Quitting smoking and losing weight? Come say hello

tubaman58

It has been almost 14 years since I quit......

You may lose some ground on weight in the short run.... don't give up...... keep doing the right thing and it will pay off....

Mizztink72

Gosh it's hard losing weight and quiting smoking at the same time. I've been smoking for a very long time and now I want to lose at least 100lbs. Good luck to all. Please add me we need all help we can get.

Mizztink72

I didn't know they had an app to help you quit smoking. I have to find that. How hard was it at first?

PittShkr

I understand quitting smoking... but why quit losing weight?

tyrantduck

I quit smoking on the last day of March. My weight went up ten pounds and I'm now down 14 thanks to MFP

wcrathbun

Congrats to you! Sounds like you are doing a great job so far! I celebrated a year without cigarettes on Aug 9th have been yo-yo dieting ever since. I finally joined MFP last week and am so looking forward to bettering myself even further! Keep it up!

Jbarbo01

I quit smoking over three months ago, and have lost 10 lbs since. I wouldn't jump into this alone, its very difficult to get to the bottom of the reasons you use food or smoking as an emotional comfort. It can be done, but learning whats going on internally is huge in your success. If you are able, I would look for a therapist to talk to while you transition. I would also look for support groups for quitting smoking or overeaters anonymous in your area. I leaned on a lot of people and saw a therapist twice a week to get to where I am, of being able to eat healthy, exercise, and quit smoking.

I would say expect for it to be difficult, youll feel emotions more clearly and strongly than you ever have before when youre not eating take aways and not smoking. Make sure you have a ton of support by people on MFP, therapist, therapy groups, and friends and you will be able to do it.

Also keep a list of your motivations to do it, and read it every time you have a weak moment to remind you why youre putting yourself through it!

mandorla

Welcome to MFP. On Feb 14 2012 I quit smoking and like you knew I needed to improve my lifestyle at the same time. I will computationally tell you to be mindful of how you work out. I started walking, in shoes that weren't right for me and ended up not being able to do anything for more than 8 weeks because of pain in my foot, ankle, calf. I've recovered and I'm so glad that I am able to get back to walking. I still live out take out and frozen meals, but I'm learning that eating out no longer equal a special occasion.

I'm more than 6 months into no longer being a smoker and 2 months into weight loss.

You are going to feel so much better!!!

mdelcott

Yesterday was 1 year quit for me..I did gain 20 pounds but have since lost that 20..I advice that you worry about the quit first and foremost. Even if you put on some weight its worth it to be a non smoker, after you get the quitting smoking down then start to worry about the weight. Best of luck

Cliffslosinit

I quit on March 18 this year. Oh and no you can't make me say the H word.

Jennerkins

I quit smoking a few months ago and was eating like a hog for a while but I got back into dieting a couple months after that and I feel pretty good most days. To this day though when things are rough in my life I still crave a cigarette and a big fat pizza!

kingpt11

Hi all,

Thank you very much for creating this post. I was going to post one myself! Coincidence? dont think so. i guess its life telling me i really need to quit smoking, and i must start now!

I smoked 3 packs a day, for the last.... i dont even remember.. i guess since i was 18 really.. so, around almost 20 years now.
And it had defined who i am, and im sick and tired of it.
I have handled to drop 2 packs, and now i smoke one pack per day, for the last couple of months.

I've tried quiting before, and its really hard. My mind is always thinking about it, craving for it, im a mess when i dont smoke, i pick fights on every one that is around me, if they are not around me, i call them, i cant sleep, and most important my main fear of eating this world and the next just to calm down my cravings!! Everything is an excuse to smoke, the traffic, the waiting for something, talking in social, after a meal, before a meal, the stress at work, drinking... and so on..

But...
I really really want to quit, and i really really want to have more will power than that tiny puny cig!

So, Feel free to add me, if you also want to start quitting, or if u have already quit and can relate with this.
I will start to quit on Sep 1st. wish me luck

cardsfanlv

I'm in the same boat. Need to quit, but also need to lose a fair amount of weight. Once I am close to my goal, I'm going to try chantix.

serenitynowww

Thanks for sharing your stories everyone! It's good to see that there are some amongst you who managed to give up and not put on weight, that's my ultimate goal and hopefully MFP will help achieve that.

I'm now up to day 9 and it is honestly getting easier for me and I think the fact that I'm finding excercise a hell of a lot easier is contributing to that. Feel free to add me if you want a supportive friend who knows what you're going through on both fronts

gavini

good for you,
for me it has been 36 days, 3 hours, 19 minutes and 36 seconds since my last cigarette (but who is counting), Cigarettes NOT smoked: 361, Money Saved: $107.10.

anyone who wants support or to share stories, ideas etc feel free to add me

i am 38 and had smoked since i was 13, fluctuating between a few a day to a pack a day and for the last few years about half a pack a day. I quit for a few months last year and lost about 10lbs during that time.

i think doing both at once is a MUCH better idea than doing it seperate - of course every person is different.

my notes and thoughts...

oranges help when you have a craving and are a good post workout treat.

wanting a cigarette feels a lot like hunger - which it is, your body is hungry for nicotine, and you are hungry for the taste and experience of smoking. This is a big reason we eat more when we quit, recognize that and be prepared with carrots or something else to fill that void and realize you arent really that much more hungry than normal, they just feel the same.

on doing all at once...
1. to change, add, or get rid of habitual behavior you need to shake up your routine, thats hard enough to do once so why do it twice? you want to add new habits - dieting and exercise and get rid of one - smoking, so set up a new routine that incorporates those goals.

2. if you are starting to excersise more and you want to quit smoking (this is the most important factor, you have to really want to, otherwise dont bother trying) then you dont want smoking to become part of your exercise routine. a cigarette after a workout is the greatest thing in the world (i really miss that) so if you want to quit then you are going to make it a lot harder.

3. you can obsess about your calories and or your exercise to help eat up the time you might be thinking about how you miss smoking, it will give you a new addiction to replace the old one.

4. of course there are people at gyms and in running groups and other people you might meet exercising who smoke but if you start to make fitness related friends and have never smoked around them, they might not smoke around you or not much at least since it is less acceptable since you met at a gym or on a run, thats a good thing for you, fewer people smoking around you is fewer temptations and less envy.

5. workouts will start to become easier as you get in better shape and also as you smoke less, get both of these benefits at the same time and it will spur you on in your efforts that much more

i dont say good luck to people since there is no luck involved in quiting smoking and saying there is gives you an out or an excuse to start again, it is mental, you have to convince yourself and your mind that you really really really dont want to smoke anymore. the rest is handling the side affects.

phoenix_59

I quit in March 2012 and have not gained weight thanks to MFP and a commitment to eating right and working out.

Lesa_Sass

I used bee pollen when I first started smoking to help curb my appetite. I could not stop eating and gained 8 lbs before I found it.

It is all natural and a super food. Please feel free to google it.

I also have a healthy living cooking page on facebook if you are interested in taking a look at it. I have lots of healthy delicious foods and ideas that make eating healthy a joy:https://www.facebook.com/TheSassyGourmet

WendyTerry420

I think I gain weight when I even consider quitting. :sad:

Bostonguy97

I tried Chantix which works VERY well except for one problem, I started getting sick, nauseous. I had to pull over on the way to work so I stopped taking it. Now I'm smoking again but need to stop! I'm going to try the patch.

heres2anewme

I, too, am an off and on smoker and I think it has hindered my weight loss really bad. I quit smoking in Dec. 2010 but have smoked when I am around people that smoke and while having some work done on my house. (my contractors smoked) Although I do not allow smoking in my house I would go out with them, back in May I broke down and bought a couple of packs and smoked a few a day, even when alone. I am back to only smoking when someone is around that smokes, but I really do feel the on and off again smoking has kept me from losing more weight.

Feel free to add me, I need to quit and lose about 60 lbs to go with it.