Want to quit smoking for good without gaining weight

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Hi I'm a smoker of about 10 years and I want to try my luck again in quitting this nasty habit but I don't know where to start again. I had done this for the nth time but eventually returned to smoking not only because of having 3 family members at home who smokes but also I wanted to get rid of my increasing appetite and my increasing waistline. I gained about 7 lbs. when I was in the process of quitting and now that I'm in my normal weight again, this time I want to quit for good but I do not like to ruin all the hardwork that I have done to be in this body size and weight. I admit I'm kinda weak also whenever I see my dad and brothers puffing cigarettes or any cigarette sticks or those packs of Marlboro in my house. Do you have any suggestions or tips?

xraychick77

well..smoking itself does nothing for weight loss or weight gain. what does happen however when one quits smoking is they feel the need to put things in their mouths..oral fixations so to speak...usually that of course is food. so hence people can gain weight when they quit..

i quit smoking years ago, at the same time started my fitness journey. what i did to stave off that oral need is to chew sunflower seeds...with the husks so it takes work to get those little seeds out, so less calories and more time spent with my mouth busy. lol.
also gum chewing helps. when we quit smoking we often feel something is missing in our lives..so we try to fill that hole with something else..like i said..its usually food..mostly it comes down to good ole will power.

also try drinking lots of water to keep your mouth busy too. grapes, etc or other low cal snacks work too.

CARNAT22

I stopped smoking 12 weeks ago after reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way To Stop Smoking" and I have not gained a single lb.

Granted I haven't actually lost anything either BUT I am pretty much at goal weight anyway (3lbs to go!)

I didn't actually mean to stop smoking LOL, I had been given the book many years ago and as I felt a little poorly one day I read it cover to cover and stopped! Have not had any cravings and more importantly I have not replaced nicotine with anything else (IE food!)

I cannot reccomend this book enough!

Edited to add that I smoked 10-15 cigs a day for fifteen years!

Cait_Sidhe

I just quit smoking. It's been 6 days. I smoked for 26 years. So far I'm having luck with an electronic cigarette (although it's *definitely* not the same thing). At the very least it's keeping me sane and no-one has been maimed or killed yet.

The only reason you'll gain weight when quitting smoking is if you allow yourself to eat more. Not doing so is easier said than done though. I'm having serious food cravings and constantly feel ravenous.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Thanks for all the tips guys. Xraychick77 I will try doing that. Carnat22 that book is very interesting and I wonder if I can google that Allen Carr's article, its worth giving a try. Elisabat I tried that e-cigarette before and its kinda effective though but then when I ran out of cartridge, my cravings started again.

mistyb47711

I stopped smoking 12 weeks ago after reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way To Stop Smoking" and I have not gained a single lb.

Granted I haven't actually lost anything either BUT I am pretty much at goal weight anyway (3lbs to go!)

I didn't actually mean to stop smoking LOL, I had been given the book many years ago and as I felt a little poorly one day I read it cover to cover and stopped! Have not had any cravings and more importantly I have not replaced nicotine with anything else (IE food!)

I cannot reccomend this book enough!

so no smoking since May??

danssmith

I back up CARNAT22. I read the Alan Carr book, worked for me and quite a few people I know. You don't end up substituting. real shame his easyway to lose weight book doesn't have the same effect! (although heard good things about people changing what they eat).

Cait_Sidhe

Thanks for all the tips guys. Xraychick77 I will try doing that. Carnat22 that book is very interesting and I wonder if I can google that Allen Carr's article, its worth giving a try. Elisabat I tried that e-cigarette before and its kinda effective though but then when I ran out of cartridge, my cravings started again.

They do sell refills, you know! I'm on my first refill. Honestly, the taste of the damned thing makes me nauseous sometimes. I'm planning on giving myself a month on the e-cig and start weaning myself off it. It's really not enoyable.

CARNAT22

so no smoking since May??

Yep - last cig was on 8th May!!

sunshinemonkey

I stopped smoking 12 weeks ago after reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way To Stop Smoking" and I have not gained a single lb.

Granted I haven't actually lost anything either BUT I am pretty much at goal weight anyway (3lbs to go!)

I didn't actually mean to stop smoking LOL, I had been given the book many years ago and as I felt a little poorly one day I read it cover to cover and stopped! Have not had any cravings and more importantly I have not replaced nicotine with anything else (IE food!)

I cannot reccomend this book enough!

this is definitely the best advice I could give to stop smoking. this book works. it worked for me, my man and several friends. allen carr also does books on stopping drinking, worrying and losing weight! definitly worth a read. he explains things in such a brilliant way. he basicly undoes all of the brainwashing we have been believing. He also explains the myth behind gaining weight when you stop. but i agree with all the comments about replacing cigarettes with food. just replace it with something good. when you fancy a smoke down a glass of water, or drink it through a straw. helped me a lot. good luck!

patrick323

I've been a smoker (a paranoid, overly "hide it" kind unless near other smokers) for a long time. If they dont smoke or have a SUPER nose, they dont know. I have always considered quitting of course, but this weight loss is a priority and I wont take one chance of hijacking the loss by adding another drastic lifestyle change.

If you have any kind of significant weight to lose...it's likely more healthy for you to lose the weight than to stop smoking. So possibly take one thing at a time. Or try and if it's driving you mad or you feel overwhelmed. If you choose to rid one vice at a time it'd likely show you that "yes, I can do the other/s as well."

Not saying dont quit, just realize that if we have many bad habits breaking them all at once might prove quite a daunting task!!

CARNAT22

I back up CARNAT22. I read the Alan Carr book, worked for me and quite a few people I know. You don't end up substituting. real shame his easyway to lose weight book doesn't have the same effect! (although heard good things about people changing what they eat).

I didn't know he had a weightloss book? I may have to check it out.

I have read the Paul McKenna "I Can Make You Thin" book and whilst it is very interesting [and well worth a read IMO] it didn't help me at all. I did however find a lot in the book resonated with me so I have since read it again - not as a weightloss tool but just out of interest.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

[/quote]
They do sell refills, you know! I'm on my first refill. Honestly, the taste of the damned thing makes me nauseous sometimes. I'm planning on giving myself a month on the e-cig and start weaning myself off it. It's really not enoyable.
[/quote]

I was planning to buy a refill then but unfortunately my e-cigarette broke down. Yes that thing can caused some reactions because of some chemicals involved. Anyway I didn't purchase a new one at all. Honestly I did not find it enjoyable too plus I felt that I already wasted a lot of money just for this thing as e-cigarettes sold here are very expensive.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Thanks for all the tips guys. Xraychick77 I will try doing that. Carnat22 that book is very interesting and I wonder if I can google that Allen Carr's article, its worth giving a try. Elisabat I tried that e-cigarette before and its kinda effective though but then when I ran out of cartridge, my cravings started again.

They do sell refills, you know! I'm on my first refill. Honestly, the taste of the damned thing makes me nauseous sometimes. I'm planning on giving myself a month on the e-cig and start weaning myself off it. It's really not enoyable.

I was planning to buy a refill then but unfortunately my e-cigarette broke down. Yes that thing can caused some reactions because of some chemicals involved. Anyway I didn't purchase a new one at all. Honestly I did not find it enjoyable too plus I felt that I already wasted a lot of money just for this thing as e-cigarettes sold here are very expensive.

patrick323

My view on the E-cigarrete is: What? Am i going to keep smoking an e-cigarette indefinitely? It does nothing to help curb the oral addiction which is for most...the issue. If it were a nicotine addiction....gum or a patch would work. Also It might be marketed as healthier but who knows what kind of adverse things things might have being as new as they are. Afterall, how many hundreds of years did it take for them to find that smoking was bad for you?

a003babe

I'm also attempting to quit smoking. I have smoked on and off for years and picked it back up 3 months ago. I know I shouldn't, I hate how I smell after, but darn it, it's addictive!! I'm definitely going to try that book and the electric smokes again. That's how I quit last time... electric smokes and the nicorette gum (which was so bad, I quit after 5 pieces) It's just so hard to stay away. Last time i quit for 6 mths and 1 moment of weakness and I was back at it. Best of luck to you and keep the tips/advice coming!!!

gavini

I've been a smoker (a paranoid, overly "hide it" kind unless near other smokers) for a long time. If they dont smoke or have a SUPER nose, they dont know. I have always considered quitting of course, but this weight loss is a priority and I wont take one chance of hijacking the loss by adding another drastic lifestyle change.

If you have any kind of significant weight to lose...it's likely more healthy for you to lose the weight than to stop smoking. So possibly take one thing at a time. Or try and if it's driving you mad or you feel overwhelmed. If you choose to rid one vice at a time it'd likely show you that "yes, I can do the other/s as well."

Not saying dont quit, just realize that if we have many bad habits breaking them all at once might prove quite a daunting task!!

I am a closet smoker also, most of my friends and family dont know i have been smoking a half a pack a day for most of the last 25 years. today is 14 days for me without a cigarette. i havent tried many times to quit since i really love smoking and so wish i could find out if i am genetically disposed towards developing cancer or not (since it seems that might explain why some people smoke for 50 years and are fine and others arent). anyway, just wanted to agree with another poster that quiting smoking doesnt make you gain weight, this is a myth. when you want a cigarette the feeling is very similar to hunger so you wont give the body what it wants and you substitute food. the key of course is to sub the right food. Oranges work really well for some reason and of course things like carrot sticks and gum. i actually tihnk all in is the best way to go since to quit smoking you will need to change your habits and if you are already trying to change eating habits then it might be best to do it all at the same time.

Unless you dont really want to quit in which case it makes for a good excuse to not have to deal with it for a while which i hope doesnt sound too snarky/mean since i dont intend it to be but the truth is we will make up reasons and rationalize things to make it ok to do what we want when we know it is not what is best

whatever you do, if you arent already in the habit of smoking right after a workout, try to wait as long as possible after a workout to smoke, since a cigarette after a workout comes in second only to sex as the best possible moment of my day and is so hard to give up that one so dont try it if you ever want to quit .

Good luck

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

My view on the E-cigarrete is: What? Am i going to keep smoking an e-cigarette indefinitely? It does nothing to help curb the oral addiction which is for most...the issue. If it were a nicotine addiction....gum or a patch would work. Also It might be marketed as healthier but who knows what kind of adverse things things might have being as new as they are. Afterall, how many hundreds of years did it take for them to find that smoking was bad for you?

I must agree with this based on my own experience with e-cigarettes. I thought that I already started to actually quit smoking but time came that I ran out of cartridge, my e-cigarette broke down and couldn't buy a refill anymore and then I started craving for something again that led me to smoke again even at first I really hated the smell of tobacco but after a few days everything went back to my old smoker days.

patrick323

I am a closet smoker also, most of my friends and family dont know i have been smoking a half a pack a day for most of the last 25 years. today is 14 days for me without a cigarette. i havent tried many times to quit since i really love smoking and so wish i could find out if i am genetically disposed towards developing cancer or not (since it seems that might explain why some people smoke for 50 years and are fine and others arent). ....

I think another major concern possibly beyond cancer is emphysema. I am kind of fortunate in that I've heard from many experts that people who play wind instruments (like i do) will not develop emphysema because I do a multitude of breathing exercises and I'm working out my lungs many hours a day. This, however, is a major concern for other long time smokers.

phinners

Quit by reading Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking book, you'll quit overnight and wont gain any weight

Worked for me, been 503 days now Allen CArr was my saviour, just wish I'd found him 23 years earlier.

kmbrazil

I am trying to quit smoking right now as well and I am also worried about weight gain, but I just read a great quote- "Weight can be lost, lungs cannot." It definintely put things into perspective for me. Whats a few pounds now compared to a long healthy life free of cigarettes? Good luck to you!!

lyllyan

If you go the e-cigarette route, I would suggest you stay away from the ones sold in the mall kiosks. Go to the electronic cigarette forum and start your research there instead. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/