Any other quitters out there?

AbnormalSpring

I quit smoking cold turkey from 2 packs a day. So far so good I am on day 4 or 5 and my ushale coping skill is not working today. Because I am not able to go on a walk.

So aside from eating what helped you to get through the first few weeks?

twinkles2121

Congrats on making it to day 5! I quit cold turkey 15 months ago, I did use food more than I should have, although there was a couple other things that helped me.

- Wet a toothpick and dip it in cinnamon, then chew on it. Helped get pass those *really* tough cravings
- More a mental thing, but instead of taking quitting as a whole, take it day by day. I would say to myself "You just gotta make through this hour, just this hour. Well it's already 5pm, You just gotta make it to bed time"

Stay Strong, You got this!

SnuggleSmacks

Congrats! I feel ya...I did the deed at the end of March and haven't looked back.

Things that helped:

Clean every place you used to smoke. Thoroughly. Repaint if you have to. Wipe everything down. This includes the inside of your car. Steam clean carpets and upholstery, wipe the yellow haze off of everything, get rid of the smell and the film.

Throw away all of your ash trays and lighters (or give them away if you don't mind enabling someone else). Don't make it easy to go back to smoking.

Look up photos of smokers' lungs. Look up timelines for quitters: how long it takes to regain your sense of smell/taste, how long before your risk of cancer drops, etc. Bookmark it so that you can apply it to you, personally, as in "Hey, I'm at x weeks, I should be tasting things more vividly...think I'll go have some really nice subtle chocolate!"

Find things to do with your mouth and hands. Flavored toothpicks, gum, really low cal veggies like sugar snap peas that you can eat raw...learn to crochet or knit if you have to. Or learn some magic tricks. Anything to keep your hands and mouth busy.

For strong cravings, go brush your teeth. Remember how nasty cigarettes tasted right after brushing? It will make it much less appealing.

gmoneycole

Find something to put in your mouth and chew on so you don't eat a bunch of stuff you don't want to be eating! Good luck and congrats so far!

rainielu

I quit 2.5 years ago using e-cigarettes. You can decrease your nicotine levels gradually or just go straight to zero nicotine. Good luck!

GiddyupTim

I like the walking thing. I always needed to distract myself from the cravings when I got them. It took physical activity for me. If you cannot walk, could you do toe touches, or deep squats, or a few push-ups, or something. Activity not only distracts, it relieves the tension a little bit.

AbnormalSpring

Clean every place you used to smoke. Thoroughly. Repaint if you have to. Wipe everything down. This includes the inside of your car. Steam clean carpets and upholstery, wipe the yellow haze off of everything, get rid of the smell and the film.

Throw away all of your ash trays and lighters (or give them away if you don't mind enabling someone else). Don't make it easy to go back to smoking.

Find things to do with your mouth and hands. Flavored toothpicks, gum, really low cal veggies like sugar snap peas that you can eat raw...learn to crochet or knit if you have to. Or learn some magic tricks. Anything to keep your hands and mouth busy.

For strong cravings, go brush your teeth. Remember how nasty cigarettes tasted right after brushing? It will make it much less appealing.

I have been cleaning but I swear lighters just keep apearing out of no where now that I dont need one.

- Wet a toothpick and dip it in cinnamon, then chew on it. Helped get pass those *really* tough cravings
- More a mental thing, but instead of taking quitting as a whole, take it day by day. I would say to myself "You just gotta make through this hour, just this hour. Well it's already 5pm, You just gotta make it to bed time"

I will have to try the tooth picks. I quit going outside on break at work and now I dont even think about smoking while I am there. But as soon as I get in the car I want one.

healthygreek

Deep breathing
Drinking cold water
Sucking on real cinnamon sticks
Chewing gum
Exercise

Just had my 10th anniversary of being quit!

I quit after a friend (now gone-3 packs a day) developed lung cancer.