BKP

I don't stop by much anymore but I'm sorry to see you're not feeling well. Hope you're on the road to recovery.

Congrats hellkatbaby. 6 months is a major milestone.

Took a personal day and made it a 3 day weekend. Went to Palm Springs and hiked the Indian Canyons. 74F degrees (23C) and sunny in January . Averaged nearly 15 miles per day with some decent elevation. 4 years ago I would have been winded walking from my couch to the refrigerator. Now I'm able to clear boulders from the trail - ha ha. Quitting smoking, eating healthy, and exercising is truly life changing.

Tony I'd like to offer some different approaches for your next quit. First, don't use terms like "fell off the wagon" or "slipped". It really minimizes your accountability. In fact, it makes it sound more like an accident rather than a conscious choice to smoke again. Stop saying "hopefully" you will quit this time. It's all about making a real and solid commitment. Don't assume that that NRT's will magically make quitting a breeze. It's more about your mindset than anything else. Sure NRT's help many people, but they're not a panacea for all withdrawals. And more importantly, talk to your doctor before using 2 types at the same time. I'd be shocked if any medical professional thought that was okay. As others have said, you can do this. Sometimes it just takes looking at things a little differently to reach the desired outcome.

There’s a big difference between feeling better and feeling comfortable. At 9 months quit I was feeling better in many aspects. I was not coughing all the time. My breathing was better. I was able to take the stairs without gasping. My sense of smell and taste were greatly improved. My circulation was better. But did I feel comfortable? Had my cravings gone away? Was I at the point where I forgot about smoking for days on end? The answer to all those questions is no. It took a long time to get that point. After all, I smoked for 39 years. That makes for a very strong physical and mental addiction. I had to accept that it would take quite a while to break those bonds and feel completely comfortable again. You mention that people here seem positive and you don’t want to be the only one who isn’t. I can assure you that you’re not the only one who still has some difficulty at nine months. I think the reason people seem positive is that they don’t want to discourage new quitters from keeping up the fight. Because it is worth it in the long run. I remember feeling very disappointed that I still obsessed about smoking after I had quit for a month. That seems ridiculous now. All I can tell you is that one day you will feel comfortable again. You will go days, weeks, even months without thinking of a cigarette. There will be no void. There will only be the normalcy of life without smoking with all its ups and downs. The only difference is you’ll be free from the shackles of a deadly addiction.

When you were still a smoker, how long, after you put a cigarette out, did it take for you to start jonesing for another? For me, it was about 20-30 minutes. What a crappy way to live life. Always anxious about the next fix.

nope

Great achievement Grund. Congratulations.

MLMR It's often said, "Let the chips fall where they may." I'm glad you fell here. Congrats on one year!

Saw quite a bit of wildlife out there. Everything from marmots, to deer, to Golden Eagles. Saw this bear doing some fishing in Lower Paradise Valley near Mist Falls.

Another pic from my Kings Canyon backpacking trip. This was on Bubbs Creek Trail leading up to the JMT (John Muir Trail).

As one of three young children, I recall one of the most coveted privileges my mother bestowed upon us. Shortly after my eighth birthday, and right before Christmas the stars had aligned to give me the winter reward all 3 of us children desired. Of course my older brother who was 12 got to carry out this deed much more often than me or my sister who was 7. But tonight he was at a hockey practice with my father. My pregnant mom, sister and I were driving from our suburban home on an 18 mile trip to see the amazing Christmas lights adorning the vast Boston Common. This was one of my fondest annual childhood memories. Shortly after our journey began my opportunity to participate in the reward came. “Honey, reach into my pocketbook and grab me a cigarette and light it, would you?” You see, my mom refused to take her mittens off will driving due to her poor circulation. In her wisdom, she recognized how dangerous it would be to try to light a cigarette, while driving, with mittens. It would be much safer to have her 8 year old son light it for her. I felt like such an adult as I passed her the lit Pall Mall and blew the smoke toward the back seat where my jealous sister stewed. The only downside to this whole scenario was that my mother would not allow us to crack the window for fresh air. “Are you crazy? It’s freezing out! Roll that back up right this instant!” Looking back on this, I realize that my mother had practically no idea the danger cigarettes posed to one’s health and absolutely no concept of secondhand smoke. The Surgeon General had issued vague warnings that cigarette smoking may be harmful to your health. What’s so discouraging now is that we do know the hazards of smoking and nicotine addiction, yet we see predatory companies pushing children’s flavored vape cartridges. They even have the audacity to put a warning to keep out of reach of children on the side of Cap'n Crunch, Count Chocula, and Trix flavored flavored vape cartridges. So the battle moves from the ignorance of smoking dangers to predatory targeting of children. No one ever said it would be easy to win this war. But each individual victory is a step in the right direction. Keep up the fight and KTQ.

Missed your big day but I hope it's not too late to send my heartfelt congratulations your way. You're da .

Just got back from a 6 day backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail in Kings Canyon National Park. Probably the most challenging hike I've ever done, but the most beautiful too. Would not have been possible 4 years ago. This pic is at Middle Rae Lake.

Congratulations Jack. Glad you made the best decision possible 2 years ago.

2 years ain't just a bunch of fluff. Congratulations on another year of freedom Wee Fluffy Me!

Congratulations Linda and welcome to the Lido Deck! From someone who started out with so much doubt and fear (and let's face it, high drama) you really evolved into a solid quitter who's primary concern is supporting others through this process. You deserve a party to end all parties!

I am so excited for you Linda. What a great accomplishment!

I gave myself frequent rewards like a dinner at a nice restaurant or new sneakers. After some time and significant savings I'd go for bigger stuff like a new sofa or new truck. But, by far, the best reward came from my body itself. I went from a tired couch potato to an extremely active hiker and backpacker. Here's a picture of the reward I'm giving myself very soon. Two weeks of backpacking the John Muir Trail.

Congratulations Andy

Could we please have a little decorum at this party?!? Well that answers that question.

Barfing absolves risky kitchen specialties Flute

Sure sounds like a great reason to celebrate to me. Freedom is surely worth the effort. Thanks for sharing your journey with us Reci.

Great job Diane. I used another app that gave me badges and told me the health improvements I was achieving. I too found it motivating. Keep up the good work. You’re doing this!

"...no more Michelle Bashing, for that will not help" And the support and encouragement has worked really great, right? You are in deep denial my friend. You don't even come out and say "I smoked". Instead you talk in some abstract terms about your junkie thinking telling you to have one. I had to read your post twice to figure out that you actually relapsed. Again. I, for one, am going to put you on "ignore" because I think that's exactly what you are doing with the advice you are getting here. Hope you figure this all out. You don't know what you're missing.