Gnewfry's Journal, 05 October 2014

Had no idea they were that expensive.. I understand they are hard to give up, my daughter and SIL keep doing it for awhile and then go back to smoking. Best of luck to you in doing so, much better for your health and that if others around you.  

Congrats on that decision, I quit cold turkey but I replaced it with chewing gums and not the sugar free which was not very wise, but you may try sugar free gums to see if it helps  

"Yay" for quitting smoking! You can do it! :) 

Funny you are trying to give up cigarettes and I have people telling me I should start smoking cause it's going for weigh control. I not gonna start and I hope you for you health quit, if you put on a few pounds we will be here to help, I know you can do it 

Good for you for giving up cigarettes! Both my parents smoked when I was young, but stopped when they were diagnosed with lung cancer. They both survived, but my father was tied to an oxygen tank with severe COPD during his later years -- a fate he nor I would wish on anyone. Thanks for your support on my journal & hope we can stay in touch! 

Do you have a harder time with craving the nicotine or with the habit of picking something up and putting it in your mouth? If it is the habit, that will be harder on your diet because you will find yourself putting food in your mouth to compensate and sugar-free gum or chewing on toothpicks can help. If it is the craving then you should see if Nicorette or something like Chantix is covered by your insurance.  

Oh, and here is a free site that has quit coaches and plans. http://smokefree.gov/ 

I grew up in a cloud of smoke, parents and grandfather who lived with us were all chain smokers. I have scars on my lungs and the docs attribute my asthma to second hand smoke. Dad died of a massive stroke (he had quit smoking after watching his dad die of lung cancer) mom, of multiple cancers beginning with a massive upper thoracic tumor attributed to nicotine and smoking.  

Have you considered the e-cig and lower your nicotine that way 

Lower nicotine but still putting stuff into your lungs that shouldn't be there. I don't know anything about the research on that, just my thinking.  

Do you knit or crochet? If not, now might be a good time to take one of those up. Even if only to knit hats or blankets for preemies. It will give you something to do with your hands. Instead of coffee and a smoke, make it coffee and two rows of knitting. I use knitting for all those times when I might be inclined to nibble on junk. Good luck!! And plan a reward for the money you'll save.  

Cross stitch or quilting, making jewelry anything you would need to keep your hands busy. Reminds me I need to get my cross stitch back out, I have a Santa I want to finish.  

When you want a cigarette put a carrot stick in your mouth. It will act like a sub. for you.  

I quit cold turkey about 25 years ago. Everybody reacts differently when they quit cold turkey. Some people you don't notice any changes at all, and some people there are a lot of changes. Monitor yourself carefully. Your on this site, so that should help you control any appetite problems from quitting. If you think your getting irritable with people, get in the habit of taking a deep breath and remind yourself why your about to snap at someone. It's not going to be easy and if you have a close friend or relative that you talk to every day, let them in on what your doing and ask them for their support. Quitting is the best thing you can do for yourself. Good luck and remember you have a support group right here that can help you through it. 

People i know who have tried to quit without having a plan of action have been unsuccessful because they end up eating constantly and putting on weight . . . They get to the point that they would rather smoke than be over weight. Those I know who have prepared for this have been more successful. That carrot idea sounds like a wonderful idea and so does the idea of keeping your hands busy. I know of no groups, but you might find one here on FS. I wish you success :-) 

You could try thrive gum, my neighbour had some success with it. It won't help you save money, and you have to be careful not to just trade one addiction for another.  

Good for you! I'm rooting for you! Please stick to quitting cigarettes. Your body will thank you. So many people I know died from diseases directly connected to their smoking. My dad had throat cancer, neighbor COPD, ,,,the list is long. My one sister and husband tied to oxygen tanks, etc. I am sure you know the benefits of quitting and the risks of continuing the habit.  

One thing at a time. Quit the ciggies first. Don't stress yourself out trying to quit two habits/addictions at the same time. Ditto to Kattay. She forgot to mention stroke. I had one 4 weeks ago.  

I stopped back in December 2007.. I had to do a lot of praying.. One day at a time !!! You can do it.. I now have mild Emphysema...So, try really, really hard to stop and with a lot of prayer, you can do it ...we will pray with you... Remember, One day at a tome...I did gain weight on Predisone Medicine to rebuild my Lungs..... I went from 130 to 166.. But now I'm down and doing pretty good... YOU CAN DO IT TOO !!! 

Go to healthline.com and type quit smoking app in the search box. There is an article called The Best Quit Smoking iPhone & Android Apps of the Year. Good luck quitting smoking!