No More Butts...The Beginning..

[FallenAngel]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Around the 3 month mark can be very tricky in our quits... many people relapse at that point in time.
It's so great to hear that you are going to restart your quit! The sooner you stop feeding your body nicotine, the easier it will on you. Every cigarette you smoke right now will reinforce your brain to wanting another "fix".

[Wildflowers]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

I agree with Angel. I've spoken with a couple of peeps recent who told me just never give up on wanting to quit, that's most important. Keeping it in the forefront of out minds, that strong desire. You have it!!! One gal quit for 3 mon, then 6 mon, now 3 yrs. quit. Other gal similar, started again at 1 yr & smoked again for about 6 wks & is almost at a yr again. I met them in the kitty cat world.

You did great hun!!! You will continue to do great!!!! :h :l

[Wildflowers]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Oh yeah, they both said those lozengers helped. I will give it go again next yr & am going to try that. They both bought the cheaper generic ones too. I still have my gum from April. I will get there. I know I will. I know you already have, & will be there again in a flash. Xo

[kuya]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

So well done to get to 81 days K9, and start again straight away!

I have been on and off this last few days, but am unwell ATM and feeling sorry for myself so gonna make concerted effort in a few days.

I can't remember K9 did you use NRT or cold turkey?

[K9Lover]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Quitting AGAIN...today at 12:45pm (my time). I have two ciggies left, which I will have when I go home for lunch...then throw everything out.

I made it 81 days last time...at least that's a goal to shoot for again...and beyond.

Wish me luck

[nicelife]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Here I am wishing you all the luck in the world!!

I've heard it said that quitting the cigs is much harder than the booze so you should be really proud of your recent 80 days.

You go girly!!!

[FallenAngel]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Great to hear you're back on track again K9!
How are you feeling on your first full day?

[K9Lover]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

I wish I could say "My first day went great!"...yeah, it hasn't quite happened yet. I am just not READY again. I'm setting my date for this Sunday. Ugh...cigs are definitely proving to be harder than alcohol for me...I wish there was an Antabuse pill for cigarettes...I'd be all over it!!!

[FallenAngel]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

The mental preparation is the hardest. It seems like we can come up with all kinds of excuses to postpone the start of our quit (believe me, I know ALL to well about that). I think sometimes the spur of the moment of 'drawing the line in the sand' can be the best. That's basically what happened to me when I quit smoking, and most definitely did when I quit drinking (poured my half full glass of alcohol down the drain, and said to myself "that's it").

My last years of smoking were as a closet smoker. One day in July of 2006 I decided that I was going to quit smoking, and I figured that September would be the best time to quit because in the upcoming month of August, I was going to have 3 extended long weekends by myself that I could "smoke my brains out". When I heard myself say that, I realized that was about the most STUPID thing I had ever come up with. (It's like saying I'm going to start my diet on Monday, and then spend the entire weekend gorging on everything I will no longer be able to eat). It was at that moment I decided to quit in July, and use those upcoming weekends in August to prove my strength.
Carpe Diem!

[K9Lover]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Thank you Fallen!

I agree that sometimes you just need to say "this is IT...right here, right now!". I'm still so MAD at myself for going back after 81 days...I know I was in a really bad mood and just feeling so BLAH...I felt like "Hell I've given up everything!" and then I drove to the store and bought a pack, and it's been downhill ever since. I know I will quit again. I KNOW IT! I felt so GOOD when I quit, less tired, no little annoying hack, even my sinuses cleared up, my eye bags went away....now you'd think that would be enough...but unfortunately the addict mind doesn't care about that stuff. I can and WILL do this!

[FallenAngel]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Those 81 days smoke-free still count! They count for 81 days that your body had a chance to heal.... they count for 81 days of learning a new mind set.... they count for a lesson learned.
How would you feel to have lost a 2-3 year quit & then start over?
That's what happened to me. It was devastating. It took 8 long years of hating myself for that stupid mistake to finally get the determination to quit again. I had to go past the 3 year mark to finally get to new virgin quitting ground. That was tough. When others celebrated their first 6 months or 1 year milestone, I knew in my heart that I would have to wait 3 years to get to my "real" milestone. When I finally made it to that point, it was a wonderful sense of accomplishment that I had never experienced before.
I have to tell you though, when I quit smoking this last time, I knew this quit had to stick. I really didn't think I had another quit in me, and that's what scared the hell out of me enough to never take that first puff.
That devastating relapse taught me a very important lesson. I learned that when I made a promise of quitting to myself, it was of the utmost importance to NEVER break a promise to the most important person in MY life.... me. Because when I allow myself to go back on a promise, it makes it so much easier to do it again, and again.... and, again.
I learned about not giving into "instant gratification". That's where ALL relapses start from. I learned to start looking at "the big picture", not what I craved for at the moment.
All the things I learned from that smoking relapse I put into action when I quit drinking. I knew I only had one shot at this.... so I had to make it work. When I poured that drink down the drain in July of 2007, that was my first attempt to ever quit drinking & I knew it had to be my last.... and that is the thought I have kept ever since.

So girl, I think now is as good of a time as any! We don't need to feel determined before we start something.... we can MAKE ourselves determined as we act on our actions! Whatdaya say we seize the day! :l

[K9Lover]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Here I go again. My third SERIOUS attempt to quit...this will be it.

Day 2....

p.s. No more hours and seconds, I don't have my smartphone anymore. LOL

[Dottie Belle]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

K9 there are many of us on day 2....We can do this...
Dottie

[K9Lover]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

Hi Dottie,
You are quitting smoking too? Glad to have the company!
K9

[RingingCedars]

No More Butts...The Beginning..

I wish you luck and the strongest of determination Niner. Three times a charm? Or something like that. Does that apply?