N.O.P.E Why slip and start over the whole journey of agony and cravings all over again , why start from square one , when you are at square 10???? I have slipped before on my first quit and it not only made me smoke again , but it made me appreciate smoking even more , my appetite grew and instead of smoking 6 or 7 a day I smoked 10 to 12 a day !! i felt i was deprived and I was making it up for my self !! guys belive me the only way to quit is to say Not One More Puff , it is not worth it!!!!!! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/15/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 12 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 96 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $9.60 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Deli Where have you been? me xxxxx [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 378 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,316 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �1,984.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 73 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 56 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

Ohhhh. Thanks Lolo:) "One day at a time!" Of course! Sorry for my slowness in catching things like this. I knew I liked the "Oh-Dat" sound of it (I was born in the Great Lakes region:) Nuf said, ey?:) You are really sweet to my heart for some reason. Have you been up and down too?:) Alohakeia, you're precious, as always. Thanks for the cool sunglasses icon. (I'm so visual...) Actually - I was having a hard time tonight so came back for a quick visit and look what I found! Awesome and sincere support... Had my eyes checked today too, and guess what? My first pair of cool prescription sunglasses:) I'm excited! I can go in-cog-neat-o on my walks with Taffy now:) Thoughts are so powerful... It's 8ish so I know I can make it to entertaining fun buddies (and their kids) and then bedtime:) phooey to the old cigarette thoughts... They're dressed up lies. Unfortunately, being in the advertising biz I know how all that can translate to dollars for some, but I'm taking a stand in the other direction while I can. Here (the SSC) is the best place:) Deli? I love your twirling girl icon:) It's also pretty special that you posted to share your connection with Grace's post a year ago. Wow. It's history, yet not, in that we all still benefit from great principles... I especially love your stats!! My Gosh, 10 years younger than me, but sooooo much wiser! Kudos! You're amazing Deli... Take those parties right back here:) so glad you did... I know I learned from your comments on it... Thanks. If you're into acting, our daughter (10) is in love with the Phantom of the Opera! Gerald Butler? seems to be the fave... We took her to the Broadway show in NY, and then the remake in Las Vegas (my Dad's sister lives there, so it was a fun experience:) Vegas had the boom and charm for babykitty... Basically? She's a good musician (plays/loves the Phantom music on piano) and appreciates great acting as well. Gosh! The Arts are great... and we CAN do them without cigarettes! How cool is that........?:) They used to be huge there... Good night all, and thanks for the support and effect you've had on my evening without even knowing it:) Luv you all... Still smoke free and pretty happy 'bout that:) hope you are too... 'nite, mk [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/14/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 6 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 90 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $22.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 59 [B]Seconds:[/B] 18

ODAAT........one day at a time... Ty for sharing mamakitty and deli ty aloha for your kindness *deep breath* ?Me [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 40 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $9.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 49

mk Wow! Every new post of yours shows how much self reflection you have been doing. Your attitude this quit seems to be so much more positive since your slips and relapse. I AM watching :8|:, I DO care, and I have faith in you making this your final quit. I will continue to celebrate alongside you, my friend. One week tomorrow! I'm proud of you. -aloha P.S. That goes for you, too, Lolo :8|: [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 151 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,040 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,026.80 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 21 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29

This is a timely message for me to stumble across... I quit about the same time as Grace - the original person to have written this post, about a year ago. I didn't really understand the words 'crave' and 'slipping' that every one was so concerned with, since I had been hypnotised and subsequently didn't believe in such weakness. I have been quit over a year and haven't been thinking of smoking until last weekend. I went to a pary of one of my closest friends, which was full of people I hadn't seen for a while - not since I had quit - and had the worst urges to smoke that I have ever experienced. I experienced 'cravings' that everyone had been going on about. Full on stuff. It was like I was in my first week again. Thinking about cigarettes every minute. Weird. I just thank my luck stars that I didn't indulge. Otherwise, I would have been back to square one. The only thing that comforts me is that I would have been able to come home - to the SSC - as I have done now, to express my thoughts. Goodness - I will always be tied to this site!!! Thanks, Deli xxx [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/1/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 384 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,760 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �1,536.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 32 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 39

This IS great stuff... To smoke or not to smoke (one, one pack, or thousands) Then to deal with the consequence of our own behavior if we do. Choose to learn from it, or not... I played the game with myself, and it's true that it's extremely hard to put the things down again for good. I initially called it a slip because to me it was a slide backward in my resolve to stay quit. When I realized how serious it was and how much more difficult it was to stop completely, the slips became a quick relapse... Like quicksand, my old smoking self came back way too fast and familiar. I didn't like what I saw and felt, especially because my quit was fresh enough for me to know the difference and feel the truth. I'm thankful I could get back to my quit. I'm not sure how I did it, other than just making a decision again and sticking to it one day at a time. Accountability here is a good thing. For me it matters most when people take root in my heart (thanks Unhooked and alohakeia:) I don't want to let them down because I know they care and are watching me. The progress "scoreboard" is fun when I'm winning, but in reality it's what "I think of me" that matters for my life. If I can ultimately be my own best friend, I can remind myself that I wasn't born smoking cigarettes and that I was always me without them. I just have to accept all aspects of myself and move forward:) When I can be good to me, I can be good to you:) It gives me a sense of purpose if I can help others... You all have certainly helped me. Thanks for the bump Lolo! What does ODAAT stand for? I bet it's a good one:) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/14/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 6 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 90 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $22.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 8 [B]Seconds:[/B] 52

thanks for finding this one Lolo, and for bumping it up. No matter what is happening, one puff will not make it better, instead it will make it so much worse. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 151 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,040 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,026.80 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 21 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 25 [B]Seconds:[/B] 52

?Lolo [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 20 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $4.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 49 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

Someone on here noted once that I hadn't really "slipped" when I smoked a few cigarettes after being quit for a number of years. They're point was that I made a choice. Of course even a slip after a few days is a choice but I think the point they were trying to make is that after a number of years quit, I was obviously well over the physical symptoms of withdrawl and severe craving. In fact, in a sense, that is what can make things dangerous for me far down the road: it almost seems too easy being away from smoking and my memory doesn't recall how painful quitting is and also how much I hate smoking once it has me in its clutches. I just forget - not mentally, but in my gut where it matters. And I inevitably have made this "choice" when traveling for work. It's like I see the travel time coming a few weeks out and my mind starts thinking that I should smoke at that time - like I'll be free and out on my own - and I should smoke. Very ironic that when I am going to be "free and on my own" I choose to shackle the chain of nicoteine addiction on my leg. (thanks, I might have just worked something out here!) The QM [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/16/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 12 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 256 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $48 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 4 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54