Stop Smoking Secrets That Work

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If you are struggling to quit smoking, you are certainly not alone.  Each year there are millions of adults who choose to stop smoking.  Each year there are also millions more who start smoking.  This creates a never ending cycle of adults struggling to quit, learning the best ways to quit smoking is never easy.  While there are plenty of excuses that tend to circulate all around, there are also several great resources that can be a huge help as you are struggling with the idea of quitting smoking.  What might seem easy for you to master one day, might be your biggest headache another day.

It is extremely important to gain a thorough understanding of why you want to quit smoking.  Simply waking up one morning and deciding to quit typically does not work.  You need to have a specific reason that you are determined to quit.  Whether your reason is for improved health, due to the request of your doctors, because you want to save money, or you just really want to be alive for your children.  Ultimately, the reason itself is not important.  The important thing is having a reason.

People who choose to quit smoking without an actual reason to quit find it much harder to quit.  When the going gets tough, they typically have nothing to look at as an ultimate motive.  What might seem entirely impossible for one consumer can seem like a total dream for others.  If you find that you are in this position you need to sit down and really analyze your decision to quit.  Decide on the specific reason and write it down if necessary so that you always have a reminder.  You may be surprised at just how helpful it is to write your wishes down.

If you have to talk to others to help you decide upon the specific reason then feel free to do so.  This can often be a great exercise to help you strengthen your resolve to quit as well.  What might seem like a simple idea on paper may seem completely overwhelming if you start thinking about it.  Talking to someone can help you to once again realize that it really is simple.  Additionally, talking to someone about your desire to quit can be great to help you realize the temptations that you may encounter as well as ways to conquer those temptations.

Choosing to quit smoking is not an easy decision.  The fact that you cannot simply quit is going to make it much harder.  Many people find that they are absolutely terrified to quit smoking.  They believe that they just do not have what it takes to quit successfully.  Finding yourself in this position is often scary.  It is important to have a good network of supportive people around you.  From your friends to your family you need the mental support of people who believe in you.  Feeling down is going to be normal at times, but your support network should be quite helpful in boosting your confidence again.

Gaining the strength to quit smoking will take some practice.  Overcoming all of the temptation is difficult of course as well, but pulling support from your friends and family, as well as making a conscious decision to quit will go a very long way in your struggle.  What starts as a completely overwhelming process will ultimately seem quite simple.  You will be able to quit smoking, you might have difficulties but you will ultimate come out triumphant over the cigarettes. 

Regaining control of your life is possible, and with your support network in place, you will be able to ensure you are around for a very long time, and your health is much better.  Simply deciding to give up on your attempt to quit smoking is not possible.  You will be able to regain control, using your own strength and pulling the support of those around you it really is possible to change your life for the better, one cigarette at a time.

While most people are determined to know exactly how many times it takes to really quit.  Getting a firm grasp on the number of tries that it will take is important.  You might be confused as to what this information can actually do for you.  It actually serves the purpose of setting you up to be confident as you approach the date when you need to quit smoking.  If you have a grasp on the amount of time it could take you to quit, it will prevent you from feeling as a failure in the event that it takes you more than a single try.  This is very important, because most people start to feel as if they just cannot quit after failing a single time.

The majority of people in all honestness to themselves usually take at least two attempts to successfully quit smoking.  While most people would love to quit after a single attempt, it is usually necessary to have two attempts minimum.  You might wonder exactly why two attempts are necessary but the answer is really simple.  For the most part the first time people start trying to quit they have an attitude that tells them it is very simple.  This tends to find most consumers completely off guard, especially since it is not as easy to quit smoking as you might imagine.

Breaking the addiction to nicotine is not easy, nor is it something that can always be done in a single attempt.  If you are prone to trying to quit entirely on your own with no help you will often find that your chances of success are much lower.  It is almost always necessary to obtain some form of help when you are trying to quit smoking in order to be successful.  This is the primary reason why it typically takes a minimum of two tries to quit smoking.  No matter how many attempts you may try, it is best to plan to quit for good anytime you attempt to quit.

Being aware of how difficult it really is to quit smoking is quite significant.  If you are aware of the challenges you will be in a much better position because you will have the ability to create a plan to help you quit.  Knowing the challenges that you face will also allow you to create a plan that is suitable based upon the precise reason that you smoke.  For example, if you tend to smoke due to stress you should be aware of what causes you stress out and look for ways to avoid the stress.

If you have a plan created to help you quit smoking before your first attempt even begins you may find that you are able to quit after a single attempt.  Not having a plan before you even attempt to quit will increase the chances that it takes several tries to be successful.  Creating a plan to help you stop smoking is not impossible, it merely means you need to be able to identify the problems that you could experience in your attempt to quit smoking.  This means if you simply sit down and create a plan to help you deter temptations and also avoid potential problems you will have a much better success rate.

Merely deciding to stop smoking at a whim will generally result in a series of problems.  It is very important to take your time creating your plan so that you can successfully quit.  Taking advantage of these small details in the plan that you create can go a very long way towards ensuring that you are ultimately successful.  Just be certain that all of the small details of your plan are well organized.  This means you really need to keep your confidence up, feeling as if you will not be successful can leave you creating a lot of problems.  Avoiding problems is very important to ensure that you are able to quit with as few attempts as possible.

Looking to gain the biggest benefits that you can out of your goal to quit smoking is not insane, rather it is a good idea.  Knowing exactly what is in store for you as you attempt to quit will help to keep you encouraged, plus it can be a great reminder about exactly why you set out on the adventure of stopping smoking when the going gets tough.  Making sure that you are most benefit possible is not only a wise idea, but it can also serve a huge benefit of ensuring that you take full advantage of the improvement in your lifestyle.

One of the biggest benefits comes in your health.  You can decrease your risk of lung cancer, heart disease, heart attack, stroke and even high blood pressure to name just a few of the health problems that are experienced by smokers.  While the time that it takes to decrease the risks vary, you should start to see an improvement in your health very quickly.  This can be highly encouraging since you will be able to breathe better as you workout to stay in great physical health.

Money is another fabulous reason to quit smoking.  With the average cost of smoking up to over $1,800 a year for a single pack a day habit, you are looking at a lot of money just burned away.  Keeping the money in your pocket can do a lot for your budget.  It could even mean the difference between being able to buy that incredible sports car that you have had your eye on.  You might even decide to drop the money into a savings account and really get the maximum benefit, regardless of your choice you are going to be happy to hang onto the money, rather than burn it up.

Other benefits can include being able to keep your house, car and clothes smelling better.  Everyone knows that cigarettes have a bad smell, and those who do not smoke can really pick up the smell.  As your desire to smoke goes away, your desire to smell good will increase.  This can lead to a complete top to bottom cleaning that will put you in a great mood.  If you quit in the spring you could just consider it your yearly spring cleaning spurt.  You will definitely love the increased sense of smell though, after all those gorgeous flowers in the yard will now have a reason to exist beyond just looking pretty.

The ultimate benefit that you will experience is your expected life span will be increased.  What is better than finding the fountain of youth?  Just by stopping smoking, you can significantly increase the amount of time that you are expected to live.  This combined with the health benefits that quitting smoking offers you could find that you are looking at adding as much as 10 years onto your life.  This is something that is absolutely huge, and just by quitting smoking as well.  Most who discover just how much they can add to their life are absolutely shocked, but taking care of yourself and quitting smoking for good is a great benefit that you will certainly appreciate when you are older and enjoying those added years.  Do not be afraid to live your life to the fullest, after you quit smoking you will have plenty of energy for a lot of great new activities that you can enjoy for years.

Trying to quit smoking may almost seem like you are walking into a burning fire.  It certainly is not simple, and with the attitudes that many people have, you are looking at a lot of complicated issues trying to ensure that you get started on the right foot to quit successfully.  To help avoid many of the complicated side effects that you could experience you have the option of looking into nicotine replacement treatments.  These typically come in two different forms and the type that is best for you is something that you will need to decide.  It is a good idea to consider both options though, because they both have their benefits and ultimately you just want to quit smoking for good.

The first is the traditional nicotine gum.  This comes in a variety of flavors as well as dosage amounts.  This is almost always suited for those smokers who find it extremely comforting to do something with their mouth whenever they have the urge to smoke.  By actively chewing the gum, you are getting a small dosage of nicotine whenever you have an urge, plus you are able to keep your mouth occupied.  This can also be used in connection with cutting back your smoking without causing any bad complications.

It is important to realize that you can control how often you need to use the gum.  If you are typically a one pack a day smoker, and are trying to cut out half of the cigarettes each day you may only need to use the gum 5 times one day and 7 times the next.  You have this flexibility because you can use it only as you actually need it.  This type of flexibility is great for those who are trying to go slowly in their quest to quit, as well as those who like to keep their mouth occupied as the urge to smoke comes.  In addition, the range of flavors makes it easy to find something that almost anyone will enjoy.

The second option to consider is the traditional nicotine patch.  These are typically distributed in dosages and are applied in the mornings and worn all day.  By doing this, you are able to absorb small amounts of nicotine all day long.  This is great for those who are attempting to quit cold turkey; however, you cannot smoke or use nicotine gum anytime you have a severe urge to smoke.  This limitation forces smokers to look for alternative ways to help curb any additional urges that appear.  Additionally, because the patch is applied every morning, and removed at night, it can severely limit the flexibility to slowly decrease nicotine consumption.

The patch is available in a range of dosages though, which can allow you to slowly step down, but in general you have more flexibility to adjust the range of nicotine in your body with the gum since each piece contains only a small amount of nicotine.  If you would rather do just a single thing to help you curb nicotine addiction you may find that the patch is your best friend.  Smokers who have extremely busy lifestyles often find them quite effective.  It is extremely important to ensure you start with the appropriate patch to start with though.  Many smokers make the mistake of selecting the wrong dosage, which can actually heighten the addiction to nicotine, rather than helping to decrease it.

You have decided for some reason that it is now the right time in your life for you to stop smoking.  So you now sit around and try to decide exactly how you are going to get started. You know the deep inside you are in for a long hard road, but at the same time, you really want to quit for good.  The idea of quitting multiple times is just not attractive to you, so you are left with the task of creating a plan of attack that will work, and work well.  You are likely to find this much harder than anything else you have ever tried to do in your life, and for good reason.

The number of people who fail at trying to quit smoking each year is astonishing.  While millions are attempting to quit, there are still others who are starting to smoke.  Everywhere you look there are smokers who are unintentionally tempting you to smoke again as well which makes it even harder for yourself.  Trying to overcome these challenges is very important, because without being able to overcome these problems you will be completely unable to quit for good.

Starting with a good plan is essential and this begins with deciding exactly why you want to quit smoking.  The reason really does not matter, but you need to know your reason.  What does matter is you also should believe in your reason, if you merely pull the reason why someone else has quit that you do not believe in your experience trying to quit will be extremely rocky and full of problems.  What you will need to do is spend a large amount of time trying to honestly decide why you want to quit smoking so that you have a good reason.

Once your reason is selected, the rest of the process should be much easier to deal with.  What you do not always find immediately obvious is having a good reason to quit can serve as a huge motivation factor.  If you are just quitting to quit, you are more likely to slip up on your goals, cheat and fall back into smoking very quickly.  The remainder of the tasks such as creating a schedule, and even looking for the supportive guidance of friends and family will all be a simple breeze.

You will need to work hard to maintain your commitment.  This means trying to avoid places and situations where you will be tempted to smoke.  This means avoid the smoking areas of restaurants and bars, no going to tobacco stores, and certainly clearing the cigarettes out of your home.  If you can find someone to help you quit who is interested in quitting themselves you will have a huge advantage.  While not everyone does great with the buddy system, it is a great tool to use because you can hold each other accountable. 

This level of accountability can be quite helpful in ensuring that you are really working to quit for good.  So many people work to quit smoking and only end up starting up again once the going gets tough.  A friend who is also trying to quit can serve as a fabulous way to really avoid the temptation since neither of you will want to slip up first.  Use this to your advantage and watch your success grow while your health improves and cigarettes become a thing of the past.

You have set out in a goal to stop smoking, this of course is a great idea, however are you really prepared for the potential consequences.  Of course, your health will enjoy a great benefit from the decreased smoking, but your body is going to have a period of adjustment as it works to handle all of the harsh effects that smoking has caused.  Being fully aware of these potential negative side effects will ensure that you are properly prepared to attempt quitting the right way.  Just saying that you want to quit is simply not enough, you need to actually make an effort and be prepared.

One of the most common side effects to quitting that you may experience is small spells of dizziness.  These are typically only present in the first few days as your body works to regulate hormone production.  If you just pause for a brief moment anytime the dizziness occurs it will generally pass quickly.  If you try to press forth with activities during these spells you could become injured so taking your time is critical.

Headaches are another common withdrawal symptom.  This is something that occurs very commonly.  Your best line of defense is any typical headache remedy that you prefer.  Many will opt with a mild pain reliever while others will focus on relaxing techniques.  Regardless of the method, try not to suffer too badly with a headache or it could encourage you to smoke to relieve the stress the headache is causing you.

Tightness in your chest and even coughing is another common withdrawal symptom.  As your body is adjusting to the lack of nicotine, it will start to also clear out the excess chemicals that are built up.  This can cause several different reactions.  Many people often mistake the chest tightening with having a heart attack.  If you are certain that it is a heart attack rather than just standard chest tightening, make sure to get immediate medical attention.

One of the last major withdrawal symptoms is tiredness.  While of course this is a problem that plagues almost anyone who can breathe it becomes an even bigger issue when trying to quit smoking.  Often smokers use cigarettes as a way to give them a boost of energy, this can be helpful while you are smoking but the lack of energy as you are trying to quit can make you stressed, as well as weaken your resolve to actually quit.  Try to ensure that you are getting plenty of sleep to combat this symptom as much as possible.  Most people are able to return to their normal routine, minus the smoking after just a few short weeks.

Your body may experience additional withdrawal symptoms.  How you handle them is typically left up to you as long as they remain mild, however at any sign of serious health problems you need to seek the advice and supervision of a doctor to ensure that there are not additional health problems that are being mislabeled as a withdrawal symptom.  Talking to your doctor and letting them know that you plan to quit is typically a good idea so that they can also closely monitor your physical health during the difficult struggle.  After all, an ounce of prevention is worth any time it may take to protect your health.

You are out to make a complete change in your life so you decide to pursue quitting smoking.  While the option has crossed your mind before, you now have a sudden desire to actually quit, and to do it for good.  You no longer want to be trapped to the cigarettes that have held you hostage for so long.  This means it is time to start looking towards developing a sure fire plan that will allow you to quit successfully and for good.  You no longer want to consider the option that you will fail; you have decided to go full steam ahead and now is the time for action.

You are going to need to do several things, and that includes picking an actual quit date.  Here is the catch though; this date does need to come.  People every year decide that as a New Year’s resolution, they are going to aim to quit smoking, but January 1st comes and goes and they are still smoking.  Rather than finding yourself in this position pick a day to quit and stick with it.  On that day, all of your cigarettes need to be gone, and you need to be prepared mentally to kick the smoking habit for good.

You should also look into setting up a rewards program for yourself; use the money that you are saving by not buying cigarettes to fund it if necessary.  A year of smoking can easily cost more than $1,800 so you have a generous budget to work with if you are working towards permanent results.  Just be sure to look for things that you really want to help encourage you.  If you merely rely on the financial rewards, or just the physical and health rewards you are much more likely to fail, combine several types of rewards to keep yourself really motivated.

As you are working to quit smoking you need to increase the amount of exercise that you are doing, you should also start to watch how you are eating.  Many smokers find that as they quit smoking, they start gaining weight.  This can often be a huge shock, but if you are exercising and eating right, you can minimize the weight gain to ensure that you are instead focusing on quitting smoking, rather than splitting your time between trying to quit smoking and trying to lose weight.  Be prepared to pack on a small amount of weight but these small changes will ensure that you are not gaining large amounts.

A final consideration that you should take into account is your overall health.  If you are in poor physical condition, you should discuss your plan to quit smoking with your doctor.  While a doctor is not going to discourage your from quitting, they may have some helpful advice and information that is specific to your health situation.  This can also be great because your doctor will be able to monitor your health to ensure that you can make the most impact in the quickest amount of time. 

Simply trying to struggle to quit smoking on your own is not necessary.  Using the advice from your doctor, as well as working with a well developed plan you will find that it is not as hard as you ever imagined.  You are certainly in for a long and difficult road, but you will be able to find success at one end of the road, which will leave you in better health, and also help you to take pride in yourself for your accomplishment.

Working to quit smoking is one of the hardest things that many people ever do in their life.  The reasons that it is so difficult typically vary.  The one reason that is most often cited is the habit of smoking itself is extremely hard to break.  The task then becomes trying to break the habit, and instead give yourself a much healthier habit to hang onto.  After all, it took you a while to get into the habit of smoking so reason stands that it will take a while to break the habit.

If you are determined to quit smoking, you have made an impressive start.  However, if you have decided to quit on your own, you are doing even better.  Sounds strange does it?  You would be surprised at just how many people “decide” to quit smoking by being informed by their doctor, spouse, parent, sibling or friend that they will be quitting.  In order to successfully quit smoking for good you need to decide for yourself to quit.  If you have actually made this decision on your own, you are doing an amazing job.  If you are letting someone push you into quitting you are just setting yourself up for headaches, hassles and complications that are easily avoided.

As a smoker, you have no doubt developed a pattern to your smoking.  For example, if you are a typical one pack a day smoker one of your habits is to smoke a pack a day.  You need to take small steps to break these habits.  Perhaps you will find best luck in simply changing your habits slowly.  For example, if you typically smoke a cigarette after each meal, you might find it helpful to brush your teeth.  This can have the effect of providing a fresh mouth that you do not want to dirty with cigarette taste.  You might find that after each meal you need to try chewing a piece of gum, sucking on hard candy or even attempting nicotine gum.

If there are any specific circumstances that always trigger a cigarette craving, you should work to avoid the situation.  If it is something that you absolutely cannot avoid, such as dinner times, you need to create an alternative habit that you replace smoking with.  For example, if you always smoke as soon as you get to your car after work, you might want to consider carpooling with someone who does not smoke, taking a different route home, stopping for groceries, jamming to some music or even taking a bus.  Anything you can do to shake up your normal smoking routine is good.

There will of course be times that it is quite difficult to break the habits.  If you find yourself in a position where you cannot avoid a typical smoking situation, you need to create a way to deal with it.  Some people use nicotine gum whenever they are faced with a smoking situation.  Others find that the stop smoking sticks are beneficial.  These sticks can allow you to hold a pretend cigarette that just provides your hands with something to do.  If you find these quite useful then you know that your problem is your hands are idle, finding something for your hands to do might help a lot.

Trying to quit is a very difficult process.  Many people take weeks if not months to quit smoking completely.  If you are struggling far too much with the idea of completely quitting at once you may find it is much better for your own situation to slowly cut back on your cigarette consumption.  Regardless of the precise method that you choose, it can take a minimum of 2 weeks to start adapting new habits.  This means that any new behavior you adopt in your quest to stop smoking must be repeated continuously for at least two weeks before you will start to see a real difference in your lifestyle.  Giving yourself plenty of time to work on your new habits is essential and will set you on the road to success.

With so many tips and suggestions on how to stop smoking it is really easy to see why so many people really do not quit.  The vast majority of people are completely confused by the entire process!  What of the conflicting messages passed around?  The fact is that with so much information passed around that is confusing to people it is often much easier to just continue smoking and hoping for a simple solution.  Actually taking the necessary steps to really quit smoking is not easy.  It means coming to terms with the fact that stopping smoking really is best for you, as well as your health.

Most people are readily aware that stopping smoking can improve their health, but learning how to really conquer the urges to smoke is not easy.  With so many temptations circulating around, as well as the stresses of daily life it is easy to see why jumping into a pack of cigarettes seems like a good idea. 

Tip #1 You need a good reason to quit.  Simply deciding to quit because the sky is blue is not a sufficient reason.  The need to quit smoking is obvious, but the desire to quit needs to come from inside in order for the process to be successful.

Tip #2  Look for small rewards that you can give yourself as you make progress.  You are not likely to just quit cold turkey with no complications.  Set up small rewards that will help you to want to make progress towards ultimately quitting.  This can be a great motivation to keep you on target.

Tip #3  Plan out your quitting strategy.  Decide how you want to try to quit and stick to it.  Set a specific amount of time for your plan.  If after a time, say six weeks you have not quit, work on a new plan.  This will allow ample time to try each method, while still giving yourself flexibility to try something else.

Tip #4  Work to overcome your struggles.  If you are smoking due to stressful things in your life, you need to deal with the stress before you can successfully quit.  Regardless of the reason why you are smoking, it needs to be dealt with in able to quit for good.

Tip #5  Set up a punishment for yourself.  For example, if you generally stop at Starbucks each day for a coffee you might consider skipping that on days when you have fallen short of your goals for smoking.  Whatever punishment you select, make sure it is something that you care about.

Tip #6  Seek out help from your friends and family.  You need support as you are trying to quit, and this will help you to ensure that you are not alone in the entire process.

Tip #7  Look for someone to quit with you.  If you are entirely on your own, you are going to be much more likely to slip back into smoking.  If someone is working with you and holding you accountable, you are more likely to struggle to succeed.  Working to quit smoking is not easy, but hard tasks are much easier to accomplish with a partner.

Tip #8  Ensure you are getting plenty of sleep.  The job of quitting smoking is quite difficult.  If you are not getting the rest you need, you are much more likely to be cranky, upset and angry with the world.  This is very counterproductive to your goal of quitting smoking for good.

Tip #9  Aim to quit for good.  This might seem a bit strange, but if you are just planning to quit for a weekend you are not going to put much effort into the process.  If you are planning to quit for good, a lot more time and effort is going to go into the process as well as your plan to quit.

Tip #10  Look for ways to take your mind off cigarettes.  If you are always thinking about cigarettes, you may find that you are much more tempted to smoke.  Reading a book, exercising, talking on the phone, surfing the internet and even cooking are all great ways to occupy your mind and keep from thinking about when your last cigarette was.

Trying to quit smoking is a very lengthy process.  This can take a very long period of time such as several years, or it could be something much shorter like only a few weeks or months.  The exact time frame that it takes to quit can vary greatly but what is important is ensuring that you are coming up with a plan to combat your urges to smoke.  At some point in your experience trying to quit you will encounter a situation where the urge to smoke is very strong.  How you handle this situation will go a long way towards your ultimate success.  Being prepared for the urge to smoke will ensure that you have a plan to keep your willpower strong and continue on your path to quit smoking successfully.

Tip 1.  Take the time to decide exactly when you typically smoke.  For example, after meals, after a jog around the block, or even after your shower each morning.  Knowing when you typically smoke will put you in a good position to create a plan to combat the urge.

Tip 2.  Create a plan of attack.  This could be something as simple as a stress ball for your hands, or even just a piece of hard candy to keep your mouth busy.  If you really enjoy the taste and feeling of a clean mouth you could try brushing your teeth each time you want to smoke, or suck on a mint flavored candy, which will freshen your breath.

Tip 3.  Avoid the temptations that lurk.  If you go out to eat, make sure you are sitting in the no smoking area.  Avoid going into tobacco stores, and also try to limit the amount of time you are around other smokers.  If you are continuously around cigarettes, it will be much harder to resist temptation.

Tip 4.  Clean your house of all smoking instruments.  This means all ashtrays, lighters, matches and get rid of the smell of cigarettes.  Products like Febreeze are great for helping to get rid of cigarette smell, which can also trigger an urge to smoke.

Tip 5.  If you have a place where you typically smoke when you are at home, think about rearranging the area.  If you are able to break the routine of the situation, you will be able to resist temptation much better.  This works best if you always are in the habit of smoking in the exact same place, such as a living room looking out a window.  If you move the chair to a different area of the room, or refocus the center of the room then you can help to avoid the temptation to smoke whenever you are sitting in the chair looking out the window.

Tip 6.  Write down your goal to quit smoking.  This may seem like a minor detail but in reality, it can go a very long way towards ensuring that you keep your priority to quit smoking at the top of your agenda.  If you just tell yourself that you want to quit smoking, you are more likely to cheat and ultimately give into the urge to light up again.  If you have written your goal down, you are going to be more likely to actually follow it.  This goes for quitting smoking, losing weight, changing your exercise routine or anything else.  Written down goals can improve accountability significantly.

Tip 7.  Do not discount yourself.  If you are absolutely certain that you can succeed you will be much more capable of the success that you need.  It is important to believe that you can succeed.  This will help you to stay strong anytime a serious urge kicks in.  If you decide to slip up consciously, you are going to find it is much harder to gain back any slack that you have cut for yourself.  However, if you hold fast to your dedication to quit smoking you will find that each time you have an urge it is easier to handle.

The idea to stop smoking might seem really great, but what are you actually going to get out of the process?  For many people there are some benefits that are immediately obvious.  Of course, your clothes and house will smell a lot better, and if you have been a car smoker, your car will start to smell better as well.  However, if you dive beyond these shallow reasons, what can you really expect to gain by quitting?  The issues of money and even your health are far greater than any minor smells that cigarettes can give off.

One of the biggest benefits is the savings of money.  Consider that a one pack a day habit can easily rack up a bill of $35 a week, $150 a month and finally $1,825 in a year.  This adds up to an enormous amount that is really hard to play down.  It is important to be really honest with yourself about how much your cigarettes are costing you, if you are attempting to slash your budget, quitting smoking can go a very long way towards freeing up a lot of money.

While the money is obviously nice to save, there are huge benefits to your health as well.  For example, research tells us that as little as 20 minutes after you stop smoking you will be able to see a difference in your health.  If you consider that quitting smoking can help you reduce your risk of heart problems, stroke, high blood pressure, lung cancer, and even breathing complications you have just located a plethora of reasons why smoking really is good to avoid.  The research that tells us smoking is bad has proven that just a short period of time after quitting is able to reverse many of the harmful effects that cigarettes have caused, no matter how long you have been a smoker.

For example, if you quit smoking for a period of 5 years, you are no more at risk of a stroke than someone who has been a non-smoker for their entire life.  This is huge considering that those who smoke are considered at least twice as likely to suffer a stroke.  Additionally, if you quit for 15 years, you can enjoy the same risk of coronary heart disease as a non-smoker as well.  While it might seem strange to enjoy the risk for coronary heart disease, it is much better than actually having coronary heart disease.  Taking these small victories for your health is important since you will be able to significantly improve your quality of life.

Working to decide which benefits are the most motivation for you is not always easy.  You need to look at your lifestyle and determine what truly matters for you.  Not everyone is concerned about the health benefits, if you find yourself more concerned with the money then focus on what you can save.  If you are more determined to improve your health then focus your efforts on the health benefits that stopping smoking for good can really have for you.  Ultimately, the reason you choose to quit smoking is up to you, the way you do it will be based around your particular personality and smoking habits.  Knowing what your motivating factors are can go a long way towards boosting willpower though, which is always a helpful benefit no matter why you try to quit.

 of the Top Struggles to Stop Smoking

Most people can readily agree that the idea to quit smoking is rather terrifying.  Giving up the comfort that smoking can provide is not easy, nor can it be done instantly.  Struggling to quit requires a lot of honest talks, not only with yourself but also with your family.  There are three major struggles that you will encounter as you are working to quit smoking.  Being fully aware of these struggles will help you to create a plan to quit smoking for good that can help you to overcome these difficulties and emerge in better health as a non-smoker.

Struggle number one is going to find you looking temptation right in the eye.  There is simply no other way to put it.  Everywhere you look cigarettes and more cigarettes.  The number of people who smoke is astonishing, and when you are trying to stop smoking it seems like the number is quadrupling around you.  While it is nothing more than your mind playing tricks on you, it can still be rather difficult to overlook all of the temptation and still stick to your plan to quit smoking. 

Anytime you find yourself overwhelmed by temptation you need to walk away.  If you are at your job and cannot simply walk away, you need to develop a stress relieving strategy to fall back on which can help you to ignore the cigarettes that you see.  To really help you avoid temptation you need to work at finding a place where you can eat your lunch away from the smokers and other temptations.  Always be on the lookout because they are around, and if you slip up they will be there to lure you back into smoking rather quickly.

Your second struggle will be all of the questions that you are asked.  Your friends and family of course are happy for you that you are quitting smoking.  However, everyone is going to ask you why.  This simple question starts to look like a huge issue after the third time you are asked why.  Rather than allowing this tiny question to start eating at your resolve you need to ensure you are dedicated to quitting.  If you start second guessing your reason to quit each time someone asks you why you are quitting then you really need to sit down and have a long conversation with yourself.  Unless you are personally 100% behind your efforts, you will not succeed.  You have to believe in the reason you are quitting smoking.

Your family will be there for you no matter what reason you choose.  It is yourself that you have to convince, and this means that you need a good argument and reason.  Nobody will ever argue with you as much as you will argue with yourself.  When you are attempting something like quitting smoking the nagging side of yourself comes out strong as well. 

A final consideration is looking at all of the products on the market to help you quit smoking.  This might seem strange but this huge selection can be a big problem.  You need to determine why you smoke in order to select the best product for your desire to quit.  If you are a smoker because of stress, you need to resolve the stress.  If you smoke due to nicotine addiction then you should look into slowly pulling off of the nicotine using either a patch, or possibly the gum. 

Regardless of the reason you smoke, there is a product that is designed to help you.  Finding the best product for your specific needs is not impossible, but it will force you to be brutally honest with yourself.  If you are just completely unable to find the exact reason why you smoke try to start finding something else to do with your hands and mouth anytime you have the urge to smoke.  For example, a stress ball and a piece of gum could be all you need.  If you are smoking because you are bored, giving yourself something to do, even just squeezing a stress ball might be the release that you need to walk away a successful non-smoker.

Stop Smoking – Why Is Cigarette Smoking Habit Forming?

Nicotine is one of the most well known components of inhaled cigarette smoke. But is it addictive? Yes and no. The details that make clear that paradoxical statement are interesting.

Nicotine itself is not addictive. But then, neither is heroin. It’s what the body does with that compound that produces the result. Think that’s quibbling over words? Read on…

The average cigarette delivers between 1.2 – 2.9 mg of nicotine, according to data from the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

But, of course, very few smokers limit themselves to one per day. The average one pack-per-day user will absorb between 20-40 mg per day. That may not sound like much, but the effects are considerable.

Nicotine stimulates regions of the brain in the area of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Big words, but important ones. These areas play a large role in the endocrine system, the part of the body that regulates hormones.

Small doses of nicotine produce alertness, making cigarette smoke a stimulant. Larger doses act more like a sedative. So the impetus for smoking to become a habit is two-fold: cigarettes both stimulate and relax.

They do that by producing several effects.

Many drugs can’t penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the system that selectively allows only certain molecules into the brain. But nicotine manages to indirectly defeat that protective function. Nicotine increases the levels of endorphins, the well-known ‘runners high’ compounds.

It also affects the availability of dopamine in the brain, which is responsible to a large degree for the positive feelings associated with smoking. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the brain associated with reinforcing desirable behavior. Signals are sent that say ’smoking is pleasurable’. Unfortunately, it doesn’t send signals that inform the smoker that ’smoking is also harmful’.

In addition, nicotine stimulates the adrenal glands. That causes them to release the hormone named after them, adrenaline. That in turn causes a spike in glucose levels, leading to increased respiration and heart rate, raising blood pressure.

Within limits, those latter effects are perceived as desirable. That’s the stimulating effect. But at the same time, over time, that result can wear arteries more rapidly than they otherwise would. Along with other compounds like carbon monoxide, CO, which tends to produce fatty deposits and harden vessels, the arteries are ‘aged’. They’re less effective at their purpose: delivering blood.

Nicotine has other effects on the body.

It suppresses insulin release from the pancreas. That hormone plays a critical role in regulating glucose. Excess glucose in the blood encourages the development of diabetes. Cigarette smoking doesn’t directly cause diabetes, but it slightly ups the odds. Combined with a statistical increase in obesity in many countries, upping the odds isn’t helpful.

Reducing the regular dosage of nicotine by reducing or quitting smoking, reverses many of the perceived pleasurable effects. As a result, quitting is more difficult. But using willpower, patches and other stop-smoking methods means keeping in mind that ‘long-term harmful’ outweighs ’short-term pleasurable’ by any rational calculation.

Smoking, Cancer and Why You Should Stop Smoking

Heavy, long-term cigarette smoking is often said to cause cancer, most prominently lung cancer and cancer of the larynx. And, the evidence is very strong, amounting to near certainty. But, interestingly enough, exactly how it does so is not fully known. It remains an active area of research.

Normal cells may be damaged, but they have the ability to repair themselves. In other cases, the cells are sloughed off and eliminated by the lymph system, then replaced by new ones. But this process can go awry. Cells can grow abnormally, taking on inappropriate shapes and performing incorrectly. When they do, and that growth reaches a certain level that the body can’t cope with, the result is cancer.

It is known that cigarette smoke contains many carcinogenic substances.

Tar, for example, is present in cigarette smoke chiefly from the burning paper that holds the tobacco, about 10-14 mg per cigarette. It gradually builds up in the alveoli, the small sacs in the lung that make possible absorption of oxygen into the blood stream. It’s believed that their presence is a continual irritant to the cells. That irritation eventually leads to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Other compounds, called nitrosamines, are present in varying amounts. They’re known to be carcinogenic from hundreds of clinical studies on small mammals. NNK is present in a very low concentration: 56.53 nanograms per cigarette. Other nitrosamines, like NNN and NAT, are present in roughly similar amounts.

A few dozen nanograms (one billionth of a gram – 1 g = 0.0353 oz) may sound like a small amount. But sometimes small amounts can have a large effect. Dog’s noses, for example, are so sensitive they can detect a few molecules of certain substances. Some systems in humans are equally sensitive to certain chemicals. Add to that the fact that many of the compounds and their effects are cumulative and the case begins to look very strong.

No study has found any link between cancer and consuming one or two cigarettes per day. But such smokers are extremely rare and the odds of them catching some other serious disease are so much higher it may be masked. A smoker who consumes a pack a day for 20 years has 2-4 times the chances of getting lung cancer than a non-smoker.

Non-smokers do, in fact get it. But that doesn’t show that smoking isn’t a cause, only that other causes can lead to the same effect. One reason scientists have good cause to believe that smoking increases the odds of getting lung cancer is just the odds cited above. Studies also show that lung cancer was much more rare prior to WWI when smoking rates were much lower. As the number of people smoking cigarettes rose, so did the cancer rate. Similarly, as people smoke more, the rates go up.

No single fact or study proves the case. But put enough of them together, over a long enough period, and eventually the case becomes very strong. So strong that saying ‘long-term, heavy smoking greatly increases the odds of acquiring lung cancer’ becomes a very reasonable statement indeed. It’s estimated that 87% of lung cancers are attributable to that habit.

Don’t let the odds get you. Start a stop-smoking program now.

Stop Smoking – Dealing With Unwanted Weight Gain

One of the common effects of quitting smoking is weight gain, usually from 5-10 pounds, sometimes more. But, though common, it’s not inevitable.

Weight gain from a stop-smoking program can have a number of causes.

For many individuals, it’s a natural response to cravings from nicotine withdrawal. They substitute food for smoking. Increase the amount of calories taken in, as snacks add up, and sooner or later you’ve gained several pounds.

At the same time, people coming off a long-term cigarette smoking habit don’t often immediately enter an exercise program. For a while, the effects of smoking linger on. The fatigue, shortness of breath and other common conditions of smoking don’t disappear overnight. Starting a healthy exercise program is tough enough for anyone. For smokers, the change is even more substantial.

There are also purely physiological effects. Smoking, at low dosages, elevates the heart rate. That stimulating effect plays a role in keeping weight off. But, longer term, the build up of fatty deposits in arteries and other changes induced by smoking will outweigh them.

For most people, the combination of increased food consumption and little or no exercise is the double-whammy that puts on the pounds.

Fortunately, that problem is solvable. As you start your stop smoking program, start on other lifestyle changes as well. Plan a healthy diet, outline an age-appropriate exercise program.

Like any other issue in a stop-smoking program, or life in general, some willpower is required. Popping a piece of fresh fruit is a good way to stave off the cravings for a cigarette. But be sure to balance out that extra consumption by cutting down somewhere else. Resist the urge to substitute high calorie foods in large proportions to compensate for the desire for a cigarette.

That will be particularly difficult the first two weeks as the compounds introduced by smoking are flushed out of the body. That’s a good time to lay out that diet and exercise program. It’s short enough that only modest weight gain is likely during that period.

Drink lots of water during this time. It will show up as extra weight on the scale. But it’s easily flushed out later when you taper off, so the effect isn’t permanent. It also has other added benefits. Extra water helps the body more quickly remove the remaining contaminants from smoking. And, it’s a zero-calorie way to react to cravings. Water isn’t fattening.

The main struggle will be, as it is for anyone concerned with diet and health, to maintain the commitment to a long term goal. It will help to visualize the results. Aid your willpower by imagining a healthier, better looking you. Think of not having shortness of breath, from smoking or obesity. Think of having more energy and being able to accomplish your other goals more easily.

Stay on track and you can quit smoking without gaining weight.

Steps to Overcoming Your Nicotine Addiction for Good

In order to really quit smoking it is necessary to break the chains that smoking creates in your life.  If you are addicted to smoking purely due to the nicotine addiction you are certainly not alone.  This is one of the biggest reasons why smokers continue to smoke.  It is also one of the reasons why the tobacco company sits around confidently while the economy struggles and people are cutting back.  If you are addicted to their product, you are not going to cut back.  In fact, if you are addicted you may find that you are using the product even more.  This creates huge profits for the tobacco companies, and leaves you with a huge problem as you are struggling to get your addiction under control.

What is really surprising is the fact that people will have sympathy for someone who is addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling and a plethora of other addictions.  However, the sympathy tends to stop at the idea of being addicted to cigarettes.  This is a stigma that has affected society in a way that people are often laughed at for saying that they are addicted to cigarettes.  Yet, the fact remains that people are in fact addicted.  Learning how to control the addiction is critical to success, after all those who are addicted to drugs rarely ever just quit cold turkey successfully.

You need to realize that you are addicted to smoking, and that the reason is typically due to nicotine.  The exact manner that you get the nicotine is not important.  What is important is avoiding the harmful effects on your body that smoking has.  If you need to slowly cut back your nicotine consumption you are not alone, and to prove it there are dozens of stop smoking aids on the market.  Several even offer small dosages of nicotine to help smokers deal with their nicotine addiction while still working to quit smoking.  Looking towards products such as nicotine gum or even the patches may be your only help in quitting. Read the rest of this entry »

Please Watch My Stop Smoking Video…

No matter how many times in the past you have tried to quit smoking and failed, I honestly believe that this stop smoking video will give you rock solid hope that you really can stop smoking for the rest of your life.

Click on the image below to see the video

Planning to Quit Smoking – What You Should Do

The time in your life where you decide it is time to quit smoking for good is a very important step.  It represents the time in your life when you have decided that it is time to regain complete control over your body, and actually take charge of your decisions.  Of course, you made the decision to start smoking, but ultimately this choice is much harder to break, than it ever was to start.  Knowing how to break the habit is very important to being successful and this means you really need to take some time to review all of your options.

In general, while it may seem like a great idea to start trying to quit tomorrow you need to take a bit of time to set out a plan of attack.  If you are working towards a plan which includes several well laid out goals you are going to be much more likely to succeed.  However, simply taking a chance and hoping for the best may be your best option.  Typically, the hope and wait method is not effective though, so having a plan will ensure that you have something to fall back on.

You should review all of the options for stop smoking aids that are on the market.  There are literally dozens of products that all claim to help stop smoking.  Some really do not work at all, but in general most do really work, but only for certain people.  This means if you are not well suited to the product, it will not be very effective for your venture.  Finding something that is well suited to your needs is critical to ensure your own personal success.  Just because the product has helped 1,000’s of other former smokers does not mean that you will find success with it.

You need to then look at a calendar and pick out a date to quit.  This is very important because having a date picked out gives you something to look forward to.  You should also look at it as an exciting adventure, rather than the day you decided to drive yourself insane and attempt to quit smoking.  Looking forward to the specific date that you pick with excitement and joy will make the overall experience much better.  As you are picking out dates on the calendar, pick out additional dates for smaller goals as well.  For instance, if you decide to quit smoking on August 1st you would want to select August 2nd as your 24-hour victory and then August 7th as your first no smoking week.

Avoiding negative people is very important.  If you are surrounding yourself by people who all think that you are just acting like a baby in your struggles to quit smoking your self-esteem is going to take a huge hit.  Additionally, your self-confidence in yourself to actually succeed in your quest to quit smoking will start to wane.  This is a huge disaster since you need to believe in yourself in order to actually quit smoking for good.  Surrounding yourself with positive people who support your efforts to quit will make it much easier for you.  After all, the friend who encourages you is the friend you should want to be around more anyways.  Someone who is doing nothing but cutting down your efforts probably is not the greatest friend anyways.

Beating Nicotine Addiction Once and for All

In order to really quit smoking it is necessary to break the chains that smoking creates in your life.  If you are addicted to smoking purely due to the nicotine addiction you are certainly not alone.  This is one of the biggest reasons why smokers continue to smoke.

It is also one of the reasons why the tobacco company sits around confidently while the economy struggles and people are cutting back.

If you are addicted to their product, you are not going to cut back.  In fact, if you are addicted you may find that you are using the product even more.  This creates huge profits for the tobacco companies, and leaves you with a huge problem as you are struggling to get your addiction under control. Read the rest of this entry »

Understanding the Different Reasons People Smoke

Trying to quit smoking is not easy, learning the exact reason why you actually smoke is often critical to the success of the project.  If you discover the exact reason why you are smoking it can make it so much easier to actually determine how to find the success that you need, in order to quit for good.

Simply trying to quit for reasons that do not pertain to your situation will leave you upset and frustrated.  You are likely to feel as if you are nothing more than a failure, and your overall situation is not likely to be impressive at all.  However, if you take the time to discover why you specifically smoke, you will be surprised at just how much easier it is to stop.

People smoke for a wide range of reasons.  They can range from something as innocent as smoking when you are depressed, stressed or when you just want a quick pick me up.

The idea that smoking a cigarette will make your projects go away is an innocent idea, but in reality, it is completely incorrect.

Typically, what is actually beneficial is the fact that you are able to take a few brief moments out of your life to see exactly what is going on.

One such example is … Read the rest of this entry »

Easy Stop Smoking Video 1 Read the rest of this entry »