Weekend Weakness

I'm guessing I smoked about ten cigarettes over the weekend. Most of them were on Saturday, because I had a particularly worse day. I picked up an electronic cigarette, which my boyfriend advocated. It definitely helped, especially while at work. I tend to smoke more at the bar than I do when I'm working for my mom, going to school, or on my days off.

What is an Electronic Cigarette? How Does it Work?

Wikipedia has some information on e-cigs here. They're basically a vaporizer that simulates smoking; there are two parts: the cartridge and the battery. Some are single-use (once the battery dies, it's done), and some are rechargeable. Solid information on whether they actually help smokers quit is hard to find. I think they're more helpful to the psychological addiction rather than the nicotine addiction; some e-cigs have nicotine, some don't. It seems to satisfy the oral fixation just as chewing gum or a toothpick. I have a few friends who have tried them, and the reviews are mixed about how well they work. I think since I haven't been smoking for as long as some, an e-cig might work better for me than for someone who has smoked for 10+ years.
I have a Logic brand, which come in regular and menthol. I think it's a much better alternative to chewing gum, even sugar free, or eating. My main concern with quitting smoking is weight gain, so I'm gonna try to avoid that as much as possible.

WebMd has a short article on smoking and weight gain here. Next step is to find some good recipes for smoking-alternative snacks.