quitting nicotine

[Uturn]

My dumbass self decided at 19 that snuff was a great idea.  Over the years I've dipped snuff and/or smoked cigarettes.  This past summer at 45, I decided to quit.  I quit smoking and/or dipping and just vaped.  Then in October I decided that I was just trading one vice for another, and quit vaping.  I am now 25 pounds heavier and would pretty much trade my mother for a nice smoke.   For those who have traveled this path, how do you deal with the shoveling anything down your throat to alleviate the cravings?   

[Frankies Girl]

I quit last year after smoking for over 25 years. It sucked big time. I never even considered vaping as I wanted to break the habit completely.

One of the best things that helped was doing the nicotine replacement therapy without skipping any steps/time (used the patch), and I also had a really helpful app on my phone that I would constantly (some would say obsessively) checked into every time I had a craving. I used one called Butt Out, but there's lots of stop smoking apps out there that can help distract you, remind you of your goals and have communities of like minded folks posting when you feel weak and need talking off the ledge.

Read Allan Carr's book (get it from the library). It helps explain what is happening when you smoke, why you want to smoke, and why it is soooo damned hard to kick the habit. And also great suggestions for dealing with quitting.

If you're technically quit, but still dealing with the cravings, then the following might help:

I would drink a large glass of ice water every craving, I chewed so much gum, and then switched over to altoid mints (loved the super burn-your-mouth mint effect). I got some golf pencils (those short, eraserless things you get to play mini golf?) since they had the same feel and weight as a cig and fiddled with them constantly. I also (and this sounds stupid putting this down, but hey, it helped me) used the cheapy ballpoint pen caps that have the slits in the top of the cap? I stuffed them with a bit of paper towel, and holding them like a cig, sucked air through them and the combo of the same weight/size and air draw (with the resistance from the paper towel to achieve this) felt like taking a drag on a cig.

I did not crave food or overeat during my quit, but I was a bitch on wheels for quite some time. And I had the minty-ist of minty breath. Must have gone through a tin of altoids every 3-4 days.

Avoid friends, locations, activities and even movies or such that encourage your exposure to smoking until you are super sure you're not going to slip up. I still get triggered seeing some of the old black and white movies where everyone is lighting up... damn, that still kills me and I have a twinge of "I MUST HAVE THAT" every time. But it is momentary and it passes.

And realize it is just like being an alcoholic... you can't have "just one cigarette" ever again, because you'll start up the nicotine cravings and it will be like hell quitting all over again. If you do try to quit again.

But the biggest thing that helped? I realized that I was retiring early and I did not want to be sick and die early due to my dumb choice of getting addicted to smoking as a teen. I was having health issues anyway due to stress and fatness, and made the decision to get my health and my body in the best shape possible, and smoking was extremely stupid if I was trying to be healthy in general.

I miss it still, not going to lie, but I'm over 1 year, 3 months out and haven't slipped up yet. And it's getting easier to forget about smoking. In the last year, I've lost a ton of weight, completely changed my eating habits for the better and learned portion control, and am working on adding in regular exercise to my life. Now when I'm feeling antsy or stressed I go for a long walk/jog and it helps.

Good luck on your journey - I hope you're able to get it under control and learn some healthy replacement habits that will change your life for the better.

[llorona]

Congratulations!! If you've made it this far, you're over the physical withdrawals. Not it's just a matter of dealing with the biochemical aspect.

When I took a smoking cessation class at Kaiser years ago, the instructor suggested eating a tablespoon of ice cream when the nicotine cravings hit. Apparently it helps some people.

I did not do this - what helped me was deep breathing. It took me a while to realize that I smoked when I felt anxious or angry. So, when the triggers hit, I "smoked" celery sticks, ball point pens, knitting needles, etc. by inhaling deeply. 

Ice cream or deep breathing may or may not help you. You've got to find your own strategy. If it's eating, maybe you can try snacking on carrots or chewing gum.

This said, I wouldn't worry about weight. It's an okay trade off, at least for the time being. You can deal with it later once quitting nicotine isn't so much of a daily battle.

If it's any consolation, it does get easier with time. As I recall, the first six months were really difficult. Whenever I smelled someone else's cigarette smoke, I'd practically start salivating. By the two-year mark, I only had cravings when I felt really angry, like after a fight with my boyfriend (now husband). Eight years later, I almost never think about smoking. If smell someone's second-hand smoke, the odor is absolutely repulsive.

If you're on this forum, you're probably good at delaying short-term gratification in favor of large rewards. This mindset will help you - not only can you look at it from a money-saving perspective, you'll be able to picture the health benefits to you 5, 10, 25 years down the line. Good luck!

[ditheca]

Try looking for stuff you can shove down your throat without regrets?  You can eat an awful lot of ice cubes or carrots without gaining weight.  Stick with it!  The cravings will fade eventually.

Excercise also works for some as an antidote to the cravings.  http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/exercise.htm

[samburger]

Read Allan Carr's book (get it from the library). It helps explain what is happening when you smoke, why you want to smoke, and why it is soooo damned hard to kick the habit. And also great suggestions for dealing with quitting.

Seconding this. Allan Carr's book was critical for me. Once I got through my initial quit, I never had any serious cravings again. If you're eating to satisfy cravings, then I'd definitely recommend giving this a read.

[Jtrey17]

Also check out his website why quit.com. I quit smoking on Aug 8, 2014 after smoking for 21 years. It was so hard for me to do but I've never felt better! No more morning cough or standing outside in the freezing weather. It's worth it! I gained 8 pounds and didn't even care. It came off in the past few months.

[starguru]

My DR gave me a prescription for Wellbutrin.  It's cheap and effective.  I have had no food cravings at all. I have no psychological need to smoke either.  I do get habitual cravings (oh Im having a drink, I need a smoke.  I just had coffee, I need a smoke.  I've done 15 minutes of work, t's time for a smoke, etc) but they are easily overcome because there is no twitchy psychological drive behind it. 

[DollarBill]

I just had to get so pissed off with myself on why I wanted other things to control me. The nicotine gum helped because I was a chewer and that was a good alternative at first and then I switched to the patch and had no cravings. You just have to convince yourself that there is a better life to live. Just do it...Good luck to you!

[Uturn]

Thanks for all the replies.  I guess I just need to will power through the cravings.  Actually, they really only come on strong at two different times, unfortunately both are where food is close.  In the shop and while relaxing before bed.  I always had an ashtray on or near the workbench, so smoking and woodworking just seem to go together.