Fri, May-13-11, 09:51
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Senior Member
Posts: 425
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Plan: Paleo/Atkins/low cal
Stats: 232/148/135
BF:a lot
Progress: 87%
Location: Bay Area, CA
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Different way to aproach it...
I've learned I cannot do the step down approach with the patches. Like the web site, Whyquit.com, says, "Tell your worst enemy that you will take 1 cig away per day, but let them smoke the rest because you are being kind." It's true. I can't do the step down - it fails every time.
I just buy a bunch of patches and keep wearing the #1 level for about 6 months. This allows me to get the act of smoking out of my daily routine/rituals. A cig was so engrained into my behaviors, that I had to break that link first. And I'm trying to mentally break the connection between the nicotine fix, and the actual delivery method (a cig). I want to start craving a patch, not a cig.
After 5 months, I start forgetting to put the patch on in the mornings. When I started this, I would NEVER forget to put a patch on. Now it skips my mind. I might remember at noon, or I might not remember all day if I’m busy. That tells me my mind isn’t linking tobacco to the fix any more.
I got this idea from a friend who wore the patch for 1.5 yrs till she finally gave up the patches themselves. And quitting the patch wasn’t that hard at that point.
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