Quitting Smoking

AdrienneKaren

My 30th birthday is on Sunday and I've planned for the past month to quit smoking on that day. I need some ideas on how to keep myself from gaining weight. I know this is a major side effect of not smoking. I plan on getting a straw or something to chew on and the patch to help lessen the withdrawals. I'd like to hear suggestions from people who have successfully quit.

Thank you!

engineman312

keep up your healthy lifestyle, and you won't gain an ounce. i quit on december 26, and my weight hasn't risen.

Chelle_Davis

I quit 5 years ago, but replaced it with eating. I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I wished I would have done. I wish I would have replaced that habit with exercising. Even if it's just mad jumping jacks in the living room... something to get my bunkus up and moving.

First, I'm so excited for you and your choice to stop smoking. I don't regret ever stopping. But it is a habit, and it's best to replace that habit with something else: exercising, drinking water, lollipop, straw... whatever works for you.

You can do this! Congrats on your choice!

jrditt

gaining weight isn't really a side effect if you are still watching what you eat. Cigarettes are appetite suppressors so if you are not watching what you eat, you will eat more.

emccand

I quit cold turkey almost 5 yrs ago and I didnt gain anything from quitting, you just have to remind yourself not to replace a cigarette with a snack and you will do great, good luck to you!

natvanessa

Just want to say Good Luck!! I recently celebrated my 90th day of quitting and I feel so great! I actually did NOT gain weight, in fact I have lost weight but that is also because I am working out and counting my calories on here.

Just some advice on how to stay quit, I highly recommend this app called "My Last Cigarette" (avail on iPhone and i think android), also I read this book called "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr. I actually read it after I had quit just to not be tempted to go back to smoking. That book is AMAZING. trust me :happy:

Sox90716

Congratulations! Replace the unhealthy addiction with a healthy one! Like running! Good luck!

mummma

ive done 2 whole days so far... go me

good luck x

JamesThiel

The one thing that I did, was to find "Something " to replace the activity (Smoking) I walked around my office building I also used Chantix with fantastic success Chantix took away my cravings as well as the Caffeine addiction as it blocks the neuro receptors.....but I still gained some weight....thus I am on MFP

dasskinny

A few pounds is a lot more easier to get rid of than cancer, think of it that way :-) Good luck to you, i quit smoking last year in november, and have been smoke free ever since :-) your body will detox and go through changes, let it.

Mcctin65

I think I used gaining weight as an excuse to not quit for many, many years. I did gain 15 pounds when I quit because I ate instead. Now I am 2 1/2 years quit and down about 25 pounds. I can exercise now without sucking air and I love it. BEST thing I have ever done for me in my life!
Have faith! You can do this!

kayl3igh88

I quit smoking maybe 2 weeks before I joined MFP, so I didn't give myself much chance to wallow in the newness of non-smoking. Just keep your hands and mind busy and you should do great

chelle7666

When you get a nicotine craving ,do something else such as go for a walk , wash up ??? Do not replace *kitten* with food . Good luck

oftheearth

I couldn't do cold turkey, the few times that I tried (smoked for six years).
Instead, I followed this "rule": I will smoke the least that I can.

This led to smoking less and less cigarettes.
Of course, after a while, I was down to like 3 cigarettes a day and found trying to go to 2 was terrible, so that's when I went to nicotine gum, and then the e-cigarette.

But the biggest influence on my success was probably the fact that for the last 2 years I have been with a non-smoker and started working with children. There's just less time available where it is appropriate for me to smoke/smell like smoke.

When I lived with a smoker (or especially when I lived with more than one), no way could I have done it.

Mcctin65

ive done 2 whole days so far... go me

good luck x

Yeah you! That's terrific! Keep it up! One more day and it gets so much easier.

KellyKAG

Unlike the rest of the people posting on here I quit cold turkey almost a year and a half ago and I gained 18 lbs...Oops!
Still the best/hardest thing I ever did. Good luck to you. :flowerforyou:

dasskinny

Unlike the rest of the people posting on here I quit cold turkey almost a year and a half ago and I gained 18 lbs...Oops!
Still the best/hardest thing I ever did. Good luck to you. :flowerforyou:

i gained 10 i feel ya... but i agree best!!!! thi ng iv'e done in a while!!!
:happy:

almc170

I quit last July and gained 10lbs. That came off pretty easily when I changed my eating habits and started exercising regularly in December.

Good luck!

Sp1nGoddess

I used the book Stop Smoking Stay Skinny - basically you try to eat smaller frequent meals to keep your blood sugar level which helps with cravings (both for food & cigs)

I'm been smoke free for 13 years and did not gain b/c of quitting.

Frenchenator

I'm a quitter, my biggest challenge that needs to be curbed is the starting for me. Right now i'm in the starting portion of it, but i blame work for that, the thing that's helped me the most is having a bottle of water handy.Any time i want a smoke i start drinking water, i know it sounds weird but it does help a bit with the oral fixation portion of smoking.

Heaven71

My 30th birthday is on Sunday and I've planned for the past month to quit smoking on that day. I need some ideas on how to keep myself from gaining weight. I know this is a major side effect of not smoking. I plan on getting a straw or something to chew on and the patch to help lessen the withdrawals. I'd like to hear suggestions from people who have successfully quit.

Thank you!

Just stay really busy. Quit cold turkey 1.5 years ago and I did gain 20lbs, until I found this site.

Meatsies

I quit in February, after I'd been on MFP for a little while. I gave myself about 10 days of pity. Gained a few pounds, but didn't smoke a single cigarette. And when the 10 day pity party was over, I kicked *kitten*, lost the few extra pounds, and haven't looked back since. Good luck to you! You can do it, if you're really ready.

oftheearth

Oh I'm sorry I misread this! I thought you wanted tips for quitting, not tips for avoiding weight gain while quitting. I gained 20 lbs and had lost all but 15 of it within about a year, until I broke my femur and gained some back.

The stuff that you do snack on...try to make low cal?

Also, like I'm sure you've heard, exercise actually makes quitting easier.

Aspynmom

I quit January 1st using e-cigs, after "quitting" about 5 different times using other things. I have gained some weight over the past three months...but I don't attribute that entirely to the quitting, I've just been lazy! It's coming off now, though, with exercise and MFP. I was a serious pack a day 22 year smoker. Now I walk past the smoking area at work and want to puke. I was AFRAID, and never thought I would succeed. Remember, you have to WANT it. All smokers know they "should" quit, but many don't want to. You may gain some weight but who cares? Weight can be lost, you can't lose cancer. I still get twinges every now and then, but as time goes on they get less and less severe. Now I acknowledge the craving, and say "Well, I don't smoke anymore" and go on with my day. Best choice I ever made. You can do it!

brismom070897

bump

AdrienneKaren

Thank you all so much! I'm really excited to quit. My Mom lives next door and has already said to send my daughter to her house if I feel a mood swing coming on. I also have brand new Zumba videos that I'm planning on using a lot. Although I'm terrified of the mood swings and cravings, I'm ready to quit and be healthy. Thank you so much again!