I did the tracking, I did not stop or limit myself but I DID track when I smoked and why and also how strong the crave was for each one. I wrote them down and I thought of things to do instead of smoking. When I actually quit, I had that to refer to, some of the things worked and some had to be adjusted. I was terrified of getting up in the morning and not smoking...it really wasn't that bad, I just got up, made tea (I stopped drinking coffee for a few weeks because I was afraid it would make me want to smoke), I fed our cats, and I went straight to my computer and read blogs and paid attention to what was working for other people. I found that two times that were the hardest for me were after a meal or after completing a task. Instead of smoking after a meal, I got up and cleaned up the table and the dishes, instead of smoking after I completed a task, I rewarded myself with some time outside, not smoking but taking deep breaths. I had failed quits in the past when I tried to diet at the same time as I quit and also when I avoided going outside because I was afraid of the association with smoking. You are not giving anything up by not smoking, you are gaining time and insight into yourself. It's really an amazing journey.
Ellen
