My strongest quit, my final quit

[TrueToMyself]

I read a post in Minny's intro that really hit close to home:
"How pathetic is it to spend 15 minutes on a PUBLIC toilet all to "enjoy" a dip? It's so fucking disgusting I can't get my head around it... except that I can, because I've been there. In fact, I've done worse. Digging around in the trash, for starters... skipping out on a Saturday w/ my family to run a phantom chore, bailing on professional gatherings, driving alone when it made no sense, sitting on the john at home for too long... all to serve an addiction that I knew could very likely kill me." - Minny

Every damn word rings true in my former life and it's fucking pathetic. Just thinking about it makes me grow three times larger and turn into a green beast who wants to smash everything. I never want to feel that regret and shame again, especially the way it impacted my wife and daughter... my wife who has no idea I was ninja dipping during our entire seven years of marriage.

In fact, over the last nine days, my wife has got to be wondering why I've been spending so much time at home. What happened to his ritual 8pm "errands?" Why has he been acting strange? Why is he in a fog half the time, father/husband of the year half the time and clearly hiding some anxiety/aggression half the time?

You know what? I turned into a mother fucking loser in recent years - the type of person I would look down on. The thing is, I had no idea. I'd blame it on the chew but I chose to use the chew so it's my fault. If I had known someone like me and the shit that "he" did to himself and his family - I would have disdained him, ignored him, avoided him and pitied the people who depended on and trusted him. That's not because I think I'm better than that person but because I don't have time or space for people like that. I can't believe I wasn't able to see myself from the outside perspective... or maybe I did but completely denied it.

Once upon a time, I strived to be a better person every single day in some little way. Somehow, I forgot about that goal many years ago. But now, that person's back and I've been feeling it strongly at some point during every one of the last nine days since I took my life back. And it's wayyyy different than other times I tried to "quit."

Seeing Minny's post really got my brain working on another level today. Still processing it, in fact. Check out more of his post on page 14 in his intro topic/1010219/14/. While you're at it, go back and read the first few pages of his intro - Minny fought hard and suffered a lot to be where he is today. Respect.

[worktowin]

Great start you have going here, and some superstars offerring support- follow their advice, you'll be well-served. It worked well for me so far- and I was a chronic a chewer as there was. KTC is a life saver! Glad to be quitting with you!

Great words today, guys. I take it all to heart and respect where you've been with your own quit. I admire every one of you.

Don't know if you still post in order to help others or to help yourself - probably both. I'm damn glad you do it.

Brettlees - I know exactly the smell you're talking about. That's brutal about the old man. That ain't going to happen to us... Not anymore.

QLFMF ODAAT

True - to answer your question...

For me, in the beginning the daily post was ALL about accountability. See, I wasn't strong enough to do this by myself and I needed my name on the roll first thing every morning so that any craves or urges would immediately be met with feelings of strong guilt on my part for even thinking such a thing! I mean, I promised all of these bad asses that I wouldn't use any nicotine today, and by God I keep my word.

As time moves by, and I know it seems hard to believe right now, but the craves and urges become infrequent, and they are easy to beat down. I actually kind of enjoy them now, because now they remind me that one day at a time I am winning at the one thing that I lost at every day for 25 years.

I love winning.

Now, more than anything, I post to remind myself every morning while I drink my coffee of the miserable horrible place that I had let life take me thanks to my addiction. I was a fucking wreck when I quit... and I didn't even realize it. Now, looking back, it is such a joke. And I don't EVER want to forget that place. Because not only do I get to promise to all of you bad asses that I'm clean today, I get to remind myself of one more day of win in the book. Winning is sweet.

One day at a time, you are getting to a great place. A place that you don't know because your brain has been poisoned and your life schedule ruled through an addiction. Freedom is a great thing. Glad you are here. You make my daily promise stronger.

[TrueToMyself]

Great start you have going here, and some superstars offerring support- follow their advice, you'll be well-served. It worked well for me so far- and I was a chronic a chewer as there was. KTC is a life saver! Glad to be quitting with you!

Great words today, guys. I take it all to heart and respect where you've been with your own quit. I admire every one of you.

Don't know if you still post in order to help others or to help yourself - probably both. I'm damn glad you do it.

Brettlees - I know exactly the smell you're talking about. That's brutal about the old man. That ain't going to happen to us... Not anymore.

QLFMF ODAAT

[brettlees]

Great start you have going here, and some superstars offerring support- follow their advice, you'll be well-served. It worked well for me so far- and I was a chronic a chewer as there was. KTC is a life saver! Glad to be quitting with you!

[30isEnuff]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

I found the "office" and routine triggers were always more of a kick in the teeth at first. Much easier to break routines and stay busy on the weekend/after work. The office had some rituals - drive in, dip. Cup of coffe, dip. Take a crap, dip. Pouring over reports and preparing for meetings, dip.

Get done with a meeting - dip.

Post lunch - dip.

Mid afternoon ESPN session? dip.

End of the day push? you guessed it.

Drive home? Dip.

Pretty f'ing ridiculous. Trust me when i say the schedule didnt lay out the way it did for any reason other than working in extra sessions. I suggest getting a big ol 1 liter of water and some seeds, candy, fake (whatever you need) and to the extent possible reshuffle your schedule. When the fog or the craves get bad, see if you cant work in some kind of physical stuff. Walk, clean up the office, get outside and soak up some vitamin D and fresh air, climb steps, etc. It will take the time it takes to break the mold, but trust me when I say it can, has, and will continue to be done.

Its not a setback - its the nic bitch trying to fuck with you. She is saying "see, you can enjoy your quit, but now its back to work and you know how much easier the week is with me. You can always quit this weekend again." Its a lie. Trust me, she will fight harder. This is her soft sell.

I am sending you a PM with my number - feel free to use it if you need it.

J2b, we must be in the same line of work... Not my intro but there is some good info in here as I'm going through the same stuff as as truetomyself with cravings at work and all that.

I'm going to try the clean up the desk thing next time as it's been about 4 years... beat the nic bitch and live in a clean cube, at least for about 3 days.

(Fixed some typos)

Well shit, I am sending you my number as well.

cbird, j2b, basshaug - great stuff here. J2B you know exactly what I'm talking about. Those distractions are excellent, especially the in-office exercise. I can easily fit that in, here and there.

My best distraction right now is this website - it's going to stay that way, too. It's certainly more of a support system than a distraction, but it serves both purposes.

This website is surprisingly addictive. Imagine that.

I work in my computer shop/office. Customers come in and call. Used to be (2yrs ago) my office smelled like a cesspool of old spit and stankyass tobacco. Customers knew as soon as they entered that another "dumbass" worked here.
One day an old lady came in for laptop service, she said, "are you dipping?" I said, "yes, Mamm". She said, "That tobacco is gonna kill you"! I did not know this lady from Adam. But that person planted a seed and it grew. She told me about her husband who worked all his life at The Paper Mill, then one morning getting ready for work, he bent over to put on his socks and never straightened up. Cancer got his spine. There was not a name at the time for his cancer. Another human being killed by the poison.
We win against the nic bitch, ODAAT. You won this weekend. You're a badass Today!
Post roll
Keep your word
wake and repeat
Real simple, real hard at first...gets much gooder the more daze you "are quit".
I quit with you Today.
Life is great Today.
We were not born with the poison in our mouths, period

[Thumblewort]

True, the only thing I consider a set back is if you put dip in your mouth. You didn't, therefore you won. It's black and white here at the KTC, you didn't use nic and kept your promise, you won. Sew it on a doily if you want, all I care about is you and I keeping our promise. Proud to be quit with you today True!

[TrueToMyself]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

I found the "office" and routine triggers were always more of a kick in the teeth at first. Much easier to break routines and stay busy on the weekend/after work. The office had some rituals - drive in, dip. Cup of coffe, dip. Take a crap, dip. Pouring over reports and preparing for meetings, dip.

Get done with a meeting - dip.

Post lunch - dip.

Mid afternoon ESPN session? dip.

End of the day push? you guessed it.

Drive home? Dip.

Pretty f'ing ridiculous. Trust me when i say the schedule didnt lay out the way it did for any reason other than working in extra sessions. I suggest getting a big ol 1 liter of water and some seeds, candy, fake (whatever you need) and to the extent possible reshuffle your schedule. When the fog or the craves get bad, see if you cant work in some kind of physical stuff. Walk, clean up the office, get outside and soak up some vitamin D and fresh air, climb steps, etc. It will take the time it takes to break the mold, but trust me when I say it can, has, and will continue to be done.

Its not a setback - its the nic bitch trying to fuck with you. She is saying "see, you can enjoy your quit, but now its back to work and you know how much easier the week is with me. You can always quit this weekend again." Its a lie. Trust me, she will fight harder. This is her soft sell.

I am sending you a PM with my number - feel free to use it if you need it.

J2b, we must be in the same line of work... Not my intro but there is some good info in here as I'm going through the same stuff as as truetomyself with cravings at work and all that.

I'm going to try the clean up the desk thing next time as it's been about 4 years... beat the nic bitch and live in a clean cube, at least for about 3 days.

(Fixed some typos)

Well shit, I am sending you my number as well.

cbird, j2b, basshaug - great stuff here. J2B you know exactly what I'm talking about. Those distractions are excellent, especially the in-office exercise. I can easily fit that in, here and there.

My best distraction right now is this website - it's going to stay that way, too. It's certainly more of a support system than a distraction, but it serves both purposes.

This website is surprisingly addictive. Imagine that.

[J2b]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

I found the "office" and routine triggers were always more of a kick in the teeth at first. Much easier to break routines and stay busy on the weekend/after work. The office had some rituals - drive in, dip. Cup of coffe, dip. Take a crap, dip. Pouring over reports and preparing for meetings, dip.

Get done with a meeting - dip.

Post lunch - dip.

Mid afternoon ESPN session? dip.

End of the day push? you guessed it.

Drive home? Dip.

Pretty f'ing ridiculous. Trust me when i say the schedule didnt lay out the way it did for any reason other than working in extra sessions. I suggest getting a big ol 1 liter of water and some seeds, candy, fake (whatever you need) and to the extent possible reshuffle your schedule. When the fog or the craves get bad, see if you cant work in some kind of physical stuff. Walk, clean up the office, get outside and soak up some vitamin D and fresh air, climb steps, etc. It will take the time it takes to break the mold, but trust me when I say it can, has, and will continue to be done.

Its not a setback - its the nic bitch trying to fuck with you. She is saying "see, you can enjoy your quit, but now its back to work and you know how much easier the week is with me. You can always quit this weekend again." Its a lie. Trust me, she will fight harder. This is her soft sell.

I am sending you a PM with my number - feel free to use it if you need it.

J2b, we must be in the same line of work... Not my intro but there is some good info in here as I'm going through the same stuff as as truetomyself with cravings at work and all that.

I'm going to try the clean up the desk thing next time as it's been about 4 years... beat the nic bitch and live in a clean cube, at least for about 3 days.

(Fixed some typos)

Well shit, I am sending you my number as well.

[basshaug]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

I found the "office" and routine triggers were always more of a kick in the teeth at first. Much easier to break routines and stay busy on the weekend/after work. The office had some rituals - drive in, dip. Cup of coffe, dip. Take a crap, dip. Pouring over reports and preparing for meetings, dip.

Get done with a meeting - dip.

Post lunch - dip.

Mid afternoon ESPN session? dip.

End of the day push? you guessed it.

Drive home? Dip.

Pretty f'ing ridiculous. Trust me when i say the schedule didnt lay out the way it did for any reason other than working in extra sessions. I suggest getting a big ol 1 liter of water and some seeds, candy, fake (whatever you need) and to the extent possible reshuffle your schedule. When the fog or the craves get bad, see if you cant work in some kind of physical stuff. Walk, clean up the office, get outside and soak up some vitamin D and fresh air, climb steps, etc. It will take the time it takes to break the mold, but trust me when I say it can, has, and will continue to be done.

Its not a setback - its the nic bitch trying to fuck with you. She is saying "see, you can enjoy your quit, but now its back to work and you know how much easier the week is with me. You can always quit this weekend again." Its a lie. Trust me, she will fight harder. This is her soft sell.

I am sending you a PM with my number - feel free to use it if you need it.

J2b, we must be in the same line of work... Not my intro but there is some good info in here as I'm going through the same stuff as as truetomyself with cravings at work and all that.

I'm going to try the clean up the desk thing next time as it's been about 4 years... beat the nic bitch and live in a clean cube, at least for about 3 days.

(Fixed some typos)

[J2b]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

I found the "office" and routine triggers were always more of a kick in the teeth at first. Much easier to break routines and stay busy on the weekend/after work. The office had some rituals - drive in, dip. Cup of coffe, dip. Take a crap, dip. Pouring over reports and preparing for meetings, dip.

Get done with a meeting - dip.

Post lunch - dip.

Mid afternoon ESPN session? dip.

End of the day push? you guessed it.

Drive home? Dip.

Pretty f'ing ridiculous. Trust me when i say the schedule didnt lay out the way it did for any reason other than working in extra sessions. I suggest getting a big ol 1 liter of water and some seeds, candy, fake (whatever you need) and to the extent possible reshuffle your schedule. When the fog or the craves get bad, see if you cant work in some kind of physical stuff. Walk, clean up the office, get outside and soak up some vitamin D and fresh air, climb steps, etc. It will take the time it takes to break the mold, but trust me when I say it can, has, and will continue to be done.

Its not a setback - its the nic bitch trying to fuck with you. She is saying "see, you can enjoy your quit, but now its back to work and you know how much easier the week is with me. You can always quit this weekend again." Its a lie. Trust me, she will fight harder. This is her soft sell.

I am sending you a PM with my number - feel free to use it if you need it.

[cbird65]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

this is a roller coaster ride - after every successful 'crave beat down' the nic bitch relentlessly counter attacks. The craves will shorten and spread out over time but she's never going to let you go.

[TrueToMyself]

I was worried about making it through the long weekend, thinking my quit was safer during the weekday routine. Actually, the weekend went well, despite some cravings. Now I'm back at the office and the cravings have increased in intensity and duration. WTF? Maybe I subconsciously let my guard down a bit today after the big buildup for the weekend.

I can handle this but it feels like a setback, compared to how I've been feeling. This is f'ing frustrating.

[worktowin]

BAM. Here's a quitter that inspires the hell out of me. It never ceases to amaze me when a quitter comes in here and their story is SO much like mine. Welcome, man. This is going to change your life. A couple of tips (whether you need them or not):

-Don't let your guard down. Each single day is a great accomplishment, but you have been an addict for over six thousand days. For all of the shame brought by lying, weakness, hiding, crabbiness, and missing out on what's important, The Addict has always found a way to justify getting some nicotine. This time is different, but your opponent is formidable as fuck (hint: it's your brain and it has a bit of an unfair advantage). Cravings are one thing, but be extremely wary of JOe, the Just One rationalizing liar. Just One is your fucking enemy but he's sneakier than anything. If you start thinking "Just One" for whatever reason, use the KTC tools and get your head straight.

-If you know the baking soda trick then you're a fellow heartburn sufferer. Getting a good night's rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and not eating or drinking past 7:30 will work miracles. Careful with your veggies and fruites (cranberry); broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cottage cheese... The list of foods that will destroy you will also surprise you.

-Make a pledge here and now that you will be a 100% roll call poster from here to day 100.

Anyway, sorry if this comes off as a bit KnowItAll.

Stop lying. Stop hiding. Start living. It's awesome.

Hey Minny, I can use some KnowItAll because I know nothing. I didn't know there were certain veggies and fruits that could be bad. You know what they are? Are you telling me broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cottage cheese (not quite a fruit/veggie) are on the no-no list?

I like that JOe thing. True.

Thank you for the support, folks.
I pledge here and now that I will be a 100% roll call poster from here to day 100... and that's just the beginning, brothers and sisters.

P.S. What's NAFAR?

Never again for any reason.

The tough days get better. It is very wise to post in your intro every few days in the beginning. Your mind will tend to block out the memories of the miserable first days. It is really helpful to be able to look back on the intro and see where you really were. I will tell you this... You will feel sooo much better that you won't believe it. I can't tell you when , but it will come gradually in phases. And one day you will develop an anger about what nicotine took from you that will surprise you.

Keep it up. Welcome aboard!

I love this quit attitude out of the gates; this is how you take ownership of your quit and how you be quit. It's a new way of life, being quit versus being an addict. We are all addicts, but we don't have to be addicts, if you catch my drift.

Some legends of quit have dropped some serious knowledge on this thread already, but I conversely want to say that sometimes quitting is like raising a baby for the first time. Every parent out there will tell you how to handle this or handle that with a newborn. At the end of the day it comes down to the parent to figure out what the best way is to handle a situation and raise their baby. Quitting is similar. Some things work for some people and other things work for other people. Your quit is your quit and it is unique. That is why someone who has been quit for 2000 days can still learn and be inspired by someone who is quit for 5. We are all only one $5 bad decision away from throwing it all away. Regardless of how you determine what works best in your quit, there are 2 things that MUST be common to all quits...and these have already been spoken. 1) post roll every day and 2) Do not use nicotine in any form

In closing, I appreciate the pledge for being a 100% poster, I am a 100% roll poster for 164 consecutive days. But I got there by making the pledge one day at a time. I'll worry about being a 100% poster on day 165 tomorrow, once I've successfully won my battle today.

Your old life sounds a bit like mine. Congrats on 5 days quit and taking back your freedom.

Stay focused ODAAT. You mentioned that you had "a long way to go" ... it is 0940 EST right now. So if you consider the next 15 hrs and 20 minutes a long way to go then you are right. That is all you have to focus on. TODAY only. The past, the future don't matter. You control this moment and whether or not you are quit.

Keep fighting! I am quit with you all day Saturday!

Thank you all for keeping me focused. ODAAT. Sorry to get all mushy on you, but these posts with reminders, knowledge, straight talk and encouragement mean a lot to me. I think all these great chemical changes in my body have been making me extra emotional or something. Yeah, I'm a big pussy for talking about feelings but at least I'm a clean pussy.

You all know what the bitch in my head is trying to do and you're staying one step ahead of her excuses and rationalization. I needed that and am grateful for it.

I'd tell you I'm extremely fucking pumped about tomorrow being one full week but I won't. Right now, I just want to get through a party this afternoon. After that, I want to get through a movie. After that, to bed. Small steps, big victories.

Ever broken your leg? Small steps turn into bigger ones. Then you start to jog. Then you run. That leg will probably feel a little pain once in a while (when the weather changes I can point out where my leg broke 30 some years ago !) but it really isn't that big of a deal, and running is now "routine".

Quitting is the same way. The pain under your arms from using those damn crutches... Feeling like you are a baby learning to walk again... And the feeling that it won't ever get better... That is where you are right now! One day at a time the crutches go away. One day at a time life will not get back to normal... It will get way way wAy better than the normal you know.

Keep posting what you are going through. Because you will want to look back at this in the not too distant future. It will fuel some real rage about what tobacco/nicotine did to you, and stole from you. And remember, this hell that you are experiencing... You will never have to live through again. Ever. Because you are quit.

[TrueToMyself]

BAM. Here's a quitter that inspires the hell out of me. It never ceases to amaze me when a quitter comes in here and their story is SO much like mine. Welcome, man. This is going to change your life. A couple of tips (whether you need them or not):

-Don't let your guard down. Each single day is a great accomplishment, but you have been an addict for over six thousand days. For all of the shame brought by lying, weakness, hiding, crabbiness, and missing out on what's important, The Addict has always found a way to justify getting some nicotine. This time is different, but your opponent is formidable as fuck (hint: it's your brain and it has a bit of an unfair advantage). Cravings are one thing, but be extremely wary of JOe, the Just One rationalizing liar. Just One is your fucking enemy but he's sneakier than anything. If you start thinking "Just One" for whatever reason, use the KTC tools and get your head straight.

-If you know the baking soda trick then you're a fellow heartburn sufferer. Getting a good night's rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and not eating or drinking past 7:30 will work miracles. Careful with your veggies and fruites (cranberry); broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cottage cheese... The list of foods that will destroy you will also surprise you.

-Make a pledge here and now that you will be a 100% roll call poster from here to day 100.

Anyway, sorry if this comes off as a bit KnowItAll.

Stop lying. Stop hiding. Start living. It's awesome.

Hey Minny, I can use some KnowItAll because I know nothing. I didn't know there were certain veggies and fruits that could be bad. You know what they are? Are you telling me broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cottage cheese (not quite a fruit/veggie) are on the no-no list?

I like that JOe thing. True.

Thank you for the support, folks.
I pledge here and now that I will be a 100% roll call poster from here to day 100... and that's just the beginning, brothers and sisters.

P.S. What's NAFAR?

Never again for any reason.

The tough days get better. It is very wise to post in your intro every few days in the beginning. Your mind will tend to block out the memories of the miserable first days. It is really helpful to be able to look back on the intro and see where you really were. I will tell you this... You will feel sooo much better that you won't believe it. I can't tell you when , but it will come gradually in phases. And one day you will develop an anger about what nicotine took from you that will surprise you.

Keep it up. Welcome aboard!

I love this quit attitude out of the gates; this is how you take ownership of your quit and how you be quit. It's a new way of life, being quit versus being an addict. We are all addicts, but we don't have to be addicts, if you catch my drift.

Some legends of quit have dropped some serious knowledge on this thread already, but I conversely want to say that sometimes quitting is like raising a baby for the first time. Every parent out there will tell you how to handle this or handle that with a newborn. At the end of the day it comes down to the parent to figure out what the best way is to handle a situation and raise their baby. Quitting is similar. Some things work for some people and other things work for other people. Your quit is your quit and it is unique. That is why someone who has been quit for 2000 days can still learn and be inspired by someone who is quit for 5. We are all only one $5 bad decision away from throwing it all away. Regardless of how you determine what works best in your quit, there are 2 things that MUST be common to all quits...and these have already been spoken. 1) post roll every day and 2) Do not use nicotine in any form

In closing, I appreciate the pledge for being a 100% poster, I am a 100% roll poster for 164 consecutive days. But I got there by making the pledge one day at a time. I'll worry about being a 100% poster on day 165 tomorrow, once I've successfully won my battle today.

Your old life sounds a bit like mine. Congrats on 5 days quit and taking back your freedom.

Stay focused ODAAT. You mentioned that you had "a long way to go" ... it is 0940 EST right now. So if you consider the next 15 hrs and 20 minutes a long way to go then you are right. That is all you have to focus on. TODAY only. The past, the future don't matter. You control this moment and whether or not you are quit.

Keep fighting! I am quit with you all day Saturday!

Thank you all for keeping me focused. ODAAT. Sorry to get all mushy on you, but these posts with reminders, knowledge, straight talk and encouragement mean a lot to me. I think all these great chemical changes in my body have been making me extra emotional or something. Yeah, I'm a big pussy for talking about feelings but at least I'm a clean pussy.

You all know what the bitch in my head is trying to do and you're staying one step ahead of her excuses and rationalization. I needed that and am grateful for it.

I'd tell you I'm extremely fucking pumped about tomorrow being one full week but I won't. Right now, I just want to get through a party this afternoon. After that, I want to get through a movie. After that, to bed. Small steps, big victories.

[Derk40]

BAM. Here's a quitter that inspires the hell out of me. It never ceases to amaze me when a quitter comes in here and their story is SO much like mine. Welcome, man. This is going to change your life. A couple of tips (whether you need them or not):

-Don't let your guard down. Each single day is a great accomplishment, but you have been an addict for over six thousand days. For all of the shame brought by lying, weakness, hiding, crabbiness, and missing out on what's important, The Addict has always found a way to justify getting some nicotine. This time is different, but your opponent is formidable as fuck (hint: it's your brain and it has a bit of an unfair advantage). Cravings are one thing, but be extremely wary of JOe, the Just One rationalizing liar. Just One is your fucking enemy but he's sneakier than anything. If you start thinking "Just One" for whatever reason, use the KTC tools and get your head straight.

-If you know the baking soda trick then you're a fellow heartburn sufferer. Getting a good night's rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and not eating or drinking past 7:30 will work miracles. Careful with your veggies and fruites (cranberry); broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cottage cheese... The list of foods that will destroy you will also surprise you.

-Make a pledge here and now that you will be a 100% roll call poster from here to day 100.

Anyway, sorry if this comes off as a bit KnowItAll.

Stop lying. Stop hiding. Start living. It's awesome.

Hey Minny, I can use some KnowItAll because I know nothing. I didn't know there were certain veggies and fruits that could be bad. You know what they are? Are you telling me broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cottage cheese (not quite a fruit/veggie) are on the no-no list?

I like that JOe thing. True.

Thank you for the support, folks.
I pledge here and now that I will be a 100% roll call poster from here to day 100... and that's just the beginning, brothers and sisters.

P.S. What's NAFAR?

Never again for any reason.

The tough days get better. It is very wise to post in your intro every few days in the beginning. Your mind will tend to block out the memories of the miserable first days. It is really helpful to be able to look back on the intro and see where you really were. I will tell you this... You will feel sooo much better that you won't believe it. I can't tell you when , but it will come gradually in phases. And one day you will develop an anger about what nicotine took from you that will surprise you.

Keep it up. Welcome aboard!

I love this quit attitude out of the gates; this is how you take ownership of your quit and how you be quit. It's a new way of life, being quit versus being an addict. We are all addicts, but we don't have to be addicts, if you catch my drift.

Some legends of quit have dropped some serious knowledge on this thread already, but I conversely want to say that sometimes quitting is like raising a baby for the first time. Every parent out there will tell you how to handle this or handle that with a newborn. At the end of the day it comes down to the parent to figure out what the best way is to handle a situation and raise their baby. Quitting is similar. Some things work for some people and other things work for other people. Your quit is your quit and it is unique. That is why someone who has been quit for 2000 days can still learn and be inspired by someone who is quit for 5. We are all only one $5 bad decision away from throwing it all away. Regardless of how you determine what works best in your quit, there are 2 things that MUST be common to all quits...and these have already been spoken. 1) post roll every day and 2) Do not use nicotine in any form

In closing, I appreciate the pledge for being a 100% poster, I am a 100% roll poster for 164 consecutive days. But I got there by making the pledge one day at a time. I'll worry about being a 100% poster on day 165 tomorrow, once I've successfully won my battle today.

Your old life sounds a bit like mine. Congrats on 5 days quit and taking back your freedom.

Stay focused ODAAT. You mentioned that you had "a long way to go" ... it is 0940 EST right now. So if you consider the next 15 hrs and 20 minutes a long way to go then you are right. That is all you have to focus on. TODAY only. The past, the future don't matter. You control this moment and whether or not you are quit.

Keep fighting! I am quit with you all day Saturday!