Hi all!

I have been a smoker for a year and a half. I have decided for weight loss/health/financial reasons that it's time to quit. I literally can't afford it anymore, I don't have a job and I'm a student. I am also sick of being sick. I've had 3 colds in a month and a half, bad ones at that. I was going to wait untill December 1st but it's now or never. So I'm quiting tomorrow....and I'm really scared. I don't know how I'll handle it. I've been working really hard on not bingeing, its been 28 days and I'll be so upset if I cave because I'm not smoking.

So I need some advice, I've read a few posts here about quiting. I don't know how to stop myself from stuffing my face. I don't want to gain, I want to keep losing.

I'm scared I'll be really horrible to everyone as well.

But despite these fears I know its for the best, and I do really want to quit. I'm going to try cold turkey and see how it goes, it was my strategy with binges as well. If it doesn't work I'll cut back.

I'd appreciate any words of wisdom!

Eating is not going to make it any easier to quit. Cake, cookies, and chips do not have nicotine, which is what you're actually craving for the first few days. After the addiction wears off, you'll be left with a situational/psychological addiction - for instance, I had a very strong association between eating dinner and smoking. Every day for years I would smoke after dinner. This is the hardest part to overcome in my opinion, and you'll be successful so long as you plan ahead and develop a coping mechanism for these situations. Some people chew gum. Some do something to occupy their hands, some get their minds off smoking by reading or walking. I stocked up on sugar-free popcicles and had one of those if the urge got too bad.

You can definitely do it, and it is so worth it! Take it one day at a time and after every day passes, think, "I've made it a day (two days, three days). Do I want to give in and have a cigarette, thereby erasing all my great progress, or do I want to pull through and keep moving forward?"

Or, set it up as a personal challenge. "I've made it a day. Can I make it to two?" This was my grandfather's strategy when he decided to put aside his 40+ year old habit!

Hi Maddie! I just quit last Friday after over 20 years of the dumb habit. I sure wish I had been as smart as you and quit before I wasted so much of my life on the stupid plant. It's just like the weight loss - you have to really want to do it. It's not easy but it can be done. I'm not particularly having a fun time but I'm learning how to do things like drive to work without a smoke. Also had a couple of scary close calls but managed to think of the things I've already managed to change about myself and hung in there - only 3 days down and a lifetime to go It is a pretty scary venture but you can do it!! It's every bit as important for our health as losing weight is!

Maddie Good Luck! Congratulations on making a healthy decision! You CAN do it! Tomorrow is my 3rd year anniversary of quitting... not one puff. It can be done! I smoked since I was 12 and quit at 35, count... 22years! I was so ingrained with what I saw life as, my habits! arg!
Anyways, heres what worked for me. Determination. I knew I had to quit! I was not going to light up again!
Also, deep breathing! Everytime I wanted a cig I would go outside and take a deep breath... filling my lungs with life giving oxygen instead of life taking chemicals.
Next, prayer. LOts of people praying for my quitting!
And lastly, guided imagery. A cd that helps you do self hypnosis. Guided imagery every night for about a week from the cd, then on my own whenever I needed it... mostly as I did deep breathing.
Ohhhhhhh, I feel your anxiety! I am in your corner, rooting away! Keep checking in, let us know how your doing, ask for help/support anytime you need it! I quit cold turkey too. It was the best way for me. I tried patches, gum and tapering off slowly, none worked. But the last time I quit, I was COMMITED!
Someone once told me this... quitting is easy, you quit every night when you go to bed. Its when you wake up in the morning that you decide to START again.
Be good and good luck!

Also, I started knitting and crocheting... do something with your hands!

No advice, since it's not anything I've had to do personally (I have other bad habits. ) but I do want to say GOOD LUCK and congrats on the decision. It's a huge undertaking (I am the only non-smoker in a family of smokers) and I have seen how hard it can be. I'll be sending good positive vibes your way.

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What worked for me was white tic tacs. Every time I wanted a cigarette I grabbed a tic tac. It still wasn't easy, but the mints kept me from wanting to stuff my mouth constantly. oh, and walk, walk, walk. Good luck. My thoughts are definitely with you. And you too yoyo.

Maddie, I too will be sending you vibes of strength and support -

It has been 18+ years since I quit my 2-packs-a-day (!!!) habit. I went through Smoke-Enders(-Stoppers? I forget.), and there was several things that stuck in my mind. One was wearing a rubberband around my wrist - negative reinforcement - every time I had an urge, I snapped (ow!!) my wrist - sometimes it took several times before the urge subsided. The other is if your habit is associated with certain actions (lighting up when driving, after a meal, 1st thing with your morning coffee) - change the actions. That is, change your route while driving - your focus on the different/unfamiliar roads keeps your mind off the habit. Or, right after the meal, get up and brush your teeth/leave the room - something you wouldn't normally do. Drink your coffee with your other hand (the one that held the cigarette) - er - hold the cup with your other hand. Just having to focus on not spilling the coffee/tea on yourself will keep you busy!

And, yes, I can appreciate just how DIFFICULT this time will be - my darling husband is in the process of quitting as we speak - and does NOT want my suggestions He has been a wee bit, hmmmm, shall we say, cranky? But, Lord willing, this too shall pass. Keep us in mind when you need to vent!

Good luck. It will be 11 years in March of 2009 that I quit. I too quit cold turkey. What I found to be the best deterrent from lighting up was to take an old dirty ashtray and sniff it....oh, and a lot of gum. I wish I could tell you that your habits will quickly go away, and by habits I mean the habit of having a cigarette after a meal, or a cigarette when you drink coffee, or a cigarette when you are stressed. You will find yourself reaching for something that is no longer there. But then I had Lasik and I still find myself a year later pushing up glasses that are not there. Good luck and share each day's achievement with anyone who will listen, because it is hard to then let them all down as well as yourself. Hey, maybe I need to listen to myself about my eating!!!!

I quit 24 years ago. It only took 3 hospitalizations for asthma for me to give up my 3 pack a day habit.

Smoking is a form of suicide, by a teeny tiny gun. One day I realized that I really did want to be able to live and breathe, so when I finished that last pack, I just didn't buy any more.

It wasn't easy, but I can honestly say it has been worth every moment. The only side effect I still have is that I sip water all day long - makes drinking my 8 glasses really easy, but I am so totally orally fixated.

Good luck, sweetie. If I can do it, anybody can.

Wow you guys are amazing. Truely I mean that. I keeping all of your words and I'm going to read them when I'm struggeling. I'm still scared but your stories are inspirational.

I just had my last cigarette. This.Is.It.

I'll let you guys know how I'm getting.

Thank you, again

Maddie, you continue to astound and amaze me. I am just so impressed. You are really going to get your life on track this way. Each day and moment is a small victory. Kudos.
Consider the patch, gum or even zyban if it helps.
fatmad

I quit in April 2007. I had smoked for 9 years at that point. I stocked up on gum, broccoli, cauliflower and celery - crunchy things that helped A LOT when I was tweaking out! I also began drinking a lot of water as well.

Good luck - you can do it! It's hard the first week or so but then it does get easier. I don't even want one anymore and haven't since last Christmas. It just seems like one day the urge disappeared completely!

Wishing you the BEST and tons of good mojo to you! Isn't drinking alot of water also suggested, does that help rid the body of nicotine?

I was able to quit 26 years ago, but I won't suggest you do what made me quit! (becoming pregnant)

What a lot of great suggestions the other chicks have given...like drinking your coffee with the 'smoking' hand...very imaginative and sound extremely helpful!

When you are clean you will be SO happy at how you can take a d-e-e-p breathe and how good it feels; and how many LESS colds you will get. And think of the $$$ not wasted! good luck to you!

Holly, A Reformed Smoker (we're the worst, aren't we )