Help Me Quit Smoking

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-12T08:02:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Snacks to Keep You Busy

When you feel the urge to smoke, have a snack that keeps your hands and mouth busy. Buy a bag of shelled peanuts to eat, so that you have to work at shelling each nut. Do the same with sunflower seeds. Make a big bowl of popcorn, a good low-fat snack. Practice catching pieces in your mouth.

I am Doing Better

2009-07-12T07:49:00.004-05:00

It has been roughly 36 hours since I have had my last cigarette. It has been a bit of a struggle. But I think I am doing okay. I have read that the cravings come and go, but sometimes I feel like it is a constant craving. The 'nicotine monster' wants to be fed. I will do my best to ignore him.

We went to a block party yesterday. I found myself looking around for someone smoking a cigarette. Strangely, I did not see 1 person smoking. I thought that was very weird. There must have been 30 or 40 adults there and I did not see a single one of them smoking. Maybe it was because most of them had kids and either did not want to smoke around their kids or had quit smoking altogether because they had kids.

We have a baby shower this afternoon so we will see how that goes. I know that there will not be any smokers in our group. But it is at a banquet facility so there might be someone there outside our group that smokes. I know that I should not smoke at all, but will 1 cigarette kill me?

Not Quite There Yet

2009-07-11T08:40:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I have a bit of a confession to make. I have not quite quit smoking yet, but I am trying. I did intend to quit on July 5th. But on the morning of July 6th I was on a plane heading down to go through my dad's things. I did not bring any cigarettes with me. I thought I was doing good. I don't recall having a craving, but I did find myself buying a pack of cigarettes at the gas station that was right next door to our hotel. So I smoked the pack throughout the course of 3 days. I had the last one at the airport waiting for our flight home. That was going to be my "last cigarette". The morning after I got back home, I had to go to work. Again, I had no intention of smoking. But the cravings became too great. I went out in the early afternoon and bought a pack. I do not bring it home with me. It stays at work. The first night wasn't so bad because I knew I would be back at work the next morning and could have a cigarette then. But now that it is the weekend, I have to wait 2 days to get back to my cigarettes.

Maybe it will be a good thing. Maybe I won't be craving them by the time I get back to work Monday morning. But that might also be a bad thing. What if I am not craving them, but they are there? I don't think I will have to power to throw them away. I guess I will have to see what happens Monday.

Right now I need to focus on getting through the weekend. Just take 1 day at a time. That is all I can do. If I keep thinking about having a cigarette when I get to work on Monday morning, it will drive me crazy! So I need to find other things to keep myself occupied today.

Wish me luck!

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Relaxation Is Easier Than You Think

Consciously relaxing your body and mind is really helpful, not just in the early days of quitting, but as a way of dealing with stress in your life from now on. Relaxing can be pretty easy to do, once you get the hang of it. Simply close your eyes and breathe naturally, picturing your breath as it flows in and out of your body. You may want to imagine your breath filling your body with energy, and then pulling all tension out with it as you exhale.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-10T08:27:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

A Question Of Priorities

Sometimes you have to make quitting your #1 priority; which can mean putting your social life on hold during the early days. If you must socialize in risky environments, perhaps your party friends can help you by smoking less around you, etc. This is your quit, and you need to do whatever you can to not smoke. The responsibility is yours.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-09T19:53:00.001-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Caffeine and Nicotine

For many people, coffee is strongly associated with smoking. If this is true for you, try changing your coffee drinking routine. Sit in a different chair or room, or take your coffee differently. Changing your coffee mug may help, too. While you drink coffee do something different than you usually do; you could try reading quit-smoking literature, for example. If you go out for coffee, go to a non-smoking place. Some people choose to switch to another hot beverage and avoid drinking coffee altogether in the early days of quitting.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-08T23:13:00.001-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Avoid Excess Sugar Consumption

Avoid eating any foods high in refined sugars, carbohydrates, and fat. Eating a well-balanced diet of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and low calorie snacks is a good way to minimize weight gain. To avoid excess sugars and fat, start reading food labels. It is also helpful to avoid alcohol when you are quitting smoking. This can help to reduce your chances of relapse. Some people also choose to avoid coffee when they are quitting. If you find it hard to avoid smoking when you drink coffee, you may want to try another beverage of choice like tea or hot cocoa.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-07T08:02:00.001-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Dealing with Frustration

You may be finding that the little problems in life seem incredibly difficult. This is an effect of withdrawal from nicotine and WILL pass in a couple of weeks. You don't have to smoke to deal with frustration. You can choose a different response. How have you seen other people handle frustration, in healthy ways? To let go of frustration, get alone for a few minutes and take a few deep breaths, slowly counting to ten for each inhale and exhale. You could try clenching your fists for a count of five, then shaking out your hands several times; imagine getting rid of some of that frustration as you shake your hands out, like a dog gets rid of water by shaking after a swim. Do this several times, followed by a few slow and calming breaths.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-06T04:33:00.001-05:00

My quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Dealing with cravings

You've done it. You've made it well into your quit day and you are still smoke free! You're probably beginning to have cravings for tobacco, however, and are wondering how you are going to deal with them. Craving a cigarette can be hard to deal with but remember -- cravings are temporary and pass in a few minutes. Fight the urge to smoke with the Five D's: Delay (until the urge passes); Deep breaths; Drink water; Discuss your cravings; and do something to Distract yourself (like exercise one of the other four D's, for example).

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here is my quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Quit Day!

Quit Day - Congratulations!!! This is it, the moment you've prepared for, anticipated and even dreaded. Fear not! A vast majority of successful quitters will tell you that their fearful expectations were always far worse than the reality of quitting smoking itself. This is your quit! Nothing in the world can make you throw it away, and all the power in the world is available to help you succeed. How about logging on to the QuitNet and announcing your quit in the forums? Such a public commitment to your quit can really make a difference. You'll get cheered on by many others successful in their quits- so be prepared to stand up and take a bow!

Day 1

2009-07-05T10:08:00.004-05:00

My quit day has finally arrived. I feel a little strange. Actually, I am not sure how I feel. I feel that I need to go out for my morning cigarette. But I have to remind myself that I do not do that anymore. So instead I am eating an apple. I think I will have to keep myself busy today to keep my mind off of smoking. I almost wish that I could stay in my bedroom all day. I know that there are going to be several situations today where I will feel the "urge" for a cigarette. I will just have to find a way to get through them. Maybe I will stop at the grocery store and pick up some vegetables like celery or carrots and use them as props. When ever I feel the urge for a cigarette I will pretend that a stick of celery or a carrot is a cigarette.

I will check back in tonight to let you all know how Day 1 went.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-03T22:39:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Log On, Don't Light Up!

You're almost there...your quit day is today! One the best ways to get through the process of quitting smoking is to have support. Thats where the QuitNet can really help. When you feel like lighting up, log on to the "Q" and read or post a message in the forums, participate in one of the chat rooms or check your Q-Mail. Since most cravings last less than 5 minutes, a short distraction is all you need. You CAN do this. Good luck!

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-02T22:38:00.001-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Tell Your Family and Friends!

As part of preparing for your quit-date, you may want to get some support from your family and close friends. Think about the ways that they can be helpful to you, and then communicate those ways to them. For example, will you want to be asked about how your quit-attempt is going, or would you like to be left alone on this topic unless you bring it up? Also, if you discuss with them, before your quit-date, the fact that you might be a bit hard to live with for a while, they’ll be less likely to take your irritable behavior personally.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-07-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

A Little Exercise is Better Than None

Exercise can be very helpful when you are trying to quit smoking. Smokers are less likely to exercise; conversely, people who exercise regularly are less likely to smoke. Adding even a moderate amount of exercise can burn calories and increase metabolism- helping to avoid or minimize weight gain. Also, regular exercise can reduce stress and enhance your sense of well-being (by increasing metabolism and dopamine synthesis in the brain). NOTE: If you are considering starting a new exercise program, talk to your doctor first. Your physical capability may not be on a par with your enthusiasm. Normally, it helps to set modest goals at first, and increase your activity gradually. Start with goals you know you can achieve, and increase the challenge after you've developed the HABIT of exercise.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

What Are You Afraid Of?

What are your fears about quitting smoking? Put them down on paper and take a look at them. Maybe you didn’t even know that these fears were lingering in your mind, keeping you from trying to quit. Are you afraid you’ll lose certain friends, or lose an image you think smoking gives you? Be honest with yourself and you may find you’re better able to think about seriously trying to quit.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Consider How Smoking Molds Your Life

Spend some time considering, and even writing down, how smoking affects you. Have you noticed signs of being addicted to nicotine, such as having really strong cravings in the morning, or having to leave for a smoke during a movie? What habits have you built around smoking? Do you always smoke after meals? Do you smoke as a way to deal with feelings/stress? As you become more aware of the role smoking plays in your life, you'll discover ways to change.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Keep Lots of Healthy Food On Hand

In preparation for quitting, get in the habit of keeping your kitchen well-stocked with fruits and vegetables. You'll then have something to reach for when you get a craving. Cut your favorite veggies into sticks and put them in baggies. Eat baby carrots. Keep a bowl of grapes in the fridge, washed and ready to eat. Put apples in the living room. When you read or watch TV, you'll have an apple to reach for in place of a cigarette. By the way, if you're angry, apples and other crispy foods have a loud, satisfying crunch.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-27T22:21:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

What Small Changes in Lifestyle Can You Make Now?

Be realistic when preparing to quit. When thinking of things to replace smoking with, choose activities that you like to do and that will work for you. Don't plan to jog two miles a day if walking around the block is difficult for you, for example. Pick a quit-day when you can focus mostly on quitting and not on any work that needs to get done, or on visiting relatives, etc. Think about changes that you can start making now to make quitting easier-like taking a walk after lunch. Small, but realistic, changes will make all the difference when you quit.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Effects on other people

As an ex-smoker, you may find it motivating to consider the effect of your smoking on other people. Knowing that secondhand smoke is harmful, even potentially fatal, to those around you might make you think twice about the effects of your smoking. Even your pets, you may realize, are adversely affected by secondhand smoke.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-25T21:31:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Question Your Motives For Smoking

An ex-smoker suggests one way to help you think about quitting. Write out the answers to these questions: What has smoking done for me? What has smoking done to me? Am I able to enjoy all the activities I did when I wasn’t smoking? What makes me want to quit? We also recommend you use our own diagnostic 'Why Do I Smoke?' tool. It'll not only give you a little insight, but make some suggestions for treatment, as well.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Find New Ways to Deal With Stress

Many people become used to smoking as a way of dealing with strong feelings and stress. It’s possible to find other ways to handle anger, frustration, sadness, and joy, however. In the days before your quit-date, notice why you smoke, and what feelings you’re having at the time you light up. It's wise to write theses things down. It won't take you long to identify certain patterns in your daily smoking routines. Much of this patterning will be directly tied to mental/emotional stressors. You have a choice about how you cope with your feelings -- smoking a cigarette is a choice you can turn down. Think of other ways to handle feelings. You can walk, talk (on the phone or in person), exercise, sleep, pray, meditate, write in a journal, do a hobby, go to the movies, or any one of hundreds of other possibilities. Try to choose one of these instead of smoking; watch how quickly your focus turns away from your strong emotion and how quickly that feeling can disappear.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-23T21:12:00.001-05:00

The quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

When Do You Smoke?

Some people find it helpful to keep track of how many cigarettes they smoke each day, and when they smoke them. Try this for a few days: each time you’re about to smoke, take 10 seconds to write down what time it is and why you are smoking (for example: 9:00 am, smoked 1 cigarette with coffee). You might already know that you always smoke after eating, for example, but may not realize that you always have a cigarette as soon as you step out of the house or leave work. Noticing patterns can help you decide how to change these patterns, and how to come up with things to do instead of smoking at these particular times.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

This is the quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Is Your Doctor 'Up To Snuff'?

Over the years a variety of devices and remedies for quitting smoking have been developed. Believe it or not, doctors and other health-care providers are not always knowledgeable about current quit-smoking methods; most medical schools only briefly touch on smoking cessation, if at all. We quitters often have to educate our own healthcare providers (though that's changing rapidly)! If you have any questions about which quit-smoking technique or product is best for you, ask your doctor or pharmacist, but don’t be afraid to question their level of quit-smoking awareness. You deserve the best medical help you can receive during your quitting experience.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-21T21:05:00.002-05:00

Here is the quitnet.com Tip of the Day:

Hang Out With Non-Smoking People

If you want some motivation to quit smoking, start spending time with non-smoking people. Notice how their hands are free to do what they want to do. Notice that they don’t smell like smoke, and that they are generally more active than smokers. Ask your non-smoking friends and colleagues how they deal with stress, boredom, or joy, and ask if you can call on them during your early recovery. They might have some useful ideas for you when finally quit smoking yourself.

New Incentive to Quit Smoking

2009-06-21T19:45:00.000-05:00

For those of you that have been following my blog, you know that the main reason that I am quitting smoking is because my wife and I are expecting a baby in September. Since my father is the reason I started smoking in the first place, I did not want to make the same mistake. I do not want my son to know me as a smoker or to pick up this nasty habit from me. I also want to be there for my kids and family for as long as I can. I want to watch my kids grow up, go to college, get married, and start families of their own.

I now have a new incentive to quit smoking. I got a phone call yesterday morning informing me that my father has passed away. It was not an unexpected phone call. In fact, I was quite relieved that he is finally at peace. He had a stroke back in March and his health quickly deteriorated from that point. When they found that he had a stroke, they also found that his kidneys were failing, his liver was failing, and his lungs were not good. I went to the hospital to see him and knew when I left that it would probably be the last time I would see him alive. And it was. He was only 67 years old.

There are a few things that he said when I saw him in the hospital that I will never forget. He told me that he was scared of dying. Even though the stroke caused significant damage to his memory and he was doped up on medication, he knew his days were numbered. I could almost see regret in his face. I think when you are at the point in your life, when you are looking death in the face, it really makes you stop and think about your life. What regrets do you have? Would you change anything? Would you do something different?

Something else that he told me was that I needed to quit smoking. That kind of took me by surprise. He knew that I had been smoking for the past 20 years, and he is just now getting on my case? I believe that he knew that being a heavy smoker and a heavy drinker for a good chunk of his life had finally taken its toll on his body.

After seeing my father laying in the hospital, knowing that he was going to die, I knew that I did not want to end up like that. Yes, it is true that we cannot control everything that happens to our health as we get older. But there are things we can do to attempt to live longer and healthier lives. And not smoking is one of those things.

It seems almost ironic to me. The man who got me smoking in the first place is the same man that will get me to quit smoking. Thanks dad. I love you.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Day

2009-06-20T22:22:00.001-05:00

Now that I have reached the 2 week mark until my quit date, quitnet.com has started sending me tips of the day. Here is today's tip...

Drink Lots of Water

Drinking lots of water is probably the single most effective way to cleanse the body of nicotine, thereby decreasing the duration and severity of withdrawal symptoms. As you prepare to quit smoking, refill all your ice-cube trays, so that when you quit you’ll have plenty of ice for cold water. You can also make juice pops, using ice-cube trays or paper cups with popsicle sticks inserted. Fill with your favorite juice, freeze, and enjoy whenever you’re having a nicotine craving (studies indicate that drinking cold water can actually remove an urge to smoke!).

Quitnet.com Tip of the Week

2009-06-13T21:20:00.001-05:00

Here is the Quitnet.com tip of the week...

Start Your Quit Cleanly

A day or so before your quit, do a few loads of laundry. Wash your clothes, jackets, bed linens and anything recently exposed to cigarette smoke. On your quit day, you'll have clean-smelling clothes to wear, and a clean, fresh bed to climb into.

The Real Countdown Begins!

2009-06-08T21:58:00.004-05:00

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that I have been working on quitting smoking for almost 2 months now. I devised a 2 phase quit smoking plan and have been following it. My quit date is set for July 4th...Independence Day! I now have less than 1 month until I walk away from the cancer sticks for good.

I will admit that there are some days that I have doubts that I can do it. But I think I have more days that I feel I can do it. I believe that my current level of addiction is very minimal. Right now my biggest struggle is with the habit. For example, we were putting together the baby's crib this weekend and I got a little frustrated toward the end. I wanted a cigarette. That is my usual response to frustration. But this time I did not go out for a puff. I took a couple of deep breaths and continued to work on the crib. During these last days and weeks before my quit day, I will be focusing on my triggers. I will need to come up with some alternatives to smoking when I have a trigger. If anyone has some good ideas, I would love to hear them.

I am currently smoking about 10 cigarettes a day. Although, technically I think I am smoking less than that. Yes, I light 10 cigarettes a day, but with SmokeSmart I feel like I am just sucking in air for the first half of the cigarette. So I feel that I am only smoking a half of a cigarette at a time and not a whole one. And there are times that I get about half way through a cigarette and I get a bad taste in my mouth. So I put it out.

Wish me luck during these next few weeks. I think I may need it.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Week

2009-06-07T21:56:00.004-05:00

Here is this week's quit smoking tip from quitnet.com:

Weight Gained or Lost
Don’t let your fear of gaining weight stop you from quitting smoking, or trick you into relapsing. You’d have to gain at least 75 pounds to cause as much danger to yourself as a one-pack-a-day habit does. You may temporarily eat more food while in nicotine withdrawal, but that issue can be dealt with at a later time. Many new non-smokers do not gain weight at all; some people actually become thinner.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Week

2009-05-30T11:28:00.004-05:00

Quitnet.com is a quit smoking support website. It is free to join and is chock full of support. One of the things that I signed up for was their weekly quit smoking tips email.

Here is this weeks tip:

Booze And Smokes
If you must drink during your early quit, try to avoid getting drunk. Nicotine and alcohol have similar effects on the brain's 'pleasure pathways', but alcohol often lowers inhibitions, and because we usually drink and smoke together, there's a behavioral component to beware of as well. This is where your friends (if they are true friends) can really help out during tough moments. Eventually, you'll be able to adjust to drinking without smoking.

Smoking Is Bad For Your Back?

2009-05-26T22:18:00.003-05:00

Last fall I started waking up in the morning with lower back pain. At first It thought it was either the way I was sleeping or maybe our mattress. In November I went to the annual Health fair at work and there happened to be a chiropractor there giving free assessments. So I figured I would talk to him about my morning back pain and let him assess my back. I have been seeing him ever since and although I do have occasional pain in the morning, it is not nearly as bad as it was. Each week I see the chiropractor I get a "Topic of the Week" article that talks about different aspects of health and chiropractics. This weeks article is titled "Smoking's Connection to Back Pain." How fitting for someone who is trying to quit smoking! I want to share some highlights of the article with you. But first, I must give credit where credit is due. The article is courtesy of Brican Systems Corporation. The writer and editor of the article is David Coyne. The writer is Dr. Christiane Guenette, DC. Now that that is out of the way, lets get on with the article...

Tobacco smoke contains 4,000 chemicals. Fifty of those chemicals are linked to cancer. Ingredients like nicotine and carbon monoxide constrict the arteries and interfere with blood circulation. This results in oxygen and other nutrients not being properly circulated. The nerves in the spine weaken and wither. Without sufficient oxygen and nutrients, your spine is unable to repair and heal itself.

A long term study from Johns Hopkins University showed a definite link between smoking and developing lumbar spondylosis (a term doctors use to refer to spine degeneration, neck and back pain). Researchers studied 1300 physicians over several decades. They discovered that physicians who had a history of smoking, along with higher cholesterol levels, were more likely to suffer from lumbar spondylosis.

Smoking is also a key component in atherosclerosis - a dangerous condition in which plaque builds up in your arteries. When it hardens, the plaque reduces the amount of space available for your blood to circulate. This can lead to heart attack or stroke. As it relates to low back pain, atherosclerosis disrupts proper blood flow in the abdominal arteries that feed the spine. The spinal discs can become brittle and painful.

As well as lack of nutrients, there's another cause of smoking related back pain: smokers frequently cough. This reaction stresses the back's lumbar discs and over time this can cause pain.

There is also indirect reasons why smokers suffer from back pain. The are often less physically active. And if they sustain a back injury, smokers more sedentary ways often slow recovery. Inadequate exercise can lead to back pain.

Surprisingly, the damage to the spine from smoking is not limited to adults. A Canadian study showed adolescent smokers are more likely to complain of back soreness. The study also revealed "a history of low back pain is predictive of future problems. As such, prevention of disability from back pain in adulthood."

The article then concludes with Tips for quitting smoking. Since I have covered tips to quit smoking in previous posts, I will not repeat myself. I thought it was a good article. Who would have thought that smoking may be responsible for my back pain?

Four Basic Strategies for Quitting

2009-05-25T23:02:00.006-05:00

I am a pack rat. I always have been, although I am trying to stop. I have a hard time throwing things out...you never know when you might need something! I was cleaning out my closet yesterday, making some room for some of the baby's things and came across a bag full of literature that I picked up from the annual health fair we had a work last November. I threw out most of it, but found a brochure that is full of good and interesting information for those that are planning on quitting smoking. See, you never know when you might need something. Back in November I was only thinking about quitting and not really serious about it yet. Now that I am seriously quitting smoking, I found that I could use it. And I thought I would share some of the information with all of you. The brochure is titled Smoking Cessation: New Ways To Quit and was written by Harvard Medical School.

The Hazards of Smoking

Tobacco is responsible for 1 of every 5 deaths in the United States. That adds up to over 435,000 lives lost each year.
The average non-smoker lives about 14 years longer than the average smoker.
Smoking is a major cause of chronic illness in over 8.5 million Americans. It is also a major cause of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease.
About 20% of all cardiac deaths are caused by smoking.
At least 90% of all patients with emphysema owe their lung disease to smoking.
Chronic bronchitis and pneumonia are among the other lung diseases are that increased in smokers.
Smoking contributes to many other health problems ranging from cataracts, sinusitis, and dental disorders to aging skin, heartburn, osteoporosis, and poor pregnancy outcomes.
"Light" and "low tar" cigarettes are no safer than high-test brands. The only truly safe dose of tobacco is zero.

The Benefits of Quitting

Within days of quitting, your blood vessels will regain as much of the normal functions that are damaged by smoking.
Within weeks of quitting, you'll be able to taste food better and your sense of smell will recover from tobacco's assault.
Within months of quitting, symptoms of chronic bronchitis ease up.
Within a year, lung function improves.
Within 2 to 5 years, the risk of heart attack and stroke is reduced.
Within 5 years, the risk of lung cancer begins to drop substantially.
Each pack of cigarettes costs the United States $7.18 in medical care and lost productivity.

How to Quit: Four Basic Strategies for Quitting

1. Do it yourself

o Make a list of reasons to quit and another list of people who have kicked the habit. The first list will remind you why quitting is important, and the second will show you that folks who are no stronger or smarter than you have succeeded. Keep your lists handy and refer to them whenever you begin to waver.

o Try to get other smokers in your household or circle of friends to join you in quitting.

o Pick a quitting date and stick to it. Plan to quit on a special day, such as a birthday or the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event on the third Thursday of each November. Steer clear of stressful periods, and avoid holidays if you are likely to be invited to smoke-filled parties.

o As your quit date approaches, throw out your ashtrays, clean your house, car, and clothes, and clean your teeth. Once you’re away from it, you’ll see that smoking stinks.

o Anticipate withdrawal symptoms such as grumpiness, restlessness, irritability, hunger, headache, anxiety, and drowsiness or insomnia. The discomfort usually peaks 1 to 3 weeks after you quit, and then it gradually diminishes. To get through the rough patches, stock up on low-calorie snacks and sugarless gum or candy to keep your mouth busy. Plan enjoyable diversions to keep your mind busy. Think of ways to keep your hands busy.

o If you feel tense, try meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.

o Begin an exercise program. It will relieve tension, promote good sleep, and help control weight gain. Walking 30 minutes a day can also help.

o Stay away from secondhand smoke. Don’t even think about smoking “just one” — even a single puff will set you back.

o Reward yourself. Put your tobacco money aside and then spend it on a special treat.

o Think positively—you can quit. Take it one day at a time. And if you slip, try, try again—either on your own or with one or more of the other strategies for quitting.

2. Behavioral support

Quitting is your responsibility; it may be hard, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. Many employers, health plans, and hospitals offer individual or group counseling. Your doctor or your local chapter of the American Lung Association or American Cancer Society can refer you to a program in your area. Telephone support can also help; you can try it for yourself by calling the National Smoking Cessation Hotline at 800-QUIT-NOW. Hypnosis is another alternative that has helped some smokers break free.

3. Nicotine-replacement therapy

Nicotine replacement is safe. You’ll get less nicotine than from cigarettes, and you won’t get any of the tar, carbon monoxide, and other damaging substances in tobacco. Plan to start nicotine-replacement therapy on the day you quit smoking. If you are a heavy smoker, you’ll need higher doses. Estimate how much nicotine you need based on an average of 1 to 2 milligrams (mg) of nicotine per cigarette. Start with the full dose, then gradually taper down over several months. Under-dosing is more common than overdosing, but you should not smoke while using nicotine-replacement therapy.

Here is a quick view of the options for nicotine-replacement therapy:

o Nicotine patches are available over the counter.. Place a new patch on clean, unbroken, hairless skin each day; you can leave it in place all day. You can reduce the dose every one to two months as your nicotine addiction resolves. Mild skin irritation is the most common side effect.

o Nicotine gum (Nicorette) is available over the counter. Chew a piece of the gum whenever the smoking urge surges, up to 30 pieces a day. Aim to wean off the gum in about three months if possible. Some people find the taste unpleasant, and some develop hiccups or indigestion.

o Nicotine lozenges (Commit) are available without prescription. A typical schedule calls for one lozenge every one to two hours for six weeks, then every two to four hours for two weeks, and then every four to eight hours for the final two weeks. Side effects may include an unpleasant taste, nausea, indigestion, or mouth tingling.

o Nicotine inhalers (Nicotrol inhaler) are available by prescription. Each cartridge delivers a “puff” of vapor containing 4 mg of nicotine. The average dose is six to 16 cartridges a day for up to 12 weeks, followed by a gradual reduction in dose over the next 12 weeks. Side effects may include mouth or throat irritation and cough.

o Nicotine nasal sprays (Nicotrol NS) are available by prescription. Each spray delivers 0.5 mg of nicotine. Use one spray in each nostril whenever you feel the urge to smoke, up to a maximum of 10 sprays an hour or 80 a day for three months. Side effects may include nasal irritation, sneezing, tearing, and cough.

Remember that nicotine replacement works best when combined with behavioral support, prescription drugs, or both. And smoking cessation always requires a good dose of willpower.

4. Prescription drugs

o Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) was initially approved to treat depression and was then approved for smoking cessation. It does not contain nicotine and can be used in combination with nicotine-replacement therapy. Start taking bupropion one to two weeks before your quit date. Possible side effects may include dry mouth and insomnia; seizures are very rare.

o Varenicline (Chantix) is the newest drug approved for smoking cessation; although experience is still limited, it also promises to be the most effective. It blocks nicotine receptors in the brain while also partially stimulating these receptors to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Nausea is common, and bad dreams may occur. Reports of accidents and visual abnormalities are also being investigated by the FDA. More research is needed.

Pretty good information, huh? I know it was a lot to read, but I hope you at least skimmed it. If you would like to read more literature written by the Harvard Medical School, please visit www.patientedu.org and type smoking in the search box towards the top right-hand side of the page.

If you are serious about quitting smoking, you can do it. There are several alternatives to help you quit. The trick is finding out which way will work best for you. Just because you know someone that was able to quit using the nicotine patch does not mean you will be able to do the same. Everyone is different. But the one thing that all ex-smokers share is the will and the desire to quit. If you have the will and the desire, you can quit. Believe in yourself. Don't have doubts. Make up your mind that you will quit, and do it!

SmokeSmart Works

2009-05-24T08:30:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that I have been using SmokeSmart to reduce the amount of nicotine that I put into my body. I started using SmokeSmart during Phase 1, and am continuing to use it now that I am in Phase 2 of my quit smoking plan.

Although I could feel the difference when I added an additional puncture to my cigarettes using SmokeSmart, I never really had proof that that the device actually worked. I guess I thought it was a little psychological. I read the information about SmokeSmart and could feel the difference when smoking a cigarette, but I think deep down I was a little skeptical. The information that I read about SmokeSmart sounded logical, but how could puncturing a filter reduce the nicotine that gets inhaled?

After yesterday, I believe that it SmokeSmart actually works! We went out to register for baby stuff (we are expecting a boy in September), and then to my mom's for a barbeque. I grabbed my cigarettes and a lighter before I left, but somehow forgot to grab SmokeSmart. I realized this when we got to Baby's R Us and wanted to have a cigarette before we spent the next 2 or 3 hours walking around the store putting stuff on our baby registry. I had 2 choices. I could either not smoke at all, or try to just smoke half of the cigarette. I chose the latter. And to be honest, I think that half of a cigarette was more than I needed. I felt satisfied. I think the first drag was a little overwhelming. It was STRONG! So I have proved to myself that SmokeSmart is working for me.

Quitnet.com Tip of the Week

2009-05-23T09:25:00.004-05:00

Quitnet.com is a quit smoking support website. It is free to join and is chock full of support. One of the things that I signed up for was their weekly quit smoking tips email.

Here is this weeks tip:

Find Your Own Path
Your quit-smoking path is yours alone. Each person's recovery is unique to that person. Some things will be easier for you than for others, and some harder. Try not to compare too much; better to focus on what YOU need to do on a day-to-day basis. You don't need to find which path is the 'right' one so much as you need to discover what YOUR path is, and then get on it.

Progress Update

2009-05-20T14:51:00.002-05:00

Well, I am officially on Phase 2 of my Quit Smoking Plan. This is the phase where I focus on the habitual aspect of my smoking. During Phase 1 I focused on reducing my body's dependence on nicotine. I found Phase 1 relatively simple. Phase 2 seems like it is going to be a little harder. The saying that "bad habits are hard to break" holds true. But aren't all habits hard to break? If you stop and think for a few moments, how many things do you do throughout the course of a day out of habit? If you look up the word habit at dictionary.com, you will find that the first definition is "an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary". The key word in the definition is 'involuntary'. A habit is something you do unconsciously...without thinking about it.

Smoking is a hard habit to break. I am finding that out now. There are so many times that I find myself going out for a cigarette without even thinking about it. It just kind of comes naturally. The trick to getting through Phase 2 and 'kicking the habit' is going to be to consciously think about my smoking. I think what I need to do first is to slowly work on cutting out 'unnecessary' cigarettes. I know that sounds a little silly...unnecessary cigarettes. Aren't all cigarettes unnecessary? But seriously, there are times I find myself having a cigarette when I really do not need one. These are the first cigarettes that I am going to work on cutting out. Wish me luck!

A Dilemma

2009-05-15T12:35:00.002-05:00

I decided to increase the number of perforations from 3 to 4. By doing so, I have entered the last step of Phase 1 of my quit smoking plan. So far I have found transitions to more perforations quite easy. The first day or so after I start using an additional perforation is a little hard, but not bad at all. It just takes some getting used to.

Now that I am on the last step of Phase 1, I will start to slowly work on Phase 2. If you have not read my quit smoking plan, in Phase 2 I focus on the habit of smoking. I will work on training my mind that I do not need cigarettes to get through life. I will start by cutting out cigarettes that I don't need. For example, when I walk across campus, I do not need a cigarette to make it to my destination AND a cigarette to make it back to my office. I have already begun to cut some of these cigarettes out. When I am at work, I no longer carry my cigarettes with me. I leave them on my desk.

So here is my dilemma. I am just now starting Phase 2 of the plan. And I only have 2 packs of cigarettes left. I could just say that after these 2 packs, I am done smoking. But I also think I should spend some time working on Phase 2. If I just stop smoking after these 2 packs, I think I will fail. I think the withdrawal and cravings will be too much for me to handle. I know that even after I complete Phase 2 that there will be some withdrawal, but I don't think it will be as severe.

In order to work on Phase 2, I will need cigarettes. But I am tired of paying the high prices for cigarettes. I also do not want to buy more cigarettes than I will need. I am used to buying cigarettes by the carton. Maybe I should start buying a few packs at a time. I guess I could try that and see what happens. Well, I think I just solved my dilemma. I will just start buying cigarettes by the pack.

Quit Smoking and Gain Weight

2009-05-13T09:22:00.003-05:00

When people think about quitting smoking, one of their concerns is that they will gain weight. One theory is that when people quit smoking, they need something to help with the oral fixation. This makes sense since smoking is an oral habit. When you take away cigarettes, the smoker needs something in their hands and mouth, and many smokers turn to food. But what if the weight gain was not just because you tend to eat more when you quit smoking? What if there was another reason for the weight gain?

I came across an article on Yahoo News yesterday that I found quite interesting. The article, "Smoking may boost 'fat-depleting' gene", discusses the possibility that a gene that is thought to control weight and break down fat is more active in smokers than in non-smokers. If you are interested in reading the full article, click HERE.

While we are on the subject of gaining weight when you quit smoking I want to share some other information that I found interesting. Did you know that nicotine is an appetite suppressant? Or that heavy smokers can burn up to 200 calories a day by smoking? These are 2 more good reasons why smokers gain weight when they quit.

But please, don't continue to smoke because you are afraid you are going to gain weight if you quit. That is just an excuse. One of the main reasons to quit smoking is for your health. Exercising is also good for your health. You do not need to go to the qym and workout for hours on end. Get out and go for a walk. Be active. Don't sit in front of the TV eating junk food and make yourself miserable because you no longer smoke. Get out and enjoy life. And if you do feel like you need to eat, eat fruits and vegetables.

Breaking the Habit

2009-05-12T09:32:00.004-05:00

My quit smoking plan has 2 parts. In Part 1, I am working on the addiction to nicotine. This simply involves reducing the amount of nicotine in the cigarettes that I smoke. Part 2 of my quit smoking plan involves working on the habitual part of my smoking. There are times that I find myself lighting up a cigarette, not because I am craving one, but because of habit.

Although I was planning on getting though Part 1 before I start focusing on Part 2, I decided to start Part 2 a little early and start working on the habit. I always have a pack of cigarettes with me. When I am at work, and have to walk across campus, I make sure I have them with me. Here's the problem. When I have to walk to another building across campus, I find myself smoking a cigarette on the way to my destination and another cigarette on my way back to my office. Even if the trip only takes 30 minutes. Kind of stupid, right? So, instead of keeping my cigarettes with me at all times while I am at work, I keep them on my desk. I might have a smoke when I am going from my office to somewhere else, but since I don't have any with me, I can't smoke on the way back. Although it sounds simple, it is another step to becoming smoke free. I will continue to look at other times that I can go somewhere without taking my cigarettes with me.

Little by little, I will eventually be a non-smoker.

A Quick Note on Comments

2009-05-11T20:05:00.004-05:00

I do not mind people leaving comments. I encourage it. As long as the comment offers advice, support or encouragement.

But please do not post a comment trying to sell something. While I realize your intentions may be good, I will not publish the comment...even if the comment offers advice or support as part of your sales pitch. This is not a place for free advertising.

Thank you for your consideration.

Quit Smoking Update

2009-05-10T17:51:00.004-05:00

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!

I Think My Plan is Working!

2009-05-05T13:55:00.004-05:00

For those of you who read My Quit Smoking Plan, you know that I am using a device called SmokeSmart as an aid to quit smoking. I did a brief review of this device in an earlier posting. If you want to read my SmokeSmart review, you can do so by clicking HERE. For those of you who do not want to read my review, I will give you a quick run down about what SmokeSmart is. SmokeSmart is a device (for lack of a better term) that punctures small holes in the filter of you cigarette. With each puncture, the amount of nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide is reduced. So, in esence, by using SmokeSmart, I am slowly weaning my body off of nicotine.

I spent the last couple of weeks smoking my cigarettes with 2 punctures in them. Two punctures is supposed to reduce the nicotine by 28%, the tar by 50%, and carbon monoxide by 58%. Today I decided to take the plunge increase the number of punctures to 3. This third puncture will reduce the nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide levels even further. The nicotine in my cigarettes should now be reduce by 53%, the tar by 63%, and the carbon monoxide by 71%. I am not sure how accurate those figures are, but I can tell you that there is a significant difference. The first couple of drags, I feel like I am not even smoking a cigarette. When I am finished with the cigarette, I barely feel like I smoked one. I feel like I could light up another one. I don't, of course, because that would defeat the purpose!

The final thing that I noticed by using 3 punctures, is that I feel that I need to smoke more often. I usually have a cigarette every couple of hours while I am at work, but now I feel that I need a cigarette about every hour and a half. As long as I don't cave into the cravings and stick to smoking every 2 hours, my plan will work. And when I eventually get to the 4th and final puncture, I will start working on the 'habit' portion of my plan. I feel confident that this plan will work and I will be victorious in my attempt to quit smoking.

Can A Book Help Me Quit Smoking?

2009-05-05T11:11:00.005-05:00

There must be a million and one ways to quit smoking. There is the willpower method, also known as cold turkey. There are nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine inhalers, nicotine lozenges, and nicotine nasal sprays. There are prescription drugs and medications like Chantix. You can try hypnosis. You can even try laser therapy. All of these have been used to get people to quit smoking with variable results. But the questions is, can a book get me to kick the habit?

A couple of people at QuitNet recommended a book called "The Easyway to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr. Really? Read a book and quit smoking? You can't be serious! I was skeptical, but decided to give it a try. One more tool to add to my arsenal. I have almost finished reading the book and I have to admit, it might actually work. I will have to let you know.

If you are interested, here is a little synopsis:

Allen Carr's Easyway™ method centers on removing the psychological need to smoke--while the smoker is still smoking. Following the Easyway™ method:

You will not need willpower.
You will not gain weight.
You will not feel deprived.
You will need no gimmicks, shocks or substitutes
You will not suffer serious withdrawal pangs.

Carr debunks many of the myths about smoking: smokers enjoy smoking, smokers choose to smoke, smoking is a social habit, smoking relieves boredom and stress, and smoking aids concentration and relaxation. He examines the real reasons people start to smoke and why they continue, and explains why attempts to quit with nicotine substitutes, by simply cutting down, or through pure willpower so often fail. He offers a step-by-step approach to stopping, and reveals how to handle withdrawal symptoms and temptation situations.

Rather than feel deprived and anxious, apply Allen Carr's Easyway™ method and immediately enjoy the freedoms of being a non-smoker.

What Happens When You Quit Smoking

2009-05-04T00:09:00.002-05:00

Ever wondered what happens to your body and your health when you quit smoking? The following information is courtesy of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and was taken from the 2004 Surgeon General's Report.

Within 20 minutes after you smoke that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years.

20 Minutes After Quitting: Your heart rate drops.

12 hours After Quitting: Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting: Your heart attack risk begins to drop; Your lung function begins to improve.

1 to 9 Months After Quitting: Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.

1 Year After Quitting: Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

5 Years After Quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s 5-15 years after quitting.

10 Years After Quitting: Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s; Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.

15 Years After Quitting: Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker’s.

Missed Opportunities

2009-05-03T22:41:00.004-05:00

I was thinking this weekend about all of the opportunities that I have had over the years to quit smoking, but did not take advantage of.

When I was 17 years old, my parents had me admitted to a hospital for reasons that I would rather not explain. I will just say that I spent 15 days in the hospital and I was not allowed to smoke. I spent 15 days without a single cigarette. No nicotine, gum, no nicotine patches, nothing. When I finally got out of the hospital, the first thing I wanted to do was smoke, so my mom stopped at a gas station so that I could buy a pack of cigarettes. I was smoke free for more than 2 weeks and I blew it! I guess at the point in my life I was not thinking about quitting smoking. If I was ready to quit smoking at that point in my life, I probably would not have spent the next 16 years smoking. Here is something a little ironic...my parents probably saved my life by having me admitted, but then I spent 16 years slowly killing myself, one cigarette at a time.

A few years ago I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled. For some reason I only had 3, and not 4, wisdom teeth. Maybe that would explain why I made some pretty dumb decisions in my life! Just kidding! But seriously, after the surgery was complete, I was warned by the dental surgeon not to smoke because it could cause complications in the healing process. I was told not to smoke for at least 24 hours after the surgery. I think I waited exactly 24 hours and then had a cigarette. Again, another missed opportunity.

About a year and a half ago, I was having some digestive issues. Whenever I had a meal that was high in fat, I would have severe pain in the middle of my torso...between my chest and my stomach. Sometimes it was so bad that I threw up. After about 3 hours, the pain finally went away. My doctor seemed to think that it was acid reflux and gave me some sample medication to try. It seemed to work until my wife and I had a nice New Year's Eve dinner and I found myself in severe pain. It was so bad this time that I actually thought I was having a heart attack. I had my wife take me to the Emergency Room. An ultrasound showed that I had gallstones. This was actually not a shock to me because I had done some online research on my symptoms and thought that it might be gallstones. I talked with my doctor and he recommended a surgeon. About a week or so later, I had my gallbladder taken out. The procedure was quite simple. The surgeon made 4 small incisions in my abdomen, pulled my gallbladder out, and I was able to go home from the hospital the same day. The recovery time was about 3 days. I spent those 3 days basically laying in bed because it was extremely painful to move. The surgeon had to cut through my abdominal muscles during the surgery so any movement I made that involved my abs hurt like hell. Just trying to get out of bed to go to the bathroom was a real chore. I did not want to move any more than I had to. But somehow I managed to get out of bed and go out for a cigarette every once and a while. And once again, this was another opportunity that I could have said 'no, I don't need a cigarette.'

So, there were 3 times over the past 16 years that were good opportunities for me to quit smoking...or at least tried to quit. There might have been more, but those 3 stand out in my mind. I guess I just wasn't ready. And I think that is the key. You have to want to stop smoking. Nobody can force you to stop smoking, but yourself. Unless you really want to kick the habit, it just won't happen. Well, I think that I have finally reached that point. I want to quit. I need to quit. I will quit. I am determined to rid myself of this addiction!

10 Overlooked Reasons to Quit Smoking

2009-05-01T14:02:00.004-05:00

If you are considering quitting smoking, I am sure you have your list of reasons. Maybe you are quitting for your health. Or maybe it is for your families health. Or maybe you want to quit because it is getting too expensive. If you are looking for even more incentive to quit smoking, then keep reading.

I found an interesting article at WebMD that I thought I would share. This is not the entire article, just the a brief overview. If you would like to read the entire article, click HERE.

10 Overlooked Reasons to Quit Smoking

If you need more incentive to quit smoking, here are some reasons that you may not know about.

By Charlene Laino
WebMD Feature

Alzheimer's Disease: Smoking Speeds Up Mental Decline
In the elderly years, the rate of mental decline is up to five times faster in smokers than in nonsmokers, according to a study of 9,200 men and women over age 65.

Lupus: Smoking Raises Risk of Autoimmune Disease
Smoking cigarettes raises the risk of developing lupus -- but quitting cuts that risk, an analysis of nine studies shows.

SIDS: Maternal Smoking Doubles Risk
Smoking increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, a European analysis shows.

Colic: Smoking Makes Babies Irritable, Too
Exposure to tobacco smoke may increase babies' risk of colic, according to a review of more than 30 studies on the topic.

An Increased Risk of Impotence
Guys concerned about their performance in the bedroom should stop lighting up, suggests a study that linked smoking to a man's ability to get an erection. The study of nearly 5,000 Chinese men showed that men who smoked more than a pack a day were 60% more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction, compared with men who never smoked cigarettes.

Blindness: Smoking Raises Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Smokers are four times more likely to become blind because of age-related macular degeneration than those who have never smoked. But quitting can lower that risk, other research shows.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Genetically Vulnerable Smokers Increase Their Risk Even More
People whose genes make them more susceptible to developing rheumatoid arthritis are even more likely to get the disease if they smoke, say Swedish researchers.

Snoring: Even Living With a Smoker Raises Risk
Smoking - or living with a smoker -- can cause snoring, according to a study of more than 15,000 men and women.

Acid Reflux: Heavy Smoking Linked to Heartburn
People who smoke for more than 20 years are 70% more likely to have acid reflux disease than nonsmokers, researchers reported in the November issue of the journal Gut.

Breast Cancer: Active Smoking Plays Bigger Role Than Thought
Other research out in 2004 shows that active smoking may play a much larger role in increasing breast cancer risk than previously thought.

Again, this is not the entire article. If you would like to read the full article, and I recommend that you do, you can find it at WebMD.

Any thoughts or comments? Please feel free to share.

Creature of Habit

2009-05-01T12:38:00.003-05:00

I realized this morning that I am a creature of habit. Phase 2 of my quit smoking plan focuses on the 'habit' portion of my smoking. Here is a good example of how my smoking has become a habit...

This morning I overslept. I was up late working on stuff and finally went to bed at about 3 am. My alarm was set for 6:30 am. That would give me almost an hour to take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and be out the door by 7:20 (or 7:30 at the latest). Well, my alarm went off at 6:30 and I must have hit snooze for almost an hour. I finally got out of bed at 7:24 am. Of course, I was a little stressed since I had to be out the door in 6 minutes. I barely had time to get ready for work. So what do you think I did. I got out of bed and proceeded to go out for a cigarette! It wasn't until I was walking out the door with a cigarette in my hand that I realized that I did not have time for a cigarette. So I put the cigarette down on the table and hurried to get dressed. I told myself that I could smoke it in the car on the way to work. I am trying to get out of the habit of smoking in the car, but I told myself that it would be okay this morning.

Another interesting thing that I noticed. After I put the cigarette down on the table so I could get ready for work, I noticed that I did not feel like I was craving a cigarette. My body was not telling me that I needed a cigarette at that point of time. In my quit smoking plan post, I mentioned that I have to work on 2 things to quit smoking...the addiction and the habit. That is exactly what I meant. That cigarette this morning would have been a habitual cigarette and not a nicotine addiction cigarette. I started to go out for that cigarette out of habit, not because my body needed a 'nicotine fix'.

How Addicted Am I?

2009-04-30T23:31:00.002-05:00

I just filled out the 3rd and final questionnaire over at QuitNet, titled "How Addicted Are You?" In order to find out how addicted you are to nicotine, the questionnaire uses the Fagerstrom test. According to QuitNet, "the Fagerstrom test is a rough estimate of your physiological addiction to nicotine. It can give you an idea of where you stand in relationship to other smokers in terms of how physically dependent you are on the active drug in tobacco."

Here are my results:

Fagerstrom Addiction Questionniare

The Fagerstrom test is a rough estimate of your physiological addiction to nicotine. It can give you an idea of where you stand in relationship to other smokers in terms of how physically dependent you are on the active drug in tobacco.

Your score was 50% (5/10 points) on the questionairre.

What does this mean?
Your score on this questionnaire was in the average range. This means that you are likely to have some difficulty with physical withdrawal symptoms when you quit, but no more than most other people.

Okay, so that does not sound too bad. I will go through some withdrawal, which is to be expected. I am hoping that by working through my plan, I can minimize the withdrawal symptoms. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

If Today Was Your Last Day

2009-04-29T23:16:00.006-05:00

Have you ever noticed that when you are consciously thinking about something, you see it everywhere? For example, lets say you went out looking at cars and you found one you particularly liked. Over the next several days you notice that make and model of car everywhere. But prior to you looking at the car, you probably didn't notice them.

Now that I am consciously thinking about quitting smoking, things that I had not previously associated with smoking I am starting to associate with smoking. On the way home from work tonight I was listening to a song by Nickelback called "If Today Was Your Last Day". I had heard the song a few time before I started quitting smoking, but now that I am in the process of quitting, the words have a different meaning. I won't post all of the lyrics here, but here is the first verse and my thoughts about some of the lines in the verse:

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each days a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned
Leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

"Each day is a gift and not a given right"
We never know how long we are going to be here on Earth. Every day is special. So why am I shaving time off of my life by smoking? If I were laying on my death bed and was still a smoker, I would be kicking myself in the ass for not quitting. I would be telling myself something like 'If only I had quit 20 years ago I would be able to stay here on Earth with my beautiful wife and kids. But because I let the addiction consume my life I must say goodbye.'

"Leave no stone unturned"
I need to do whatever it takes to overcome this addiction.

"Leave your fears behind"
Like most smokers who are thinking about quitting, I am scared. Scared that I will not be able to quit. Scared that I will become irritable as I go through withdrawal and take my aggression out on people that I care about. Scared about what life will be like as a non-smoker. Scared of a lot of things. And I can't be afraid to ask for help if I need it.

"That first step you take is the longest stride"
The first step is always the hardest. I have been thinking about trying to quit again for months. Thinking is the easy part. There is nothing easy about actually starting the process of quitting. I know this will be a long journey, but I hope that as the days go by, it gets a little easier.

The entire song is good and has really made me think about life and how how we cannot rewind the clock. There is no going back. Once your clock runs out, that's it. You can't replace the batteries.

I think I am going to make this song my Quit Smoking Anthem. Every time I am having a hard time quitting or thinking of giving up the fight or want to remind myself why I am doing this, I will play it.

If you want to hear the song, here it is with the lyrics. I used to have the actual music video, but it was pulled from youtube for some reason. Probably copyright issues.

SmokeSmart Review

2009-04-29T12:44:00.003-05:00

In my previous post, "My Quit Smoking Plan", I mentioned that I was going to use Nic-Out filters and SmokeSmart during Phase 1 to slowly reduce the amount of nicotine entering my body. Since I have already written a review of the Nic-Out filters, I will not go into that here. If you missed that review, you can read it by clicking HERE. I do, however, want to tell you about SmokeSmart.

Honeslty, I don't really know how to describe SmokeSmart. I guess the best way to describe it is that SmokeSmart is a device that allows you to slowly reduce the amount of nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide that you inhale from your cigarettes. It does this by putting little perforations into the filter of a cigarette. It is really easy to use. All you have to do is insert the filter end of a cigarette into the hole in SmokeSmart and squeeze. That's it.

How does SmokeSmart actually work at removing the nictotine, tar, and carbon monoxide for a cigarette? I found the following information at quitsmoking.com:

SmokeSmart creates ultra fine perforations in the filter or tip end of any brand of cigarette. When you puff on a cigarette processed with SmokeSmart, the perforations allow cool air to enter the cigarette and combine with the hot gases from the burning tobacco. The blending of hot and cool air causes the "condensation" of harmful cigarette gases, trapping tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and TPM-Total Particulate Matter (hundreds of dangerous chemicals in cigarette smoke) before they can enter your mouth or lungs. (Courtesy of quitsmoking.com)

So how much does SmokeSmart reduce the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide of a cigarette? It all depends on how many perforations you put into the filter.

1 perforation reduces nicotine by 20%, tar by 30%, and carbon monoxide by 36%

2 perforations reduce nicotine by 28%, tar by 50%, and carbon monoxide by 58%

3 perforations reduce nicotine by 53%, tar by 63%, and carbon monoxide by 71%

4 perforations reduce nicotine by 62%, tar by 72%, and carbon monoxide by 80%

Unfortunately, I do not have any equipment to verify these claims, but I have been using SmokeSmart for a couple of weeks now and I have noticed that I feel like I need a cigarette more often. I feel as if my "nicotine fix" wears off quicker. I just have to make sure that I do not give into the craving right away. I also feel like I am not inhaling all of the normal "crap" that is in cigarettes. When I first start using it I noticed that it almost felt like I was not smoking at all. Have you ever smoked a "regular" cigarette and then switched to a "light" cigarette. It kind of felt like that, which I don't think that that is a bad thing. It makes me feel like I am doing something good. Sure, I am still smoking, but I am making steps on becoming a non-smoker. I started out with 1 perforation, and am now using 2 perforations. I will probably continue with 2 perforations for another week or so and then start smoking with 3 perforations.

The cost of SmokeSmart is only $5.95 over at QuitSmoking.com, so it might be a worthy addition to your quit smoking arsenal.

Questions or comments are gladly accepted.

My Quit Smoking Plan

2009-04-28T16:58:00.007-05:00

"He who fails to plan, plans to fail."

I am not sure who said that, but there is a lot of truth in it. If you don't have a plan, you are going to fail. Imagine trying to build a house without a plan. Or go through school without a plan. What would the results be? Probably not very good. The house would probably collapse on top of you, and you would probably never finish your education.

If you have ever tried to quit smoking, you know that it is a HUGE undertaking. Although some smokers are able to wake up one morning and decide they will never smoke again, most of us simply cannot do that. We need to have a plan. We need to figure out how we are going to overcome nicotine addiction, what methods we intend on using, and what support systems we are going to use.

To me, my smoking is 2 things. It is an addiction, and it is a habit. I am addicted to nicotine, but I also find myself smoking out of habit. When I started thinking about quitting again, I looked back at my previous attempts at quitting and tried to figure out why I failed. It occurred to me that in all of my previous attempts, I focused on the addiction and not the habit. Let me explain. In one of my previous attempts at quitting, I used the nicotine patch. A nicotine patch provides a steady, controlled dose of nicotine throughout the day, thereby reducing the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Patch strength is reduced over time, which weans the smoker off of nicotine gradually. The patch helps people quit smoking by gradually reducing the amount of nicotine that enters the body. So, in essence, the patch fights the addiction, but really does nothing for the habit. The habit is going for a cigarette even though you are not craving one. For example, every morning when I wake up one of the first things I do is go out for a cigarette. I don't even have to think about it. It is like second nature. When I get to work, I have a cigarette while I am walking from my car to work. Again, I don't always feel like I 'need' a cigarette. It is just habit. And this continues throughout the day. Does that make sense? Do you see how addiction and habit are 2 different things? Since I feel that I have to fight both the nicotine addiction and the smoking habit in order to become a non-smoker, I have come up with a plan. There are 2 phases in this plan.

Phase 1
In Phase 1 of my plan, I will work on the addiction. During this phase, I will decrease my body's dependence on nicotine. I will use a combination of Nic-Out filters and a device called SmokeSmart. I have reviewed Nic-Out in a previous post. You can see the review by clicking HERE. I will review SmokeSmart in the near future. Both Nic-Out and SmokeSmart reduce the tar and nicotine in cigarettes. I will slowly wean by body off of nicotine. When I feel that I have gotten my nicotine intake to a low enough level, I will move on to Phase 2.

Phase 2
In Phase 2 I will work on the habit part of my smoking. When I am at work, I currently have a cigarette break every 2 hours. During this phase I will slowly increase the time span between cigarettes. Instead of every 2 hours, I will have a cigarette ever 2 hours and 15 minutes, then every 2 hours and 30 minutes, and so on. There are a few habitual cigarettes that are going to be hard to change...like the 1st cigarette of the day, and the last cigarette of the day. I have not totally figured out how to deal with those yet. But I figure if I start with the habit cigarettes that are easy first, then the harder ones might not be as hard when I get around to working on them.

So there you have it. I have 2 things to work on in order to give up smoking, and I have a plan that will work on each of those things individually. There is 1 more thing that my plan needs...my quit date. I originally though that August 1st, 2009 would be a good date to shoot for. It was far enough into the future that I would not have to rush my plan and still give me a month until the baby is born. But someone at QuitNet talked me out of it. They thought that quitting smoking and then have a baby soon after would be too stressful. So I have changed my quit date to July 4th, 2009. It may seem that July 4th is too far into the future, and maybe it is. But like I said earlier, I do not want to rush this quit. I want to take it slow and easy. Besides, I like the thought of quitting on Independence Day.

Wish me luck!

20 Quick Tips to Help You Quit Smoking

2009-04-27T16:12:00.007-05:00

20 Quick Tips to Help You Quit Smoking

By Fred H. Kelley

Email: fredk@quitsmoking.com

Web: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Phone: 770-346-9222
Fax: 770-475-5007
Mail: 3675 Glennvale Ct
Cumming, GA 30041

See the end of this report for reprint information.

1. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can quit. Think about
some of the most difficult things you have done in your life and
realize that you have the guts and determination to quit
smoking. It's up to you.

2. After reading this list, sit down and write your own list,
customized to your personality and way of doing things. Create
you own plan for quitting.

3. Write down why you want to quit (the benefits of quitting):
live longer, feel better, for your family, save money, smell
better, find a mate more easily, etc. You know what's bad about
smoking and you know what you'll get by quitting. Put it on
paper and read it daily.

4. Ask your family and friends to support your decision to quit.
Ask them to be completely supportive and non-judgmental. Let
them know ahead of time that you will probably be irritable and
even irrational while you withdraw from your smoking habit.

5. Set a quit date. Decide what day you will extinguish your
cigarettes forever. Write it down. Plan for it. Prepare your
mind for the "first day of the rest of your life". You might
even hold a small ceremony when you smoke you last cigarette, or
on the morning of the quit date.

6. Talk with your doctor about quitting. Support and guidance
from a physician is a proven way to better your chances to quit.

7. Begin an exercise program. Exercise is simply incompatible
with smoking. Exercise relieves stress and helps your body
recover from years of damage from cigarettes. If necessary,
start slow, with a short walk once or twice per day. Build up to
30 to 40 minutes of rigorous activity, 3 or 4 times per week.
Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

8. Do some deep breathing each day for 3 to 5 minutes. Breathe
in through your nose very slowly, hold the breath for a few
seconds, and exhale very slowly through your mouth. Try doing
your breathing with your eyes closed and go to step 9.

9. Visualize your way to becoming a non-smoker. While doing your
deep breathing in step 8, you can close your eyes and begin to
imagine yourself as a non-smoker. See yourself enjoying your
exercise in step 7. See yourself turning down a cigarette that
someone offers you. See yourself throwing all your cigarettes
away, and winning a gold medal for doing so. Develop your own
creative visualizations. Visualization works.

10. Cut back on cigarettes gradually (if you cut back gradually,
be sure to set a quit date on which you WILL quit). Ways to cut
back gradually include: plan how many cigarettes you will smoke
each day until your quit date, making the number you smoke
smaller each day; buy only one pack at a time; change brands so
you don't enjoy smoking as much; give your cigarettes to someone
else, so that you have to ask for them each time you want to
smoke.

11. Quit smoking "cold turkey". Many smokers find that the only
way they can truly quit once and for all is to just quit
abruptly without trying to slowly taper off. Find the method
that works best for you: gradually quitting or cold turkey. If
one way doesn't work do the other.

12. Find another smoker who is trying to quit, and help each
other with positive words and by lending an ear when quitting
becomes difficult. Visit this Bulletin Board and this Chat Room
to find a "quit buddy."

13. Have your teeth cleaned. Enjoy the way your teeth look and
feel and plan to keep them that way.

14. After you quit, plan to celebrate the milestones in your
journey to becoming a non-smoker. After two weeks of being
smoke-free, see a movie. After a month, go to a fancy restaurant
(be sure to sit in the non-smoking section). After three months,
go for a long weekend to a favorite get-away. After six months,
buy yourself something frivolous. After a year, have a party for
yourself. Invite your family and friends to your "birthday"
party and celebrate your new chance at a long, healthy life.

15. Drink lots of water. Water is good for you anyway, and most
people don't get enough. It will help flush the nicotine and
other chemicals out of your body, plus it can help reduce
cravings by fulfilling the "oral desires" that you may have.

16. Learn what triggers your desire for a cigarette, such as
stress, the end of a meal, arrival at work, entering a bar, etc.
Avoid these triggers or if that's impossible, plan alternative
ways to deal with the triggers.

17. Find something to hold in your hand and mouth, to replace
cigarettes. Consider drinking straws or you might try an
artificial cigarette called E-Z Quit found here:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezquit.htm

18. Write yourself an inspirational song or poem about quitting,
cigarettes, and what it means to you to quit. Read it daily.

19. Keep a picture of your family or someone very important to
you with you at all times. On a piece of paper, write the words
"I'm quitting for myself and for you (or "them")". Tape your
written message to the picture. Whenever you have the urge to
smoke, look at the picture and read the message.

20. Whenever you have a craving for a cigarette, instead of
lighting up, write down your feelings or whatever is on your
mind. Keep this "journal" with you at all times.

Good luck in your efforts to quit smoking. It's worth it!

Permission to reprint or reproduce this article is granted as long as the following conditions are met:

No changes are made to the article without permission of the author.
Whenever possible, please notify the author of any reprints;
The following byline must be included with the article:

** Article © Copyright Fred Kelley of QuitSmoking.com. Visit the web site at http://www.quitsmoking.com for great information and products designed to help you quit smoking.

Why Do I Smoke?

2009-04-27T10:48:00.003-05:00

Before you can quit smoking, or any habit, for that matter, you need to figure out why you do it. Over at QuitNet, I took the 2nd of 3 questionnaires that they have in the Expert Support area of the site. The questionnaire is titled "Why do you smoke?"

Here are my results:

Why Do You Smoke?
To understand your smoking habit, you must first learn what kind of smoker you are. There are generally six traits that describe many people's smoking:

Stimulation
Handling
Pleasure
Crutch
Craving
Habit

Your smoking may fit into any one or a combination of these categories. This test will help you identify what type of smoker you are and give you possible strategies for quitting smoking.

Relaxation
You scored high (73%) as a Pleasure/Relaxation smoker. You may use smoking as a reward to sit down and relax. You enjoy a cigarette after a good meal or in social situations, like a party. For you, alternatives to smoking may include taking a walk after eating or finding other activities that give you pleasure. At parties, try to drink non-alcoholic drinks. Alcohol tends to reduce your willpower for staying off cigarettes. 76% of QuitNet users are Relaxation smokers.

Crutch
You scored high (73%) as a Crutch/Tension smoker. You tend to use cigarettes as a crutch in moments of stress or discomfort. You may smoke when you are nervous, worried or angry. All these feeling represent some kind of tension. For you to quit smoking, you need to find a release for that tension. Try deep breathing, relaxation or physical exercises to help reduce your stress. 80% of QuitNet users are Crutch smokers.

Craving
You scored high (73%) as a Craving smoker. You often feel a 'hunger' for a cigarette. This is a physiological addiction. You crave the nicotine. Each cigarette you have is a stimulus for the next. Drink plenty of water, it may help to lessen some of the physical withdrawal symptoms. 72% of QuitNet users are Craving smokers.

Remember

There are no easy solutions when it comes to quitting smoking. This program merely offers suggestions to help you get started. The rest is up to you! Find out what methods work for you and stick to them. Do it for yourself! Do it for your health!

So, it looks like I have to work on 3 things to overcome my addiction to cigarettes...the cravings, using cigarettes to relax, and using cigarettes as a crutch.

Nic-Out Filter Review

2009-04-26T11:50:00.014-05:00

A week or so ago I mentioned that I purchased a few things from QuitSmoking.com to help me quit smoking. One of those items was Nic-Out. Nic-Out is a device that fits on the filter end of a cigarette. It acts as an additional filter for your cigarettes. But what this filter does is simply amazing. Here are a few of the company's claims:

Nic-Out cigarette filters remove over 90% of the tar and nicotine from your cigarette.
Does not affect cigarette taste or temperature
One pack of Nic-Out is good for 150 regular or 300 light cigarettes
Turns 1 pack into 2 cigarettes
The clear Nic-Out filters let you see exactly what is being removed from your very first cigarette.

Now, I am not a scientist and do not have access to any scientific equipment, so I cannot verify the claim that the filters remove 90% of the tar and nicotine, but after using a few of these filters, I believe that they do remove some "crap" from cigarettes.

Nic-Out is sold in boxes of 30 filters. The box is the size of a pack of cigarettes. If you purchase them from QuitSmoking.com, the cost is $6.50 per box if you purchase 1 box. If you purchase more than 1 box, the cost per box decreases. When you pull a fresh filter out of the package, it looks like this:

There is nothing fancy about the filter. It is clear with a yellow filtering device in the middle. There is a round end that fits around the filter of your cigarette, and the opposite end goes in your mouth. You smoke a cigarette as you normally would. I did not notice any difference in the taste of my cigarettes. Okay, so do you want to see what happens after you smoke a cigarette with a Nic-Out filter?

This is the filter after 1 "Light" cigarette:
Notice the dark area around the middle of the filter. I am not sure exactly what that is, so I will just call it "crap". Whatever it is, without the Nic-Out filter, it would have made its way into my throat and lungs.

Here is the filter after 5 "Light" cigarettes:
More "crap" that did not make it into my lungs!

And here is the filter after 10 "Light" cigarettes:
Pretty gross, huh? That is after only 10 cigarettes. A 1/2 a pack! Just imagine the build up of that crap in your lungs after many years of smoking! Does that make you want to quit? It has given me more incentive to quit, that's for sure!

Like I said earlier, I am unable to prove their claims that Nic-Out removes 90% of the tar and nicotine from cigarettes, but after using the filters, I beleive they remove something. And something is better than nothing!

One last note. They say that 1 box is good for 150 regular cigarettes or 300 light cigarettes. That means that 1 filter can be used for up to 5 regular cigarettes and 10 light cigarettes. I used light cigarettes and I have to say that 10 light cigarettes is the max. After 8 or 9 cigarettes, the filter starts tasting like like an old cigarette. Have you ever smoke part of a cigarette, put it out in an ashtray and went back later to finish smoking it? It kinda tastes like that...that old and stale cigarette taste.

Overall, I was impressed with the filter. I was skeptical at first, but after seeing the "crap" build up in the filter with each cigarette, I think that Nic-Out is a good product. I like the fact that you can actually see the "crap" getting trapped in the filter. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about quitting smoking.

How Ready Am I?

2009-04-25T11:38:00.005-05:00

In my last post, I discussed QuitNet, and their vast array of support available for people who want to quit smoking. Under the Expert Support section at QuitNet there are Quitting Tools, which are 3 questionnaires that you can fill out. I just filled out the first one, which is called "How Ready Are You?"

So how ready am I? Here is my result:

Congratulations! It sounds as if you are making good progress towards quitting and staying quit. Make sure that you work your way through the resources available on the QuitNet, as well as talking to other users about the quitting process!

Where You're At
There are many ways of looking at where people are in the quitting process. The QuitNet uses a model called the "Stages of Change" which breaks people up into very rough groups

people thinking about quitting
people ready to quit
people who are currently quitting
people who have quit and are concentrating on staying "smoke-free."

We have placed you in the group of people that are in the process of quitting. The QuitNet can help you by giving you some ideas on the best ways to make it through the withdrawal symptoms and providing customized tips on staying away from cigarettes permanently.

QuitNet.com

2009-04-25T11:01:00.003-05:00

Are you trying to quit smoking? Do you need some extra support? Are you looking for people that have gone through (and are going through) the process of quitting smoking? If so, I recommend you check out QuitNet. The site is full of support, news, facts, and resources. There are so many valuable things at QuitNet, that I won't even attempt to list them all here. But here is a brief list of some things that I find helpful:

The large community of people that are either in the process of trying to quit or have quit and are there to help others quit.
The Quitting Tools, which are 3 questionnaires that will help you assess "How Ready Are You", "What Makes You Smoke", and "How Addicted Are You".
The Resources section which includes a Quitting Guide, and a directory of Smoking Cessation Programs that are in your area.

As I said earlier, that is only a brief list. The support available at QuitNet.com is virtually endless. If you are serious about quitting the habit (or even if you are just thinking about it), you should check it out.

13 Best Quit-Smoking Tips Ever

2009-04-23T16:53:00.001-05:00

I was in the process of putting together some information for a blog post when I came across a nice article at WebMD.com. It is a slideshow called "13 Best Quit-Smoking Tips Ever". The slideshow lists 1 tip on each slide along with additional info about each tip. Although I won't post the additional information here, I thought I would list the tips. To view the slideshow, click HERE.

Know why you want to quit.
Don't go cold turkey.
Try nicotine-replacement therapy.
Ask about prescription pills.
Don't go it alone.
Manage stress.
Avoid alcohol and other triggers.
Clean house.
Try and try again.
Get moving.
Eat fruit and veggies.
Choose your reward.
Do it for your health.

Tips to Quit Smoking

2009-04-23T10:32:00.000-05:00

I found this video on youtube and thought I would pass it on. A couple of good tips if you are trying to quit smoking...

How Do I Plan on Quitting?

2009-04-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

I have tried to quit numerous times in the past, all of which have been unsuccessful. There have been 2 times that I can remember that I have tried quitting by using the patch. I tried nicotine gum until I had a pretty bad allergic reaction where my throat started closing up. I have tried going cold turkey, but that did not last too long due to my extreme irritability. I even tried hypnosis, which actually worked for a while. But after all of my attempts at quitting, I eventually found my way back to my dear old friend, the cigarette.

I believe it was Albert Einstein who said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Since all of my previous attempts at quitting have failed, I needed to find another way. It occurred to me that maybe I was going about quitting all wrong. There are 2 parts to smoking...addiction and habit. All of my previous attempts have gone after the addiction and focused on removing my bodies dependence on nicotine. But none of them focused on the habitual part of smoking...the act of putting a cigarette in my mouth and the times of day I would smoke. So this time around I am going to try a 2 tiered approach. I will first focus on reducing the amount of nicotine I put into my body and then I will work on altering the times I reach for a cigarette during the day.

I remembered that years ago that I had found some filters at Walgreens that were supposed to remove a good amount of tar and nicotine from cigarettes. Unfortunately, Walgreens no longer carries those filters. The only stop smoking aids that Walgreens currently carries are the patch, the gum, and lozenges. So I tried the pharmacy at our grocery store and they only had the patch and the gum. So I turned to the Internet to try to track these things down. I finally found them at quitsmoking.com, along with several other similar products. I purchased the filters (Aquafilters), along with Nic-Out filters and SmokeSmart. In later articles, I will review each of these items and let you know how they work for me.

If you are considering quitting the habit, I recommend that you check out quitsmoking.com. You can either click the link or click the banner in the upper lefthand corner of my blog page. They have a vast array of quit smoking aids, and information to help you quit. And there shipping is pretty quick, too.

My Reasons for Quitting

2009-04-21T12:16:00.000-05:00

So why do I want to quit? Everyone has their own reasons to quit smoking. For me, there is 1 main reason...we are expecting our first child in September. Since I started smoking because my father smoked, I do not want to make the same mistake. Of course there are other reasons that I want to quit smoking...my health, my wife's health (even though I do not smoke around her), and the increasing cost of smoking. But the main reason for me quitting is our son. I don't want him to become a smoker because his dad was. I don't want his health to suffer because of me. I want to be there to watch him grow up, graduate high school, graduate college, get married, and start a family of his own.

Smoking has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Cigarettes have become kinda like an old friend. They were there for me in both the good times and bad. But the time has come that I need to say goodbye. I know it is going to be a hard and long goodbye, but it has to be done.

In my next post, I will share my methods of quitting.

Good Reasons to Quit Smoking: Part 1

2009-04-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

My Smoking History

2009-04-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

I started smoking when I was about 12. I am 33 now, so I have been smoking for 22 years. My father has smoked for as long as I can remember. He used to keep his cigarettes in the fridge, so I had easy access to them. (I know that some of you are going to ask why he kept them in the fridge…apparently it kept them fresher longer. I don’t know. When I started buying my own cigarettes, I never kept them in the fridge.) Anyway, every so often I would steal a pack from my dad’s carton in the fridge. Like many young smokers, I started smoking because “it was cool”. It was as simple as that, I wanted to be cool. And I thought I was.

I remember when I first started smoking. I had no idea how to inhale. I would just suck the smoke into my mouth and blow it back out again. I didn’t inhale the smoke into my lungs and back out…just into my mouth and back out. I remember watching other people smoke and noticed that some of them would exhale smoke out of their noses. I had to figure out how to do that. So, I realized that if I swallowed the smoke, I could make it come out my nose! Laugh if you want, but it worked. I don’t know how, but I eventually learned how to in inhale and exhale like a real smoker.

By the time the “coolness” of being a smoker wore off, it was too late. I was addicted. Of course, I did not want to admit it. I kept telling myself that I could quit whenever I wanted, but somehow that time to quit never showed itself. So as the years passed, my body became more and more addicted. It was as if my body did not function correctly if it did not have just the right amount of nicotine in it. The more I smoked the more nicotine my body “craved”. Right now I would call my smoking a habitual addiction. I have cigarettes like clockwork. I have to have a cigarette first thing in the morning; I have another one when I get to work; I have a cigarette every 2 hours when I am at work; I have one when I am leaving work; I have one after dinner; I will have 1 or 2 during the evening; and I can’t forget the 1 before I go to bed. So in order for me to actually quit smoking, I need to break some of my smoking habits AND slowly lessen the amount of nicotine my body gets.

Welcome to My Quit Smoking Blog

2009-04-15T12:37:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome. You might be asking yourself why blog about quitting smoking. Why not blog about it?

There are 2 things I want to accomplish with writing about my journey to becoming a non-smoker. #1, I am hoping that I can get a little encouragement and advice from people who have already taken this journey. And #2, maybe I can help someone else quit smoking at the same time.

If you have successfully quit the habit, I congratulate you. Please feel free to leave me comments about what methods you used, or any advice you may have.

And if you are thinking about quitting, I wish you the best of luck. I know it is not easy. If it was easy, everyone would quit! If you are interested in sharing this journey with me, please let me know. Climbing a mountain as a team will be a lot easier than doing it alone!

In my next post I will discuss my history of smoking, the reasons I want to quit, and the methods I plan on using to help me quit. Scratch that. Maybe I should have 1 post for each of those things to make the posts shorter and easier to read.