Quitting Smoking & Changing Eating Habits (at the same time!)

IvyRue

Hi Everyone,

So it's early days - super early days. However, it appears that quitting smoking and trying to eat much better at the same time sort of counter balances distractions and cravings for either.

I've been wanting to quit the smokes and sort out my diet for a while and now... and it's oddly liberating to have two things to focus on.

I found quite a few articles online that seemed to suggest quitting smoking and alcohol at the same time worked for a lot of people... I figured that alcohol addiction is a pretty similar state of being to food addiction (long history over over-eating/ED) and well yes - it seems to be working.

Just thought I'd share the idea and ask if anyone else has had a similar experience of trying to quit something addictive at the same time as transforming their diet?

spinneyhex

I quit Smoking in January, drinking in March and that's when I took up walking and calorie counting, the distraction of walking in the evenings around the time I used to have a drink has helped change that habit. I've now lost 52lbs and 4 dress sizes and quit 3 addictions
Really hope you can do it x

arditarose

Wow...let me know how that works. I don't think any of MFP friends know, but I'm a smoker. Don't see quitting anytime soon, but being more fit has made me want to smoke less.

psmd

First you are absolutely right in your fact finding. On a personal note when I started losing weight I also was able to stop smoking altogether and I am so happy about it. Good luck!!!

Cielazul

I wonder about this myself, I read an article recently (sorry, I don't recall the source, but it seemed legitimate) which suggested that it can be very difficult to try to modify two behaviors at the same time. I have been trying to change one behavior a month (month 1, log and adhere to caloric budget, month 2, start walking on treadmill, month 3, start lifting weights, etc) and it seems to have worked well for me. Once one new behavior starts to feel very natural and routinized, I add another one.

If you are able to do both things at once, though, fabulous! I do agree that the neurobiology of most addictions (nicotine, alcohol, sweet/sugary/fat food, even cocaine) is markedly similar. The difference is in the potency of the response to the stimulus.

Best of luck and enjoy your freedom from smoking.

DaFibble

Excellent. Yes, they definitely go together. Drinking messes with self control and both of those drugs also increase the desire for the other.

If you're quitting try to get some good probiotics going for a few months. The tendency to put on weight related to giving up smoking is connected to a sudden die off of gut bacteria diversity that occurs. Look it up if you're curious.

Hillary254

I totally agree!! Instead of counting how many minutes it had been since I had a cigarette like I normally do when I attempt to quit, I was thinking about how much I wanted lasagna. It's only been a few weeks, but I think it's working out for me.

klkarlen

One of the things that helped me to quit smoking was the cost. So whenever I got the urge, I would calculate how much money I was going to save by the end of the year, and how much I had already saved.

I have been smoke free for 2 1/2 years.