To My Buddiesm

I am learning a lot on this thread and I think one of the most important things is that we need to stay HONEST...some times we think we have to be strong because everyone else is being strong, We do try to stay positive for each other but sometimes to the extent that if we are having a hard time we think that it is just us,,,well it isn't us ...it is the addiction and it comes back with a vengence when it knows we are vunerable. I think that knoiwing that others go through tricky times - even many months into their quit can help us all cope and prepare for some of this. Many of out threads have gone quiet during some of these times and this scares me...is everyone OK or are some of our buddies suffering in silence? I reach out at times and I am sure some people get tires of getting that "are you ik" email from me but I will bever regret sending it...you see an email like that saced my quit one day and I am forever grateful to that buddy...and there are a few buddies that have slipped away from and I didn't send that email so please if you miss someone even for a day --even if they are months into their quit---rememeber they might need a friend because Nicodemon is still out there for a long, long time....watch and support your buddies in this tricky months! I believe this is always going to be a fight and time does help but it is NOT the only answer and we must come HONESTLY to this forum to support ourselves and each other.

Keep The Gift,
Penny

Hi Buddies.

Have you noticed changes in this year...other than the new larger sized shirts and pants? I know that there are some people who lost weight when they quit but that wasn't me! I think I laugh at myself at lot more (maybe it is to keep from crying now and then). Also. I seem to talk to random people more--whether they want me to or not. Guess I was always in a hurry to get back to my car so i could have a cigarette before. I was in the grocery store and there was a woman looking at the diet supplement for weight loss (I was getting Atkins diet bars) so i ask her if it wolrs but she doesn't know. I tell her I am on Atkins because I gained this weight from quitting smoking and she asks questions because she is a smoker. It kind of made me feel a bit better...I mean she gained weight and she didn't quit smoking...at leastt I quit!

I am bringing  this up because I really think that junkie thinking and weight gain hit us hard around this time in the quit. I gained 15 libs and still have 10 to lose and around this time I begin to wonder if Iwill ever lose it. The crazy thinking that comes to play is if I smoke I can lose it then I can quit again....Wouldn't that be one heck of a yo yo diet!  I sometimes now forget that I am still a nicotine addict and  the quitting is not on our minds every second like in the beginning and I need to remind myself everyday that I am an addict and I need to take the NOPE pledge....Yes it does get easier but I think we need to e stron and aware for ever.

Keep The Gift,
Penny