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SuperCarLori
Posts: 1,248 Member
Has anyone quit smoking while keto and minimized weight gain, or even continued losing?
Any advice or helpful tips, please? I need all the support and motivation I can get, please.
Thanks so much,
Lori
Any advice or helpful tips, please? I need all the support and motivation I can get, please.
Thanks so much,
Lori
2
Replies
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I managed to quit and not GAIN weight years ago by using nicotine gum. I found it very helpful for quelling the munchies associated with nicotine withdrawal. Eventually I was able to just taper off it.2
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I actually found I had less of an appetite after quitting, so I ended up losing weight without even trying.4
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Thank you both....I need to either:
A: believe I can do it without worry over weight
Or,
B: Focus on health over vanity
Probably both would be best....3 -
@SuperCarLori In the support department. I'll never tell you that it will be easy. But I will tell you, you can do it. Maybe find something else to do with your hands/mouth while you get through the withdrawal and cravings. Get a set of ben wah balls (the kind for focus/twirling, not the *cough* other kind) to play with and get proficient at. My dad used to chew on a toothpick. Hmmm. Make sure you keep your fat/satiety up. Maybe if you are satiated the cravings/munchies wont be there.3
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I quit cold turkey (the only way back then) and didn't gain weight. I walked a lot (couldn't run if my life depended on it) and I was avoiding my smoking triggers so no going out dancing and drinking beer, no sitting at the table after meals, no sitting with certain people at gatherings, no going outside with the smokers at work, etc.
@SuperCarLori, good luck. You will feel so much better when you are done with nicotine! You can do this.3 -
I'm doing it. One minute at a time here. I'm gardening and I've reorganized a couple of cabinets to stay occupied..... Working so far.
Thank you all....
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Something else to consider, too, is the variety of smoking aids, if you hit that wall and realize that you can't just jump in - and that you need to taper down. It isn't a failure to use tools available. That's a smart person - if tools are available, you refuse to use them, and you have less success than you were aiming to achieve - how is that person better off than the person using tools, giving themselves a less complicated transition, and eventually ceasing depending on the tools, too? Just food for thought that nicotine addiction runs very closely on the mental side of how to handle it as ditching the carbs... (hugs)5
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I was low carb (no bread, pasta, rice, etc), but not keto when I quit 15 years ago (after smoking for 10 yrs). I quit cold turkey, no cessation aids. I always wished that I could just quit eating because quitting smoking was so much easier than just trying to cut back slowly, which never worked. Sorry, I know that's not much help... I did start exercising 1-2 hours/day at the same time and that did help - I kinda felt like smoking would undo all the good work I'd done for my body at the gym. The same premise helps me with my diet. I've never cheated on my diet on a gym day.2
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Something else to consider, too, is the variety of smoking aids, if you hit that wall and realize that you can't just jump in - and that you need to taper down. It isn't a failure to use tools available. That's a smart person - if tools are available, you refuse to use them, and you have less success than you were aiming to achieve - how is that person better off than the person using tools, giving themselves a less complicated transition, and eventually ceasing depending on the tools, too? Just food for thought that nicotine addiction runs very closely on the mental side of how to handle it as ditching the carbs... (hugs)
I'm not against using aids, in fact I'm utilizing the patch, lozenges and gum... Yes all three.. I'd be interested in vaping, but I can't inhale nicotine for some reason, it hurts.... So.... There I are.
@PaleoInScotland two to three HOURS!!!!!1 -
I quit before I was focused on LCHF. My focus then was just about real food. I successfully quit without weight gain. I have been a non-smoker for just over 4 years HIP HIP HOORAY!! All of the literature I read, suggests that the physical addiction is beat in approximately 3 days. The routine and habit of it.... well, that is another story. It took a me a solid week of constant struggle and will power until I found some methods that made the struggle somewhat easier, but those methods were entirely about habit. I used champix for about 2 months out of the suggested 6 months. No other aids, but not because I am against them... although I personally I strongly recommend NOT vaping or e-cigs. With these, you are still feeding the "habit" which is the hardest to beat and every single person I know that used this method with the intention of slowly cutting back the nicotine... vape more than they ever ever smoked cigarettes. Some have reduced the nicotine, but some have not. I do not see ANY of them without that damn thing EVER.
Some methods I found successful were: I avoided certain social situations (bonfires & beers) for about 4 months. About a week in, I had to realize that I quit smoking but didn't quit going outside! I re-started taking my breaks at work etc., but went for a quick walk instead, likewise at home. When the craving hit, I went outside and got busy even if just for the designated 10 minutes! (We don't smoke in our house.) Change routines as much as possible.... after eating a meal, started cleaning table etc right away before "having to go outside" etc. Driving is still my struggle should I ever still have one. There is gum and mints in my vehicle ALWAYS.
I also had about 8 cigarettes left in my pack when I quit.... I could never fathom how people could do that but they really were a crutch that made me feel better... I could have one if I really really wanted.... I threw the last 4 out because they were so dry. In the first year, I had about 5 puffs... in social situations involving alcohol. I had the puff when I found myself feeling obsessive. Each of those individual puffs were so horrible, obsession over until the next social event lol.
GOOD LUCK! It isn't easy, but its worth it. Just do what you can to find crutches, methods and habits that are different, not about putting something in your mouth! An old co-worker lost 60 lbs when he quit.... every time the craving hit, he would jog around the block. The breathlessness and chest pain eliminated any desire for a cigarette (until the next time) but not everyone's schedule is conducive to be able to do that, but it is admirable all the same!!7 -
That's awesome AND insightful @kimberwolf71
I'm working on Bob (my other half) to quit as well, I know it's going to get more difficult smelling it on him. We don't smoke in the house either... So today, every time I wanted to 'go outside' I did... With a lozenge, and took a walk around the pond. Also the pulling weeds helped... So I'm going to get so many things done!!!!4 -
I'm in the same boat as you @SuperCarLori I'm stuck at the need to quit and even the want to quit stage. I have terrible panic attacks when I make the attempt. It sucks! Tried chantix a few times with no luck, that stuff turns me evil.
Maybe I should give it another go. Time to stop at the grocery store after work to stock up on gum and mints!2 -
Vaping got my dad to quit after 40 years with zero effort. It's a miracle worker to me. He still capes without nicotine in it now. I don't care if he still has a habit, as long as it's not a smoking habit!3
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Quit for 1 minute at a time. Cravings come and go. Just focus on the very next minute. You are stronger than the silly little craving.
By November 25 I have quit for 9 years.
Much easier than losing weight. Can't quit eating.7 -
I am sure everything is am about to say way already Said here but I also quit about 5 months into keto. Keto did not help or hurt in my opinion. I stuck to it.
I quit cold turkey. I quit on a Monday and took the whole week off to adjust. I drank a lot of water and stopped watching calories or logging. It was possibly the hardest thing I have ever done (I smoked 2packs + a day for a decade and do less since I was in my teens). I drank more coffee and used sugar free gum.
My main advice is watch out for day 4 through 10. You let your guard down and the cravings get worse.
I am not against aids. They worked well for my wife. They just didn't for me. I tried them all and failed. Cold turkey was more intense suffering but within one week I had no physical cravings. I can handle the mental.3 -
8 months into keto and quit (ish) for about a month. Beware of the sweet cravings, I don't even have a sweet tooth but I got this in the first week or so. Something about increased oxygen tips your oxygen to glucose ratio. I have dark, dark chocolate and peanut butter to hand now.
First 3 weeks I stayed the same, when I started counting calories again though I noticed that if I stopped the pork scratchings I would create a good enough deficit to start losing again. Lost 2 pounds in the last week.
Quick bit of info on where the weight comes from, its not just the increased food from putting your hand to your mouth. Smoking 40 a day burns an extra 250 calories, those cigarettes are putting the strain on your heart of carrying an extra 90lbs in weight. I off set that with exercise which was also great for distraction and frustration release.
Best advice is to stick to keto without counting your calories in a big way and don't expect to lose the first few weeks. I found keto made it easier to at least stay the same.
Good luck x2 -
I always smoked when I drove so I started carrying a huge water bottle to replace the hand to mouth. 13 years later and I still have the water habit
you can do this!!! I found after a couple days my taste buds started returning and nothing g tasted right to me for a while so appetite went down.
best of luck to you. I can say I felt so much better after a year being smoke free.3 -
I've never been a smoker so I don't know about it first hand but I believe that it's very difficult to quit.
I tend to be a cold turkey kind of person in general and if you think about it as if the addiction were heroin or alcohol, I think quitting cold turkey rather than cutting back would be most people's advice. I guess because we generally feel it's more likely to succeed. But, like sugar, cigarettes are so easy to get and therefore, I think the easy access complicates things.
Even though I generally have a cold turkey is best belief, I absolutely think doing anything to cut back that works or using an alternative is a very smart choice if simply quitting isn't in the cards. But, without a plan going forward to continue to to your end goal, it just trades one thing for another. However, the other isn't as detrimental to health or may not be at all a health issue.
I guess I'm saying come up with a plan and then go for it.
If so many are wanting to quit, maybe you should have a "quitters" thread where you can support each other.
I was on my dad's case for years about quitting. He was in a constant state of "cutting back". He did end up quitting cold turkey though. The day he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Thankfully, the cancer is currently gone and he has not smoked again.
I know everyone knows about this risk already. I'm not breaking any big news. I just want to ask if there is someone in your life that has nagged you about quitting like I did to my dad? Maybe it would help to have an emotional reason to add to the desire to quit. I was both crazy upset and scared for my dad when we found out but also I was so mad at him. (Even though technically his diagnosis was recorded as being caused by Agent Orange, he still smoked for a very long time so I blamed that and him...)
One of my good friends mother was diagnosed very late and continued to smoke through chemo and she didn't make it. She was only in her late 50's. My friend was so mad that her mom would still smoke. She said she could hardly stand to be around her when she'd light up. It made her mad at herself too because she didn't want to feel that way, especially once it was clear treatment couldn't help her mom.
I don't know. I do believe success is determined in our minds and thoughts more than in just habits. Maybe thinking about some stuff like this can flip that switch and create that determination and fight to make a permanent change.5 -
@SuperCarLori In the support department. I'll never tell you that it will be easy. But I will tell you, you can do it. Maybe find something else to do with your hands/mouth while you get through the withdrawal and cravings. Get a set of ben wah balls (the kind for focus/twirling, not the *cough* other kind) to play with and get proficient at. My dad used to chew on a toothpick. Hmmm. Make sure you keep your fat/satiety up. Maybe if you are satiated the cravings/munchies wont be there.
I don't have any suggestions for the *cough* balls.
However, there are ways to keep both your hand and mouth gainfully occupied that might not be immediately obvious. For example....
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I'm going to be honest here, if I could continue smoking and be healthy I would. I
smoking! Just like if I could continue to eat carbage and be healthy I would because well I like eating junk sometimes lol But then reality hits, I can't because it's not only unhealthy but deadly..And freaking expensive! if you take the $ you spend on cigarettes and put it away to treat yourself for a massage, new clothes or a night out, that might be a motivator to help you through the cravings. I'm rooting for you Lori! It's great that you are trying to get this monkey off your back.:) 2
