Not Giving Up Smoking Excuses

Being on my umpteenth attempt at giving up smoking I decided to look back at the excuses I and those around me gave for not stopping smoking, or starting again after quitting. When I say excuses they are usually given as reasons when really they are excuses.

Stopping smoking makes me put on weight

Absolute BS. Nobody has ever put on weight simply because they have stopped smoking. How do I know that? Because I've been there. Sometimes I have put weight on, sometimes I haven't but each time has been different.

What happens is that you automatically try to substitute the craving for nicotine with something tasty like chocolate or boiled sweets and that is what puts weight on you.

If you need substitutes try low fat, low calorie substitutes like grapes, oranges, Tic Tacs or carrots. If you really can't manage without chocolate or boiled sweets use the money that you are saving on cigarettes to pay for membership at a gym and work the calories off. Or get yourself a Wii Fit like I have! Whatever you do exercise will help to keep the weight off and to make you healthier.

The bottom line is that tobacco products are more likely to kill you than a few pounds weight gain so forget vanity right now.

My husband/wife/partner smokes

OK it's a tough one when somebody that you live with continues to smoke when you are trying to quit. It's far easier if they don't smoke or if they decide to stop with you, but if they care about you they should be happy to help you.

One way that they can help is to go outside to smoke and keep your home smoke free. Apart from keeping temptation out of your way, if you have children they shouldn't be smoking in the home anyway for the sake of the children's health.

Smoking outside also keeps your home cleaner, less smelly, doesn't need decorating as often and your partner will find that he or she smokes less and saves some money too because they haven't got the convenience of just being able to light up where ever they are.

In fact banning smoking from the home, or just having one room where you can smoke can help you to cut back on smoking and lead up to stopping.

My grandparents smoked and they lived until they were in their 90s

Your grandparents aren't you and statistically they were darned lucky to live so long as smokers. Truth be told I used to say the same about one of my grandmas, conveniently forgetting that this shriveled up relative of mine who always seemed to have a Capstain full strength dangling from her lips could rarely get a sentence out without coughing. In fact that image of her in my head is my only memory of her and that's sad.

I'm going to stop smoking on Monday not today

Monday comes and goes and you have either forgotten your promise or you decide that you will wait until the following Monday. Or you might even manage an hour or two without a cig before you change your mind.

I can stop anytime

Thats what some smokers say but when challenged they will say that they don't want to yet, or that they will stop after Christmas, the new year, their holiday, sometime never. Truth is the desire to quit needs to be stronger than your addiction and that is when you will stop.

I'm waiting until after the summer because everybody is getting duty frees for me and I'm saving money

You would save even more if you quit altogether!

I smoke roll ups/ a pipe and they are not as bad for you

They are still killers no matter how you smoke tobacco.

I get too stressed and that's bad for me

That isn't stress it's the nicotine addiction and craving. There are lots of products on the market today to help reduce the craving and withdrawal symptoms: nicotine gum, nicotine patches, inhalators, books, hypnotism, subconcious learning cds, tablets, fake cigarettes and even a Wii game to help you to stop smoking.

I'm sure there are many more excuses for not stopping smoking, but there are far more good reasons for giving up smoking and the main one is your health and the health of everybody around you.