I’ve never smoked, but I read somewhere that if you pucker your lips and suck in a deep breath of fresh air, the cravings are supposed to subside. What the heck - it’s a cheap thing to try…
Hang in there Crunchy - we all want a healthier, happier you!
Thanks everyone. I feel terrible though. I choked last night and bought a pack of Marlies. I’ll look into getting that book.
::hangs head in shame::
Please don’t be discouraged and please keep trying! Not everyone can quit on the first try and some folks slip after years of not smoking. (My eldest brother started smoking again after 5 years nicotine free.) I won’t start again because it was too hellish the first time and I’d never be able to quit again.
Yes, it would have been great if you’d been able to ignore the cravings (not right now! not right now!) but if you couldn’t, well, it may mean that you aren’t quite ready to quit. I sincerely hope that you can and do succeed. 
A book by J. Rogers, “You can Stop” is excellent.
Oh, alcohol is bad news when it comes to smoking. I remember having a cigarette in my mouth and lit before I realized what I was doing.
At that point, it’s classic- “I’ll only smoke when I drink” which soon morphs into “I’ll only smoke on the weekends”
Which means soon you’ll be smoking more than ever. It’s vital not to hang around smokey places until you’re comfortable. There’s none of this “You’re not ready to quit” stuff, either. The cravings never entirely go away, but they are mangageable.
Just remember, after a couple weeks, the death pallor goes away, your sense of taste returns, you no longer hack up your lungs as part of the morning ritual, and your hair and clothes no longer have that stench.
Just don’t become a holier-than-thou prick about people who still smoke. Nothing more obnoxious than an “ex” smoker.
I quit cold turkey, without really planning to do so, because of the Silk Quit smoking meter. I turned it on to see how it worked, and the idea of resetting it was too painful to contemplate. The more time that passes, the harder it is to want to reset it, no matter how bad the cravings. Thank you, Hardygrrl, you are responsible for starting a thread that mentioned the Silk Quit meter that made me quit smoking. I owe you a debt that I can never repay.
Four months, one week, two days, 10 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds. 2629 cigarettes not smoked, saving $832.53. Life saved: 1 week, 2 days, 3 hours, 5 minutes.
cazzie,
You’re welcome. Too bad I started smoking again about two weeks after I started that thread. 
Damn oral fixation. It was that or gain weight.
Crunchy, please… go HERE right now and read what Auntie Pam has to say:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=68060&pagenumber=4
PLEEEEZE.
stoid
Take the money you save by not smoking and join a gym. Seriously. I’ve been trying to permanently quit smoking for about 3 1/2 years now, and I haven’t gained weight at all during the times I’ve been (temporarily) smoke-free. In fact I actually weigh almost a stone less now than I did when I first started trying to quit.
Plus, the ability to use the gym facilities without dying for lack of breath provides another pretty powerful incentive to stay off the cigs.
I do work out. Yoga and Pilates.
Smoking is my crutch. Bad call at work? Go outside and smoke. Upset about my love life? Light up.
I do want to quit and god knows I could use the money…maybe some of that nicotine gum will help.
Oh, hardygrrl, I’m so sorry to hear that!! I’ve been hoping you were doing well with the whole quitting thing.
I used lollypops to kill my cravings. They satisfied that oral fixation that was going on, and I found the sour ones killed cravings dead. I don’t know why. Sweet ones helped me shift my concentration but didn’t get rid of cravings. The one coffee flavoured one that crept in nearly ruined the whole quit process, but the lemon, lime and orange ones were fantastic. After about 2 weeks, I was able to give up the lollypops as well.
I think I’ve put on a little weight since I quit, but not that much. All my clothes still fit, and I only weigh a kilo or two more. Plus, it’s winter here, and I always gain weight in winter. We’ll see come summer I guess.
Argh! ThE BOOK! THE BOOK!!! GET AND READ THE GOLDARNED BOOK!!! FOLLOW THE LAST LINK I PUT UP AND READ WHAT AUNTI PAM SAYS ABOUT IT!
[sub]<grumble…grumble…nobody every listens to me… grumble…>[/sub]