Am I crazy? MFP & stopping smoking?
Kooliette
Posts: 4
Hi, all! I'm not technologically-gifted, so bear with me! I just downloaded My Fitness Pal to my smartphone & will start using it tomorrow to help me reach my goal of losing 42 lbs.! I'm excited & think the accountability will be a good thing! I also want to stop smoking. I smoke about ten cigarettes a day. I'm really tired of feeling unhealthy, but maybe trying to do both of those things at once isn't a good idea. Any thoughts? Best wishes to all!
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Replies
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You r not crazy!!! I quit smoking april will be 2 years ago and it's the best decision I have ever made!!! Cigarette smoking is THE worse thing you can do to your body!!! Please quit and don't ever start again.....good luck!!!0
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I think it can work. Might even be the best thing you do, because monitoring your calories can prevent you from -putting- on weight when you quit. That said, if you feel that you will struggle, focus on smoking first. It's a. a quicker fix, and b. more important, imo. Once you've got that down pat, mfp will still be here.0
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Thank you for the replies! Since before New Year's Day, I've been struggling to decide which goal to focus on, my weight or smoking, and I'm feeling ready for a total overhaul, so to speak!0
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As a person in the same position, I decided I was going to focus on my weight loss and quitting smoking at the same time. However, I made it about three days of no smoking and caved. I am now focusing on my weight loss, eating more fresh foods and less processed foods and getting to the gym.
If you can handle such a drastic change, focus on them both. I could not handle that.0 -
I need to quit smoking also, but have decided to get my eating under control first, then quit. For me it would be to difficult to do both. Only you know what you can handle. Give it a try, that's the only true way you will know for sure.0
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Quit both at the same time? WHAT?!
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I quit 4 years ago and I'm here to lose the weight now. If I had it to do over, I would quit smoking (Quit.net got me through) and track my calories here, but aim for my maintainace calories. After you have your quit secured, then worry about the weight.
If you do it the other way, you will probably gain back any lost weight and give up on both. I know I would have.
You can do it!!!!!!0 -
HA, text message! You crazy kid! But I know; both at once... Yikes!0
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I did exactly what you're doing....two years ago. And I've lost 80 lbs and haven't had a smoke in 2 years. It's actually easier to quit smoking and start working out because you need something to distract you from craving a smoke. Plus, you won't gain any of the weight normally associated with quitting. GOOD LUCK!!0
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It's a lot to take on, but you can do it! I quit in August of 2010 and haven't looked back. Best of luck!0
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First I joined MFP and started weight loss. Then I started to exercise. After coughing like crazy, I quit smoking, used patches for 2 weeks. That was last Sept, I will never smoke again.0
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I have been doing MFP for a week now and I also have been thinking its time to quit smoking. I feel I have been ready for a while and why not do them both at once. Even after 1 week I feel so much better and honestly think that I am ready to take the non smoker plunge right along with the other stuff. Why not make a total overhaul life change0
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Not crazy at all... I started using MFP in December and I quit smoking at the same time... I was worried about being able to do both, but haven't had a cig since... Add me if you would like.... It can be done.. and remember this... Baby steps to Victory....0
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Nope, you're not crazy. I'm doing the same thing. I'm getting rid of one cigarette out of my daily routine per week. I'm now down to 4 cigarettes, and starting tomorrow, I'll be down to 3 cigarettes a day for the week. I feel that in order to get rid of the bad habit, you have to replace it with a good habit. Out with the bad, in with the good. You can do it! Good luck!0
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Me, I gave up smoking before losing weight. I'm glad I did as I put on a bit of weight trying to keep my hands busy ....eating lollies and drinking softdrink. I'm coming up to 3 years in Feb without ciggies.0
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That be crazy!
I think got now set your goal to .5 lbs a week loss till you kick the smoking habit. That is going to be hard!0 -
If you cant quit, try vaping with ecigarettes. They really clear up the lungs. Just make sure they are the glycerine and not the propylene glycol. I perfer Blu myself and find that I dont crave too often.0
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it's possible! I'm doing it! However, I started the quitting smoking one month before I started dieting. 1. quitting helps me work harder at the gym and 2. I was already stressed and irritable quitting and didn't want to add to it with starting a diet at the same exact moment. So I quit... and about a month later I felt entirely ready to start a diet. I was already feeling better physically. OH! and I started EXERCISING at the same time that I quit. baby steps though. I was walking a lot. The exercise helped take the edge off of not having a cigarette and I hear it's good to help you stick to quitting. But i didn't start counting calories and being strict with my diet until the next month when I was getting used to not smoking.0
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Even if you are crazy ...what's so bad about it? Who decides that anyhow? I don't mind being different!
I stopped smoking about 2 month ago....if I'm stressed I sometimes think about it but know they won't taste too good. At least the first one doesn't. I stopped 2011 for about 6 month but when my family came to visit for 3 month I sure went with them outside to smoke. Took me 3 days to get back to smoking. This time I hope it's for good. I always enjoy when I start smelling things more intense and wake up with a clear throat...those are the things that keep me going!
I waited with the weight loss for 2 month ..and now focus on the weight issue. Decided to do it that way because I knew to stop smoking is hard (for me) during the first few weeks then I will be ok. Gained another few pounds but I hope they will come down even easier and motivate me regarding the weight loss!
Focus on what is more important to you and the greater issue. Then decide how hard it will be to stop both.
Either way .....stay positive and always do what YOU want and need!0 -
hi there, its up to you, which is more important? I came here and did weight loss first as i wasnt ready to quit, i hit my goal december, then quit smoking ( a pack a day for 23 years) cold turkey 9 am dec 30th, so its 3 weeks tomorrow, its ok, ive been cranky, ive cried etc, i crave, im eating a lot more, but i also run as im fit and i work out because im used ot it. I love the fact my runs have increased as my stamina is amazing now, so thats cool anyway here are my quit stats, hope it helps you make the decision xx
quit date 30/12/12 09.00
time since last smoke 20d 13.53
money saved $329.27
cigs not smoked 514.48
life saved 2d 03.26
anyway I really dont want to go back to smoking there are heaps of free aps to help and they all have a little counter to keep you motivated. Good luck and check out the amount of money i saved, and life xxx
BTW I have gained 2 pounds byt that could be water or muscle as training harder xx0 -
I quit smoking November 11, 2012 and began MFP a month later... Not easy to do both at the exact same time, but I give you credit!0
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I am on electronic cigarettes, they give me my nicotine fix and keep me off cigarettes (2 years now). They help me so I thought I would post it. MFP has changed my life, completely, I have never been so motivated to lose weight with my new friends, its brilliant. Stay with us and good luck0
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Crazy? It's just about the most sane thing you can do! I gave up smoking in 2007 and replaced *kitten* with snacks so piled on weight, but replace them with exercise and you will lose weight AND get fit - it's a win win situation! Good luck! :flowerforyou:0
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So...could you focus on stop smoking...and track your food too? I'm not saying "lose weight"...just start tracking WHAT you eat, and get used to tracking.
My entire problem was that I had no clue how many calories I was consuming on a daily basis. I look at the old data now and just shake my head, "WOW".
Just do it my friend, just do it.0 -
Not crazy at all, I've "quit" at least 4 times while I've been here :smokin:0
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I quit smoking as a 50th birthday present to myself (12 years ago) Here is something that I discovered.
Without knowing it, I headed to the refrigerator. My body was trying to get me to eat something because it knew that I would smoke after. It was like my body was possessing me. As soon as I recognized what was happening, I put a note on my refrigerator that asked me if I was hungry or was my body just pushing me around. That helped a lot. (I know that it was more psychological than physical - but I framed it in a context that helped me remember who I was doing it for)
(Unfortunately, in a time of GREAT stress 2 years ago, I started up again. What a mistake. Now I have to go through it all over again. May I friend you so that I can see how you are doing and learn what I can about doing it again?0 -
You can do it!
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Where can you find a computer safe quit meter?0
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I'm 50 yrs old and smoked a pack a day. I quit smoking and started working out at the same time. That was 7 months ago. Not only did I start working out at a gym. I now manage it. Quiting and working out is with out a doubt doable. Good Luck...you can friend me if ya like.0
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I know just how you feel. If I'm honest, I've spent at least eighteen months debating with myself whether to tackle the weight problem or the smoking. In the end, the 'can't go on like this' feeling culminated at the beginning of the year in a decision to tackle the weight while I was deciding If I'd done this eighteen months ago, I'd just be looking at tackling the smoking now. *Sigh...
My current favourite saying is 'Don't find an excuse, find a way'. When I first started tracking my food and movement (I made the decision about thirty seconds after I found MFP - I LOVE this place ), I was keeping half an eye on my cigarette count too and I'd often ask myself if I really needed to light up there and then, and there were plenty of times when I could just let the feeling pass and indulge twenty or thirty minutes later instead. My cigarette count went right down - there was one day when I'd only smoked 12, which is half my usual 20-25 a day.
However, there were one or two 'events' coming up in the week that's just gone, and so I gave myself permission to let the smoking thing ride. It was only this morning that I'd realised the obvious - I'd found an excuse instead of a way. The events in question have come and gone, and would have come and gone just the same way if I'd been smoking a bit less. I'm now trying to be a bit more 'mentally present' whenever I reach for my baccy tin
I suppose what I'm saying is that if you're not ready to quit totally yet either (and I don't think you'd be asking the question if you were), there's no reason why you can't make small, steady, painless changes in how often you smoke - even if that only means deciding not to light up for another five minutes - while making tackling the weight your priority. Then, when you do come to address the smoking problem it should be a significantly smaller one and your newly-trim self is likely to be more energetic and feeling much more motivated to do something about it.
That's the approach I'm taking to it, anyway. The weight loss goal is a priority and set in stone here now, but as far as the smoking (and a zillion lesser bad habits!) go, I shall keep asking myself if I've found an excuse or a genuine reason. If it turns out to be an excuse, then I'll just have to find a way. Good luck with whatever your strategy turns out to be 0
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