At 11.30 pm on Saturday 26th January 2013 Rochelle and I achieved 1 year quit!
Gina will be with us in 4 days
I wonder if Becs has made it? She hasn't posted for 6 months, but she logged on to the forum on 6th January 2013 so has looked in recently. Becs, if you see this let us know how you are.
It was nice to hear from Dolly and I'd love to hear that Si is contented and doing well.
How did we make it?
For those at a loose end, here's a thread by thread account of how we got here...
For any newcomers who get through all that, what it shows you is that it can be done.
In those threads you will see that all of us, at one time or another, went through all the doubts, fears, tears, stresses, craves and side effects as you may be going through and feeling.
What it also shows is the laughs and good times too. The hope and determination. The power of this forum to help you through the bad times.
We did it. Others have done it before us. You can do it too.
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I remember you guys from my previous quit in February last year! So proud that you have made it a full year! Here's to spending the rest of your lives smoke-free!
Well done guys, hats off to you all, im still here wondering if i should give it another go, i remember how good i felt fitness wise after such short space of time of stopping.
I only managed 4 months and a day last time. hmm. I remember it like i remember all the other times ive tried, its damn tough going the first few months. i think i might just give it another go using Wednesday this no smoking day as a start date. Ill see, not got my mind in set yet. but hey when i comes to stopping smoking when do we have eh.
Im not promising ill do it but at least im thinking about it which must mean some. well id like to think it does. The thing i find hard is its all hands on in the beginning then after a few weeks/months stopping smoking becomes boring. I just have to get over that stage. I really dont know.
Anyway folks really glad you made the one year bench mark, i so wanted to stay with you at the time, but i stumble and fell, through a tough time i had. One day im sure ill be smoke free.
Well done guys, hats off to you all, im still here wondering if i should give it another go, i remember how good i felt fitness wise after such short space of time of stopping.
I only managed 4 months and a day last time. hmm. I remember it like i remember all the other times ive tried, its damn tough going the first few months. i think i might just give it another go using Wednesday this no smoking day as a start date. Ill see, not got my mind in set yet. but hey when i comes to stopping smoking when do we have eh.
Im not promising ill do it but at least im thinking about it which must mean some. well id like to think it does. The thing i find hard is its all hands on in the beginning then after a few weeks/months stopping smoking becomes boring. I just have to get over that stage. I really dont know.
Anyway folks really glad you made the one year bench mark, i so wanted to stay with you at the time, but i stumble and fell, through a tough time i had. One day im sure ill be smoke free.
Kind regards and hope to speak Soon. Si
Try when you feel mentally ready for it. It's your life and only you can choose what to do
I haven't been on here since I posted our 1 year thread and would like to thank everyone who posted for their kind words.
The forum has changed totally in terms of regular posters, but it's good to see so many of around my time gradually reaching the penthouse and so many of the "newer" quitters doing so well.
I'll have done 17 months in a few days and just don't think about smoking now.
Keep it up everyone, the early days of stress and torment are worth it when you get to the point where you have broken free of the evil weed.
The one thing that will remain with me forever is NOPE, Not One Puff Ever.
As long as I'm not stupid enough to think I can have the odd smoke and control it, I know I'll never end up smoking again.
Congrats to you guys!!!!! I check out the 1 year postings from time to time for some inspiration. I am only 7 weeks into my quit - and have forever to go! I like to read about how you one year quitters do not think about smoking anymore. You help let me know there is light at the end of the tunnel. So thank you for posting - and congrats again!!!!
Thought I'd check in and see if there was any new posts in here. I too don't really think about smoking, unless I realise how long it's been and I start thinking about how great it is that I don't do it anymore!
Gary, Rochelle good to that you guys are doing great ! I think I m a proper non smoker now and can have a friend next to me smoking while having a drink or two or three and not even noticing it feel so proud of myself whenever I remember I quit and how long it has been !!!! Best decision I ever made !!
Guys who are starting or already started wondering when the pain and suffering will go , keep at it and don't give up , it will suddenly disappear I promise !!!
Hi Rochelle and Gina (and everybody else on the forum)
Rochelle, Gina and I have all reached 18 months now - 1.5 years!
I have to say that at the start of my quit the first couple of days felt like a week, the first week like a month and the first month like a year.
It gradually got easier and easier and the last 6 months, from 1 year on, have flown by.
Whilst not complacent, I feel totally comfortable in my quit now and trigger points have all but vanished as I have seen them off over the last 18 months.
Most people find it tough at the start but quitting is achievable.
All you have to do is not light up. It really is that simple. :cool:
Good luck to everyone, keep on keeping on, down the yellow quit road.
Yep, at 11.30 tonight I will have done 600 days smoke free! :cool:
It struck me today that nobody offers me a smoke or asks if I'm going outside for one anymore, which confirms to me that me not smoking is not only the norm for me, but also how everyone sees me now - as a non smoker.
There's a whole trainload of you charging towards the Penthouse which is really good to see, I look forward to greeting you all as and when you arrive. :cool:
Toyah, great to see you back trying again and thanks for your lovely comment. Don't be jealous of us, come and join us all as a non smoker! :cool:
Nice to hear from you Gina, tonight Rochelle and I will have completed 20 months and you will be with us in a few days
Si, I see you logged in a day or so ago, how's it going buddy? Thinking about a stoptober quit? We will be here rooting for you if you do, pop on and say hello.
Shojam, long time no see, but I see you've posted recently, how are you?
Dolly & Becs, do you still look in?
To everyone else, particularly new quitters, you have to believe it can be done because it can. The struggle is absolutely worth it and, if you refuse to lose, you'll only ever have to go through it once.
Rochelle and I have now done 21 months - 1.75 years!
Gina will be with us in just a few days!
This second year is going so quickly and smoking is something in the past that I used to do. I never get craves now and I'm never taking the chance of reawakening the monster ever again.
Once I decided to quit for good I promised myself NOPE. Not One Puff Ever.
I have stuck to that and since 26th January 2012 I have never had so much as a drag and I never will again.
Believe new quitters, believe.
I was where you are now. I wondered if it was possible, if it ever got easier, if the craves ever went away, if I would ever lose the weight I put on, if leading a life without smoking was achievable.
I am here, 21 months later, to tell you that all of the above is possible. I now swim 2500 metres, 3 times per week - 5 miles! When I first started, back in March this year, it took me 1 hour 15 minutes to swim 1250 metres. I now swim 2500 metres in 55 minutes.
I am fitter, healthier, wealthier and happier. I sleep better, have more energy and am much less stressed than I have ever been. I've discovered what everyone told me during the early days of my quit - smoking does not make you feel less stressed, it causes it.
Stay strong new quitters and in a little while you will be where I am now. Just keep saying no and eventually not smoking will become normal. Not smoking will become your new habit.
In fact yours is one of the journeys I enjoyed reading my early additicted to Forum days! And Austin's, and Hellesbelles and Alex76 to name another few.
Nice to see you popping back too. And I agree smoking causes stress, it doesn't make it go away! Fact.
No interest in running,! walking the dog, yes, and loving swimming too.
Karri, an unexpected but pleasant surprise to get a reply from you, thankyou You are doing so well this time around and whilst I do not want to put any pressure on you, don't throw it away this time :cool:
(Not so) AngryBear, thanks for your reply Compared to what you do, swimming is a doddle! My wife has diabetes so rest assured that some of my hard earned will be coming your way when you do the London marathon :cool:
Nutmeg, thanks so much for your comment. You've made the Penthouse too and I missed it Congratulations to you too
Well done Gary, I am 11 days behind you and as Nutmeg said I have followed your journey all the way. I always knew that you would be a successful quitter, sometimes you can just tell. You are getting your rewards now feeling healthier happier wealthier and that is just great! Brilliant
Thought I will say a quick hello to my crew and to ALL quitters, 1 year 10 months over and done with , waiting to proudly say , "I have been a non smoker for 2 years " in January !
Well done Gary on swimming , I have also managed to lose the extra pounds and become lean and strong ! Still working out 4-5 days a week and do a lot of cardio which I could not do earlier !
That's right, 1 million minutes since I last smoked! How cool is that! :cool:
In exactly 7 days it will be 23 months and then 1 month after that it will be 2 years!
If there are any newcomers looking in and thinking about quitting, do yourself a favour and give yourself the best christmas present ever and actually do it.
Yes, it can be hard at times, but as the old saying goes, nothing worth having comes easy. Believe me, a no smoking life is worth having.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone, I hope you all have a good one
Was thinking it's going to be 2 years at the end of the month that I stopped smoking. So thought I'd check in on here pleased to see you still smoke free Gary. Knew you would be though.
Best thing I ever did was stop, started my weight loss journey off too and I'm now at target, with a loss of 8st 10.5lbs. I feel absolutely amazing!
The second year seems to have absolutely flown by. I have very rare and fleeting thoughts of smoking (mainly when I look in here), but no craves at all.
Smoking is now definitely something I used to do rather than something I have given up.
To all the new quitters just remember NOPE (Not One Puff Ever). Cigarettes attack in packs (10's & 20's), never alone.
We are all addicts and 1 cigarette is one too many, whilst 1,000 is never enough.
Don't feed the habit and it can't take hold again.
Tough it out and eventually your subconcious will catch up with your desire to quit. At that point the quit becomes easy and you are well on the way to becoming a real non smoker.
You just have to tough it out to start with and it's really not as bad as your mind thinks it will be.
Where did that year go! It's brilliant in some ways but that means I'm another year older too
Seriously, all you guys are an inspiration, you really are and this place is incredibly lucky that you take the time to come back and inspire newbies. I know you have inspired me and kept me going on more than one occasion and for that THANK YOU
The second year seems to have absolutely flown by. I have very rare and fleeting thoughts of smoking (mainly when I look in here), but no craves at all.
Smoking is now definitely something I used to do rather than something I have given up.
To all the new quitters just remember NOPE (Not One Puff Ever). Cigarettes attack in packs (10's & 20's), never alone.
We are all addicts and 1 cigarette is one too many, whilst 1,000 is never enough.
Don't feed the habit and it can't take hold again.
Tough it out and eventually your subconcious will catch up with your desire to quit. At that point the quit becomes easy and you are well on the way to becoming a real non smoker.
You just have to tough it out to start with and it's really not as bad as your mind thinks it will be.
Hurrah! Today is 800 days since I last had so much as a puff from a miniature cigar (I smoked Hamlet Miniatures like cigarettes).
It struck me recently that I no longer know how much a tin of 10 costs now (I used to smoke 20 plus per day), yet when I smoked I knew exactly how much they were and where the cheapest were being sold from week to week.
How much have I "saved" since I quit? Conservatively it is approximately £6,400!
Better health, fitter and more money, what's not to love about quitting
Hurrah! Today is 800 days since I last had so much as a puff from a miniature cigar (I smoked Hamlet Miniatures like cigarettes).
It struck me recently that I no longer know how much a tin of 10 costs now (I used to smoke 20 plus per day), yet when I smoked I knew exactly how much they were and where the cheapest were being sold from week to week.
How much have I "saved" since I quit? Conservatively it is approximately £6,400!
Better health, fitter and more money, what's not to love about quitting
Another fantastically motivating post from you Gary, so glad your here and congratulations on 800 days :cool:
I logged on after a long time & read your reply to Gary , thank you for such kind words !! You & I , and several others have made it haven't we ?? Big thanks to this forum !! It's going to be 2 and half years for me in 20 days and I still feel that this is the best thing I have done in my life !! The worst was trying to look cool smoking :))
You're not the only one to turn their smoking money into a nice shiney new car - like you I always swore I'd never buy brand new, but suddenly I found I could afford it:rolleyes::rolleyes:
Hi Capitan, The cruise is a 14 night Canaries one. The treat for not smoking is at least a balcony cabin (we went inside on our Spain/Morocco cruise last year), maybe if I'm very careful with money a mini suite - oh how I would love to stay in one of those :D
Well, at 11.30pm last night I achieved 3 years quit!
I can honestly say that I no longer even think about smoking anymore, I have no desire to have one, no longer have any triggers at all and wouldn't smoke again if they were being given out free.
That said, I'm still going to stick with NOPE for the rest of my life. I'm never going to risk reawakening that monster because I've seen what has happened to others. The best way to quit is to never put a lit cigarette in your mouth and inhale. It really is that simple.
I'm firmly of the belief that you don't lose a quit, you give it away. Every last one of us can find a reason to smoke, addicts are good at that. The truth is, that if you continue to wait for that perfect time in your life, the time when everything is perfect all the time, then you'll never quit, you'll always find a reason or excuse as to why you had to smoke.
I don't believe you necessarily need a plan either. My friend died and the next day I quit out of respect for him. It was only meant to be one day, but at the end of it I thought I'd try another day, then another. Now it's 3 years! There was no plan, I just stuck to NOPE. It was hard at times, very hard, but why did I succeed? I didn't put a lit cigarette in my mouth and inhale, it's that simple - have I said that before?
Not everybody has to have a "blip" either. I've seen plenty on here succeed without having a blip. I'm not saying people don't, but the way I look at it is, if you think you're likely to have a blip, because everybody seems to have them, then you too are likely to have one. Why put that in your mind to start with? I was absolutely determined not to have a blip - there is no way I wanted to ever do those first few weeks ever again! It was hard, but achievable - just don't put a lit cigarette in your mouth and inhale.
Alcohol is something I didn't have to contend with as I don't drink, but I've seen so, so many people lose a quit because they had too much to drink and lost their inhibitions and willpower. If you really want to quit and can't trust yourself after a drink, then either don't drink alcohol at all or ensure you only have a couple. If you really want to quit then you'll do what it takes.
People always seem surprised that they are having bad craves even after quitting for just 2, 3 or 4 months etc - why? Most of them had smoked for 10, 15 or 20 years or more. Why do people think they can break a 10, 15 or 20 year habit in a few months? Be kind to yourself and give it time - slowly, slowly catch the monkey!
This sounds like a preachy sermon and it's really not meant that way. It's just that quitting is a serious business and if you want to succeed, really want to succeed, then all you have to do is not put a lit cigarette in your mouth and inhale. NOPE!
Good luck to one and all, the hard work at the start really is worth it in the end
Oh Capitan, my Capitan (to misquote Walt Whitman :)) that is one fantastic post....
Three years is one magnificent achievement and it's so lovely that you're still popping in regularly to share your wisdom with us. Many, many congratulations from me.
Had it a year now, it's the ST sports model. Buying it using money I would have spent on smokes and using it as a fun weekend car. They really are nippy, good handling cars that drive like go-carts - I love it!
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Congratulations to you too 
Any old members of Dolly’s Mixtures Quit Crew still on here?
