Quit Smoking Update

It has been a few days since I have posted anything so I thought I would take some time out of my busier than normal schedule to post an update on my progress. If you have have not yet read my Quit Smoking Plan, I recommend you do so now or the rest of this post will not make any sense.

So far, I am doing pretty good sticking to the plan. I hoping to be through with Phase 1 in a couple of weeks. I am currently only using SmokeSmart, and am using 3 perforations in the filter. I will continue to use the 3 perforation for about another week before I go to 4 perforations. I will then use four perforations for a week or 2 before I start Phase 2 of my plan.

When I first switched to the 3 perforations, I noticed that I was craving a cigarette sooner than normal. Before I started my quick smoking plan, I had myself on a smoking schedule when I was at work. I used to have a cigarette break every 2 hours. I usually did not have to look at a clock. My body just knew when it was time for a cigarette. I was good at keeping that 2 hour schedule during Phase 1 of my quit smoking plan. But when I started using 3 perforations in the filter, I noticed that I started craving cigarettes sooner than 2 hours. I have started craving a cigarette after an hour and 1/2 or an hour and 45 minutes. So far I have been good at holding myself to the 2 hours.

When I take the plunge and start using 4 perforations, I have a feeling it is going to be a tough one. But I have faith that I will make it. To be honest, adding 1 more perforation in the filter takes about 1 or 2 days to get used to. That is how long it takes my body to get used to having a little less nicotine. After I add an additional perforation, I stay there for about 2 weeks before I add another one. The transition has been quite easy so far, but I have a feeling the next one is going to be a little rough. Four perforations is the max. The next step will be the last one before I need to move onto Phase 2.

I finished reading "The Easyway to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr. A couple of people at QuitNet recommended it so I thought I would pick up a copy of it. I was skeptical at first. I mean, could a book actually get you to quit smoking? After reading the book all the way through, I believe it can. I will be reviewing the book in a future post, so I will not go into details here. I will tell you that the book does not focus on why you should quit smoking...we all know the reasons. The book focuses on the psychology of smoking and why we feel we "need" to smoke and why we feel that we can't quit.

As a side note, a couple of people who have reviewed my quit smoking plan have said that it will not work. What I am doing is called the tapering off method. I am slowly cutting back on my smoking until I no longer smoking. They say the reason this does not work is because it makes each cigarette more important than the last. Some said that decreasing the amount of cigarettes I smoke is just "pure torture". But the question I have for them is what is the difference between the tapering off method and using the patch or the gum? Yeah, you are not smoking, but you are still getting nicotine from another source. I am not sure about the gum, but I know with the patch you start with 1 dose and decrease the dose over the course of a few weeks. So what is the difference? All I can say is that I have made the decision to quit. I will quit my way. I have tried other methods and failed, so why would I waste my money and try them again? My way will work because I am confident and determined that it will work! I believe that the combination of my quit smoking plan and "The Easyway to Stop Smoking" book, I will kick this habit to the curb where it belongs!