Quit Smoking In 2 to 4 Weeks...With Math!

Have you tried quitting smoking without cutting back first, only to smoke again a day or even an hour later? Many health practitioners will tell you that cold turkey is the only way to stop. But when cold-turkey does not let you quit, then what? You have to locate a method to quit smoking that you like and can do successfully.

Have you tried cutting back a single cigarette at a time, over a period of a few weeks? Cutting back gradually allows you to wean your body of the addictive effects of nicotine. In addition you will take charge of your habit by smoking with specific purpose.

Here's how you can make a gradual stop smoking schedule for yourself:

1. Estimate the number of cigarettes you currently use per day.

2. Decide how quickly you will stop. In other words, how many cigarettes will you reduce each day? An ideal number to use is 2 per day. This number will be called the Daily Reduction Number.

3. Divide #1 by #2. For example, if you smoke 40 cigarettes daily, divided by 2, you get the number 20. This is how many days it will take you to reduce your smoking down to zero.

4. Using a piece of paper, on the left-hand side write out the number of days you just determined you need in step 3 above. For example, if your result was 15, write Day 15. Now below that write Day 14, Day 13, Day 12, etc. until you reach Day 1.

5. From the bottom of the list (Day 1) write your Daily Reduction Number from step 2 above (in this example, 2). On the line for Day 2, add the Daily Reduction Number to the number on Day 1. In this example, you would write 4 on Day 2. On Day 3 you add the Daily Reduction Number to your number on Day 2. Continue this process until you add up to the top of your list. You are now that many days away from quitting smoking!

After taking the steps above you are now ready to begin cutting back, gradually. Keep your "countdown plan" with you at all times. You may want to put the plan inside your cigarette pack.
Start by smoking the number of cigarettes on the beginning date of your plan. Each time you smoke a cigarette, make a mark next to the day you are currently on. When the number of marks reaches the number of cigarettes specified for that day, you are finished smoking until the following day. Be sure to pace yourself!

Here is a tip that will greatly improve your chances of success by eliminating cheating. Like most anything of value it takes some effort (but not much). At the beginning of day, count out the day's allotment of cigarettes and keep them together. By visually keeping track of the number of cigarettes you will be smoking that day, you can better judge how to space out your cigarettes. One more thing: if you reach the end of the day with cigarettes remaining, don't tack them on to the next day’s allotment. Instead, pat yourself on the back for smoking less than your allotment.

Use this formula to compute your personalized quit plan:

(Typical Number of Cigarettes Smoked Daily) ____ / ____ (Daily Reduction Number) = ____ days. (For example, 30 cigarettes / 3 fewer cigarettes each day = 10 days.)

The plan I have outlined above is but one variation of the weaning process. Adjust the plan to suit your own situation, if this exact process doesn't fit for you.

Gradually reducing your cigarette smoking can be an easy way to stop your smoking habit. By weaning yourself from the addiction of nicotine, and taking charge of your habit, you make quitting much more do-able. Start the weaning process today!

Fred Kelley helps thousands of people to quit smoking each year. Smokers can find over 100 smoking cessation articles, plus get quit smoking products, and get help at the quit smoking forum.