Hello Everyone, I'm still alive and smoke free as well. Life is very hectic right now, kids, work, and school. You know how it is! Have been having major urges the past 1 1/2 weeks. Much worse than in the beginning! I am totally stressed out, and really fighting hard. May be has to do with weight gain, I am very unhappy about this, and start feeling like a ballon. And yes, I watch what I eat (signed up with WW online, and follow their point system), I exercise, plus live in NYC where walking is a given. Don't want to give in to the nico demon, but I have feel like I have reached a breaking point in my quit. Feel like crying because I long for a cigarette. May be I was to arrogant about my quit, because it wasn't as bad as I had expected in the beginning. I guess they are right when they say every quit is different. Best to you all, Gaby [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 68 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,371 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $527 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 59 [B]Seconds:[/B] 47

Thanks all for your words of support. And 3galeh! checked out the cabbage soup diet, will get on it tomorrow. Just need to buy the cabbage, got all the other stuff in the pantry and fridge. I think a nice jump start is what I need. Gaby [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 68 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,377 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $527 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 39 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Thanks Redrosie, you always know how to make one feel better, and you always find the right words without over analyzing every single emotion people go thru. It just feels good to vent once in a while instead of keeping it all bottled in. And even though we do know all the facts and pitfalls, what do and what not do, how to deal with cravings, this is where we can come to and can share what we go thru. Though I don't know about those bigger clothes hon. I am afraid that I'll be to comfortable in them, and never set step on a treadmill again. Thanks again, Redrosie, will head over to Ash Kickers. Gaby [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 68 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,373 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $527 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20

Hang in there Gaby, as a wise woman says... this too shall pass. I ran into a rough patch around 70 days too, and I'm here to tell you it will and does get better. My quit also felt "easier" in the first 5 weeks, then all heck broke loose around day 45 and then again around day 70. It's too bad these stages were more predictable so we could be ready for them. You never know when a bad spell can hit. I guess that's why we have to be vigilant all the time. I too have gained weight, probably 15 pounds. I have found my eating is more under control so I'm hoping that will be all I gain. I found by buying a few looser clothes I don't feel so much of the "ballooning" effect. It was a reward for myself. Remember too that even though we may feel bigger, most people don't see the difference, so try not to be so hard on yourself. The important thing is you have 68 days under your belt too. lol. Congrats on that and head over to the Ash Kickers post and tell us where your from. We love to strut our stuff!!! :p [color=Red]redrosie[/color] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 84 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,029 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $697.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 11

Morning Gaby, I too checked out the cabbage soup diet. I need a boost to get me back on track, so I'm going to try it. I'm going today to pick up the stuff I need. I'm impressed that you already have this stuff at home. lol. Maybe we can hook up on the smoking cessation and weight gain forum with how it's going for us. Have a great day. Thanks 3galeh! [color=Red]redrosie[/color] :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 85 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,047 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $705.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 31

Hey Gaby I had the same sort of craving to smoke about a month ago and it really was the worse craving I've had so far. I went as far as to think about going to buy just "one pack", just to get me through the craving. I have to tell you that "one pack" thought scared me to death. I couldn't believe that I'd gone this far just to give in. It finally did pass but it was about 3 days of pure hell and craving unlike any I'd had since my quit. Don't know why it hit me so hard or why it's doing it to you, but I'm sure we're not alone in this. Hang in there and remember that it will pass. vicki just 1 puff away from 2 packs a day ps-good to see you again [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 160 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,427 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1120 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 21 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43

I think we all have those craves from time to time, but wait that 5 mins and I think it will be gone. You can do this, dont blow it now. Try doing a search on googgle for the cabbage soup diet its a great diet for giving you a quick boost. You lose right away and you only do it for a week then you try to eat carefully. I used the weight watchers after and it worked great. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/21/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 339 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,492 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2542.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 9 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7

[i]because I long for a cigarette[/i] Therein lies part of your problem....."longing, thinking about, romanticizing, wishing" that you could smoke Placing your smoking past in a positive light and your quit in a negative light. You need to learn to dwell on the "positive" of the quit.....see smoking for what it really is.....it won't relax you or help with your stress....that is one of the greatest fallacies of smoking. It actually causes MORE stress because the addiction is constantly demanding your attention to satisfy it. Where you are now, you are experiencing the misconception that the way to handle stress and anxiety is to smoke. You have spent your smoking years listening to this addiction tell you that smoking "relieves" pressure.....of course it does! but the pressure it relieves is the addiction demanding a fix!! Once you give yourself that nicotine 'fix' you feel a mellowing and a satisfaction. Not because you solved any problems!!....but because you satisfied the addiction for a few minutes! Your quit isn't bad now.....you just have to learn to cope with stress without lighting up! Do you practice any relaxing techniques?? breathing, stretching, turning your attention from the cause of your stress for a few minutes?? Distracting from letting yourself "think" about smoking?? These are what we refer to as coping skills and you need to continue to employ them for several months....until they come naturally when an urge to "solve the problem with a smoke" hits you. Are you rewarding yourself?? Rewards are one of the best ways to train yourself to think "positive" about not smoking. Set up a reward plan that includes small, spur of the moment rewards and also longer term rewards....ones that really bring home the realization that you have more time and money because you QUIT smoking. Also learn to relish the pride that comes with maintaining "control" over your own actions. Look at smoking as letting the addiction have the control! now ask yourself......WHO is going to run my life?? ME...or a bunch of rolled up, burning weeds???? And I too realize that gaining weight is often an outcome of quitting smoking......but begin to realize this.....weight gain is because of what we 'eat'.....not whether we smoke or no

Gaby, This is normal, so take time for yourself! Do some relaxing techniques and enjoy you time. It is ok to feel this way :) Look at your fantastic stats and know the you can do this! Keep Strong, Josie _____________________ The SSC Support Team.