notsmokinjo

Hi @marie-quit congratulations on your choice to quit. There are quite a few of us who have or do use NRT gum to help in the early days. I agree 100% with Weegie read and watch everything. OK.. I am 4 months smoke free and 6weeks NRT free. Firstly while I have anxiety and panic attacks I am not medicated, if you are medicated I suggest seeing your doctor as doesages of meds may need changing during your quit. So honestly, the first few weeks are hard but by about the 10 week mark I had noticed a huge improvement in my anxiety. So once I made the decision to quit I set a plan for how long I was allowed to use the gum and how I would use it. I was a heavy smoker (+20 a day) and so I started the gum on 4mg...but even still I would only allow myself 6 a day, I would gave normal gum in between and I would wait as long as I could until i had the first chewie if the day. After a week I switched to 2mg same rules, 6 a day max, hold off on that first one as long as I could. I had a plan to allow myself to use NRT for 3-6 months with a decrease in the # a day max on a regular schedule... Thing was I was using it less and less and for me, halfway threw month 2, I realised I hadn't had one in 4 days so I handballed what I had left and have been nicotine free since. The first week or 2 post NRT the anxiety was a bit more like it had been during smoking but now its the best its been in years. The 2nd biggest tip is everyone's quit is different do wot works for you because wot might work for one might not work for another, do what works for you. There are always peeps around here who have experienced what you are going through and will be able to help. The single biggest bit of advice I have, take it one day at a time. Focusing on 24 hours smoke free is much less daunting than a lifetime but all those 24 hrs add up and soon you will look at a calendar and say wow there are a 100 smoke free days. Best wishes for the strength and determination to achieve this.

I am most thankful that everything I do and when or if I do it isn't determined by my need for a smoke. I am also thankful for not smoking highlighting a health issue I had been writing off as smoking related that really isn't.

@Doreensfree but wouldn't ya come back just have to be.. "The Beatles, your welcome"

@reciprocity this is so sad... Although for the Brits and my fellow Aussies this may be a sign that Team Canada is suckishly bad which means more medals for us.... Canada usually does well at the track events. @jillar is throwing her lot in with the Indians as there is no Team USA but I did fail to mention NZ and the fact all their men's teams do the haka.

Ovalteenies

Don't ya think its funny when the Americans tell pommy Shane he talks English funny...?

Should I leave now?

Mechanic

I would never start a food thing, don't ya think I'm more classy than that ?

-1

Having a (some) TimTam slammers, omg how have I given these up for so long.... Never again you little oblongs of chocolatey goodness.

Kleenex tissue machine operator

If ya have a kid who only eats meat ya learn to hide ta veg don't ya think?

(Were) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - acdc Well were they?

Investigative reporter

Roasted then pureed in chocolate cake works better don't ya think? (Grandma and me dad do it that way but I know there is a Jamie oliver recipe where he boils it)

Us mainlanders just like to hang some sh¡t on the Tassies... But Tasmania is frickin beautiful... Oh and all chicks have a map of Tasmania.

Cos the convicts wanted to be reminded of home and place names seemed the way to go. Should Melbourne have kept its original name if Batmania?

Well font on 8months... That's 2/3 of the way to the lido deck... You are smashin this.

Garbo

Are you saying I'm inbreed and have two heads? Or is that a reference to my map of Tasmania? @reciprocity you lookin forward to the com games?

(Sweet and earthy, a bit nutty... But if ya eat too much ya wiz turns pink)

Not vinegary? I dunno it tastes like beetroot. Do you think the kid knows I even put it in chocolate cake?

And for Easter in Melbourne we will be having 27°C.