contemplating quitting smoking...need advice

offthedeependay

I have smoked most of my life but quit about a year ago for 5 months then started again,I have finally lost most of the weight that I wanted to loose but I am worried about gainning it back if I quit smoking ,does anyone have any tips to get me through this without weight gain,I know I will probably want to snack more to find something to do with my hands instead of smoking.help

Vespyr

Avg weight gained from quitting smoking is 5lbs so it's unlikely you will gain back all that you lost through hard work. This is because cigarette smoke does increase your metabolism slightly compounded with the withdrawals which might make you want to snack. I won't even list all the bad things it does to your body cause you probably know.
I'd say talk to your Dr or pharmacist before starting anything because they know your medical history, but I'll list some things anyway.
Patch - helps minimize the withdrawal symptoms while decreasing the severity of cravings. Good place to start.
Gum/lozenge - for cravings...might help with the snacking too. Essentially a replacement to having a smoke
Inhaler - also for cravings but helps satisfy the hand-mouth habit
e-cigarette - same as the inhaler but without nicotine...probably looks better than the inhaler too.
prescription stuff - works great for some people but you need to see your doctor.

Actual smokers may have other advise.

Good Luck! You're doing a great thing for your health!!

lizard053

You know what? You don't have to replace the cigarettes with food. If you can avoid that, you can avoid most of the weight gain! You just need to keep yourself occupied in healthy ways when you'd normally be having a smoke break. Go for a walk. Chew gum. Lift weights. Whatever works!

Congrats to you for working towards a much healthier you!

lmbigsby

Sugar Free gum was my best friend, I smoked for over 20 years (started in 6th grade). I quit 6 years ago and never went back. I called the New Mexico Quit line, they provide you with either gum or the patch for free plus great support. I only used the first box of patches then decided I didn't need them and just quit. I carried and still carry at least 3 packs of gum with me always. I didn't gain weight and loved everyday how my clothes didn't smell, my house, my car, and now I am whitening my teeth. Sooo worth it. Bottom line, you have to want to quit. You can do it.

offthedeependay

Thank's for the advice,,going to set a date real soon,,tired of being chained to it...

gomisskellygo

I am on week 5 with the patch. Pack a day smoker for 20 years. You know how it goes...you really need to WANT it. And want it now. Or it won't work.

I hope you want it!!

Someone posted this and I loved it: You can lose the weight, but you can't lose lung cancer.
For me personally, it was never the weight gain I was REALLY worried about. It was the fact that quitting sucks.I chew like two packs a day of gum now!!

Good luck to you! I know you can do it.

VanillaBone

I'm currently using an E-cig with Chocolate Turtle flavored vapor. In the cupboard I have Cucumber Melon, Almond Cappucino, Blueberry Cheesecake and Peppermint.

Pack a day smoker for fifteen years, and I don't miss it a bit. Haven't bought a pack since early February.

original_cake_face

I didn't gain any weight when I quit smoking. I chewed a lot a lot a looooot of sugar free gum. Find something to keep your hands busy. And for Pete's sake, quit cold turkey. It's the best way. Weening yourself of doesn't work, it just keeps the nicotine addiction going inside your body, and you're basically just torturing yourself. Drop your pack in a puddle, stomp on it, and move on. All you have to do is NOT buy another pack.

StrawberrySt

I am one and a half months into quitting smoking. And you know what? I feel FANTASTIC!! That helps with not wanting to smoke anymore

Everyone on here is right, you have to really want to quit. And stay quit.

Don't think about it as 'giving up' because then you feel deprived. I tackled quitting by committing to a lifestyle change. I have cut out coffee and alcohol because I associate those things with smoking. I started exercising and eating healthy (I joined MFP just after quitting) I am so happy with my "lifestyle change" to me quitting smoking is secondary.

Good luck!! :flowerforyou:

katiew00t

Try using nic gum in the beginning to help with cravings. I smoked on and off for 10+ years, and quit for good last September. The nic gum helped to replace the cigs, and then I had to quit the nic gum

I feel a million times better now that I am smoke free. And I didn't gain any weight once I quit. I wish you lots of luck! You'll be so much happier once you kick the habit :drinker:

mkmacf

I work for an addiction agency that helps people quit smoking, and we get this question a lot. On average, if you do gain weight, it's not more than 5 lbs. Some reasons include: substituting food for the oral part of smoking, being bored, mistaking the cravings for nicotine for hunger, and also that your tastebuds start to work better again! Just keep healthy snacks around, drink water to get through cravings, etc. If you want more info I can ask my coworker...he has books and websites he knows of about it.

Good luck! You'll do great!!

GunnerGirl029

I work for an addiction agency that helps people quit smoking, and we get this question a lot. On average, if you do gain weight, it's not more than 5 lbs. Some reasons include: substituting food for the oral part of smoking, being bored, mistaking the cravings for nicotine for hunger, and also that your tastebuds start to work better again! Just keep healthy snacks around, drink water to get through cravings, etc. If you want more info I can ask my coworker...he has books and websites he knows of about it.

Good luck! You'll do great!!

I quite 3 weeks ago. I let myself go for a week, anything I wanted to eat or have for 7 days. (anything is better than smoking) I did gain 5 lbs but because I was used working out and I used exercise to help burn off the rage, I lost it all within 2 weeks and now Im down 4 more from all the extra lung capacity I have to go harder!

slkehl

You'll probably gain 3-5 pounds water retention in the first week, so don't freak out if you see a sudden jump. However, since you've been smoking all your life your BMR should be artificially high. So your body isn't gaining weight from quitting smoking per se, it was the smoking that was keeping the weight down and quitting will just put your body at the natural level for what you are eating.

You should expect to gain weight. It's natural and normal and a good thing at first because it means nicotine is no longer speeding up your heart rate. Keep in mind that caffeine, not getting enough sleep, and stress are have elevated effects when you're quitting smoking and make you crave food so avoid those. Make sure to be physically active and make gradual healthy changes in your diet. Getting support will help to, like from the group Nicotine Anonymous.

millie_de

I only smoked for about 3 years but when I quit I lost 25 lbs in the 6 months after... good luck!

76tech

I didn't gain anything when I quit. Didn't lose, either, but wasn't really trying to.

When the craving hits you, go do something. Open a window. Close a window. Turn the tv on or off *without* the remote. Move your body to do something and you'll be surprised at how you shut cravings off pretty quickly.

Of course you'll be walking around like a twitchy monkey with ADHD for a couple of days. But you'll start having new routines replace the old habits you had while smoking.

Good luck!

BigDaddyBRC

Coming from a 30 year, now non, smoker...DO IT.


Also, here is what I have learned through my experience from quitting...

It is not an addiction to nicotine that is your greatest battle. It's out of your system in 3 days. It's the habitual means of smoking. Find other ways to keep yourself busy.

Good luck!

EDIT: I quit cold turkey....no gum, no anything...YOU MUST CHOOSE AND ACT UPON THAT CHOICE TO SUCCEED

lisaisso

3rd day no smoking on the patch.
have used it several times before, and i always seemed to pick up after about 3 months!
not this time.. quitting does suck, but just do it and get it over with.

"Quitting smoking is easy; I've done it a thousand times."- Mark Twain

boomboom011

Coming from a 30 year, now non, smoker...DO IT.


Also, here is what I have learned through my experience from quitting...

It is not an addiction to nicotine that is your greatest battle. It's out of your system in 3 days. It's the habitual means of smoking. Find other ways to keep yourself busy.

Good luck!

Agreed.

Change your routine. I used to stop at the QuikTrip for smokes and an iced tea in the mornings. I stopped going that way and just went straight to work. Keep yourself occupied doing something anytime you feel the urge. I still get it. Its been a few months for me. Its hard but so worth it. My favorite part about it is I dont stink anymore. Its the little things!

Best of luck!

mynameish

I've been a pack to 2 pack a day smoker for about 15 years. I switched to an e-cig as one of my New Years resolutions and have felt a tremendous difference in how I feel. I'm currently still using a liquid solution that contains nicotine, but plan to eventually lower and then eliminate the nicotine completely.

I've quit before, once successfully for 2 and half years, once for a year. The first time I was actually using WellButrin, the second time I used Chantix. Chantix was EXTREMELY effective, but some people experience a lot of side effects with it; I was fortunate in that I only had lucid dreams.

I think the real key to quitting is figuring out your exact habits, then creating new ones. When do you smoke? What triggers it? I've had to essentially eliminate going to the bar, cause once I get a beer in me I'm ready for a smoke. I was also a big driving smoker, so now I make sure to pop in a piece of gum every time I get in the car instead. Also stress triggered; now I make sure to go for a walk when I get stressed rather than light up.

Good luck on your journey, and congratulations on your decision to quit!

delilah47

I smoked for nearly 50 years. I quit the first time when I was 30 and have quit, literally, 100 times since. Until this time, I never made it beyond hours, days, or weeks and once for about 6 weeks. I would always psych myself up for about a week, then quit on a Monday. I would always have a thought in the back of my mind that I could smoke again some day. I don't know where that came from, but it was always there. It would pop into my mind and it prevented me from getting past a certain point, because it was popping in every 5 minutes. I always gave in.

This time, I quit on Oct. 17, 2011, so tomorrow it will be my 5 month anniversary. This time I made a plan before hand. I planned my quit date, then I made a list. I made a long list of 5-10 minute activities that I liked (or didn't mind) doing. Stuff like walk around the block, play a game of solitaire, play a short computer game... think of as many things as you can, then print it out and put it somewhere you can see it easily (like on the fridge). Then print this out:

http://www.stqp.org/quitsmokingtimeline.asp

and do the same. If you can, avoid quit smoking "helpers" like patches, pills, etc. They just prolong the agony. I tried everything you can imagine including those, and acupuncture, hypnosis (very expensive), herbal stuff, etc. Getting through the first week will be the hardest and the second week is still a little difficult. Think about it upfront, before you stop smoking. It's not that long of time. It will get progressively easier at time passes. Drink lots of water and try to exercise regularly (a good workout releases stress, and believe me there IS stress). Also, a massage helps if that's an option for you. ALL the times I quit smoking for more than 2 weeks; I felt FANTASTIC! I was SO energized, it was unbelievable! You will see. Anyway, I didn't really gain any weight, but waited about 2 months before dieting. If I had been here on MFP, I would definitely have logged what I ate. I wouldn't hold myself strictly to a calorie limit, but if you log, you can keep it down just by knowing how much you have eaten. Just remember, you'd have to gain a lot of fricken weight to get as unhealthy as smoking makes you. Give yourself a break the first 2 weeks. You will survive and be stronger. At this point, whenever I think of smoking, instead of wanting a smoke, I think "Man, I'm glad I quit smoking!" :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Good luck!

Edit: One more thing: After smoking became non-PC, I was always self conscious about smelling like cigs. I spent a small fortune on breath mints, sprays, etc. When I went to the grocery store or doctor or anywhere I would be around people, I changed clothes, spritzed my breath, blah blah blah.. then didn't smoke until I got done.. and so many more inconveniences caused by smoking. It's like you've been released from a major obligation.. ahhhhh! No more of that! YIPPEEEEEE!!!!

BlueInkDot

What I've been realizing lately, is that all of this - everything we're trying to do here on this website - is to take things we do NOW, in the everyday, in the current hour, in the next 10 minutes - and get it to change our FUTURE: a month from now, next year, 10 years from now.

It is REALLY difficult to make that change from short term thinking to long term thinking, but as delilah47 said, it's only two weeks that you really have to deal with the withdrawl. After that it's THE BEGINNING OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

If you WANT to quit, then you CAN quit. I'm really proud of you and happy for you that you want to quit and become a healthier, happier version of you.

Best of luck!!!