some advice needed please (mentions ed and si)

[angelic212]

to me smoking is like SI cause it hurts my body and this is the reason im posting this here and i also posted this on the main board so please if you could be so kind in answering these questions i have here i would really appreciate it thanks

im trying my best to reduce the amount of cigarettes that im smoking i have tried quitting smoking by going cold turkey but i only made it thirty two hours without smoking i could cope with the anxiety i ended up smoking i really want to quit smoking but for me its really hard .

number one reason im scared of quitting smoking is because i feel i will gain weight if i quit smoking cause when i tried to quit before i went for a month without smoking and food tasted better to me everything tasted better. and im scared that i will loose control with my eating and gain weight and i dont want that.

but i want to quit smoking for my health and for other reasons as well so my questions are the following in no particular order:


..........when is it a good time to stop smoking?
-------- helpful tips to quit smoking?
-------- is it ok if i dont go cold turkey to try to quit smoking , if i try reducinng the amounts of cigarrettes i smoke for example if i smoke xx amounts of cigarettes a day , i would go down minus five cigarettes for two weeks and then the next two weeks another minus five and then after that i could try lowering each day one cigarette?
-------- how can i stop smoking?
-------how do you cope with cigarette cravings??
------will i gain weight if i do quit smoking? how can i maintain my weight and not gain when i quit smoking?
things to do instead of smoking or lighting up


well those are a few questions i have in my head at the moment and i really need some advice on this i want to give up smoking cause i know its not good for my health. and for me its kind of a way of self harming in a way. cause it does hurt my body. smokign does hurt my body and i really want to give up smoking but the problem is i dont know how
please help me!

love always maria

[mallie]

Hi Maria.

I don't have any experience with trying to quit smoking, but many people on the board do, so hopefully you should get some great ideas.

when is it a good time to stop smoking?

Generally for changing any behaviour, the best time is when you're ready. If you are ready to quit, and willing to put in the effort to go through the process, then the time is now.

From everything I've read, and what I've heard from people, there is no 'right' way to quit. Some people can cut down effectively, others can stop cold turkey, and others use things like patches/gum. There is no one correct way to do it. If you're unsure of managing well, perhaps cutting down to start with might be a way to ease into things.

Good luck.

Love Mallie.

[red umbrellas]

Maria,
I've never tried to quit smoking, so I guess I can't tell you anything from experience. But I work in a pharmacy, and often have to try and advise people who are quitting...so just a few things:

1) If you're craving badly, try something like nicotine lozenges. It will give you something to put in your mouth, other than a cigarette, and will give you a nicotine hit.

2) When you would normally smoke, try and change your routine. So say you smoke with coffee, try drinking tea or juice instead- something you don't associate with smoking,

3) Keep healthy things on hand to snack on, such as sticks of carrot and celery, and nuts and so on. Gives you something to hold on and do, and won't put on weight. a lot of the reason people gain weight when they stop smoking is because they eat more for something to do, not because the smoking actually makes them thin.

4) NOW is a good time to quit smoking, because YOU want to do it, and are motivated! Good luck with it.

Hope all this helps!

If I can help with anything else, feel free to PM me

love,

Luci