I am quitting smoking - but I feel a strong urge to smoke

Thanks for the advice. I will drink water right now!!

I will not get cigarettes this evening. No way. It's better to go through these hard days now then to do it later. I've been smoking for 3.5 years now and most of the time I thought I was close to quitting. I should stop fooling myself and actually get it over with.

I did quit for 4-5 months earlier this year. That was good, now let's do it again and now forever.

Thanks delicious! I never wake up at night for a smoke, so I agree with you there.

I also believe that is not really physical, but more mental. It has to do that I remember smoking really well (it was only 5 days ago) and that I feel stress now, that I associate strongly with getting a smoke.

Good metaphor - the dying screams of a tumor. Will think of it as that, helpful!

Thanks monkey3253 and healthygreek - I have read all your excellent advice and will do what you say, they are good ideas:
- taking walks
- exercise/running
- gum
- carbonated beverages
- staying busy
- avoiding smokers
- drinking a lot of cold water
- calling someone to talk about stopping smoking & the difficulties
- taking slow deep breaths of air

Actually, I will go to get water, a coca cola and gum now soda/sweet machine (or whatever you call that thing in english), take some deep breaths and when I leave university I will take a long walk (in the fields -the opposite direction of the place where I can get smokes).

Thanks for this huge amount of good advice! Will check this thread tomorrow again and inform if I made it (of course I will). If I fail during the coming weeks, I will post it! Also if I make it.

Will log out now - should stop thinking about smoking.

Thanks again everyone!

Edit: cwolfman - also thanks to you - pushups are a great idea too, will also remember to do that!

by the way I don't have any urge to smoke right now. It's morning and I still have a cold, so I don't feel like smoking. Will probably get cravings later in the day, but it makes it easier that it's not all the time.

This too shall pass, indeed.

I've added you as a friend. Let's go for it!

How do you stay smoke-free? Are there people who hold you accountable? How do you plan to deal with the cravings, like the one of yesterday that you describe?

Anyways, it's really good that you finished the first week. My experience from quitting for 4-5 months earlier this year that quitting smoking gets easier and easier. The first days are the most difficult, the first weeks are still difficult (but already less), and then the first months become quite easy already. I think cravings is something for life, but the frequency will go down exponentially. My experience was that it was something like this:

First week: many cravings per day
After 1 week: some cravings per day
After 1 month: cravings only some days per week.
After 3-4 months: cravings only once every few weeks

It went that quick, it was quite easy to not smoke after I got through the first month.

What will eventually remain after months is those moments that I think will be there for life: friends having a social smoke together (and you want to join), people smoke cigars at a campfire or something (I am a student so this happens ) and they offer you one or you get a lot of stress and need to pull yourself through that period and you know smoking was helpful there. The first 2 that I mention tempted me, the last thing I mention is what got me back to square one; first I smoked a package in a week (and that was enough) and then I got back to my old quantity.

But, anyways, those situations are not the norm. My point is that if you pull yourself through the first month and then the first 3-6 months, it'll be a cakewalk - but you need to stay on your guard for those situations that you know are difficult - not for some time, but for life. I made the mistake to let my guard down and will not do that again.

Ok you see I am telling you this, but I am also telling myself all of this . Anyways, good luck!

Cheers,
Jasper

I've quit for 10 days now and it's a lot easier now than the first handful of days (when I made this thread) - cravings are rarer now and less common, and I think it's partly because of your support and advice in this thread that I feel strongly motivated and able to keep on going! So, thanks!

@Lisa - thanks for your support! Great that you quit, Three weeks is a lot! Keep on going, you can do it! And a little advice: never let your guard down, the cravings forsmoking become rarer and rarer through time, but they keep occuring (every few weeks or months) and it's good to prepare yourself for that!

@gaylel - congratulations, very good that you did it!

Thanks everyone!

Well, yesterday was interesting. I am at home now and I saw my father and brother smoking several times, but I did not have any desire to smoke that day. Nor did I have today. I guess I've had the worst now.

@YeahTangerine - great that you quit for 5 years already. And I agree, stress management is the most difficult part of it. I hope to learn to prevent stress instead of managing it - zero stress = zero smoking risk.

@Valeriemartin - yeah there's so many disadvantages of smoking - I actually think there are no real advantages; smoking seems to help with stress, but I think it creates more stress then it takes away. It may be nice to smoke with people - but other people will think less of you when you smoke. It may feel good, but smoking is bad for your sense of smell and taste, so other things feel less nice; and as you get less healthy you'll feel even worse. And then there's all the other disadvantages we know so well. Conclusion: not a single good reason to smoke.
Anyways: keep on going! Don't fall into that trap again, and if your job makes it impossible for you to resist smoking, you may wish to find another job because your health is worth so much more.

@Laurenz1017 - day 1, very good! That's the worst, but once you get through the first week it'll be so much easier already. If you are tempted, remember that it'll pass quickly. I am on day 10 now and I find it quite easy now, I am not sure that it'll stay this easy, but it's so much better then a week ago.
I don't use any nicotine at all (no patches, no ecig). I use normal gum sometimes to distract me from the urge to smoke, which really helps.
About the graphic: I love those lists of advantages, it's really motivating to know that my health is improving as time passes!
And about the weight gain - last time I quit I gained 10 kg in 5 months. Then I took 6 months to lose 17 kg. Now I am monitoring my weight daily (using a graph) to make sure it stays stable; if I gain a bit, I'll do more exercising (which also helps to clean up my lungs).

A quote from the internet:
"Smokers often find it difficult to quit smoking and make other
lifestyle changes such as exercise and diet at the same time. This is
why it is important to begin a regular exercise program several months
before the expected date of smoking cessation. Not only does exercise
aid in weight management, but it is a healthy alternative activity
that helps overcome cigarette withdrawal."

I agree that it is difficult to start exercising while smoking - I do find it difficult to keep doing it. Anyways, my trick is to expect not too much of myself, but make exercising easier, so it doesn't take so much discipline to do it. Instead of running long distances (10 km or so), I just try to run 5 or just walk for 30-60 minutes. If I have to go to campus and I am not in a hurry, I just walk there (20 minutes, so back and forth it's 40). Those little bits of exercising add up and once this smoking requires less willpower, I'll expand the exercising again.

@kangojumps - thanks! Congratulations!

@DeadVim - Great, I'll look into that book! Thanks!