Perfect or worst time to quit smoking? (during weight loss)

Miss_1999

I quit on December 23, 2013. Cold turkey because I couldn't stand replacing an addiction by another one. Emotionally I was a mess for about 3 weeks because my addiction was mainly emotionnal. I would smoke to 'celebrate' every state of mind. Super happy? Let's smoke! Sad? Need my cigarettes... I went through a roller coaster of emotions but my mind was set on quitting.

What helped me the most was having cigarettes at home. It sounds strange but for me, not having any was an enormous source of stress. I still have them almost 8 months later.

I think there are so many ways to quit, you just need to pick one that agrees with you.

You hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, I love smoking. Love it. We're partying! Woo-hoo! Let's go smoke! I'm depressed, I need to smoke. I'm stressed, Oh God, I need a cigarette! I'm bored, let's go smoke. I'm driving down the road, I need a cigarette. I've loved to smoke for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, I'm the type of person who will jump from one addiction to another. I tend to pick the lesser of two evils if I possibly can, but I know, in the end, this one will end up killing me, eventually. Like you, if I don't have any cigarettes, it's EXTREMELY stressful. Right now, I don't have any, and I can't wait for my husband to go to bed so I can sneak out and buy a pack.

I think the gum is the way I need to go. I have to do something. I can't keep this up and I've GOT to get the right mindset. I'm glad to see there are others who are wanting to quit, and many who have been successful.

hearthwood

I quit on December 23, 2013. Cold turkey because I couldn't stand replacing an addiction by another one. Emotionally I was a mess for about 3 weeks because my addiction was mainly emotionnal. I would smoke to 'celebrate' every state of mind. Super happy? Let's smoke! Sad? Need my cigarettes... I went through a roller coaster of emotions but my mind was set on quitting.

What helped me the most was having cigarettes at home. It sounds strange but for me, not having any was an enormous source of stress. I still have them almost 8 months later.

I think there are so many ways to quit, you just need to pick one that agrees with you.

You hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, I love smoking. Love it. We're partying! Woo-hoo! Let's go smoke! I'm depressed, I need to smoke. I'm stressed, Oh God, I need a cigarette! I'm bored, let's go smoke. I'm driving down the road, I need a cigarette. I've loved to smoke for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, I'm the type of person who will jump from one addiction to another. I tend to pick the lesser of two evils if I possibly can, but I know, in the end, this one will end up killing me, eventually. Like you, if I don't have any cigarettes, it's EXTREMELY stressful. Right now, I don't have any, and I can't wait for my husband to go to bed so I can sneak out and buy a pack.

I think the gum is the way I need to go. I have to do something. I can't keep this up and I've GOT to get the right mindset. I'm glad to see there are others who are wanting to quit, and many who have been successful.

Nicotine is more addictive than any drug, illegal or legal, known to man, When I quit, I used the gum and it worked for me, but even then you really have to want to quit. Gum or other won't do it, if your mind is not there. It's kind of like losing weight, it's all mind over the substance, either cigarettes or food.

Lots of exercise, out of breath type, like cardio really helped me to stay off of cigarettes. 30 years later, I am still an x smoker and never put one in my mouth again.

Interesting fact: 70 percent of this nation used to smoke, now it's down to 30 percent.

FitOldMomma

It is the perfect time to quit!

I quit May 31st. I smoked 3 packs a day, and I smoked 42 years.

The reason I say it's the best time is that I am so mindful of what I'm eating, that there is no way I'm going to fill the void of cigs with food.

I also suggest you join the Quit Net or Quit for Life program. Just google it and sign up. The encouragement and support is amazing.

I used the patch for the first month, and now use nicotine gum. The best thing is to have a PLAN in place before you quit.

I've not only not gained one ounce since quitting, I've continued to lose.

Starting smoking was the only real regret in my life. I wish I had considered quitting long ago but I was so scared I'd gain more weight.
Seriously, you CAN DO THIS.

FitOldMomma

I started with MFP in February. I spent a few months getting the hang of the weight loss thing, developing those healthier eating habits, then decided to quit smoking June 1st. I used Nicoderm patches for about 6 weeks, but then started having a skin reaction, and from there I went cold turkey. I think that since I had already built the habit of logging and thinking about what I was eating every day, it was easier to me to not replace smoking with eating. I did stall on the weight loss for about 6 weeks after quitting, but I didn't gain any, and now I'm not only losing at a good clip again, but it's also way easier to work out harder and longer, because my lung capacity is better

^^^^^THIS!

The amount of new stamina I have now from being free of cigs is amazing! I can breathe so much easier.

FitOldMomma

I quit on December 23, 2013. Cold turkey because I couldn't stand replacing an addiction by another one. Emotionally I was a mess for about 3 weeks because my addiction was mainly emotionnal. I would smoke to 'celebrate' every state of mind. Super happy? Let's smoke! Sad? Need my cigarettes... I went through a roller coaster of emotions but my mind was set on quitting.

What helped me the most was having cigarettes at home. It sounds strange but for me, not having any was an enormous source of stress. I still have them almost 8 months later.

I think there are so many ways to quit, you just need to pick one that agrees with you.

You hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, I love smoking. Love it. We're partying! Woo-hoo! Let's go smoke! I'm depressed, I need to smoke. I'm stressed, Oh God, I need a cigarette! I'm bored, let's go smoke. I'm driving down the road, I need a cigarette. I've loved to smoke for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, I'm the type of person who will jump from one addiction to another. I tend to pick the lesser of two evils if I possibly can, but I know, in the end, this one will end up killing me, eventually. Like you, if I don't have any cigarettes, it's EXTREMELY stressful. Right now, I don't have any, and I can't wait for my husband to go to bed so I can sneak out and buy a pack.

I think the gum is the way I need to go. I have to do something. I can't keep this up and I've GOT to get the right mindset. I'm glad to see there are others who are wanting to quit, and many who have been successful.

Nicotine is more addictive than any drug, illegal or legal, known to man, When I quit, I used the gum and it worked for me, but even then you really have to want to quit. Gum or other won't do it, if your mind is not there. It's kind of like losing weight, it's all mind over the substance, either cigarettes or food.

Lots of exercise, out of breath type, like cardio really helped me to stay off of cigarettes. 30 years later, I am still an x smoker and never put one in my mouth again.

Interesting fact: 70 percent of this nation used to smoke, now it's down to 30 percent.

It is even lower than 30 percent now. Latest stats say it's about 19%.

kmm7309

I quit smoking so that I could start running. I was walking only for the first part of my weight loss journey but I really wanted to try to run. So glad I did! Twenty months quit this month! Cold turkey, never went back (although I don't particularly recommend that for everyone as my husband is still having a lot of trouble with quitting).

AliUnrau

i quit the week after i started on MFP and in that first month i still lost 12 lbs I would say quit right now because the longer you wait the harder it is.

z71_bucks

In going to quit once I hit my goal. I dont want to risk gaining weight while Im losing. I figure in about 2 months I'll be there.

laurenz2501

Bump.


This board is really helping me. You all have wonderful ideas. I had a rough night last night. Crying and everything. I just want to go to the bar with my friends, drink beer and shots and chain smoke an entire pack (which is what has made me gain 25lbs in a year). As much as I miss and love it, I know if I start again I'll never stop until it kills me. Today is Day 3 with no cigarettes. Avoiding the smoke-filled bar also because I'm afraid if I go I'll relapse. Not really using any replacements. I'm sure it's bad but I take Chantix occasionally though it makes me really nauseous for a 1/2 hr so I'm trying to not take it. Nicotine gum here and there (hate it because I have to spit every 5 seconds like it's chewing tobacco) and the Vape here and there but that bothers my lungs more than a real cigarette...

::sigh:: It's hard but not impossible. Keep the faith.

:flowerforyou:

ETA: QuitNow! is an app that you can download on your phone. You put in all of your info (how many cigs/packs per day, how much each one costs, age, gender, etc) It tracks your "quit stats" such as how many cigarettes you haven't smoked, how much money you have saved and how much time on your life you have earned back. That's helping me also. It's motivating and lets you know when you've hit a milestone. Pretty cool. One of my friends used it successfully and hasn't smoked in a few years.

celesteholt1971

I quit 3 weeks ago and just back on MFP last week. I allowed myself the indulgences during the first couple of weeks. The reason I was able to quit cold turkey without even a craving, is because I changed the way I looked at quitting. Most of us tend to feel like we are giving something up. We feel like we are sacrificing what we want. We feel like we are depriving ourselves of our precious cigarettes. The only way to quit successfully is to change your mindset. I am not giving up anything. Certainly not giving up choking myself. LOL. I am giving myself something.; beautiful lungs, peace of mind, ability to walk and run, clean breath, etc. Change your mindset and you can change your life. There is a book that can help with that. It is called the Easyway to quit smoking, by Allen Carr. I read it and quit the next day. NO CRAVINGS. Good luck. Believe me, it will be the best decision you make for your life. You will see

laurenz2501

That's a great way to look at it Celesteholt19!!

WalkingAlong

I found the nic. lozenges helpful. It seemed less disgusting and a more slow release than the gum.

If it helps, 3 days without nicotine is all the body needs to break the physical addiction. The effects of quitting and the psych. part take a lot longer. I do think it's often easier to use NRT.

mrslynah

Hi, there. I just quit a little over two weeks ago. That's why I'm back on my fitness pal... to keep tabs on my diet and control the inevitable couple of pounds of weight gain. If I subtract the years that I quit due to pregnancy and the few short months I quit years ago, I smoked a total of about 12 years. I smoked over a pack a day during heavy periods and half a pack a day during "good" times. Over the last year and a half, I have made a LOT of positive changes in my body. Due to a medical condition, I experimented with a gluten free and dairy free diet, and it basically changed my life. So, with those changes, as well as others, it just got to the point where it was like, "Okay, I weigh less than I did in highschool, I eat clean, I exercise, I'm basically healthier and happier than I have ever been in my life... So, WHY am I still smoking???? It just didn't fit anymore. That's not to say it's been easy. But I read the Allen Carr book over the course of about a year (LOL) and I kept putting off the quit. Finally, I started having shortness of breath- I'm 31 and otherwise very healthy. I couldn't figure out if it was true shortness of breath or severe anxiety.. the anxiety I felt before every cigarette, during every cigarette, and then the guilty/ anxiety after every cigarette.. was taking its toll. It finally just clicked with me. Let. It. Go. It's holding you back. I started listening to hypnotic deep relaxation "stop smoking" recordings on youtube at night when I was going to sleep. I kept reading the Allen Carr book, and one night , I just smoked a whole pack. The next day, I knew I was ready. It hasn't been easy. The first two weeks, I didn't smoke during the day, but I caved at night before bed. Then it was on the weekend. Finally, 16 days ago, on a Sunday, I smoked my last one. The first two weeks, particularly after a couple of days, I started to get acne and feel basically like a raving basket case. I was EXHAUSTED too. You really don't realize how much of a stimulant nicotine is. Gradually my symptoms have lifted, my mood being the final one. Yesterday, after crossing the two week mark, I started to feel really more like myself again. Our whole smoking lives, we've been so deceived by these things. These fat, rich tobacco executives are laughing all the way to the bank as they watch us choke ourselves to death, indignantly, as if it is our right to do so. Physically, you are addicted. There is only one way out of that addiction, and that's abstinence. But psychologically you are deceived to believe that you need them, that they do ANYthing for you, that they relieve something that's wrong inside of you, some unique affliction that can only be relieved by a smoke. That is really a lie. The physical addiction takes willpower to overcome- the same willpower that has allowed you to change your eating, exercise, etc. BUT the psychological addiction only takes you having a revelation. I strongly suggest that you read Allen Carr's book. Look it up on Amazon. Cheap and really enlightening. Best of luck and feel free to "friend" me here for a quit buddy.

mrslynah

Btw, I quit cold turkey. E-cigs just made me want real ones. I take supplements of B-12, B complex, lobelia, l-glutamine, multi-vitamin, probiotic (constipation is a big side effect of quitting!), and green lightning (basically green veggies in capsule form). I take melatonin at night, have for months.

Also, I HAVE gained about 5 lbs since my quit, but the gain has stopped and is beginning to come off since I've refocused on my carb/protein balance, removed the gummy bears I was allowing myself the first week (helps with the need for a sugar spike), and getting that constipation cleared up. I already had a very clean diet with minimal processed foods, sugars, etc.

Madame_Goldbricker

I'm 18hrs into quitting and counting...

Using an e-cig which I'm currently maintaining a death grip on at work. I've also got some 2.5mg oral strips that dissolve under your tongue and come in a minty flavour.

Good luck OP! You & me both :flowerforyou:

player30

Good luck everyone with a great decision! This is just what worked for me. I smoked for 18 years, quit for 10 and then smoked for 6 ???? Five years ago I bought both my husband & myself ecigs. I only smoked two cigs after I started. Having something in my hand made it so much easier. We reduced the nicotine to -0- over the period of a year. We both still have them and pull them out at times. I honestly had no withdrawal. Here is a forum that might help http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

You can do it!!

mrslynah

laurenz1017:
Congratulations on your quit. I'm so excited for you! Please don't give up. If you cave and smoke, just realize while you're smoking it, that you didn't really need it. Then forgive yourself and get up the next day and don't smoke. I'm at 2.5 weeks, and I feel SO MUCH better!!! Also, read Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way". It helps SO MUCH!!!

mrslynah

I really want to keep this thread alive! It is so helpful to hear everyone's stories. I have to say that every morning, I find some small part of me feeling really excited and celebratory, because I know that I've quit. I had gotten to the point of being so ashamed of my smoking that only my husband and co-workers even knew I still smoked. Most of my friends and family knew I quit with my last pregnancy (three years ago) and didn't know I'd picked it back up when the baby was 2 weeks old.

This time is different. I finally realize (read Allen Carr's book asap) that everything I thought cigarettes were doing for me, they weren't. In fact, they were doing the OPPOSITE. Smoking does not relieve anxiety. It CREATES anxiety. It does not increase self confidence. It DECREASES self-confidence and creates self-loathing. It is not fun. It PREVENTS you from fully enjoying ANYTHING in your life EVER... think about it... you can't enjoy anything without a cigarette... you think you need it to have fun. You think you need it to be in love. You think you need it to concentrate. Good GOD. You think this thing makes your life more enjoyable, when in fact, it KEEPS you from enjoying EVERYTHING, because it constantly has you thinking about your next fix. It's no different in that respect than any street drug. You might be at a lovely birthday party for your niece whom you adore, but inside a part of you is really not there at all. That small part of you is sneaking out the back door for a smoke, sneaking back in to the washroom to clean your hands, and then feeling horribly guilty when a young child hugs you and knows your stinky secret. This addiction prevents you from EVER fully living in the present. Those moments when you ARE smoking feel like the epitome of being alive, because they are the moments when you can actually be in the moment without wanting to sneak off and smoke... AND YET!!!!.... The thing you are inhaling in those moments in which you feel most alive is THE THING that will kill you. What a cruel trick. What a nasty cruel trick. I know it so well.

When I realized that smoking was CAUSING my anxiety. CAUSING my feelings of dissatisfaction, boredom, depression, restlessness, etc. etc. , it just hit me. There is nothing to miss about smoking. That is a deception. It did not give me anything, but wrinkles and stench and sore throat and shortness of breath... and worst of all, a shadow hanging over my head and a sinking in my gut- the feeling that I knew I could not really control my health or happiness- THAT feeling is what addiction feels like.

Let's all be free of it today. Big hugs and high fives and hoorahs for all.

Kaylaef

So...I am trying. In 5 days, I have had 2 half cigarettes.. I am using the Nicorette quickmist. It helps. I am trying to not stuff my face as I sit at my desk. Trying to remind myself, 'eat well, feel well--don't smoke'. I have smoked for 15 years. We want to have a baby. It super sucks.

mrslynah

2 in 5 days is AMAZING!!! Fantastic job! You are going to feel so great when you have properly prepared your body for pregnancy!