Ok, I have to confess!

I've figured out the diet/loss/maintain/workout thing! That's good!

Now, my next challenge, I "will" quit smoking!

I am, approaching this the same way as I did the whole lose/maintain/lifestyle/health/exercise/yada, yada.

Slow and steady! I am currently, working on changing my habits, with this habit.

I knew deep down, that there is no way, I will quit this habit cold turkey. Won't happen.

So, shortly after the New Year, I ordered a couple of Ecig kits on New Year specials.

I've kind of waffled around with this.

Knowing that deep down, I want to do it, but still have some silly psych, thing keeping me tethered, to the cigs.

Along with, I did not want to try this cold turkey and face replacing the cigs with food.

Anyway, I am happy to say, I set some rules about my smoking, and I'm getting better about using the ecig, which is better than a regular cig, and setting rules about where and when I can smoke.

With the long term in mind, that by the end of 2013, I will be smoke free!

If you don't manage to quit, I recommend "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. Good luck!

Shcirerf, I'm on the same page as you right now. As CRAZY as it sounds, and I don't condone myself for doing this. But I KNOW if I quit cold turkey, I'll be stuffing my face with every little thing and that will blow up in my face. I've been taking a smoke or 2 out of every pack, and breaking it in half. I've also forced myself to every time I buy a pack, transfer that amount into my savings account (that I can't touch without going through a hassle). It's helping. But I can't stop right now.

Good luck to you! Will be cheering you on with myself at the same time .

Thank you! I will check it out!

I have thought long and hard about how to conquer this habit/addiction.

I've been at it for 36 years!

Like I said, I am looking at this, the same way, I finally realized that I need to look at my nutrition/food/workout lifestyle. It may take awhile, but I will do it!

I am determined, to do this for ME! I want to RUN A 5K!

However, my Dh tossed me challenge. He said, he could not quit, until I did!

Really!? I lost 57 pounds with no help from you! And maintained it!

Bring it on!

Congratulations Schirerf! That's a big decision. I smoked from ages 13-21, then for a little bit at 25 (before finding out I was pregnant. That put an end to that!).

I quit smoking twice from 13-25, both cold turkey, and both with relative success. However I definitely gained weight especially with the second time. Like 60 pounds-ish (coupled with other bad decisions).

I think you've got a good plan to get started. My mom switched from smoking 2 packs a day to using only her ecig, and she's been smoke free (but not nicotine free) for a year now. Anything is better than smoking the tar sticks, so I'm pretty proud of her. I know you can do it to, you're so determined! Good luck!

as a reformed smoker (you know we're the worst ) wishing you the best!! Like Missy Krissy, I smoked from late teens to early 20's, then my first pregnancy ended it, and I haven't had one since (31 years)

I have a friend who has had great luck with his ecig.

Go for it!! you're already so fit, you'll be a beast with clean lungs

Another former smoker here. Congratulations to you that are planning to quit. Certainly one of the best decisions I ever made but it was a tough road getting there. I stopped several times before I stopped for good. I didn't have any kind of a plan and I bummed a lot of cigs during the process, the joke at work was that I didn't quit smoking I quit buying. My habit was to stop at a liquor store on the way to work and buy a pack. I did this every day. One day , I don't know why but I didn't stop and I also didn't ask any of my coworkers if I could have a cig.I was several hours into the day before I realized I hadn't had a cig and that was the start of my quitting for good. I stumbled a few times but finally quit for good .
You can do it , too. Just like dieting do what works for you and you will be glad you did.

When I first read your post I thought that you were just hunting for ways to keep on smoking. But then I got to comparing your approach to my cold turkey approach (way back in 1997), and realized that you have been way more thoughtful on this.

Personally, I never had any problems with nicotine withdrawal -- those symptoms lasted maybe 1-2 days and we've all suffered through things for longer than that. But you're right on target to worry about substituting food for the cigarette. The habit I couldn't break was the fact that smoking is an oral fixation and if you're not stuffing a cigarette in your mouth, then you'll probably be stuffing it with food.

So, using the ecigs and cutting down gradually might just be the best approach. The habit that is hard to break is not the nicotine, it's the cigarette when you're stressed, after a meal, when you're bored, etc.

Good luck. Stopping smoking will definitely go a long ways to continuing to improve your health.

Thank you all, for your support!

I have spent a lot of time thinking about this process over the last year. I do want to quit, but don't want do drive myself and others around me nuts in the process.

I totally understand that the nicotine addiction, physically, only takes a short time to withdraw from.

It's the habit! Have coffee= smoke, eat=smoke, get in the car=smoke, and so on and so forth!

So, to start out, I set down 1 new rule, I will not smoke a real cig, in my new car.

I know that is just one thing, but it is one thing. Already been doing that, it's getting easier.

When I'm comfy with that, I will give myself another rule.

Haven't really decided on that. But I can see that mindlessly smoking, is very similar to mindless eating. Who knew?

The good news is, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, and while it's going to take some time, I have the skills I need to conquer this challenge, one step at a time!

I'm not going to lie, this is gonna be hard, it's a long ingrained habit, and it's going to take a lot of "YO" "STOP" "THINK!"

On another note, I removed the ashtray from the master bathroom counter, a no smoking zone now!

Good luck!

Janelle, you are making a good start ! Keep going !

I've never smoked, but I have the utmost respect for smokers who are doing their best to kick the habit. Major kudos to you! You can do it!

I don't know if this will help the "mental" part of this, but you've lost the weight and have been maintaining for 18 months. I always said that it was easier to quit smoking than it is to lose weight and maintain it. You can definitely live without cigarettes (and will eventually get to the point where you wonder why you ever wanted one), but living without food is impossible.

So, use those skills that you learned from your successful eating habits and apply them. Starting out with not smoking in your new car is a great way to get in the habit of gradually doing without the cigs.

My personal experience was that it took me about 3 years before the cravings to have a cigarette when I was stressed, tired, bored, after dinner, etc., passed. I'm figuring that I'll need to maintain for 3 years at a minimum before I can safely say I've beaten my own demons.

Good luck!

So far, the small things are working!

I set my first battle, to not smoke in the new car. Amazingly, it has not turned out to be as hard as I thought it would. I keep the ecig handy just in case, and I puffed it a bit, but not as much as I thought I would.

I also cleaned the master bath today, smoke free! It is a smoke free zone now!

So, for the next week, I'm just going to concentrate on those 2 things.

Next week, Another small change.

Not sure what it will be, but one small change in the habit.

Eventually, I will be a non smoker. And still be sane, not drive myself or anyone else nuts, and stick to my food and workout plan!