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.
Showing posts with label quit smoking plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quit smoking plan. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
SmokeSmart Works
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.
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.
Friday, May 15, 2009
A Dilemma
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Breaking the Habit
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.
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.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Quit Smoking Update
It has been a few days since I have posted anything so I thought I would take some time out of my busier than normal schedule to post an update on my progress. If you have have not yet read my Quit Smoking Plan, I recommend you do so now or the rest of this post will not make any sense.
So far, I am doing pretty good sticking to the plan. I hoping to be through with Phase 1 in a couple of weeks. I am currently only using SmokeSmart, and am using 3 perforations in the filter. I will continue to use the 3 perforation for about another week before I go to 4 perforations. I will then use four perforations for a week or 2 before I start Phase 2 of my plan.
When I first switched to the 3 perforations, I noticed that I was craving a cigarette sooner than normal. Before I started my quick smoking plan, I had myself on a smoking schedule when I was at work. I used to have a cigarette break every 2 hours. I usually did not have to look at a clock. My body just knew when it was time for a cigarette. I was good at keeping that 2 hour schedule during Phase 1 of my quit smoking plan. But when I started using 3 perforations in the filter, I noticed that I started craving cigarettes sooner than 2 hours. I have started craving a cigarette after an hour and 1/2 or an hour and 45 minutes. So far I have been good at holding myself to the 2 hours.
When I take the plunge and start using 4 perforations, I have a feeling it is going to be a tough one. But I have faith that I will make it. To be honest, adding 1 more perforation in the filter takes about 1 or 2 days to get used to. That is how long it takes my body to get used to having a little less nicotine. After I add an additional perforation, I stay there for about 2 weeks before I add another one. The transition has been quite easy so far, but I have a feeling the next one is going to be a little rough. Four perforations is the max. The next step will be the last one before I need to move onto Phase 2.
I finished reading "The Easyway to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr. A couple of people at QuitNet recommended it so I thought I would pick up a copy of it. I was skeptical at first. I mean, could a book actually get you to quit smoking? After reading the book all the way through, I believe it can. I will be reviewing the book in a future post, so I will not go into details here. I will tell you that the book does not focus on why you should quit smoking...we all know the reasons. The book focuses on the psychology of smoking and why we feel we "need" to smoke and why we feel that we can't quit.
As a side note, a couple of people who have reviewed my quit smoking plan have said that it will not work. What I am doing is called the tapering off method. I am slowly cutting back on my smoking until I no longer smoking. They say the reason this does not work is because it makes each cigarette more important than the last. Some said that decreasing the amount of cigarettes I smoke is just "pure torture". But the question I have for them is what is the difference between the tapering off method and using the patch or the gum? Yeah, you are not smoking, but you are still getting nicotine from another source. I am not sure about the gum, but I know with the patch you start with 1 dose and decrease the dose over the course of a few weeks. So what is the difference? All I can say is that I have made the decision to quit. I will quit my way. I have tried other methods and failed, so why would I waste my money and try them again? My way will work because I am confident and determined that it will work! I believe that the combination of my quit smoking plan and "The Easyway to Stop Smoking" book, I will kick this habit to the curb where it belongs!
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!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
I Think My Plan is Working!
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
My Quit Smoking Plan
"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!
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!
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