Still winning

Exhilerated yet terrified...perfectly normal, I assure you!!

Creating excuses, ran out of them and ended up here...check!!

It's going to be great. That fear/excitement will make you feel up and down for a while but it's nowhere near what you expect!! Without support, it just felt like a slog..with support, it feels like a journey that you are able to travel. 

Some of it is grit your teeth because you don't want to do this day, this hour again. But very quickly you pass this and get into just dealing with thoughts. Get some distractions ready, that's the easiest way to deal with the early times...read/post/distract.

Don't forget to change up some habits too. Ie first morning tea/coffee, maybe drink it in a different room. Car journey, have a mint or something to suck on or some tunes to sing a long. That sort of idea.

Love the sound of this quit for you, what an utter win!!

Everyone likes a little sing song. Hope the quit is going well. x

Jac, My beauty. What is doing this to you, may we extend our middle finger in salute of the nonsense.

Jokes aside, be strong chica. No matter what we are non smokers. In the face of adversity, we are non smokers...those smokes simply cannot have us!!

I am counting on you now chicky!! 

Sometimes really do suck donkey "bits" don't they. But ya know, smokers can't blog and get amusing friends :)  

Love you lady, hope it gets better. xx

Oops, didn't even mean that to be sad, sorry!

I am hopeful in a way that being a smoker is no longer acceptable, so many people I know have quit. Even the smokers are trying to quit and that can absolutely end in a win - so I'm quietly hopeful we are going the right way as a country. 

Sorry to hear your sis in law is still struggling. Don't lose hope though. Never say never and all.... :)

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your thoughts. For sure they are not the only, or even maybe key reasons I quit - they were just "the last" ones on a list that weighed the scales in the favour of quitting. Yes, perhaps before I go it might be wise to secure where the quit finances are going next.

I was kinda thinking out loud in a way :)  Will go and see where your topic took you. x

Cheeky cross dresser lol.

I prefer eclectic ;)  Just sounds nicer then nutter ya know....

but nutter is nicer then dopey tart?....

My lunacy is growing on ya!!   My work here is done :)

B(est)Q(uit)B(uddies's) forever hearts and brackets and shiz!! 

To be honest the healing parts have little to do with me, so my "state" is neither here nor there, I'm a channel I guess is the best description. It was just part of reiki to put your hands on people at times and I was aware I would smell of smoke, and that was apparently a really bad smell...but not to me as a smoker. Now I totally get it, smells awful!

Just a bad day, not a bad life.

My "go to" saying when things feel hard.

Thank you for the thoughts. x

I really hope you reconsider. You absolutely are strong enough to wake each day and say not today. Learn from your mistakes, that is the natural way of acheiving anything worth having but please don't assume you are not strong enough -just get a new plan laid out and let's do it! xx

How's the cough now? How is the deep breath?

This was my entry on the same day as you would be on above:

Meh today sucks, I am doing a whole body shake thing on and off, so tempting to cheat but it's only me I'm cheating...and I don't want too, so I'm not sure why I keep wanting to smoke, when I don't want to smoke?? Everything and everyone is getting on my nerves, I get the ride it out and this too shall pass but wow, I don't even know why I'm feeling this or what to do to fill the gaps left by smoking (time wise I mean). My skin is on fire and so itchy too, especially my face and neck. I feel gluggy where I'm sipping water so often lol. Anyway I made a ticker to track progress, perhaps it will re-focus me. 

I was very unsure as well!! But I trusted the guys who said it would get better, it really did get better. Also every "hard day" like that made my quit much stronger. You've now seen even when it feels bad you can un-elegantly plod through and that will serve you well for future triggers. You are doing it exactly right and where you should be. Today will feel much better because of what you faced down yesterday, I bet on it :) xx

So very true. Happy anniversary. xx

That's it!! That bad day is behind you now, never have to do that day again!! More then that, you made it and showed yourself if you ever have a tough day - yeah it will suck - but you can face that day too. Way to go!! Hope today gives you a break, nearly got a week here!! x

I'm more of a Donald girl :)  They are gonna go mad, it's be ace!! I also get to see my sister and two nephews who live there which will be amazing for my Mum and I. Can't wait. 

Just me recording a good bit is all. I try to record when it feels bad and good, so I have a real measure of the journey.

This is the holiday of a lifetime for my children and is a a large part of why I quit as I promised to go last year but couldn't make it financially. I am beyond excited and quite possibly at a pitch only animals can relate too :)

*wipes brow* indeed, good news my friend. x

The rest will do what it does and hopefully go towards them fixing you, so a good end game but some rubbish to get done and dusted first. Sorry for the bad, pleased it might be fixable at the end. x

Don't over think this. Don't think long term, simply think today, I won't smoke today and keep that. I think anymore then that and our addiction is programmed to scare us into submission so ditch the long term plans for now, it'll come later :) xx

That is exactly how it's done. No over thinking, just take it day by day right down to minute by minute when we need to.

Our body never NEEDED nicotine to survive, it was ADDICTED to it. Big difference. You are doing great. x

Nearly nicotine free my friend. Let the freedom and good times roll on in. x

Great job!!  Never quit quitting :)  Today is a fabulous day to stop the awful merry go round and just decide - this is it - no more -I only have to face it once if I just decide it stops now.

Don't overthink, get water, and a distraction plan and if you do get a crave, distract yourself, sips of water, jump on the spot, whatever works for you and they ALWAYS pass and you quit grows stronger for knowing you'll deal with it and not give in. The head noise soon gets quieter.

Agree with Nancy, be great to see a thread from you on the intro section. Not everyone checks the blogs and we would all love to support you as much as we can. xx

I'm sorry you're going through some bad stuff sam. It is very true our quit gives us back inner strength and self worth. It becomes an entitiy in it's own right that we will literally fight to save. Good work on the mindset. xx

Miserable, a little but not lonely or crying. I have actually suffered with anger rather than sadness. I can be sad and deal ok with that, however people have taken me for granted, basically used me to make their lives better, easier, more entertaining, that's not ok.  When I need to work something out I hermit, retreat and go insular...it's how I'm able to process everything, my way I guess. Now I have thought it all through and decided a battle is the wrong way.

Friends don't do much for me, I am too different. I don't fit into a mould :)  I have two close girlfriends and Chris (who I'm now with) and Lee. These 4 people are my backbone. Plus my two daughters. I would quite happily deal with no one else tbh, those guys are more than enough so I have no worries. I genuinely love time alone to learn, read, meditate etc. 

Thanks for caring. xx

Thanx Jac, love you beauty! x

Chrys, I feel like such a let down, I've done nothing lol. Florida end of oct, then christmas, then do up the rest. Work in very slow progress :) Will update photos and defo follow your cream/silver plan. x

I am sorry your one year anni sees you facing this uncertain time. It is amazing what they can do with medication nowadays so concentrate on getting those tests done so you can carry on enjoying your smoke free life and happy anniversary anyway, who knows the place it would be today if you hadn't quit. Fingers crossed for speedy results my lovely. x

Jac, Crying with you now. So sad and I'm so very sorry my friend. Agree our pets sit and wait patiently for the time we can be together again. xx