Beginner's Guide to Smoking Cessation

Newbie! Newbie's Picks: Smoking Cessation

Day 36 - Puttin' on the Pounds

gain.jpg One of the biggest obstacles - besides the addiction -- to quitting smoking are fears of weight gain. In fact, on average, people who quit smoking gain approximately 12 pounds. Why? Because for the average heavy smoker, the simple act of smoking burns around 200 calories a day and add to that your increased metabolism, and it's no wonder so many supermodels take up cigarettes to control their weight.



Day 29 - Vegas Baby, Vegas

vegas.jpgSo, after 29 days, the withdrawal pangs are pretty much done and over with. What's even better, however, is that -- after starting this experiment out with around 10 nicotine lozenges a day -- yesterday I had only three lozenges. I suspect that every day won't be as good as that, but it's certainly a start toward not only a smoke-free life, but a nicotine free life.



Day 20 - A Few Words on Relapse

relapse.jpgBack on Day 13, I talked a little about the frequency of relapse. Really, almost every first, second, third, and fourth time quitter will relapse, which is why it takes - on average - twelve times before most people can quit for good. But, like anything, you just have to keep trying. In fact, this may be the one time when quitting is not for losers.



Day 13 - Who Are You Doing it For?

driving.jpg
No. I didn't relapse. But I have before. Most people who quit trying to smoke will. Given how many times it takes the average person to quit before he or she quits for good, relapse is almost inevitable. In fact, the only reason I have as much experience with quitting is because I've done it so many times. I've made it days, weeks, months, and even years without relapsing. But, I've always relapsed, though I'm going to make damn sure that I don't this time.



Day 8 - I don't like this anymore

low.jpgA lot of things happen to your body when you quit smoking. Chemically, your brain's reward system gets kind of whacked, your dopamine levels falls off until your brain figures out that a lot of those juicy substances it's used to aren't coming back, and your emotions end up playing tricks on you. People around you, those you live with and those you see daily, will probably suggest that your mood swings and general emotional dysfunction is purely psychosomatic, and I'd admit that there's a lot of truth to it. But, even symptoms that are mental feel no less real to someone who has recently quit smoking -- beyond purely physical withdrawal symptoms, the hardest part of quitting is probably the psychological torture your feelings inflict upon you.



My First Week Anniversary!

cake.jpgToday, I've officially gone 7-days without so much as touching a cigarette. A small feat, sure. But, it's a large step to becoming a lifelong non-smoker. And, to celebrate this occasion, I've done a lot of research over the Science of Addiction, which can be read in detail in our addiction section. But, on day 7, I will summarize some of my findings, some of which makes perfect sense, and some of which you may not have known.



The First Weekend & The Beer in Hand Rule

beer.jpgAside from the daily pangs of withdrawal, the almost constant level of irritation, and the insufferable mornings before I'm able to get nicotine coursing through my system via the Commit Lozenge, one of the biggest hurdles to your quit-smoking campaign will be that first weekend, specifically the first social engagement that also might involve alcohol. For those of you who can withstand the coffee/cigarette association, many others will break down at the first whiff of Bud Light.



Day 4 - The Hulk Out

hulk.jpgSo, I actually had my first meltdown yesterday afternoon. It was a normal husband-wife tiff about nothing -- as they all tend to be -- that exploded on me because I wasn't smoking. The nicotine replacement products are great for de-intensifying the withdrawal symptoms, as long as you aren't pushed. But, within a matter of seconds, in that tiny argument, my voice escalated and things just started coming out of my mouth fast and furious and I had little control over it. To be fair, my wife knew what was going on and she sort of shrugged at me and laughed it off. At one point, though, she did say, "Why don't you just have a cigarette and we'll talk about this when your sane again."



Day 3 - Nicotine Replacement is Your Friend

commit.jpgNote to self: Pop Nicotine Lozenge right out of the shower. Again, on Day 2, once I got nicotine into my system, I had very little problems coping throughout the day. But, again, this morning, I tried to wait a couple of hours after I woke up, and I was okay the first hour, but as soon as I had to interact with someone, it was like I'd suddenly gotten Tourette's syndrome, as a mouthful of profanity just spewed forth for little reason. Later this month, I'll research and discuss why nicotine withdrawal makes us feel this way, but for now, I just need to continue using the lozenges hardcore, at least until I can get my hair-trigger irritability under control.



Day 1 - Up in Smoke

smoke.jpg In general, the first day is often one of the easiest. Truth is, on the first day, your excitement for quitting generally outweighs your need for a cigarette, your resolve is on full-tilt, and -- if you planned correctly -- you probably smoked enough the night before to inject enough nicotine into your bloodstream to get you through most of the day. Still, don't leave anything to risk - and don't test your willpower anymore than you need to. If the first thing you do in the morning is wake up and grab a smoke, then I'd suggest waking up and chewing a piece of Nicorette, popping a Commit Lozenge, or immediately applying your first Nicotine patch.




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