Am I crazy? MFP & stopping smoking?

pwnderosa

I used the ecig too and for me it was like a miracle, SO much easier than any other method I had used, but even so, still not a walk in the park. I don't think I could have restricted my diet very much for the first month or so after switching to the ecig, but I did try to eat healthy mostly and drank a lot of green tea and exercised a lot to help with cravings.

Exercise, relaxing, and doing fun things/pampering myself were the best ways to help with the anxiety & irritability I felt during that time. I don't think you are crazy for trying both but I wouldn't suggest trying to diet *too* aggressively at first and please don't freak out about the scale for awhile, your metabolism can go nuts for awhile as it adjusts to being without the cigarettes, and it is really important to go easy on yourself and stay relaxed while quitting.

Good luck to all who have tried & congrats to all the quitters here on MFP, you keep me inspired every day!!

Marquism123

I agree with whoever recommended the Alan Carr - Easyway to stop smoking book - it is a fantastic help. I also agree with those who say not to put too much pressure on yourself- quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you will ever do and if you put yourself on a strict "diet" at the same time you run the risk of feeling deprived and falling off both wagons! I suggest quit the cigs, track your food at a maintenance level and take up a form of exercise - this will hopefully be enough to counter any weight gain and get you smoke free, whilst also proving a welcome distraction. Tackle the weight loss once you feel comfortable as a non smoker - probably in about 2-3 months time, Good Luck!

kellytil

Way to go! I quit smoking in July of 2011 and packed on some pounds after...I agree with the person who said that quitting smoking AND focusing on weight loss will give you something to do when the cigarette cravings hit!

Please feel free to add me as a friend. I'm new (again) to MFP. Like quitting smoking, weight loss has been a process. It took me several "quits" before I walked away from cigarettes for good.

Now, I'm ready to burn this fat...for good!

goody2shews

Doing both is an EXCELLENT idea! I quit smoking in 2006 and lost 25 lbs at the same time. I used a technique called positive affirmations.

I was told my therapist to come up with 10 sentences of why I wanted to quit smoking and lose weight. These sentences had to be positive statemets and can only contain positives. She explained the brain doesn't hear not and no's. So if you say I'm not going to smoke today. Your brain only hears " I'm going to smoke today ". If you say " I can't have that fried chicken" your brain hears " I can have fried chicken" So instead you would use " I will be cigarette free today" or " I can have any candy I like today because I'm smoke free". Here is the tricky part. You say these sentences as many times as you can every day and night. I did it in the mornings while getting ready. I also would walk the parking lot at work during my breaks instead of hanging out with my smoking friends. During those walks I would say the sentences outloud. My therapist told me say them to myself if I absolutely had to but, saying them outloud was better because part of your brain is an audible learner. She also told me to write them down sometimes too. Like doodeling. The fixation of doing something with your hands is very strong. Having something planned to do during those times is a good idea. Lifting small weights, brushing your dog or cat, drawing, writing what ever it takes. It may sound weird but it works.

I tried the patch and hypnosis and it didn't work for me but this did. I smoked a pack or more a day for twenty years. I shared it with my Dad this spring when he was diagnosed with COPD. He used it and guess what! I seen him at Christmas and he told me he took the advice and he hasn't had a cigarette since he last seen me in the spring. He smoked for 40 years!

StacyCond

Not crazy at all ! I quit smoking, started calorie counting, and quit drinking soda all on the same day!

The next 2 weeks were the most miserable 2 weeks of my life... but it was completely worth it

Edit: I quit smoking cold turkey, and haven't looked back since. I personally think it's the most effective method.

bjm21866

I gave up a few things all at once which were bad for me many years ago. I found it easier to just let them ll go at once and substitute them with things which are much better for me. Good Luck!

vickilm1976

I quit over a year ago with the Allan Carr book. I started MFP about 10 months after quitting and my only regret is that didn't do both at the same time. I didn't gain a ton of weight, but enough that I would have rather not gained it. That book made it super easy and I felt dumb for not doing it sooner. A friend of mine quit about a month after I did (also with the book) and she put all of her energy (and smoking savings) into getting fit, she was about 20lbs overweight when she quit. She now competes in fitness competitions! Just do it, you will never regret it.

bids55

Call me crazy but I am doing both at same time. Not cold turkey but cutting down each week and I have smoked a long time. I set up a "food" called smokes. Each time I have one I put it in my diary. This helps me get my head around when/how many I am having. Today I though what a painthe *kitten* having to put all these in...... so I "skipped a smoke".

Small amount of progress but progress all the same. Might need a friend or two for this !

ElizBald

I recommend two books that can really help you with your goals; "The Power of Habit" and "the instinct diet". Good luck on your journey to discover more of yourself.

kellytil

I used the Allan Carr book as well...it REALLY works. Cold turkey is a great way to go.

Amberonamission

I did this in Aug. Replaced smoking with working out like crazy. Since I have lost over 30 lbs. And gained lots of muscle. Do it. Or don't and gain more weight. The weight gain was the reason I had failed quitting smoking in the past. This time I decided to just do it all at once. Worked out fine.

hubtech

NOT CRAZY. Strength of character gave you the ability to consider it. If you can envision it, you can do it.

The trick with smoking is breaking the physical addiction. At just 10 per day it might not be too bad but only you can judge that. Doing both at the same time may be easier in some ways, more difficult in others. Don't let that stop you from trying. Smoking is likely the more immediate risk to your health though.

Try replacing the smoking with a healthy intake of something to help break the physical addiction. Celery or water for example - not tap water either, filtered, spring, distilled - something like that.

Good luck and best wishes

Xineoph

Not crazy at all. The two things are very closely related.

As a matter of fact I joined MFP to do the exact same thing but I held off responding to your post until AFTER I had reached and passed my stopping day. That arrived yesterday. Stopping was a breeze. In fact it was flippin' GREAT!!

Today is Day 2 of my life as a non-moker.

Before I stopped smoking, as a lead up to the day, I read Allan Carr's book The EasyWay to Stop Smoking. Utterly brilliant book!! I cannot recommend his book too much.

So if you're ready, go for it. There aint nothin you caint do, if your set you mind to it.

Kellyeee2013

Empirical evidence suggests (studies suggest) that when trying to quit something (so for you: smoking and poor eating/exercise habits, lets say) you are more likely to be successful at both if done at the same time, than if they are done seperately.

So, this means you are perfectly insane for doing this.

mouse1977us24

No, Not crazy you can do it! I just quit smoking December 3, 2012 too! Best thing I have ever done! I feel wonderful! And if your an app junkie as I am Cessation Nation is an absolute MUST for quitting smoking! You can definately get support from you MFP peeps also but there you will get support specifically for quitting! Best of luck to you!

billiegirl17

You are not crazy at all. But you may be taking on a lot - mentally, quitting smoking is a challenge, but if you really want to do it, you can. I used to smoke more than you do and I quit 3 years ago. Don't miss it at all. But I gained some weight and that's why I am here.
So, my advice to you would be to tackle the smoking first, but while doing so, log onto my facebook, enter your food and exercise, but set some really realistic goals about weight loss. Like no more than 1/2 lb per week (only at first). Logging your food intake will just make you much more aware if you are substituting food for ciggerettes.
I wish I would have had MFP when I quit - maybe if I had, I would not be 26 lbs overweight right now.
Add me as a friend - and I will send you encouraging words about giving up smoking, too.

KevinS62

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!

GO FOR IT! Seriously, neither one has much to do with the other, and if you can do it, go for it. Quick story. Sometime around 1987 or so, I decided to quit smoking, but remembered the time before I had gained weight when I quit. I decided that not only was I going to quit cold turkey and not gain weight, but I was determined to lose weight. The hard part was finding something to do with my hands, but I decided I wasn't going to use my hands to shovel snack food into my piehole all day. The good news, is that it worked. I went from a 210 lb smoker to a 165 lb non smoker. The bad news is that while I kept the weight off for quite a few years, I eventually relapsed and smoked for the next ~22 years.

Neither is going to be easy. But both are great things for you to do. I suggest educating yourself as much as possible about smoking cessation and join up with good support group. I know about this first hand. I joined a smoking cessation forum on about.com in May 2009 and have been smoke free for 3 years and 8 months. I might have done the hard part, but I leaned on the great people in that forum for life-saving support.

-Kevin

mamabear204

Everyone is different but if you can do both then DO IT! I just started tracking my food, not really trying to lose yet but quitting smoking a pack a day is definitely a goal. however, right now I don't have enough confidence in myself to try both at the same time. My logic is that if I start eating healthier and working out a little then it will be easier to keep up when I do quit. I'm well aware that quitting might cause me to gain more weight but I think if I'm already getting used to new healthier habits then it will be easier to continue when I quit. I'm afraid if I quit first, I'm going to pack on more weight which will make me feel worse and harder to get up the energy to do anything. I could be wrong but I've got it in my head to start my weight loss journey now with adding giving up the smokes another goal in the very near future. Good luck to you!

Edited to add that I really like what a previous poster said about dropping one cigarette a day until you're down to nothing. That sounds do-able and something I'm going to consider!