Healthy snacks that help with quitting smoking?

CriminalMIndsFan

I used to hang out at the about.com smoking cessation forums, and one thing they really drove home for me was this: a craving usually lasts just a few minutes, and it passes whether you smoke or not. If you smoke, though, you've just guaranteed you'll have another, stronger craving soon and you've just put yourself right back to square one. I used to view every craving I rode out (ice water helped me immensely with cravings) as a victory, because that meant I was one step closer to being done, one craving farther away from being a smoker. It always helped, made me feel in control and like a winner.

Another thing that helped? A quit meter. Silk Quit makes a good one for free download. Every morning I'd get up and look at that thing on my computer screen, see how many cigarettes I hadn't smoked, see how much money I hadn't put torch to, and it helped a lot--very reinforcing.

Good luck--you can do it!


Kris

I'm on day 3 now of not smoking. So far I'm coping. Been sucking on candy canes since they are the only hard candy we have in the house I'm living in right now, chewing on gum and doing anything else I can think of to occupy my mind when cravings hit. The problem is that they seem to be getting stronger with each one that hits. I know I am strong enough to get past this.....at least I know that now.....there was a time when I didn't realize how strong I am because I had forgotten. I do have an E-Cig but I'm really trying to get away from smoking completely so I don't want to break down and use it. Now I'm getting to the stage where some of the cravings are so strong I start shaking badly......I knew it was going to be hard to quit I just didn't think it would be this hard. I guess I should have expected it with how much stress I'm under and stress being my main trigger for smoking...........

CurryGirl89

My mom ate carrot sticks when she was quitting

pucenavel

It took me a long time to get over the oral fixation and the need to have something in my hand all the time.

The physical addition only lasts a week or so (or so I've heard). It's breaking the mannerisms that's hard. Use whatever you have to for a week, then try to break those habits as well.

I also quit drinking some years ago & it took a LONG time before I could feel comfortable in a "cocktail party" atmosphere without a glass of soda or something in my hand. I'm a lot happier now that I can just stand there and talk without anything in my hands - there's no longer that "empty" feeling.

Thriceshy

I used to hang out at the about.com smoking cessation forums, and one thing they really drove home for me was this: a craving usually lasts just a few minutes, and it passes whether you smoke or not. If you smoke, though, you've just guaranteed you'll have another, stronger craving soon and you've just put yourself right back to square one. I used to view every craving I rode out (ice water helped me immensely with cravings) as a victory, because that meant I was one step closer to being done, one craving farther away from being a smoker. It always helped, made me feel in control and like a winner.

Another thing that helped? A quit meter. Silk Quit makes a good one for free download. Every morning I'd get up and look at that thing on my computer screen, see how many cigarettes I hadn't smoked, see how much money I hadn't put torch to, and it helped a lot--very reinforcing.

Good luck--you can do it!


Kris

I'm on day 3 now of not smoking. So far I'm coping. Been sucking on candy canes since they are the only hard candy we have in the house I'm living in right now, chewing on gum and doing anything else I can think of to occupy my mind when cravings hit. The problem is that they seem to be getting stronger with each one that hits. I know I am strong enough to get past this.....at least I know that now.....there was a time when I didn't realize how strong I am because I had forgotten. I do have an E-Cig but I'm really trying to get away from smoking completely so I don't want to break down and use it. Now I'm getting to the stage where some of the cravings are so strong I start shaking badly......I knew it was going to be hard to quit I just didn't think it would be this hard. I guess I should have expected it with how much stress I'm under and stress being my main trigger for smoking...........

The problem with cravings is that they reverberate in our minds if we give them even the smallest chance. When a craving hits, find something to do. I cleaned the house thoroughly to get rid of the smoke smell, cleaned out the car for the same reason. I scrubbed walls, shampooed carpets, etc., creating a "no smoking ever" zone that was really reinforcing. I took up hobbies that I'd never done while smoking--needlepoint was one. I knocked back big swigs of ice water every time a craving hit. And I remembered, ever time, that this is only for a few minutes, and even if it seems intense, *I* am the boss of me, not some stupid craving that's going to pass.

The thing about stress is that it's always there. Always. And it will never bee a "good" time to quit because there's never a stretch where there isn't a lot of stress. And the funny thing is, smoking, which so many of us did to "relieve" stress, often causes or contributes the very stress it seems to be relieving. But I have faith in you because this is something you want. And you're stronger than cravings, every one of those cravings you ride through is a victory and a step closer to a life without cravings and without tobacco.

Just keep hanging in and doing what you're doing. If you haven't gotten a quit meter, do. If you haven't checked out about.com's smoking cessation forum, do.

Kris

CriminalMIndsFan

I used to hang out at the about.com smoking cessation forums, and one thing they really drove home for me was this: a craving usually lasts just a few minutes, and it passes whether you smoke or not. If you smoke, though, you've just guaranteed you'll have another, stronger craving soon and you've just put yourself right back to square one. I used to view every craving I rode out (ice water helped me immensely with cravings) as a victory, because that meant I was one step closer to being done, one craving farther away from being a smoker. It always helped, made me feel in control and like a winner.

Another thing that helped? A quit meter. Silk Quit makes a good one for free download. Every morning I'd get up and look at that thing on my computer screen, see how many cigarettes I hadn't smoked, see how much money I hadn't put torch to, and it helped a lot--very reinforcing.

Good luck--you can do it!


Kris

I'm on day 3 now of not smoking. So far I'm coping. Been sucking on candy canes since they are the only hard candy we have in the house I'm living in right now, chewing on gum and doing anything else I can think of to occupy my mind when cravings hit. The problem is that they seem to be getting stronger with each one that hits. I know I am strong enough to get past this.....at least I know that now.....there was a time when I didn't realize how strong I am because I had forgotten. I do have an E-Cig but I'm really trying to get away from smoking completely so I don't want to break down and use it. Now I'm getting to the stage where some of the cravings are so strong I start shaking badly......I knew it was going to be hard to quit I just didn't think it would be this hard. I guess I should have expected it with how much stress I'm under and stress being my main trigger for smoking...........

The problem with cravings is that they reverberate in our minds if we give them even the smallest chance. When a craving hits, find something to do. I cleaned the house thoroughly to get rid of the smoke smell, cleaned out the car for the same reason. I scrubbed walls, shampooed carpets, etc., creating a "no smoking ever" zone that was really reinforcing. I took up hobbies that I'd never done while smoking--needlepoint was one. I knocked back big swigs of ice water every time a craving hit. And I remembered, ever time, that this is only for a few minutes, and even if it seems intense, *I* am the boss of me, not some stupid craving that's going to pass.

The thing about stress is that it's always there. Always. And it will never bee a "good" time to quit because there's never a stretch where there isn't a lot of stress. And the funny thing is, smoking, which so many of us did to "relieve" stress, often causes or contributes the very stress it seems to be relieving. But I have faith in you because this is something you want. And you're stronger than cravings, every one of those cravings you ride through is a victory and a step closer to a life without cravings and without tobacco.

Just keep hanging in and doing what you're doing. If you haven't gotten a quit meter, do. If you haven't checked out about.com's smoking cessation forum, do.

Kris

On the positive side there is no smoking allowed in the house I'm living in. Unfortunately the other 4 adults I live with ALL smoke........so even though I'm trying to quit I'm constantly around smokers. Yet two of them are actually encouraging me to continue on with trying to quit. When the cravings have been so bad that I have started shaking I just start repeating my reasons for quitting in my mind. Number one: The cost....what I'm paying for each pack of cigs could be going toward something better for me. Number two: The family my fiance and I want to start....when I get pregnant I will need to quit anyway so why not quit now? Number three: I promised my fiance I would take care of myself and my health which means taking steps to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be. My fiance is coming home for a few weeks soon for R & R and we are going to be looking at buying a house. If we find one that we like I will be moving out of this place so I won't be around smokers which I think will help me out a lot. That's also part of why I picked now to quit. I don't want to be going through the really bad cravings while he is here. I want to be through the worst of it while he is here that way I can enjoy our time together more.