Hello my fellow Californians.
This is Danny James from the Santa Cruz area. I set my quit date for the first of October, however I have decided to quit early because I got ill recently and I knew I wouldn't be smoking for a while. My sister and I shared some methods on how to curb cravings, and I thought that I would share them with you. Please feel free to add any other tips that have helped you on your journey!
1. Chewing sunflower seeds helps curb cravings better than gum for me, mainly because you still get that hand-to-mouth fixation. Taking sips of water throughout the day helps as well.
2. Stay clear of liqueur stores and quickie marts when wanting a snack or drink. You might convince yourself of coming out of the store with more than just Gatorade and a slim jim. Grocery stores are a pretty safe bet, they sometimes have cigarettes, but they usually aren't behind the check stand like they used to be.
3. Keep record of the money you are saving from not buying tobacco. For me, I used to smoke a pack a day, so everyday I add $5.50 to my savings chart. Also, I made a list of comfort items I've been wanting to buy. Once I save enough money to buy one of the desired items, I'll go out and get it.
4. Like many others, I snack more when I stop smoking. Low calorie snacks like rice cakes and plain popcorn keep me from gaining weight.
5. Coffee is a bad trigger for me....I've switched to green tea and the cravings haven't been there like they used to.
6. Getting your teeth whitened at the dentist gives you a good reason why not to pick up smoking again. Once you're free of tobacco stains, you won't want them back.
