I've given up smoking, I didn't smoke yesterday and I haven't smoked today, it's not been nearly as bad as I imagined it would be, the only problem I have is that I want to eat. I'm not hungry, I just really need something to do with my mouth and hands.
I'm thinking of buying liquorish root and cinnamon sticks but I'm worried that I'll damage my teeth, does anyone have any better suggestions?
I quit smoking the first of Janaury... I chewed alot of gum, sugar free werthers candy, sugar free campinos, and I ate fruit if I really needed to eat. So far so good...after about 3 weeks I weened myself off of the sugar free candies... also sugar free popsicles are good because they take a while to eat, or a grapefruit takes forever, an orange is good to eat, it takes up some time... pomegranates take alot of time. All of these tricks worked for me. Believe it or not, it will get easier!! I have 55 days in today!
BTW - congrats on your fabulous weight loss as well!
Smoking cessation is really difficult--I did it several times (and then lit up again). So, I applaud you for sticking to it! This time, when I quit "for good" (tired of the process of quitting), asked myself why I was smoking--and found it was generally "to relieve stress." So, finding ways to de-stress was my key; my favorite ways include taking walks (away from the kitchen) and reading in the library (keeping my hands and mind engaged).
You can do it!
And, anyone thinking about quitting and needs a bit of motivation, Allen Car's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking is a great read (that you can read after or while you're quitting). It helped me understand my loss of control with nicotine; and it's available at most libraries
I quit two years ago this month... it gets SO much easier. Just stick with it.
As far as craving, I found that icy cold water coupled with Polar Ice Extra Gum is awesome. The chewing helps and the icy cold freshness helps reinforce your fresh new breath!
Try it. And walking. LOTS of walking helps along with coloring with crayons and color pencils. Good Luck! I gained 30 lbs when I quit.... wish I would have thought to adapt better eating habits while I was in the process of so much change.
And, anyone thinking about quitting and needs a bit of motivation, Allen Car's The Easy Way to Stop Smokingis a great read (that you can read after or while you're quitting).
Yes yes yes! That book is amazing. I have it on audio, and I put it on my ipod, so I'd listen to it while driving. It REALLY helped.
I drank a LOT of diet soda. I tried water, it didn't do it. I'd figured it's better to ingest a 2 liter of diet pepsi a day than smoke. So I would carry a 2 liter (yes a whole 2 liter) around with me to friend's houses and places I'd go. I also chewed gum, and sucked on jolly ranchers when I needed something. Yes there's sugar, but it wasn't much, and I sectioned off an amount of calories a day in jolly ranchers I was allowed, kept them in zip locks and carried them with me.
You just have to keep thinking about your goal and tell yourself no to eating. Because part of the reason I gained weight when I started dating my boyfriend (around the time I quit) is because I started eating. I know exactly how strong the urge to eat is, and it sucks.
One tip I can give you is to stay away from smokers as much as possible for a while. I know it's hard when a lot of friends/family smoke, but you HAVE to. It's good to get yourself used to being around smoke, but don't torture yourself by trying to keep hanging out with them while you're still in the quit zone (first month is the hardest).
Work out a lot. Notice how your heart rate is slower now, you don't get winded, and you can go for longer.
Also, I don't know if you drink, but if you do, quit that for a while too. My downfall the first time I quit is I lost my self control when I was drinking. I said "Oh just this once." And it was that once... for about 2 or 3 weeks. Then I puffed a couple times again. And then again. And again. Until I bought a pack, and I was back to square one.
It's really mind over matter. Just keep telling yourself that it's all in your head, you don't NEED to smoke, you just reaaaaaaally want to. And it sucks when you can't smoke but you also can't eat. You just want SOME rush, but don't give it to yourself. It's worth it.
You can do it!
Also I found a random website when I was quitting that REALLY helped me. It was a loooong read, but worth it. I'll post it when I find it.
Last edited by oodlesofnoodles; 02-26-2010 at 04:37 PM.
I quit in October and one thing hat helped me was deep breathing. I would just pucker my lips and breath in really deep and then exhale, repeating as needed. Good luck, quiting is hard but you can do it.
I chewed on straws when I quit. And a LOT of gum. I also kept my nails painted, because as soon as the paint went off, my fingers found a way into my mouth. I put straws and gum everywhere I would normally have my smokes - in the car, in my pockets, in my desk drawers at work, on my desk at home ... it was insane, but it did the trick.
For me, it wasn't the nicotine withdraws that were bad, it was the oral fixation.
I quit nine years ago. I really found that walking was the best substitution. It seemed like throughout the day, I'd have many situations where I wanted a cigarette, but I put it off. By the end of the day, I felt I needed that "release", so I'd go for a good cardio walk at dusk.
I chewed on straws when I quit. And a LOT of gum. I also kept my nails painted, because as soon as the paint went off, my fingers found a way into my mouth. I put straws and gum everywhere I would normally have my smokes - in the car, in my pockets, in my desk drawers at work, on my desk at home ... it was insane, but it did the trick.
For me, it wasn't the nicotine withdraws that were bad, it was the oral fixation.
I could have written this as it's exactly what i did when I gave up 6 years ago. The first time I gave up (7 years ago for 3 months) I substituted cigarettes for food and gained an extra stone and a half which is still with me. I actually started smoking again because I couldn't cope with my size. The second time I gave up I chewed gum and straws and didn't gain anymore. Every time I felt like I was wavering I went to the whyquit.com website and that did the trick. I just hope for your sake that you don't get the terribly short temper like I did because it lasted about a month and was horrific. People who'd been on at me to stop were lining up to give me cigs just because I'd become so scary!
Stopping smoking is without doubt the best decision I've ever made and it really wasn't that hard, temper tantrums aside- good luck
12.5 years ago I stopped with the nicotine gum....I replaced that with eclipse sugar free gum....everyone has their favorite gum but this is the one that, to me, stays tasty the longest.
Hey Jennyg, I quite on January 1st too. Its great to have a new year's resolution and actually stick with it
I feel for you Trudiha. The first month is the most difficult. I still have the occasional craving when I get stressed or see someone with a cig but things are getting better. Are you using any kind of nicotine replacement? Cinnamon Nicorette gum worked wonders for me. I only needed 4 pieces a day for three weeks then I stopped using it. If you feel you just can't cope, the gum may be helpful. Try eating celery and carrot sticks and chew sugarless gum. I don't suggest holding the food like a cigarette and trying to "smoke it" LOL. I did that once with a piece of celery and the cravings suddenly became overwhelming. If you can try not to imitate smoking with any object, you will probably do better. I wonder why they make fake cigarettes for people who are quitting. For me, that would make the cravings so much worse. Don't be surprised if your weight loss stalls for a couple weeks as well. Your body will be going through a period of lower metabolism. This is one reason why people gain weight when quitting. Its not all about the extra food. If you stick to your eating plan you probably won't gain but you may stall briefly until your body adjusts. It too me almost three weeks to lose again but it was worth it.
I wish you the best
Not Smoking
