I got DH to quit smoking cold turkey. :)

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-03-2011, 09:48 PM

It wasn't pretty, but he's been smoke free for four days now.

We had a MASSIVE argument the other night and well, that came out of it. He's been craving salt BIG time, but we're already seeing the benefits in our chequebooks.

He was spending $25 every two or three days. Since he quit, he's spent about $25 in four days. It's not much now, but once he gets over the cravings, it'll be a big savings for us. $25 every 3 days = $250 at the minimum.

If he'd quit using the medication, that'd be another $80 every two weeks on top of what he was spending for cigarettes. Yeah, no thanks. Our budget just can't handle that.

Let's just hope this continues.

**Libby** · 12-04-2011, 01:09 AM

Good stuff!! I hope he keeps it up for everyone's health's sake and the budget too!

**Maine Girl** · 12-04-2011, 08:18 AM

That is awesome!! I hope is cravings lessen soon!! Good luck

**shoiji** · 12-04-2011, 05:04 PM

Let him know it will get better with each passing week. Yes, he may be a short fuse for a couple weeks but that is the addiction speaking. Try to think of little rewards for each week that goes by. It isn't easy, especially cold turkey but it can be done.

Hang in there.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-04-2011, 08:02 PM

I went out and cleaned out the van for him to get rid of the smell, including wiping down everything and spraying the smoke smell out. He's having issues with trying to find things to do to keep his mind off of things, but I got him a bag of suckers (2lbs worth for $1.11) as his other reward.

I think he'll get the hang of it.

When I quit almost nine years ago, it was also cold turkey. I find you just can't pussyfoot around with addictions because if you give yourself an inch, you'll let it take a mile.

We're so far, so good. His crabbiness is slowly going away and I hope he'll keep it up.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 12-04-2011, 08:16 PM

I bet it helps that you know what he is going through. I have never understood how people can smoke so much - purely because it is so expensive. We could never afford to smoke LOL. I hope he keeps it up, tell him way to go from us at FV.

**peanut** · 12-05-2011, 01:04 PM

MomToTwoBoys: is there anything he can have other than sweets? Or is craving sweets part of the issue? I'm thinking my SIL quit, but he had to try three times, finally with the help of medication and a psychologist to sort things out. He gained a lot of weight because he craved certain foods. But that just caused other weight related health issues. I'm wondering if there's a way around that sort of thing, or if it just goes with the territory?

You're doing great!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-05-2011, 03:25 PM

He's having a really hard time right now with eating just about anything else. He could barely eat last night and the night before, he just didn't want to eat dinner. He was craving salt too and that craving lasted until he got the suckers.

When I quit, I was pregnant so my cravings sort of went hand-in-hand with the pregnancy. I'm sure I could give him carrot sticks and celery sticks and some red peppers sliced up, but all he seems to want is either sweets or something salty.

He tried mixed nuts the other night and those lasted one night. He bought some strange carb mix of stuff and ate some of those, but all he really wants is either sweets or salt.

**shoiji** · 12-05-2011, 03:55 PM

I ate sunflower seeds for the first month. Seriously, probably looked like a squirrel as I was deshelling and eating the seed. But it definately kept my hands busy.

If he can fit some exercise in it will probably help alot. He also might like to try an online quit smoking site. I was on it for the first month. Really helped to let off steam and realize other people are going through the same thing. I did quit the site once the harsh cravings stopped. He may want to try the site quitnet.com

Just remind him every week that he has come so far not worth going back to smoking.

**peanut** · 12-05-2011, 06:45 PM

You know, I'm thinking he might need daily rewards as well as weekly. If you're addicted a week is a long time to go for a reward! Maybe something simple and free. Like time with you or his fav hobby. Man! I hope he can do this! Big

to you for getting him to try!

ETA: this sounds bossy. Sorry. I wish I was there to encourage him and you. I tried my best to help DD#1 with SIL. He craved sweets. We put him on fruit (served on a plate cut up and ready to pop in his mouth) and real fruit juice, as opposed to soda, and that helped, but was expensive. Still, it was healthier for him. But he drank like a litre of the stuff a day! So she gradually switched him to frozen juice concentrate mixed with the real stuff. That seemed to satisfy his sweet craving.

And she did have veggie sticks and dip on the coffee table for when he came home from work. So he had something to do with his hands, which seemed to be a big problem for him. He was used to handling cigarettes all the time, and he needed something to do with his hands.

Then there was the online gaming, and the poker, and...can we say addictive personality? He realizes it now and has the addictions under control...we hope.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-05-2011, 07:29 PM

Oh it's no biggie.

He comes home today, tosses his stuff out of his pockets and goes, 'I can't do the suckers.' After asking why, he tells me that he gets this massive sugar high then a crash and then he just feels gross. So, he walks in the door with a bag of popcorn.

I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what to do for him. Perhaps I can add in an extra bag of carrot sticks for him to just munch on at work. Besides that and celery, I'd have to go buy the extra stuff. I'm debating it.

**lisaflex** · 12-05-2011, 07:35 PM

i had friend who yrs and yrs ago used to smoke 2-1/2 pack s per day....she bought 3 packs a day on her way to work....yep. you heard me...and i smoke, but less than 1 pack per day....anyway, her then soon to be hubby, disliked it, so, she quit...she ate green grapes by the pound for weeks on end...but, it worked and, now, 12 yrs later, she is still smoke free! and, no, she doesnt still eat grapes by the pound..lol

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 12-05-2011, 07:36 PM

how about pistachios that you have to shell? Salty and slow to eat and keeps the hands busy. good luck, at least he is still smoke free - every day is a huge step towards quitting for good.

**mndtrp** · 12-05-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by my4littlebuffaloes

how about pistachios that you have to shell? Salty and slow to eat and keeps the hands busy. good luck, at least he is still smoke free - every day is a huge step towards quitting for good.

This, or other nuts in a shell, was what I was going to suggest.

**peanut** · 12-05-2011, 08:12 PM

Hmmm...pistachios have a very high bad fat content...what about almonds? Hmm...even my dietitian recommended no more than a 1/4 c. per day. Someone using them to quit smoking would be plowing through them quicker than that!

Course exercise to relieve the stress of quitting would help too. Trade the addictive habit of smoking for an exercise addiction.

That would work well I'd think.