Thanks basilring, lcrew, mani, and burkemi. Burk....for me, the think about milk and dairy is kinda like the coffee....anything that sorta coats the inside of the mouth seems to take away the enjoyment of snuff. I think this is part of the reason i drink a lot of water....water is neutral and tends to wash away other flavors. When i get a dip, i want to taste the snuff, not anything else.

I've definitely noticed i'm using less snuff. If i had maintained my normal use, i'd be down to about 2 cans left now. I have 4 now. I'm thinking the next step for me is going to be: dip 1, instead of staying in my mouth for an hour or more, will become a 30-45 minute dip. Later, that's what dip 2 will become. Then the same for dip 3. Then 20-30 minutes...and so on. I THINK that's what might work for me.

That sounds like a 'sound' plan...shorten the length of time now.

Burk....you've been dipless for a few months (congrats)....are you still tempted? Does a dip still sound good to you, or are you (hopefully) past that? Just asking, cuz i'm sitting here thinking that a dip will ALWAYS sound good to me, and i'm wondering how i'll deal with that.

Hate to tell you this raitchjay, but for some of recovering tobacco addicts (I quit smoking 7ish years ago, and my dad quit 46 years ago), it still tempts us from time to time. Not for everyone. But for some... For me, it's in certain situations or if I'm feeling very down or in a social drinking situation. Just brain triggers, I think, because it's times when I used to light up.

But it's just like the temptation to eat an entire triple chocolate cake, for me. I want to, but I know it isn't good for me. And I know if I have a bite, I'll want a whole slice, and if I eat a slice, I'll want a second, so I exercise self control and I just don't!

Thanks BurntSienna...i figure i'm the kind of person that will always have that temptation as well.

I smoked cigarettes for 10 years, from 17 to 27 years old. I quit cold turkey. It took a long time for the cravings to go away completely. I'm thinking it was a good 10 years or so. It wasn't so much that I wanted to smoke, but it was the time of day or the circumstances that made me think about it. Like after dinner with a cup of coffee, etc. Now, I absolutely despise the smell of cigarette smoke and I don't know why I ever enjoyed it in the first place. I know I did enjoy it though (and it was cool back then).

You're on your way, raitchjay. We'll be here to support you.

Raitchjay - The want still hits me every now and then. Like Burnt said, its usually during familiar situations. But for me, it is now just a passing want, and I don't know if that will ever go away. Yes, a dip still sounds good. But if I can offer any good news....I no longer have any strong desires for it. I am no longer really resisting temptation...just a simple "yep, that sounds good..." then a second or two later it passes for me. I think really that it iss more of just a memory than a want. I remember I used to like it, but no longer feel a real desire to do it. Hope that makes sence, its the best I can do to describe it.

I think it makes sense Burk, and it's an encouraging thought. Thanks. Thanks califgirl....it does help knowing others want me to succeed.

I know exactly what you mean. It is more like a memory of what I used to like.

I agree; sounds like it's up to snuff. Get it?

^^ Corny joke......but I like it! hahaha

If raitchjay doesn't quit I will continue. How's that for motivation

Hahaha. It's been a tough day.......i'm trying to stay positive.....i still am dipping less than i was a few days ago.

have you tried chewing gum instead, even if it is the nicotine gum?

No Happy, but i'm seriously starting to consider it. I'm also contemplating moving from what i'm doing to cold turkey (that's where the gum would come in).....

I think Burk summed it up perfectly up ^^^ on how I am about cigs. I smoked for more years than I even care to admit. Once in awhile I get the urge...but it passes quickly...and if I smell one, I go like 'oh heck no!'. What was I thinking!!!

Once in a blue moon a freshly lit one will smell really good...but the after affects are just plain stinky enough for me to not want to go there!

Dip is different in that regard, but it has it's own special kind of 'stinky' and 'nasty'....so I could still see similar 'oh heck no's' available for it too as an incentive to 'just don't do it'.

There is some herbal snuff (tobacco free, nicotine free, no carcinogens.....) I found a brand called Smokey Mountain. Comes in wintergreen, mint, berry......others. If you're thinking about just going cold turkey you might give it a try. The WalMart here carries it, that's how I found it. I don't know if its in all WalMarts or online or where???? Just thought I'd throw it out there. But it is a little more expensive than the brand that I used.

Thanks...i should consider it...but i've always thought that the herbal snuff would do zero for me......(kinda like once where i took a dip of Hawkens from somebody cuz i didn't have any Skoal Fine Cut.......it's like i would have needed to EAT it for it to have any effect at all).

I'm a lousy patient, i realize. Thanks to everyone for the ideas and encouragement.

hahaha. I completely understand. I didn't mention it in any of the earlier posts because it didn't do much for me either. Like I said, just wanted to throw it out there.

I know all to well what you mean by another brand of dip. I was Grizzly or Kodiak long cut wintergreen.......nothing else would do.

But in the end hard candies and sunflower seeds helped me curb the oral cravings the most.

Thanks....i DO think i'm gonna have to use something for the oral cravings...right now i'm thinking gum...but i kinda like the idea of hard candies (i've noticed when i use cough drops that i get the thing i talked about earlier...the coating of my mouth....which makes it sort of unappealing to get a dip).

I'm also digging the idea of keeping an unopened can of skoal for 'security' purposes. I'd like it to be without me going to buy another one....so that would mean cold turkey would need to start soon.

If it works for you, then great! But I never had the nerve to try it - I was afraid I'd cheat on myself.

But of all the ideas and suggestions and thoughts made by everyone on this thread (and in real life too I assume) just make sure you pick what works best for you and stick to it.

hit this thread by accident, so maybe I am just supposed to toss my 2c in. I managed to quit smoking some years ago after too many years of it.

I did (and still do) have the last box of smokes from twenty-some years ago. Sometimes when a craving hit, I could pull out the box and go through my routine of rubbing my thumb along it, smacking it on the heel of my hand etc...and then it would pass.

I smoked three cigs the first year of cold-turkeying. Each time I went into a bar or somewhere similar and bought an incredibly overpriced box, pulled out one to smoke and tossed the rest right then and there.

It's whatever works for you....I also had a great support system at home. As above, every now and then a fresh one smells really good!

Last time I touched those smokes was 9 years ago now when I was unemployed. My co-workers took me out the night I was let go. I had the box on the bar and one of the gals from financial reporting bummed one while I was in the restroom. We still laugh over that. She quit later.

All the best!

Thanks C.T. I think i'm gonna pick up some hard candies at lunch.

Brachs?