Keith

Thank you for your comments everyone as it does make one feel welcome. And wow, what a morning after? Woke up without power as storms are moving through WI and finally getting back on track. However, more storms coming through this weekend with plenty of snow in the forecast. Yes, I know I relapsed but am looking at it in a good way and hope my thoughts may be helpful to others? First and foremost, yes, I smoked a half a feeder and was only a few solid puffs and was gone (As well my balance and stomach. Did I ever feel sick). And not a whole smoke or even going down the deep path and buying a pack. This was all driven by alcohol and sadness. Speaking of alcohol, when the new year rolled around I decided to go the Dry January route starting on New Years Eve. Rolling along, on 1/6 I said the cigarettes need to go as well. That said, this is the first I've integrated alcohol without smoking on (I thought I may have an issue without smoking and drinking coffee in the morning but that doesn't seem to be the case, luckily) Then throwing myself in a situation where I am thinking of old times (which are many) with my brother and having plenty to drink. Certainly an ask for disaster to a recent X-smoker. Nine weeks may seem like a very long time as you start your quit but really it is not long at all. When I've quit for an entire year and can start asking to lower my life insurance premiums will I then call myself an X-smoker. Until then, I simply am working on quitting but will give myself plenty of praise along the way. As we all know this is no easy task, takes much will power and HEY, let's not let that little cigarette run us. The next time I am in this situation (though going back to Dry whatever month for awhile :))? I will remember how stoned, dizzy and sick I felt after taking just a few long hard puffs.

OK Quit Train Members, WTF, yup, I did it. Let me tell y'all a story in hopes that you don't follow in these foot steps. and in some regard maybe won't help than a good old fashioned hug? This is this evening's story: So, my wife has been suggesting she lives in the kitchen too much. After dinner tonight, I said I got the kitchen clean up and you go to your office and do what you what you need to do. As I am doing the dishes, etc, I am jamming some tunes and what comes to mind? My brother, my best friend who took his life by his own hand. Yup, these are tunes we used to jam, etc. Then I decided to pour some martini's and continue with the dishes as well as the martini's. Then the cravings start and shrugged them off as a thought. Then the alcohol starts kicking in and had thoughts how a a smoke will be OK. As those that have read my past posts know that my wife still smokes and they are to be had if one looks hard enough. Not this time, went out in the garage and sure enough, there was a half a smoke. So what does Keith do? Lights it up and burns it. Man, talk about a head rush and getting dizzy. Anyways, not looking for sympathy here as I just ****** up 9 weeks of clean quit. But, is a warning for those in similar situations to not what do what I did. Now feeling like a heel and starting over. Let's not let life circumstances past/present control our QUIT. Yup, I f..... up but that doesn't mean you have to too!!

Ok, have been having an SOS all evening and all is good. I know this thread is old but thought I would post anyway. Yesterday I needed to take care of some home PC issues and broke out the vodka. Last year at the end of December I said OK Keith, we have dry January coming up and I think you should take advantage of it. Needless to say, that ended yesterday 3/8/26 and after having a difficult day of work today AND watching my wife step out was the worst. Tomorrow will be my 9 week quit but dousing myself with alcohol is unbearable. Yet, this needs to happen, one way or the other? Yes, its been a bitch, we have stopped drinking and smoking all in the same time period. Oh my God, I thought it could never happen??? I've been drinking/smoking since I've been a kid long before high school. And here I am holding out smoke free at 10:26 PM CTS. I think I am posting this more of a vent than anything else???

Elena, I know I am late to the party on this response and don't even know if you are still active on the QuitTrain? Your boyfriend? **** him! You already know you deserve better if you have not found that out already? I know it's been a long time but I myself have been craving a smoke myself and ran accross this thread. As I see there has been no response from this thread since 2024? I guess I will stop here.

@Reciprocity, hey, I got you! without a thought I have been dealing with the extra time one saves without going out to burn one. Now, that burning one could be a few minutes saying to self this taste like shit, why I am I smoking this to seven minutes burning a full one? In other words, I have done this (whatever that may be) instead of stepping out and realizing I just did this without smoking. Seasonal's? You just gave me something to think about and could turn into story time? My wife would ask me, Why does it take you all afternoon to mow the lawn? Keith says: Well, we first have to pick up sticks that are not ours from the neighbors (Maybe a half an hour front and back?). Then we mow a bit, take a break, drink a couple of beers, have a couple of smokes, rinse and repeat. Seems to take all afternoon. Then, when complete, have a couple more beers probably several more smokes and admire what you just accomplished. Weekly yard mowing done and yup, took all afternoon. Thank you, I guess I will plow into it and see how it shakes out? One thing is for sure, I won't be smoking and most likely be replacing beer with water. That will be difficult performing summer yard work? Or, self says get use to it bud, we can do it! Gday and that's exactly it, you have it down. You own the morning and the rest of the day too. If we think about all the time smoking instead of doing whatever else it's huge! I've yet to do that yet but warmer weather is on its way and the first thing I am thinking about is exercising at least start walking to start. Oh boy, story behind that too. Doreensfree, I am still drinking coffee which is odd as the smokes go hand in hand so well? I don't know if it's because I am older but some things seem so well controlled than when I was younger? And a bit odd also is I expected to smell and taste better by now at 9 weeks of quit. I can smell the coffee brewing a bit better but so far waiting for that to kick in. LOL at your gif, that is funny :), thank you!

hey, I got you! without a thought I have been dealing with the extra time one saves without going out to burn one. Now, that burning one could be a few minutes saying to self this taste like shit, why I am I smoking this to seven minutes burning a full one? In other words, I have done this (whatever that may be) instead of stepping out and realizing I just did this without smoking. Seasonal's? You just gave me something to think about and could turn into story time? My wife would ask me, Why does it take you all afternoon to mow the lawn? Keith says: Well, we first have to pick up sticks that are not ours from the neighbors (Maybe a half an hour front and back?). Then we mow a bit, take a break, drink a couple of beers, have a couple of smokes, rinse and repeat. Seems to take all afternoon. Then, when complete, have a couple more beers probably several more smokes and admire what you just accomplished. Weekly yard mowing done and yup, took all afternoon. Thank you, I guess I will plow into it and see how it shakes out? One thing is for sure, I won't be smoking and most likely be replacing beer with water. That will be difficult performing summer yard work? Or, self says get use to it bud, we can do it!

Thank you for sharing Reciprocity! That is one thing I have not done yet, is change my lifestyle incorporating a new that does not involve smoking. And is something to seriously start thinking about. Currently my lifestyle remains the same just without smoking. At the end of the day I pat myself on the back and go to bed. Kind of like taking the AA approach one day at a time. But, I do smile on how much money I have saved so far. Here in WI, unless you search out a two-pack deal which might save you a buck fifty. One will pay around $14.00 a pack and as a pack a day smoker, as of today that is $840.00 I've saved since January. That's actually quite a bit of money considering one is paying for something with no ROI except for another nicotine craving a half an hour down the road.

FinalAttempt, like you I have also smoked for over four decades and have quit numerous times as well. Sometimes for months, sometimes for weeks and sometimes simply hours. I'd go to bed at night saying to self, I am done, I am not smoking tomorrow. Morning comes, make some coffee, while that's brewing head to the garage to burn one and think about my work day agenda (Quit smoking in the house when my first kid was born back in the 80's) And as you imply, they were always my final attempt at quitting. That said: There is nothing to be embarrassed about. The addict within is always quitting tomorrow but tomorrow never comes and is endless. Also, like you, I've said to self: I can't quit today, I just left my job both voluntarily and involuntarily. I can't quit today, I'm going through a divorce, quit smoking? Ya right, I'm going down to have a talk with miss whiskey and will buy another pack on my way. The stories we make up in our head our endless and you are not alone. I have read Allen Carr's book "Easy way to stop smoking" numerous times. Did I stop smoking easily? No, what I believe I did learn from this book though is quitting smoking can by easy depending how you look at it. I've touched on this in my first introduction thread. Nicotine does expel from the body fairly quickly and believe for us long term smokers maybe 3/4 days. After a couple of weeks which are the worst for identifying how you will deal with cravings, etc and after a few weeks. I've adjusted my train of thought not to think of these instances when I want to burn one as cravings but thoughts instead. "Self, this isn't a nicotine craving because that nicotine is long gone from this body but a thought instead and need to change this thought. To my surprise in not too long that craving aka "Thought" is gone. Make it a great smoke-free day everyone!

Nope, not even

GonSo, fantastic job on your 4 months quit! You are ahead of me and I am anxiously awaiting my 3 month anniversary, why? The first couple of weeks after I decided the ciggies need to go (Not to mention that for more than a year, I told myself, I need to quit smoking by my next decade of age. Well, that was a long time ago) I would be looking up online how is my body healing after 1 week, how is my body healing after 2 weeks, ... Next Tuesday will be week 9 and I have stopped looking up these health facts because I can already breathe sooo much better. And while looking up these health facts, I read that those that have quit for 90 days are less likely to return to lighting up again. Now, us addicts can take that statement with a grain of salt. I know and have experienced many times, all it takes is one and all your efforts are up in smoke as well as feeling like a heel. Doesn't matter though because after that one smoke, one is already on their way down the street to pick up a pack. I'll quit tomorrow, then next week, next month, next year, ahh fudge, let's give myself some time to think about this and I will quit on my next decade of age, ... Ciggies in the house? To answer that I am going to start a new thread and we can bounce thoughts/ideas in that thread. Right now I need to take care of some other things first. Make it a great smoke-free day everyone!

Doreensfree, that is something not to be reckoned with! Thank you for sharing.

DenaliBlues, love it "Cravings are mere commercials for junk you don’t wanna buy any more". Cbdave, Agreed, 100% "just one you will be right back where you started" and is the voice that comes out when wanting to burn one. Right now I am laughing at my self. A week or so ago, I hunted down my wife's smokes while she was long in bed. Took one out and was smelling it like a kid over candy. That cigarette smelled just like the day I started smoking back when I was a kid. The first thing that came to mind was a talk with self "Keith, you know as well as I, that one smoke will muck you up and everything you've worked for so far will be out the window". That said, I put it back in her pack and said to self: These are just thoughts, not cravings and again, is something I tell myself every time those instances arise. SD2026, Isn't it funny how we addicts can so quickly throw a playbook in the mind and throw that rational thinking out the window, just to figure out a way to have that one smoke? That has happened to me more times than I can count. And is where I stand tall and tell self "Keith, don't let one smoke kick your ... like that, you are much stronger". Happy you may have a new mantra to throw in your back pocket. Finally, as this is the Introductions board. I feel I should stop replying/posting here, thoughts? Make it a great day everyone!

Congrats Desmond on your now 20 days of no smokes. Tomorrow it will be three weeks and a huge milestone, keep it up!

Thank you for the responses! SD2026, the last time I seriously quit smoking was within a physical support group sponsored through my Health Insurance where we all met once a week on Saturday's. Meeting together as a group we discussed our successes, trials and tribulations and that was a big help. In today's world, I find it very hard to find anything similar to that type of support group in a physical setting. Thank you for the invitation and recommending the different thread types found here. Temptation of having cigarettes in the home? Maybe I am just different or maybe others can relate? I look at cigarettes in the home as a security blanket. When there are no cigarettes to be had, it seems I need to go buy a pack not to be completely out. When they are there, it is a choice not to smoke. I know, seems counter productive but is what it is. DenaliBlues, not sure if I should post this here or perhaps a different thread? Anyway, here goes: What are my motivations for quitting? As a smoker for 48 years, the health effects are rearing their heads. Wheezing when laying horizontally, issues with my limbs (blaming it on poor oxygen circulation from smoking), etc. Craving management? I know from past experiences, it only takes one smoke to upset the entire apple cart. I've been quit now for 8 weeks and the first five were hell. From severe cravings, coughing 24/7, extracting the flu, sinus/ear infections (Running through head, man, quitting smoking shouldn't be this way). Knowing after 8 weeks nicotine has been long expelled from the body. These cravings I feel are not from nicotine withdrawal as that nicotine is long gone. I tell myself that these cravings are thoughts and these thoughts will probably come and go for the rest of my life so change them. This is my current craving management. Thank you, Doreensfree for that advise on the posts and boards. It looks like I have much traveling to do across this site. My wife does keep her distance when she smokes. Actually, we haven't smoked in the house since the fist kid was born and now are empty nesters. The problem is I know where she hides her smokes and if I didn't? And wanted one bad enough, I would find them. I feel everyone could agree with me there LOL. She is right behind me in regards to quitting and says she is looking at me as a role model. She said the other day, if I can quit, anyone can. Yes, I will be sticking close to this board as time allows. Thank you Reciprocity, this is exactly the board I was looking for. I feel I got lucky by deciding to choosing this board to sign up with. Thank you QuittingGirl, and agree with you 100% a support system is by far one of the greatest tools for success in quitting smoking. Pulling this journey alone I feel is dangerous. We all know the lies we will tell ourselves just to have that one smoke. Make it a great day everyone!

Greetings to all on the QuitTrain, as this is the Introductions section and am new here I thought I would reach out and introduce myself. My name is Keith and recently quit smoking for the umpteenth time. Because I was inches from stealing one of my wife's cigarettes, I thought I would sitnsurf for a decent quit smoking lounge and just happened to stumble across the QuitTrain and signed up. As for those who have quit, quit and relapsed (as I have done) and for those just starting out on this smoke free journey. I hope to meet/greet, give/take advise to the folks on this board. Keith