6 Things to Know When Quitting Smoking

Have you made a resolution to quit smoking but haven’t quite followed through? Well, I’ve got news for you: It’s February, so it’s time to get cracking.

Quitting smoking can seem like a monumental task, so we gathered six tips from Sharecare experts to help give you a fighting chance. Here is what you need to know to kick your bad habit in the butt.

1. Be a chatterbox
According to Andrea Wolf, MD, of The Mount Sinai Medical Center, talking should be your first line of defense when you quit smoking.

• Talk to yourself about what drives you to smoke. This will help you pay attention to your behavior and come up with a plan to quit.
• Talk to your doctor about what resources and/or medications are available to help you quit.
• Talk to your friends and family and ask for their support and encouragement to help you quit.

Is an Rx right for you?
Back in the day, cold turkey was the only way to go — but we’ve come a long way, baby. The modern-day quitter has a wide array of medications to help them quit smoking, according to Frank Leone, MD, of Penn Medicine. Stop-smoking gums, lozenges, nasal sprays, inhalers, patches and pills are all available. Talk to your doctor about what might be the right prescription for you.

You may (or may not) gain weight
Gaining weight when you quit isn’t a done deal, according to Dr. Leone. In fact, while one-third of people who quit smoking do gain weight, one-third maintain their weight and another third actually lose weight. Leone says how much weight you gain depends on how well you control your withdrawal symptoms, so those using medication to aid their cessation might have an advantage over their cold-turkey counter parts. 

Quit and stress less
According to Leone, smokers experience slightly above-average levels of stress during the day because they are anticipating their next nicotine fix. That’s not to say that all your stress will go away if you stop smoking, but it’s one less stressor you can do without.

It’s a bumpy road
Most quitters don’t anticipate the obstacles in the road, Leone says. If you are going to quit smoking, plan a strategy for what you’ll do when the urge to smoke hits.

There’s no wrong way
There isn’t a “best” way to quit smoking, according to Wolf. Think about yourself honestly and go with a plan that suits you best — whether that means going cold turkey or quitting with the aid of medication. As long as you quit, it doesn’t matter how you do it.

Have you made a resolution to quit smoking? How do you plan to quit? Leave a comment in the box below.

Join the largest health conversation in 140 characters or less! Tweet what you want to talk about to @SharecareNow and let’s start chatting!

File under: Expert Spotlight