The first ingredient sets the foundation for your quit. The second ingredient tackles the physical withdrawal symptoms of quitting.
When you quit, you will feel extreme discomfort for the first three days, and then medium discomfort for the rest of the week. The symptoms will vary from person to person, and among them are:
These are all physical symptoms that will last anywhere from three weeks to a couple months, based on my own experience. Don't worry, two months sounds like a lot of pain, but the symptoms gradually decrease. So by the time you get half way through this period, it won't be near as bad as it was in the beginning.
You could quit with the first ingredient alone, but why should it be physically uncomfortable? You can alleviate the physical discomfort and it's so easy to do. Just substitute the cigarette with something that will take the place of the nicotine. This is the second ingredient, a substitute.
More Nicotine?
Yes, more nicotine. Among nicotine substitutes are:
You may have already tried one or more of these, so just pick the one you liked the most. If you haven't tried any of them, buy one of each of the small size and try them all. Don't bother listening to what other people like. I've heard every opinion, but I haven't met one person who preferred the lozenge which was my personal favorite. I liked it because I love sucking on mints more than I enjoy chewing gum. You have to pick the one that's right for you and stick to it.
The nic substitute will alleviate most of the withdrawal symptoms and make your quit so much easier. It's like playing Pac Man (I'm kind of old). When you gobble up a power-up, you don't have to worry about the ghosts. You can concentrate on eating all the dots until the ghosts come after you again, and they will. Then you just eat another power-up and you're good to go for another little bit. It makes your life easier. Do yourself a favor and use it.
If you're worried about the cost, think about all the money you'll be spending on cigarettes if you don't stay quit. It's a no-brainer. Just do it, please.
So how will you know when to stop the nic substitute? You'll know. Basically, you will use it whenever you have a craving. Day by day, you'll need it less and less, until the day comes when you just don't need it anymore. For me, it was about three weeks, and then I would still keep some on hand just in case I hit a craving that was too strong. So I would definitely recommend you do the same.
Remember, all you're doing here is taming the nicotine cravings. You'll still have to deal with the psychological aspect, but the first ingredient takes care of most of that. However, we will explore this more later because you'll have to be prepared for the psychological torture too.
Intensity Works
Cigarette smoke has an intense flavor, so I would recommend you substitute that aspect with other strong flavors. Some ideas are:
Use anything you like that is strong and that you enjoy. There is no wrong substitute here. If it works to replace the smoke flavor, use it.
Medication
You do have the option of talking to your doctor for prescription medication to quit smoking. Although I don't recommend it, I won't tell you not to do it.
I used Zyban on one of my quits, and it works by making cigarette smoke taste gross and disgusting. So I smoked less, but eventually I got used to it and kept on smoking.
The problem with medication is you continue to smoke while on the medication, with the idea that you'll eventually just stop smoking because you won't crave it anymore. This is a problem for three reasons:
Besides this, you'll be putting medication into your body that can be avoided. And if you don't have a drug plan, good luck paying for it.
In the end, only the drug companies will benefit and you'll probably remain a smoker, which is not what you came here for. So let's move on.
Whatever Works
As far as substitutes go, I've only mentioned what I know works, but you might know of something else that will work for you. There are no rules here. If it works as a substitute for nicotine, dammit, use it!
Go ahead, eat potato chips and chicken wings. Does a greasy burger work for you? Do it! I really don't care what it is. As long as it works, who cares? You aren't eating like this forever, so deal with the little bit of weight gain later.