Laura ~ Congratulations on deciding to quit. After watching my family and friends struggle to quit, I am so thankful I never picked up the habit. (My mother once had a boyfriend who was a recovering drug abuser. He said it was harder to stop smoking than it was to quit heroin! ) So, anything you can do to be prepared ahead of time will definitely help.

My father had success by cutting down gradually. He counted out his cigarettes for the day and cut down one cigarette per day until he had stopped. He chewed the gum for a while. My boss just quit cold turkey after going to 2 lung-cancer funerals in one week (one was a 40 year-old!) .

I know the weight gain isn't pleasant, but I have read that you would have to gain 100 pounds to replace the health risks associated with smoking. But, knowing that doesn't help when you're struggling to button your clothes. What I've heard is that you have to replace one habit with another. So, if you don't want to gain weight, you could take walks, ride a bike, etc. to get more exercise. You might also check out on-line support message boards. If your hands are busy typing, it will be harder to smoke. And your knitting will keep you busy. Good luck to you!