'Preparing' to stop smoking.
littlelauras
Posts: 14 Member
Hello everyone,
As the title suggests, I will be quitting smoking (for good this time), in the next two weeks. I have an appointment at a stop smoking clinic in a week, and I will decide my actual date then.
The reason I say that this time will be for good, aside from the obvious health benefits, is because I did manage to quit for around 18 months a few years ago. The thing is, that time I put on quite a bit of weight. This time around, I still intend to stick to myfitnesspal and to incorporate more exercise to increase my fitness and also to distract me.
I wonder if anyone has any tips for me, I desperately don't want to put on weight. I realise that quitting smoking is probably more important than my weight-at least for the time being-but I just don't want to lose confidence/self-esteem.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you
As the title suggests, I will be quitting smoking (for good this time), in the next two weeks. I have an appointment at a stop smoking clinic in a week, and I will decide my actual date then.
The reason I say that this time will be for good, aside from the obvious health benefits, is because I did manage to quit for around 18 months a few years ago. The thing is, that time I put on quite a bit of weight. This time around, I still intend to stick to myfitnesspal and to incorporate more exercise to increase my fitness and also to distract me.
I wonder if anyone has any tips for me, I desperately don't want to put on weight. I realise that quitting smoking is probably more important than my weight-at least for the time being-but I just don't want to lose confidence/self-esteem.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you
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Replies
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Cold turkey don't waste any $$$0
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Honestly the best advice I can give is to keep low calorie snacks around. You'll probably want to comfort yourself and since you can't have a cig you'll have a snack. Also maybe consider increasing your workouts, that way if you do eat more than usual it'll be okay because you've also worked out more than usual. Good luck!0
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I quit in March and don't even have cravings. I did a lot of "preparing" as well...buying just one more pack, and then another just one more. It took a lot to finally make the decision to quit, not to "try" or "prepare" or "take a baby step" or "cut down" or "get ready" or whatever, but to actually quit. Once I truly made the decision and meant it, it became so much easier.
Tips:
Clean everything. If you smoke inside, wipe down your walls, steam clean your carpets, launder your curtains, wipe off your blinds, dust your ceiling fans, clean the glass in your overhead lights. Clean that smoky film off of everything.
Do the same thing with your car. Clean the crap out of it. Make it not smell like smoke.
Throw all of your ash trays away. Don't put them away "just in case." Don't give yourself an easy out. Don't make failing an option.
Think about the things that trigger you to want to smoke, the things that are automatic habits for lighting up, and plan alternatives in advance. I smoked while driving. It would light up every time I got behind the wheel. I found things to do with one hand which would not distract me from the road and didn't leave my hand feeling empty. Squeezing a stress ball or grip exerciser, twirling a pencil or a coin, rubbing a small piece of soft fabric, gently snapping a rubber band around your other wrist...anything to keep your hands busy.
Think about the situations which trigger you also, like drinking or socializing, and come up with a plan in advance. I find that I actually rarely drink anymore, but when I do, I try to make sure it's inside in a non-smoking place rather than outside with other smokers.
And lastly, don't worry so much about gaining a little weight. I mean, no need to go crazy with it, but a few extra pounds will harm your health so much less than the cigarettes that it's not even worth worrying about. So, if worse comes to worse, find something crunchy and munch to your heart's content. I found that raw sugar snap peas dipped in hummus were excellent, tasty and crunchy, and satisfied the oral craving. Gum works for a lot of people, even the regular, non-nicotine gum. But even if the only thing that satisfies that urge is chips, that's still better than smoking.0 -
I don't know where your from, but I assume most places sell vapes now, have you tried one?0
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Oh..Dear, go for it!. I am ex smoker since Feb.of this year and I have been smoking for 20 years on and off (pregnancy and breastfeeding was the only time when I did not smoke). I took medication to help me quit and did set the date ,too.
But, most of all is the attitude!. I have kept telling myself that I can do it, but I didn't press myself to it.
Before, every time I try not to smoke, family and friends commented on and I hated that.This time I have ask them not to talk about it ( including my husband) and let me deal with it. Weight, well I did took on some ( 35lb
)) but, the same time my only ovary quit on me and I have to take medication. So weight gain could be from either one or both.
I quit smoking for my self and my self only and now I am getting my body fit for the same reason.
So, go for it and I wish you all the best!0 -
I went cold turkey, but I only smoked for about 6 years. Haven't touched a cigarette in years. Start hitting the gym and focus on say your physique, so you get your mind off of the craving. I basically replaced one addiction with another...the gym.
Smoking is disgusting habit...0 -
Thanks for all the responses
It's good to hear from other people who have had to quit, not many people I know smoke and sometimes it can be hard for them to understand how much of a challenge this is going to be. I am excited to reap all of the benefits, though!
My cessation appointment is next Wednesday, I shall update how I get on 0 -
I don't know where your from, but I assume most places sell vapes now, have you tried one?
Vaping FTW! I smoked for 20+ years (like a chimney, horrible, horrible, horrible). Vaping literally saved my life. Not one single cigarette in almost a year. I continue to vape (like e-cigs, but "fancy" ones, for those not in the know) with very, very low nicotine (like 0.3%) or zero nicotine strengths (can't quite cure two decades of hand-to-mouth habit).
Go easy on yourself, diet wise. Keep handy, crunchy things to munch on, and lots and lots of toothpicks (get flavored ones or make your own with cinnamon, peppermint, or vanilla extracts). YOU can do it. Congrats on making the decision to save your life!:flowerforyou:0 -
I agree about vaping. I realise it's not right for everyone but I was a heavy smoker for over 25 years and vaping has been the only successful route for me. I can't bear cigarettes now and wouldn't go back to smoking. My dependency on the ecig is slowly disappearing too and I didn't put on any weight.
Good luck to you whichever way you do it :-)0 -
Buy Allen Carrs book "Easy Way to Stop Smoking"
It's an easy read and doesn't contain any "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE AND YOU'LL GO TO HELL, SMOKER!!" crap. In fact the first pages tell you to continue smoking while you read the book and at some points to go away and have a smoke.
No tablets, patches, flavoured electronic cigarettes. Heck, borrow it from a library and it'll cost you nothing.
Source - I tried for years to stop and went from 30-40 each day to none a few days after reading the book with no side affects or problems. It wasn't even a challenge and I didn't set a date; I walked into a shop a few days after reading the book and asked for two packets. When they asked for the money something just pinged and I bought some mints instead - this wasn't a "I can't have these - I have to be strong" it was "Meh. I really can't be bothered to smoke any more." moment. That was seven years ago and I've never craved.0 -
I know a friend of mine had great success with quitting after she downloaded an app that tracked how much she WASN'T smoking-- it was a bit like a video game, giving trophies and things for reaching x number of cigarettes not smoked, and also motivating because she could look at it while craving and see that she was only this amount away from a new trophy and if she could just hold out this tiny amount of time she'd get the reward.
It also told her how much money she saved, which was a huge eye-opener! I used that one for kicking my takeaway coffee habit-- put the cash I would use for the coffee in a jar every time I would normally go to the cafe and at the end of the week feel a little bit ill that I'd been spending THAT MUCH on bloody coffee!
You might not be a money-oriented person or into video game rewards, but the point of this anecdote is to tell you that if you can find something (no matter how odd other people might find it!) that can keep you on track, it will be the most helpful tool in your quitting.
Best of luck to you!0 -
You can do it! I smoked 20 a day for almost 30 years and quit cold turkey 2 months ago after reading Allen Carrs book. I havent had the slightest craving or feeling like i'm missing something. I would also do as other has suggested, get rid of EVERYTHING smoke related. My personal advice is dont' use a subsitute because it will basically keep you in withdrawal ie gum, patches. And dont eat to take the place of a cigarette, when/if you have a craving take a couple of deep breathes and wait 3 minutes. I started working out about the same time and I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either. You got this! :flowerforyou:0
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I did it with an e-cigarette. I was honestly planning to just keep vaping the e-cig but once i let go of tobacco products the habit just kinda fell off me.0
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i smoked for 13 years (minues a year in the middle when I pregnant) and quit just a few months ago.
I bought an ecig, vape pen, whatever they are called. The drive to work and home (30 minutes each way) was the absolute worse without a cigarette. The ecig helped quit alot.
Work out! I work out every morning and never craved a cigarette afterwards. I heard its because your oxygen levels are so high, but don't have any science to back that up. I started splitting up my work out into 3 small ones (morning, noon, and night). It kept me busy and gave me an hour or so window that eased any cravings.
Dums Dums. Those little suckers were my savior. If you don't bite into them, they last like 30 minutes and then you get a stick to chew on afterwards. And they are really low calorie. Less than 20 cal a sucker i believe?
Patience. :-( It probably took a month for my cravings to disappear. At the one month mark, I got really upset about something and bummed one from a work colleague. Ending up puking all over the parking lot afterwards and felt terrible and shakey all day. I haven't even been tempted to smoke one since then.0 -
Another vote for the Allen Carr book. It will change how you think about smoking.0
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Another vote for the Allen Carr book. It will change how you think about smoking.
Make that two more votes. My husband quit after reading this book. He had tried EVERYTHING. I had heard about this book so I just bought it one day and left it on his office desk. He must have tried to quit 20 times since we got married (almost 11 years ago.) I thought the man would NEVER QUIT. This book did it for him. It's been over a year since he's smoked.0 -
I stopped cold turkey as well.
We are all different in that aspect....
So do it in a way that best suits you.
Be prepared for craving, etc, they will come.
Plan to stay active, do something with your hands.
When this happens.
It is a tough road....but has been traveled by many ahead of you.
Good luck and wish you the best!!0 -
Smoking is a completely unnecessary thing to do. Just don't smoke anymore. My mom, dad, and brother were all heavy smokers (pack a day or more). They all quit. Dad quit to save money, mom quit because cancer is almost certain in the smokers in her side of the family, brother quit because he has a new baby.
There were no patches, pill, books, clinics, etc. that helped them. They simply chose to stop.
It's like everything in life. If you want to do it, you will do it.0 -
I smoked for 30 years and quit a little over 2 years ago, best decision of my life! I would say that gaining some weight is a thousand times better than keeping smoking, the weight you can work off afterward. I did gain a fair bit but I have no regrets at all, in fact because I gained weight, it made me all the more determined to loose that weight plus more once I knew I was done with smoking for ever. I am now a non smoker, I weigh less than I did 15 years ago and am more fit than ever!0
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I will make some enemies here with being honest, but please don't worry too much when you gain a few pounds.
Smoking is an addiction and deadly for many. young or old. It is not a habit, it is an addiction and that makes you an addict. And I can say that because I am one myself and didn't like to hear it either.
So, stop smoking and make healthy choices when you snack. Go for walks and workout when you will get cravings.
What's easier ? Fighting cancer or to losing weight???0 -
I quit smoking 4 years ago using Thrive lozenges and began by slowly eliminating one cig per day and replacing it with a lozenge. I did this until I replaced more than have the cigs with lozenges and got tired of doing this. It didn't really take that long a few weeks maybe a month and a half. Eventually I got tired of smoking and picked a day to have my last smoke. 5-10-10 was my last cig. If you already quit before then you know the first few days are the hardest. The best advice I can give you if you don't want to gain weight is to start running. Instead of spending your money at a quit smoking clinic, buy yourself a treadmill and you will lose weight and the amount of oxygen your lungs get is enough to mimic the inhaling of the smoke. Your brain get the oxygen too. I run about 15-20 miles a week as often as I can and I never feel like smoking. I also eat very well!! Good Luck! 0
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And if you have depression, just snap out of it. A weight problem? Just eat less. Alcoholism or drug addiction? Just say no.Smoking is a completely unnecessary thing to do. Just don't smoke anymore.
:sad:0 -
And if you have depression, just snap out of it. A weight problem? Just eat less. Alcoholism or drug addiction? Just say no.Smoking is a completely unnecessary thing to do. Just don't smoke anymore.
:sad:
Not only that but smoking is a persons choice. If someone wants to smoke then let them I say. They can be nothing BUT aware of the risks these days. Geez i thought we lived in a tolerant society. Well apparently discriminating against people because of their habits is just fine now.
I honest to god hope all you anti smoking nazi's realize what poor excuses for human beings you are.
Oh and before you ask I DID give up smoking, easily but that was my own damn choice and before when i didn't care about it's effects on my physical fitness you folks used to drive me right up the wall. And you know what if someone next to me wants to light up do i wave my hand in front of my face like a total nancy scuzzball NO! So suck it up people. Cos fact is cars are probably damaging your lungs way more than second hand smoke ever did. If the damage from that is even significant anyway.0 -
I quit last week, cold turkey. My second time quitting cold turkey. Lasted nine years the first time. I've been snacking on a lot of fresh pineapple because I read that it's good for the lungs. Something about the enzyme bromelain. Even if that's pseudoscience, it's still full of awesome vitamin c.
I don't miss it and I don't have an addictive personality. I've seen how hard it is when you do. My roommate was out of cigs the other day, and positively begging and nagging me to give her money. I wish I could have taped her. It would be enough the turn anyone off of smoking.
Edit: autocorrect0 -
You must equate smoking as being painful. You also must replace it with something. Until you can do these things you will revert back.
Currently quitting smoking is more painful to you than smoking as you equate it with gaining weight. Change your mindset on this by replacing smoking with something more benificial. Instead of a smoke break at work take a breathing break. Something you've not had in a while. Most people smoke to breath deep, so try just going out and meditating with Deep breaths of fresh air. Replace it with good fresh living water. Water is life blood.
I've never smoked so I dont understand how hard it is to quit that vice.
I was an alcoholic and went cold turkey and quit I dont know the exact day because well I quit counting. Why? because why am I counting? So I know how long it was before I went back. Now I'm just not a drinker, I dont do that.
Good luck0 -
Smoking is a completely unnecessary thing to do. Just don't smoke anymore. My mom, dad, and brother were all heavy smokers (pack a day or more). They all quit. Dad quit to save money, mom quit because cancer is almost certain in the smokers in her side of the family, brother quit because he has a new baby.
There were no patches, pill, books, clinics, etc. that helped them. They simply chose to stop.
It's like everything in life. If you want to do it, you will do it.
Wow. You've clearly never had a physical addiction. It really isn't as easy as just not doing it or choosing to stop. Your body has a dependence on nicotine. You have to choose not once, but hundreds of times a day, when your body is craving that chemical and your mood is rollercoastering into an irrational rage and literally all you can think about is going to the store and getting one last pack. It's one of the most difficult things a person can accomplish. Please don't mischaracterize it as easy or simple.0 -
If you're really ready to do it you will! I went cold turkey almost six years ago. I did put on a few lbs but really not much. I don't know that I was "addicted" to cigarettes so much as I am a very oral person so if I wasn't smoking, I was drinking something or eating something. I was so ready to quit. I literally saw my colleagues in a car behind me puffing away and thought it looked kinda silly and said I'm done. Never had one or wanted one again.
Good luck and really easy to say, but don't worry about the weight it will come off. The vicious cycle of quitting... gaining... going back to smoking so you don't gain.... quitting ....
You know where I'm going with this. That's the real problem so if you want to quit do your best to make it happen :flowerforyou:0
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