Haha I did it… 1 week no smoking! 
It wasn’t that hard…
Let’s add some more days, I can do this!
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277 days nicotine free
I’m actually sick with an awful cold, but sure will not last as long as it did when I was smoking!
I still remember being very ill sometimes yet still lighting up the smokes, awful 
Congrats @ShadowFax on one week!!!
@JasonFisher sure the snacks taste better than ever!
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Just for inspiration. It can be done. And it does get easier. So much so that I can’t imagine I’ll ever smoke again. Although some vigilance is needed always. Never again. Not One Puff Ever -as in NOPE. And as a reminder this repost from Quitnet, the forum that helped me quit smoking 90 months ago today. Love.
The Dragon is Still Hibernating
From MutinyFever on 1/14/2009 8:08:21 PM
Long, long ago, in a lifetime far, far away, I smoked just one. Bitter tears I shed when I realized the dragon Addiction still had a lair in my heart. I had thought him dead, after seven winters of starvation. Just one cigarette fortified him and he drew strength. With each puff he felt his claws, yawned his mouth, breathed his fire. The cinders that were his eyes began to smolder, and then he SEIZED ME.
After relapsing on my seven year quit, it took me two years to get quit again. I tried and tried to find the strength to quit again. A dozen tries in those two years. A dozen agonies ending in hours. I tried. I failed. Just one, I’d thought. I mock my own arrogance. So does the dragon.
I was healthy before the relapse, getting a cold every 3 years or so. In the two years of the relapse I had at least a dozen colds, and I developed a persistent cough. Hiking became a problem. I became more sedentary in general. I lost weight and muscle tone. I gave up my yoga practice, which I had been faithful in performing for 5 years. I grew more depressed, and had less in the way of coping mechanisms to relieve that depression.
The dragon loved it. Just one and my sense of self was crushed under his dictatorship. Death was to be my tribute to the dragon’s rulership. At last, though, I’ve reached deep within to find love. Love for myself, my wife, my family, my life. That love sustained me while the dragon roared. I have quit again.
Today is the two thousandth day of my quit. I wrote this long ago, but the dragon still is not dead. He is starving and weak again, but still he watches, still he waits. Just one, he whispers painfully with a long blackened tongue, his voice cracking, shuddering. Just one and I will have you again.
I’ve learned my lesson.
Michael 2293
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I made a couple of days at the beginning of the month but then slipped back. But this week is the week! Last day tomorrow 
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Congratulations on your 2 years!!! So happy you are free!!!
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Never quit quitting!!!
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Great!!!
Make it a success! And write if you need help!
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Thank you! I have learned some stuff. I quit on the day I had a counselling assessment. It was super rough emotionally and I made it through that day. So I know I can do the hard things without a cigarette. I have stopped smoking in my car (after cleaning it) so I know I can break that bit of the habit. I turned down a smoke when I was offered one. I caved when I was with a group of people who I like but don’t see very often. None of them were smoking but I wanted to have a reason to take a break from the situation. Maybe a bit of social anxiety. Whatever it is, it’s a good lesson for me to try and avoid those kind of things for a couple of weeks!
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Last cigarette smoked! My motivation list:
. no yellow fingers
. no stained teeth
. better dental health
. £80+ more a month
. not embarrassed around new people
. my partner will be happy with my choice
. no crutch - more honest with myself, feeling my feelings, no hiding behind a cigarette
. better lung power for exercise and just general life
. B12 deficiency risk reduced
. not making PMS worse
. not thinking about when I can smoke or buy smokes
. no cig ends outside house or in car, or pockets if no bins around
. possible long term health benefits, reduced cancer risk etc
. feeling pleased with my achievement
. commitment to better health and healthier living
. clothes not smelling of smoke
. nicer for others to be around me
. better sense of smell and taste
. no bankrolling big tobacco companies
. less waste
Not in any particular order!
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Love the list!!
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Feeling OK this morning. Had a slight craving so made myself a cup of ginger tea. Want to avoid having a cup of tea every time I have a craving. I’ve got myself a bowl of snacks (grapes, tomatoes, orange segments, celery) which I’m not sure about. I kind of want to eat the whole bowl now rather than just dipping into it through the day 
Edit to add - this bowl of snacks is now my breakfast as I am eating it all!
I think I might just try going outside when I have a craving, rather than swapping to food, even low cal/ healthy food. Otherwise I will just be snacking all day and that’s not great. Plus going outside regularly is one of the things I liked about smoking. And going outside for some actually fresh air sounds like an OK habit to be into!
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Not sure if this available outside of the UK, maybe as it is a BBC world service thing, but I’ve been listening to this. I didn’t finish the four episodes of how to stop (preparing to stop) before today, but I’ve heard them before. I’m finishing it off today and I’m going to keep this series playing in the background over the next couple of days!
Allen Carr is one of the people that speaks on it along with some other useful experts and lots of people who have stopped smoking.
When I tried reading Allen Carr’s book again, I didn’t finish it, it made me feel more like a ‘confirmed’ smoker as he calls it. But I’ve found this BBC series quite helpful. It was originally released one episode a week with little tasks to do each week. But I’m finding it pretty good just going through one after the other.
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This is a great plan…especially versus turning to food…which stimulates similar responses in our bodies/minds. Kind of feeds the loop, so to speak. Fresh air was something I turned to a lot when quitting, as well as switching up my routine somewhat to break the associations. A short walk might help…I was in and out of the house constantly in early days, weeks, months. It is when I took up running actually.
Proud of you!!
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I quit dipping and smoking while in rehab for alcoholism. After doing a cost analysis it was a no brainer. I have been dipping/smoking/vaping whatever I could with nicotine since I have been 12 minus my basic training but I’m almost to 50 days. Still have a craving every now and again but as long as I choose not to do it in the here and now I’m good.
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I am at day 12 of no nicotine. Cravings aren’t as bad as I would expect in this stage, so it was a good choice to not use nicotine replacement and go cold turkey. Last night It came into my mind to have ‘‘just one’’. But it is not worth it I can see this clear now.
@mno Great inspiration post 
@siand I really like your list it is similar to mine which I keep in my pocket all the time. Going outside for ‘‘actually’’ fresh air is a good idea. I have a walk after dinner every day just to make sure the cravings will not take control of my mind. This helps a lot. When a was a smoker, during my hikes I never smoked,my brain apparently have accepted this as a ‘‘non smoking’’ area. I like to do breathing exercises when I am outside, this helps me also.
Welcome to the non- smoker family… we got this! 
@DKoss40 congratulations for being a non smoker for 50 days. This is huge! amazing achievement! 
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Thank you! I have written the list up in colourful Sharpies and am putting it on the wall in my office. Going to see if it works as the background on my phone too.
Yesterday was rough. I was suuuuper tired and it made me realise how much I have been relying on nicotine to give me a little boost. I of course know that it does the opposite over the long term! Ended up finishing work early (fortunately I have a super wonderful boss who is very understanding about some health stuff that I’ve had going on) and had an hour outside, which really helped. Also went to bed at 9pm one very grumpy a-hole But feeling less terrible today, onwards and upwards!
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Think that’s the key for me too.
I heard something on the show I linked to where one guy was like ‘if I tell myself I can have one tomorrow, if I get through today, that helps’. For me that type of thinking does not help at all. My brain is like well if you are going to have one tomorrow might as well have one now!
So yea. Just remembering the choice in the here and now works!
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2 weeks free from nicotine 
I feel strong…physically and mentally.
Just gone add some more days and Focus
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Yay you Roland! Keep going. Nothing will stop you.
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