i have tried to stop before un successfully, i want to stop but properly this time, i dont want a cake instead of a cig cos ive just got a new car i still wanna fit in, lol!!
Relying on WILLPOWER on its own is tough. You need a multiprongged approach 1. Avoid situations that you associate with smoking. If you usually smoke in the pub/bar, then dont go. Go out to restaurants or the cinema instead. Avoid friends who will be smoking aroung you for a while, or ask them not to smoke when you are around. Just change the envormonment and the activity that you often find yourself in when you smoke and you will find it makes a big difference. Trying to give up in a smoky pub is too too tough. 2. Excercise Fill your day with activity. What better than excersice. Not only will it distract you, you will get fitter and healthier at the same time. The endorphins produced by a long run or a session at the gym make a good surrogate for the nicotine high. 3. Think about the good things. When it is tough and you find yourself reaching for that cigarett, remind yourself that you are saving money (20 a day is £1800 a year!!), getting fitter and saving your teeth from turning yellow.
I used to go for a lot of walks. Think of it as giving up 'the next' cigarette - when the cravings drive you nuts go for a walk - as the days pass, on the whole the mad cravings will lessen - though you'll still be tempted and have bad days too.
To beat my smoking cravings I started sipping water and doodling to do something with my hands... I know it doesn't seem a lot but it has worked. Try reading Allan Carrs book too, it makes you see sense and that kind of helps with the cravings too!
I used sweets, you can get sugar free ones. I figured you can always get the pounds off once the craving ends
If you are afraid to get fat, there a lot of ways that you can think of instead of food just to distract your mind from smoking. It was hard to stop especially when you were smoking for quite a long time. Every time I want to smoke, I do something that I am not fond of doing like reading books, magazines, or even playing the playstation. In that way, I can distract myself. I even tried to avoid people who are smoking just to save myself from lighting one stick.
The advice seems to be; Go for a walk, take a shower, read a book, do something with your hands, take up hobbies that involve your hands. Instead of eating cakes, try dried fruits, nuts etc. Try the patches or gum. I know drug addicts who were able to give up drugs, but when it came to the fags, no, they couldn't do it. Smoking is so addictive for a number of reasons. A. It's legal, so we can do it just about anywhere we like and not get arrested. B. Because of A. the addiction is so well routed in our psyche, we just can't get a handle on beating it. C. Lots of other chemical related reasons. I'm a smoker and have tried many times over the years, I think the closest I've come to quitting was when I used the gum, and the patches. Of course a stay in hospital does it everytime 'cause (in Australia, don't know if it's the same everywhere else) it's not permitted to smoke in the hospital. It's a dirty, smelly habit, but because the government rakes in such huge amounts of tax from the tobacco companies they won't make it illegal... My advice..if you can't completely quit, then put some rules down for yourself to obey... don't smoke in the house, go outside for your fix, don't smoke after a shower, don't smoke while walking, don't smoke after eating, don't smoke with your coffee,tea or alcohol, leave your smokes in another room so you have to get up from the tv room/computer to go and get them to have one, (don't bring them back with you to the comp/tv). After awhile you'll be smoking less, at least. Best of Luck, and I hope you kill the beast
I did a lot of things when i was cutting down. They all worked, but the best one for me was reading. If you really get into a good book, the cravings sort of stop. But, I knew I couldn't read all day long, so I also tried chewing gum and hard candy when I was at work. Have to be careful with that as it can mess up your teeth.
How about getting a hobby that will keep your mind occupied so that you don't think of smoking that much. One small tip as well, I found chewing gum quite useful too.
You should probably find something to chew or keep in your mouth, in order to change that habit. I have heard drinking cold water with a straw is a very good thing. It replaces the cigarette in your mouth, gives you something to do and if you drink enough water... you might speed up your metabolism, make it 30% faster.
I still haven't managed to quit myself but I have cut down a lot. I found that just taking your mind off smoking helps a lot. When you get that craving or you think you need a cigarette, do something else instead, and that doesn't always have to mean eating.