How to get past "those" situations?

The automatic lighting up with a cup of coffee?  A smoke after dinner? After, ahem, you know?

What to do with the hands?  how much gum can you chew?

What are your current coping strategies?  How do you stop from replacing the cigarettes with the nearest chocolate cookie?

Its been a year and a half now. I started smoking in 2001 and quit in 2007. there came a time when the first thing i did upon waking up, was lighting a ****. my hubby, also badly addicted to cigarettes from 1997 to 2008, stopped smoking 6 months ago. I'm not gonna say that i'm an expert or i have exceptional will power. and i cannot say that i did it the first time (i did it the second time around) first time i tried was in march 2006. i used nicotine gums back then. but only left smoking for 3 months. then i was back to my old habit.

2nd time, some things were different. first of all i had a clear idea of WHY I WANT TO QUIT. this is very important. you should know why, and you should have great desire to quit. make sure you have some genuine reasons that you can back up whenever your mind starts trying to convince you that its ok to smoke just one more time.

I did it cold turkey. see if that suits ur style. my hubby gradually decreased the number of cigs he smoked each day. different ways work for different people. i We both didn't use any nicotine gums or patches but they can work wonders for some people. some things that helped us are stated below;

1) keep ur home smoke free. make it a no smoking zone.

2) keep yourself busy

3) Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Take pride in the fact that you are doing something good for your body and mind. Join a Gym or health club. Or simply do 15 minutes of Yoga a day.  find alternate things to do when you are stressed. most people smoke either when they are stressed out at work/ in relationships, or around friends who smoke.

4) don't smoke for company. tell your friends clearly that its not good for health and you are quitting. then ask for their cooperation. if they are good sincere friends they won't smoke in front of you. if not, why are they your friends in the first place? :)

5) drink lots of water. One, it will help fight off cravings. Admit to yourself that you are gonna crave cigarettes and it is hard to quit (thats a well known fact)  but whenever you'll crave cigarettes, you'll drink a glass of water instead. most importantly, water will cleanse your blood and decrease ur craving for nicotine within 2 weeks. normally the nicotine almost diminishes from our systems within 28 days as blood gets filtered. but with water you can speed up ur nicotine cleansing phase.

6) join a support group. or have someone remind you (whenever you are losing your motivation) that you are doing a great thing for your health by quitting and keep up the good work. ur almost there!! :)

7) mark dates off the calender. keep that calender where you can see it every day. within 28 days, you'll be smoke free, and nicotine free forever.

8) after 28 days, what will be left of your smoking habit is mostly just the habit. you are no more addicted to nicotine. so after 28 days, try to recognize the nature of your cravings (if you experience any). if its just a habit, find a new positive habit to replace it.

9) Talk to yourSELF throughout this process. that's the most important thing. Encourage yourself whenever you are at the verge of giving up. Take pride in yourself and reward yourself constantly for every good action. You totally deserve to be Happy.

Good Luck!!

Great tips, Madiha!  Congrats on being "clean" for a year and half -- good on ya!

Smoking while driving is my biggest hardship to overcome. Also, I do love love love it with coffee and after "ehem." When I finish one cigarette, it seems like a few minutes go by and I'm thinking about when I'll have my next one. I hate smoking, and it has caused any physical activity to kill. I am scared about when I quit to not then compensate food for nicotine. I just know I'll replace it with some other comfort killer. Is there anyone who hasn't gained weight after quiting?(Be honest) I haven't met anyone thus far.

I think that i am right there with you! I have quit numorous times and picked it right back up again. I recently quit about a month ago. I too miss smoking while driving it was just something to do now i find i pick up my cell phone and text a lot and thats not good either but i need to do something with my hands. Also, i have a HUGE sweet tooth and when i quit its that much worse.  I am sure i have gained weight since i quit i always do. Good Luck!! YOUR NOT ALONE IN THIS! lol

Hi mona: When a person is motivated enough they can quite smoking and  not gain weight.  In fact it is possible to quite and lose weight at the same time.  I was diagnosed with diabetes last July and was told I needed to make major changes if I wanted to have a good life.  So and have lost over 90 pounds and quit smoking at the same time.  August 08 marked my 1 year smoke free and this December 08 will mark 1 year at my goal weight. 

I will tell you it was honestly the hardest thing I have ever done but it can be done.   Good luck.

madiha:  great advice/tips.  Working on improving my fitness level helped me say smoke free.  It is hard to train for a marathon and smoke at the same time.

Wow!, im so proud of you thats awesome, I have also quit smoking about 1 month ago and have started my fitness training to the fullest again, I find that honestly if you replace your bad habits with good habbits, your brain starts to crave it, and before long your in great shape and healthy on the inside and out. Yes I agree its the hardest thing ever, you have to be strong willed and determined, living here in Vegas keeps my focus on looking my best, my wedding in Jan is my main focus, I knew I wanted to be a fit smoke free bride for my finace, my gift to him, so I am working very hard to reach my goal. I am sure to keep you guys posted, but I wanted to say congrats! you proved most of the population wrong when they said its unlikely to lose and quit at the same time, HAHAH i knew it could be done

Good for you thats amazing!!! I strongly believe that if you think your gonna gain wait while quitting then ya you probably will. The mind is a powerful thing and you should focus on the posotive aspects of becoming smoke free!!

Congrats!!!

Just remember all the reasons why you quit.  And, it will get easier with time.  I used to antagonize over certain situations like the phone, coffee, driving, after a meal, with a cold beer....after a while....it isn't even an issue.  I thought I would never get there but I am here and it is wonderful :)

Keep up the good work.  It's worth it!