smoking> quitting?

cmiles23

Okay so i know this is a forum about losing weight and no quitting smoking but i figure it for being healthy too which is why i would like to ask people their experiences with quitting smoking......... i would love to quit but am so afraid to gain even more weight ive been thinking about waiting to quit smoking until i get to my desired weight that way if i gain it wont be as depressing...., any thoughts???

irenerose25

Probably bad advice (lol) but I have been thinking the same thing. Waiting to get to goal weight to quit. Just seems like too much to change everything all at once. I feel like at least I am doing something to be healthier. I have been trying to cut down so it's not such a shock later on. Good luck!

Kirstie_C26

yep im the same lol, i feel getn my diet etc sorted is enough to concentrate on just now :0

jamie78

I started using the electronic ones over a year ago and have not had a real one since... I get them from awesomevapor.com... You still get the nicotine but not all the other bad stuff, and I have not gained any weight at all. Send me a friend request or message me if you have any questions.

alexbowser

I think you should focus on quitting and then focus on losing weight.

beckey24

Initially I figured the same thing, it would be too much change all at once. However, I have been smoke free since 2/15/2011. I find that I am not nearly as out of breath when I exercise and I just feel better overall. Also, I realized just how bad I stunk from it. No matter how much perfume you put on, you may not smell it, but after you stop you realize that it was there even still. Also since really my weightloss journey is about being healthy, I figured this may actually be the best time to quit. I say do whatever makes you happiest, but just know that it can be done. Feel free to add me if you like moral support

bethvandenberg

Nope just have to quit. Give yourself some slack and continue on with your workouts etc. Waiting's not going to make it any better. It sucks to quit. You just have to do it. You'll workouts will benefit b/c you'll be able to breathe better. Maybe replace the smokes with more miles run/walked or whatever it is you do

Set some goals and buy new workout clothes/shoes/tunes with the money you've been spending on smokes.

koch34

What i did was replace smoking with a tarty fruit..the craving for a cig goes away just as fast as it comes...so what I did is:
Craved a cig, waited a few minutes, then ate a few strawberries..had another craving, ate an apple, another craving had an orange, etc..etc...etc. You may think its crazy, but it def helped me! I still get a few cravings every now and then, such as every few days..Hope it works for you!!

stormieweather

I started MFP when I quit smoking, in order to NOT gain weight from the quit. Once I got into the swing of things, I actually started losing weight and I've been on the path to fitness ever since.

Don't be afraid. You will only gain weight if you eat more than you burn. If you log what you eat, you exercise, and you eat at a deficit, there is NO way to gain weight.

Good luck! Not smoking (after 34 years) is fantabulous!!

ETA: I used pretzels (measured), berries, tic tacs, toothpicks, and fake cigarettes to get me through the first 3-4 days.

lizscal

I did quit smoking about ten years ago and I was worried about gaining weight. I maybe gained about three pounds because I didn't want to eat because then I would want a cigarette afterward. Everybody thinks about things differently, so you know yourself and if you think it's to much, then it probably is right now-don't sweat it! You will quit when your ready!

CassieLEO

I quit at the begining of my journey. How else could I get healthy by puffing away on those things? How would I tone up and build endurance while being unable to breathe? I am in this for the long haul, and want my whole body to be healthy, not just be skinny. I did not notice a difference in any weight gain or anything when I stopped. I used Nicoderm and my doctor said when times got really bad I could chew Nicorette too. This helped me tremendously. I didnt use food as a surrogate cigarette, and when I felt like smoking I drank a glass of water, and changed what I was doing. When it got bad I would chew a peice of gum or nicorette for the bad cravings.
You have to REALLY be ready to do this. And you cant do it half way or you will never beat the nicotine demon. You can make it easier on yourself by using stop smoking aids, this doesnt make you weak and it isnt a crutch, it is to just get you through it. You can do this if you really want to!

chasekilgannon

Okay so i know this is a forum about losing weight and no quitting smoking but i figure it for being healthy too which is why i would like to ask people their experiences with quitting smoking......... i would love to quit but am so afraid to gain even more weight ive been thinking about waiting to quit smoking until i get to my desired weight that way if i gain it wont be as depressing...., any thoughts???

This site is more geared towards being fit. Hence MyFitnessPal, not MyWeightLossPal. I quit smoking when I started here, and no, I didnt gain a bunch of weight. That said, it was my personal experience, but you'll notice that there's a reasonable focus on being good to your body, and that weight loss is the main focus for a lot of us as a part of our wish to be fit.

I would get rid of the smokes, it'll save you some money too.

pittielover23

I did gain weight when I quit, but I was already gaining. It wasn't like I was consciously trying to lose weight and couldn't because I stopped.

I honestly am SO happy I stopped. So happy. I am sure if you still watch your calories on here and find low cal/no cal things for the oral fixation aspect, you will be fine.

gettingthere2011

Wrong. I quit smoking, starting dieting and exercise all on the same day. April 10, 2010. I have lost 40 lbs. I find that when I wanted a cigarette I would go exercise instead of smoking. After the first 3-4 days the craving is physically gone. It's all mental. I started chewing sugarless cinnamon gum that helped alot. I do not have a desire to smoke at this time. I'm thankful I quit and lost weight. I still have another 35 to 40 lbs to lose. Just got referred to this website yesterday. I was using another website but find this one more helpful. Just give it a try and see how you do. The big question to ask yourself is Are you ready to Quit?

cherrieruns

do both. If you are basically working on eating healthy then it should hopefully help with the potential weight gain. Good luck to you!!

llkilgore

You'll probably find cardio easier if you quit now, which may get you to your weight goal more quickly even if it does seem to be sabotaging your efforts in the short term.

DebiP10

In September 2009 i gave up smoking and joined a gym for the first time. I was 2 stones over-weight at the time and had just returned from a summer holiday disgusted at the sight of myself in a bikini and suffering from a chest infection. I did really well and by March 2010 i had kept off the cigarettes and lost 2 stones all i can say is it takes will power and only you can do this, noone else can help you. However, due to the sudden death of my mum i started smoking again and havent been able to give this up completely although i have cut right down.

cmiles23

thanks for all of the motivation guys... made me come to the realization that I am using weight gain as an excuse to not quit smoking yet.......... I have been smoking for 9 years minus two pregnancies....... ahh so much easier to quit smoking because I was pregnant than to quit smoking for myself........ guess if I didnt want to expose my baby to it then i shouldnt want to expose myself either...........now to set a quitting date.......maybe this weekend

Cam_

I quit smoking April 6, 2008. I had tried many methods before that (gum, patch, zyban, hypnosis).
These all eventually failed for me but I learned from each attempt.

Finally, I went to a website called www.whyquit.com . It is totally free and is to date, the best reference I have found for quitting smoking. Go there and download the E-book called "never take another puff". I read through that and after all the knowledge I had, I was able to quit and then be ready for all the temptations. I was quite slim - maybe even underweight so I wasn't really concerned about gaining weight. I eventually did gain about 50 pounds (and became "overweight") but I was at least free from the nicotine. After a cholestorol scare from my doctor, I then started to eat better and exercise and dropped about 10 pounds. I then tore a tendon in my shoulder and had to take a break for almost 2 years.

I then found this site (mfp) and have shed almost 20 more pounds and am no longer "overweight". It's been a long road.
I highly recommend that everybody trying to quit go check out that www.whyquit.com site. Totally free and a great resource.
A few tips: nicotine replacement is a scam (gum, patches etc) - it's like an alcoholic switching to light beer (duh). The other eye opener is that most doctors are useless in helping you quit. They will give you various prescriptions - more drugs to get you off drugs!

The guy that put the website together was way ahead of his time decades ago. He recognized that smoking was an addiction not a "habit" as many people or doctors used to think.

He tells people to try all the other methods of quitting and once they fail, try his way. You only have to do one thing - never take another puff - simple. Everything else is just how to cope with withdrawal and triggers and to be prepared for when they happen.

Another thing I learned is you will always crave a smoke - at least for several years. It takes some people 20 years to completely lose the craving. My father is here visiting right now and I feel so sorry for him - always having to go outside and have his smoke. I do *not* miss that part - being a slave to the addiction.

Anyway, I have this will help somebody. The only other trick is you really really really have to want to stop. I wanted to live longer to enjoy my kids longer and grandkids someday. Also to spend more time with my wife. Oh and lastly to suck more retirement money from the governent! ))

Quitting smoking was my hardest vice to give up - more than beer. I don't know if I would attempt a diet at the same time but if you can replace the cravings with excercise, that would be an awesome and much healthier way to do it.

KanCrav

I quit smoking a like 8 weeks ago. I got on Welbutrin and it really helped. Even if I try to smoke a cigarrette now ( like out of habit not craving) I dont enjoy the taste. Its just like a bunch of annoying smoke.

I dont know how you feel about meds to help you quit, but it helped me. I also think that I was REALLY ready to quit. Especially getting fed up with not being able to work out as much as I wanted to cuz I couldnt breathe. It was the best thing I did.

I wish you the best of luck!~! You can do it!

cmiles23

I quit smoking a like 8 weeks ago. I got on Welbutrin and it really helped. Even if I try to smoke a cigarrette now ( like out of habit not craving) I dont enjoy the taste. Its just like a bunch of annoying smoke.

I dont know how you feel about meds to help you quit, but it helped me. I also think that I was REALLY ready to quit. Especially getting fed up with not being able to work out as much as I wanted to cuz I couldnt breathe. It was the best thing I did.

I wish you the best of luck!~! You can do it!

i used wellbutrin to help quit smoking before and it did not work for me.......... the patch worked until i went through 12 weeks and stopped using them as directed.......then i picked it up again..........i think i just have to do this cold turkey............Mmmmm TURKEY HAHAHAHA

Mandam1018

Love this post as I have been battling the same thing right now. My "excuse" is my husband also smokes and won't quit. I am ready and keep saying tomorrow, but tomorrow always leads to another tomorrow. I wish you luck!

albali

HI
Like two or three others I joined MFP soon after giving up, in order to avoid putting on weight! It's a nightmare for 3 or 4 days, but after that.... it's fabulous! I smoked 15 a day for 25 years!! Give up this weekend, as you say. By next weekend, smoking will be history!!! Get Allan Carr's book. Brilliant. Gave up cold turkey, no meds or anything.

rwuchic

I used Chantix to stop it helped a ton. I've been free of cigarettes for almost 3 years. I weigh less now then when I was smoking. I found that exercise helped a lot with quiting. It's hard to smoke while jogging on the treadmill or doing a work out video. similiar to the fruit trick you need to replace the habit with something else a healthy habit.

Cam_

more tips. I was a pack and a bit smoker per day. I went from about 30 cig down to about 17 and went from a light to an extra light. The less nicotine your body is used to, the better. The cravings are less intense. And for me, the cravings took almost 4 months to really calm down - but they eventually did calm down. I would still love to have a smoke now but dare not try since I know I will be hooked again and start the suffering withdrawal process all over again. The reason cold turkey works so well is that you remember how awful the withdrawal is for life. A method of quitting that is easier is bound to fail. Why? Because you will just figure - hey I can quit again so you will be easily tempted to start again. Even thought the nicotine is out of your body after just a few days - it has actually reprogrammed your brain to crave it long after it is gone. Pretty evil stuff.

chynapassion

Sounds like a good way to stop. Giving up a habit that's unhealthy for one that is healthy(eating fruit) this is going to be the wat I will try! Thanks!

rachrach66

You know quitting I initially thought would be harder that dieting/exercising. But once I did everything else just fell into place. You won't miss it and you'll love that you can really breathe when exercising and can push yourself more. I used e-cigarrettes for about two weeks to help me with the cravings. Drinking a lot or water and chewing gum helps too. Good luck with quitting and getting to a healthier new you!! You're worth it! :flowerforyou:

freeradicals

I smoked for 10 years, I quit 4 years ago and haven't had a cigarette once, nor have I any desire to do so. No cravings whatsoever.

It sounds ridiculous but I used a self help book. I usually laugh at such rubbish, but I personally knew a couple of intelligent, well educated people that used the same book to quit, and recommended it to me vociferously. I decided I'd give it a go and I'm glad I did.

I read the book and it worked. I would recommend it to anyone...

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking
ISBN:9780140277630

jmclowser

You can do it. It's hard. I quit 2/22/06. Pick a date. Change your routine. You will feel, look, breathe better.

angryguy77

Do what works for you. Everyone is addicted at different levels. If you can't control your eating because your craving a smoke, you will set yourself up for failure.

When you want to quit, you will and nothing will stop you.
I have a couple of Black and Milds each day. At at some point I'll ween myself off of those and be done with it completely. I know they are disgusting, but at least I'm not smoking a pack a day like I used to. The moral is to take steps and find a way that works for you. Don't even try unless you are 1000000000000000000% ready to.

Chantix works wonders as well.