Here’s some tips for someone who is going to try to stop smoking cigarettes using the patch:

The nicotine patch can work well.  You just have to do it right.  For 2 weeks before your set quitting date keep a diary marking down each time you had a cigarette, the time and whether you craved the smoke or not.  You will notice a pattern of smokes you craved and habit or just boredom smokes. One week before your quitting date cut out your boredom and habit smokes. The last 3 days of this period mark a stripe half way down your smoke and only smoke to the mark. By the time your quit day arrives you will already have cut down drastically. Drinking lots of water helps to flush the nicotine out of your system as well. Hope this helps!

If you want to quit smoking and don’t want to spend the money on quit smoking aids (or don’t have the money!) the best way is to simply decide to quit.  Take one day to just stop, and prepare yourself for it mentally.  Visualize yourself healthy, running, walking, swimming.  Picture your lungs healing, turning fresh pink again.  Try to pick a day about one month from now and remind yourself everyday that that’s the day you’ll quit.  You can start to break the habit before by making little changes:  stop smoking in your car and your house, only smoke outside, or set rules that you’re only allowed to have a cigarette every two hours or if you do have a cigarette you have to go for a 30 min walk or drink two glasses of water, something healthy!

When that day finally arrives, try to keep yourself busy and active so you’re not tempted to smoke.  Drink lots of water and chew gum, or even get some suckers or small sugarless candies.

Good luck!

A reader asked me recently how she could get her 17-year-old friend to stop smoking before school starts.  She said flat out that she didn’t want to spend their lunches together sneaking off to smoke cigarettes.   Here’s some of the advice that she got from another reader:

Offend her. The most disgusting thing about smoking cigarettes is the smell. I cannot stand how smokers smell and it’s the easiest way to tell if somebody smokes-THEY’LL STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN! When I’m around somebody who smokes, I literally hold my breath and start gagging.  So, easiest way, tell her she smells horrible and pretty soon she might smell self-conscious and stop.  I don’t know. It worked with one of my friends.  I stopped letting her ride in my car, too, and boy did that do the trick.

This sounds a little harsh, but that girl does have her whole life ahead of her!  Best to stop addiction before it’s too late!

A retaliatory comment from a reader who was told that it should be easy to quit:

I’m a smoker myself.  I tried to quit many times. It’s the withdrawal symptoms that suck.  I get headaches, tremors, mood swings, upset stomachs, anxiety, high stress, and depression.

It’s really hard to quit, especially when you smoke over a pack and a half a day. I’ve tried quitting cold turkey and weaning myself off but it never worked. Three months later I start back up. I think it is also a mental thing too. When I’m really stressed out or tired I tend to smoke more.

I want to quit.  I really do, but I haven’t found anything that really helps. My girlfriend has asthma, and of course the cost of buying cigarettes are just unreal.  I quit once for three months when my then wife was pregnant with our first child, but started back up after she was born.

It’s not a hobby.  It’s not a habit.  It’s an addiction.  Those that say, “just quit smoking” never lit a cigarette before. It’s not that easy.  If you were a smoker, you’d understand.

Someone wrote in the other day telling me that she used the hypnosis technique to try and quit smoking.  She stated that from the moment she walked out she no long felt like lighting up.  Apparently, it has been a year now and she doesn’t smoke.  She stated that as a smoker she couldn’t go without smoking for even a few hours, especially when she was stressed out, which was often.  Now, she will actually have a cigarette with her friends at a party every now and again and still not get addicted.  She said it only took her one session and costs about $150.  This might sound like a lot at first, but imagine how much you spend on cigarettes throughout the course of even just a month.

Has anyone else had such a good experience with this technique to stop smoking cigarettes?

An email yesterday:

I wake up in the morning and my chest hurts, not only that but when I climb stairs or do anything physical my heart races and I feel like I can’t breathe. I am scared of smoking related diseases and feel like I want to quit but every time I try to I go back to smoking more. Ex-smokers:  What did you do to quit, what made you want to quit and how do you stay smoke free?  Please help me I feel so weak!

Come on, ex-smokers!  Let’s send this poor woman some motivating information and some tips.  Leave some comments if you have any advice.

Got this note:

It will almost be a year since I stopped smoking cigarettes.  I quit cold turkey when I became pregnant.  Obviously, I gained weight because of the pregnancy, but could it also be because I quit smoking? I don’t substitute food for nicotine.   Is there a physiological reason as to why one gains weight or is it completely psychological?
Note: I eat 1100 cals a day so it’s not junk food.  I’m losing weight – just wondering why it’s taking a bit longer than I expected.

Well, the majority of the time, post-smoking weight gain is caused by an increased food intake, as nicotine is an appetite suppressant.  Also, people tend to eat more as means of keeping their mouth busy.

However, there have been studies that show that nicotine may speed up the metabolism *a little*.  This is a temporary effect, though, and if you’re moderately exercising, even just dragging a baby around or walking a bit, the effects wouldn’t be noticeable.  Remember also that your body is going through a great deal of changes, and losing baby weight can take up to a year.  It’s best to not restrict your diet too much; lose the weight slowly and in a healthy way and you’re much more likely to keep it off.  Good luck!

When you’re ready to quit, the most important tool you have in the battle is determination. Unless you’re determined, nothing, including medication, can help you to quit.  A good way to quit is to simply start reducing the amount and counting the days you can go without.  Keep away from negative influences.  This helps to reduce tension and stress and will help you immeasurably. Try conditioning your mind:  Whenever you think of smoking, think of something else instead, such as your child, your career or your spouse.  This will help to keep the cravings at bay.  Simply put:  mind over matter!

I have a lot of people write me who are looking for an aid to help them quit smoking.  This is understandable, as kicking the nicotine habit is about as hard as quitting heroin.  Often people will know only about the nicotine patch or gum.  Well, today there are plenty of other options out there, including hypnotherapy, medications (prescription), support groups and even laser therapy.  I try to write about as many different options as possible so that people can be well-informed before making any decisions.  Also, your doctor can be a great tool in this battle, so don’t forget to talk to them before starting with anything new!

I met a 19-year-old the other day and they had been smoking for several years (started young, like so many others!).  She was worried about cancer, obviously, but also about premature aging.  I told her that now was the time to quit!  Quitting before smoking too many years straight and converting to a healthier lifestyle will save her lungs (and her skin!).