Giving up smoking

[cjmf]

This is my 2nd day of not smoking and I was wondering if anyone else had found a good way to distract themselves,when you get a craving? I am taking zyban which is supposed to lessen the urge to smoke, but I found last night was very difficult and I hear its worse after a couple of days. Aaah

[sft42]

First accept that you will put on weight and accept it (nicotine is an appetite suppressant) so the way i got round this all those years ago was to eat loads of sweets like barley sugars which keep your gob busy the to combat that i hit the gym playing badminton and 5 a side on a regular basis.

Keep with it, the first fortnight is the worst.

[katejess]

I know exactly how you feel....but I found that the most important thing was not to keep my "gob busy" as sft42 says, but to keep my fingers busy.

I found that by keeping my hands busy, my cravings stayed at a manageable level and the labels on all the beer bottles stayed intact!

Try something that involves delicate work; like needlework if you are into that kind of thing, or tinkering with broken clocks or something. I really can't tell you how much that kind of thing helped me.

Good Luck!

[FTVS]

I had a retractable biro that I would constantly click in and out - this certainly helped me with the manual bit, especially in the pub. Have you read the Allan Carr book - I had been given up a day when I read it - it did help with the psychology ... You've done so well to get day two, I found that after day 3 it started to get easier. Good luck and keep it up!

[Cetti]

First of all - well done!! I gave up cold turkey style at the end of January 2000 - no drugs - nothing. It was very very difficult at first, especially after a coffee or a meal, which was always associated with a ciggy.

The key is you have to want to give up for yourself, and not for any pressure from friends or family. Get rid of all ashtrays and half full cigarette packets (if you still have them). Try to think of yourself as a non smoker, not as someone who is trying to kick the habit - much too stressful. At the end of a month, or whenever, reward yourself (not food!) because by then you will be a non smoker. Good Luck :-)

[darth vader]

avoid pubs like the plague. Avoid alcohol in general. As has been said, you will put on weight so live with it - snacking is much better than smoking - give yourself at least 6 months non-smoking before considering losing the weight again, one thing at a time. You will get colds, you will get coughs and chest infections so be prepared, it will be like that for a few months then LIFE IS FANTASTIC! - you can run again, you don't cough up your lungs after exercise, you don't have a constant lump in the back of your throat, you can sing without getting a tickly cough, oh the benefits are endless, so whatever the pain, the torment, the side effects just keep going, you've done 2 days now do 2 more, then 2 more.......

I stopped a year ago and wish i'd managed it 15 years ago...

[cjmf]

Thanks everyone, I feel very much encouraged now.Its really good to get advice from people who have actually been there and done that. In fact today has not been as bad as I was expecting! Bought the Alan Carr book, on your suggestion FTVS, seems good and makes a lot of sense. Not looking forward to putting on weight so will try to take up swimming again, which should hopefully keep off weight and keep me occupied!! As far as drinking goes I couldn't consider the prospect of giving up both so had a couple of glasses of wine last night and still didn't give in, so hopefully it will stay that way ? Or am I being too optimistic I wonder? Going home now to take apart various domestic appliances I think

[saffstar]

Just a quick tip that's not always practical but it helped my willpower at times; when you want a cigarette go & brush your teeth (the idea being that your mouth'll feel so lovely & clean that you won't want to mess it up!) other than that, as other people have said, stay away from alcohol & find something really absorbing to keep your hands/mind busy. GOOD LUCK!!

[emmagreeny]

When I gave up 4 years ago,someone told me that a craving can only last upto 15 minutes and all I had to do was find something to do for that 15 mins.It worked a treat, I don't know if it's true or that it just worked like taking one day at a time(only it was 15mins)

[coggles]

Hope it's still going well - it will be so worth it!

[ANUSHIKA]

Exercise or kick and punch things that way you are to out of breath to even consider lighting a fag.

[ANUSHIKA]

app as well sniffing perfume on a piece of tissue is supposed to work god knows how but i read that somewhere

[cjmf]

Is going even better, not feeling nearly as bad as last week, and have now done 5 days! Even spent saturday in the pub and still no smoking (was a bit harder though). Thanks for everyones useful tips

[darth vader]

additional. The pub cravings doesn't last forever no matter what you may think - i thought i could never walk into a pub ever again in my life, having stopped. Now i can happily get smashed out of my skull and not have the slightest craving! well done on the 5 days, now do 5 more..... :-)

[Joan]

i am a non-smoker but friend gave up after many years as a smoker and she said hardest part was knowing what to do with her hands. got round this by always having elastic bands in her pockets etc and just fiddled with these. also brushed teeth if possible when having a craving. know this is also a diet trick. good luck