one foot in front of the other.