I´m really struggling here, specially with the cigarettes after meals. Any tips?

 

-Nat

I struggled with this, as well.  Smaller more frequent meals, you won't feel as full.  Something sweet, gum, sugar free ice pops, ice cream?  Brush your teeth after eating.  For a long time, my substitute was regular minty chewing gum for all sorts of situations.  It was a replacement, but it got me through.  

I found doing something else instead helped. So instead of rushing out to smoke after food I would hit the kitchen and clear up, mop the floor, or if the weather wasn't too wet take a brisk walk around the block.

 

I couldn't relax so I put the energy to use to try and distract myself. Think on, although this is the here and now and it's currently how you feel this really does not last forever...something to look forward to ;)

I used to keep busy doing things around the house, going for a walk and chewing gum. And spending every free second talking to the guys here!

Brush your teeth, gum, or chew on a straw

I did everything the others have suggested, also, sometimes I would leave clean up to Dennis, and go brush my teeth and take a shower.

Tic Tacs did it for me.  

I did the dishes right after dinner instead of waiting until after I had a cigarette - the habit was broken and the kitchen was cleaned up earlier. 

If no dishes go for a 5 to 10 minute walk or come to the board for 5 minutes - either way once the habit is replaced it will be broken for good.

Tic Tacs did it for me.  

 

LOL I´m doing that. Is there such thing as too many tic tacs?  :lol:

LOL I´m doing that. Is there such thing as too many tic tacs?  :lol:

Nah.....I used (and sometimes still do) Werther's coffee flavor candies. They just seem to hit the spot after dinner, and caffeine free  :lol:

And like Humbled mentioned - once the habit is replaced it's done for good. And that goes for a lot of different triggers we face when quitting. 

spicy cinnamon gum. 

Hey Nat, pleased to see a post from you my friend :)

 

The suggestions above are all good ones and yes, I too was a teeth brusher or avid clearer upper after dinner!

 

I just want to add though. It helped me and so maybe you, to remember they are just triggers. As in, it wasn't a desire in me to smoke...it was simply my brain reminding me that's what we used to do in this situation, and when we woke up, and in the car etc etc.  It helped me to get a different plan going at all these key trigger points, a new habit in place to replace the smoking one.  It really stopped those craves/triggers quite quickly. Partly learned from failed quits that they all had some sort of point in time I would call "too stressful" and part I got fed up of the constant thoughts.

 

Maybe make your own plan of action of what your new normal will be in tricky situations?

 

xx

All good stuff above.

 

Keep marching Nat and break each trigger one by one. I used to think about the trigger "right now I would go out for a cigarette in the old days...hmmmm have I noticed a change in my taste buds?"

 

Don't be scared of triggers, see them for what they are. This seemed to get rid of them faster for me

I had this same issue and was replacing it with just more food - the cigarette finished the meal for me and without it I just kept eating until I felt sick - obviously not the way to go!  I think it was Chrispy who suggested fruit flavoured gum to me - that did the trick!  

Hi nats...loads of surgestions here....I too used to do the dishes ...just to keep busy...

With my head phones on singing away....

Do anything....just don't smoke....

Your doing great..

Hey Nat,  good to see you're back on the QT!! :D .....as for after a meal - I would put 2 pieces of Twizzlers next to my plate so it was there in easy reach right  after I finished eating, stuck one in my mouth to suck on (kind of clenched between my back teeth)  as I was cleaning up, and the second  to "play" with after the kitchen was done, but still wanted the 'hand to mouth' satisfied...

Go lick an ashtray----taste good....that's what your smoker breath smells like....

 

 

stay away from it.

Like others have said above.... a sweet gum.  I used to go straight for something sweet like a desert.. then got fatter...and decided that I better get my sweet fix with some gum.  Found some really good trident layers flavors that did the trick.