Cutting Back Day 2

[Grammy25]

I have started counting the cigarettes that I smoke daily to give me a goal to cutting some cigarettes back each day.

On Saturday the 6th I ended up smoking 35 cigarettes. Yesterday the 7th I was doing really good and was down to 25 cigarettes for the day until I hit a bump in the road and was trying to deal with getting my AOL mail straightened out. The stress was so great that I just started smoking one cigarette after another without really thinking and lost track of my count.

I am trying different ways to cut back like when I am using my phone to do messages or play my video games I don’t smoke; and those take up a lot of my day. I have also found that taking my nap in the afternoon instead of the morning gives me less time to smoke.

I will definitely reach my goal of only 25 or less cigarettes today.

Thank you

Grammy25

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Welcome back. I hope that your strategy of weaning works instead of going back and forth with the numbers.  Have a plan for those triggers instead of smoking.   Take smoking out of the equation and do something else.  A wise elder once said that there are no reasons to smoke but EXcuses.  Do the work. Education is the key to a successful quit. Research Study Ask Questions.  Wishing you success.  Don't give up.  Hang around we will support you.  Here is a little research that I did on weaning. I hope that it can help you. https://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2015/11/7-things-to-do-before-you-stop-smoking#:~:text=Taper%20off%20... 

[YoungAtHeart]

Weaning never worked for me - but if it does for you, then it's best for you!  Just one idea for you, though.   Maybe instead of choosing a certain number a day , you just put each one off a bit and get busy instead. You will naturally cut back, and finding things to do instead is good practice for when you quit.

I don't know how much you read before your last quit, so I will  again recommend the book by Allen Carr.  You might also try changing up your routines (the nap time is a good beginning!), and thinking about how you will distract yourself when a crave hits.

Glad you are planning and preparing.  It's the way to go!

Nancy

[Barbscloud]

I'm suspect I shared this with you before.  In addition to using two aids, attending a smoking cessation class and finding the Ex, I cut down for a week on a very strict schedule for 7 days.  A cigarette an hour first day, every two hours second day, etc. until I was down to 2 smokes the last day.   I even had to buy a pack of cigarettes to complete the week.  I took what I needed and tossed the rest.  I really took the time to concentrate on each cigarette smoked.  Previously, I'd be distracted and "missed" that I even smoked, so I've smoke another one.   We're all different--whatever works for you.

Stay close.

Barb

[Grammy25]

Thank you so much

Yes the information you sent helped me

I find that counting what I smoke really helps me on looking at the big picture and encourages me to continue cutting back daily.

[Grammy25]

I have found myself doing that today. I decide to have a cigarette, take it out of the pack, and then put it down and find something that I need to do before getting to the point of lighting it. It seems to help me cut back.

[Grammy25]

Thank you so much

I found that I can’t use the smoke free substitutes because they either make me sick or they don’t work for me. I have been using the nic out filters which takes about 90 percent of the tar and nicotine out of each cigarette that I smoke which really helps, and my sister gave me a oxygen cigarette substitute that I will use when I get close to quitting so I will be puffing on that instead of a real cigarette.

[Barbscloud]

Stick with your plan and you'll be on track for your quit.

Barb

[indingrl]

CONGRATS and thank YOU for sharing your PROGRESS - GOOD JOB and I am so glad to hear from YOU again

[Grammy25]

Thank you I’m trying

[Grammy25]

Thank you I know this will help

[elvan]

I kept track of my cigarettes & my triggers & planned to do something else when they came up. I actually wrote down the triggers & my “interventions”, l had to tweak some when they didn’t seem to work but l learned a LOT about myself & what my triggers were. It took away much of their power, particularly when l recognized that smoking did not help.

Ellen

[WhispersQSMB]

elvan‌ is right. Keep track of the triggers, notice when and why you reach for the cigarette. Excitement, anger, bored etc. Treat this like a drug addiction, we're all nicotine addicts here. My mother was a 40+ year smoker over 2 packs a day and it took emphysema for her to quit, she got scared. I would reach for a smoke when i got anxious. I had to learn to replace that habit with something else. Smoking is a self destructive habit like overeating and overspending. I got scared when i saw how life ends for a smoker that didn't quit soon enough, i kept thinking about that every time a craving hit me. Each time i said NO to that craving my confidence grew. I have had many failed attempts trying to quit but it only took 1 successful quit to reach the goal. A plan worked for me, stick to your plan and reach out if you struggle. Every quit is different and the best part about the forums is you'll come across another quitter that you can relate. If i can do it, you can do it

[Grammy25]

Thank you I will try that

[Grammy25]

Thank you so much for the advice and encouragement I will try that

[indingrl]

In His love I love YOU

[Grammy25]

Thank you