Still Smoking!!

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jeanababy2
jeanababy2 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been working on my Healthy eating habits and going to the gym and loosing weight!!! I am very happy with how things are going . I started about 4.5 weeks ago. Since then I have lost 14lbs BUT I am still smoking!!! I know I need to quit... I want to quit... I know how unhealthy it is.... I have trouble breathing when doing stuff and I know I could do MORE When not IF I quit. Im doing pretty good with my eating habits but I smoke more instead of eating. Before I would sit and munch on chips or candy or whatever Now I Don't do that so I smoke instead of grabbing that bag of chips. Im afraid that when I do quit im going to put weight back on. So how do I quit smoking and LOSE weight at the same time with out wanting to "kill" the people around me... For those that have ever smoked before you know what I mean!!! Please help
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Replies

  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
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    Have you spoken to your doctor about quit smoking aids and options? I know a few people who've had success not killing their friends with the short-term aid of an anti-depressant specifically targeted to quitting smoking. Good luck!
  • thkthn
    thkthn Posts: 3
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    Just stop smoking! Sounds easy ......
    It's the most addictive substance known to man.
    Work out a Quit plan
    Work out a date
    Don't beat yourself up!
    The more you try to quit the more likely you will.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    I am still smoking too - while it doesn't hinder my breathing (yet) I know eventually it will. We've lost 3 family members in the past 3 months at fairly young ages - all due to smoking. My uncle was 67, my aunt was in her low 50's and my other uncle was in his early 60's.
  • RedneckMomma77
    RedneckMomma77 Posts: 85 Member
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    Oh, Darling I completely understand your situation. My story is reversed however. I wanted to quit smoking, but was concerned that I would put MORE weight on. My Dr. prescribed me Chantix, which I had to quit taking because I was not sleeping except every 3-4 days. I would literally lay in bed awake all night long trying to sleep. Now, on that 3rd or 4th day I might crash at like 6:00 pm, and sleep through 10:00 am the following morning, but then the cycle would start over. So I am still smoking(about 10 cigs/day, down from a whole pack a day), and waiting for a program to send me the Nicoderm patches, that I've had success with before. One thing that I have learned about quitting, is you have to be ready to quit, which it sounds like you are. See if your place of employment or health insurance offers any type of assistance with quitting. It helps to have someone to talk to, especially if they have been in your boat before!

    You can do this. Add me if you want, and I'll be your quitting support as well.

    You got this, and God bless!
  • iLoveMyAR15
    iLoveMyAR15 Posts: 122 Member
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    The best advice i can give you is you need to be ready. Not kind of ready or sort of ready but REALLY ready. I smoked for about 25 years and quit last summer, cold turkey. Havent looked back since. I'm back here on MFP because i did gain about 20 pounds. You can do this, seriously. I know it sounds cliche but "if i can do it, you can do it"
  • mrowrmeowmrowr
    mrowrmeowmrowr Posts: 288 Member
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    My biggest problem is in the car.
    A friend suggested I buy a bag of sunflower seeds and focus on cracking each one individually.

    I mean, you can just spit them out if you don't want the calories!
  • For_the_Last_Time
    For_the_Last_Time Posts: 136 Member
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    Check out Allen Carr's easyway to stop smoking. I have been a nonsmoker for a week and 2 days now:) First time I have been able to quit without being pregnant. Good luck!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Discuss this with your doctor. I've known a few people that used the drugs to quit (two used Chantix, one used Wellbutrin). My husband is currently trying to quit using the Nicotrol inhaler. He is not out of the woods yet, but he has not had a cigarette in almost 3 months which is HUGE for him.

    Good luck!
  • svatcher
    svatcher Posts: 1
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    Hi jeanababy2,
    I lost 35 pounds a couple of years ago and after losing my weight I quit smoking. I used champix to help ease the withdrawal symptoms. During the quitting process I ate and I ate and I did not work out. As a result I gained all my weight back and started smoking again. I told myself or I should say I justified my smoking again with the fact that I could not afford to gain more weight. So I am back at the gym and I am eating healthy....goodbye chips, chocolate bars and sodas.
    My new plan is to lose 35 pounds plus the 7 pounds already lost and then to do the quit thing again. But this time I plan to continue with the gym and healthy eating. And I suppress my hunger with cigarettes and coffee.
    But before I lost my weight I was smoking and eating very badly.
  • AmandaWalt628
    AmandaWalt628 Posts: 51 Member
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    The best advice i can give you is you need to be ready. Not kind of ready or sort of ready but REALLY ready. I smoked for about 25 years and quit last summer, cold turkey. Havent looked back since. I'm back here on MFP because i did gain about 20 pounds. You can do this, seriously. I know it sounds cliche but "if i can do it, you can do it"

    THIS!! I quit January 1, 2013 and started my healthy eating habits and working out on January 3, 2013. I am down 17 pounds since then. But, the biggest thing for me was that I was READY. I was disgusted by smoking. I had tried to quit numerous times before but it never stuck. I haven't looked back. Haven't craved a single cigarette. Good luck!!
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
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    Check out those electronic cigarettes. It's just water vapor and nicotine (nicotine is addictive but it isn't a carcinogen). Many people have managed to quit smoking cigarettes using those things.

    Me, I just switched to smoking pipes, which is far better in terms of tobacco quality and the fact one doesn't actually inhale the smoke.

    You may also want to check out the QuitNet website http://www.quitnet.com/ . I personally know several people who have quit using that site.
  • VickiDiane22
    VickiDiane22 Posts: 118 Member
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    I stopped last July. I used Nicorette Lozenges. I was working at the time so every break I had a lozenge and every time I wanted to light up I had a lozenge. Just following the directions on box. It worked. They don't have the side effects. Good luck!
  • strawberrytoast
    strawberrytoast Posts: 711 Member
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    I think you have to really want to do it! Join the stop smoking forum and read lots of the stuff on there.

    This is the most true statement I can think of- thinking about giving up is actually harder than actually doing it.

    (Ex smoker)
  • lrussell0402
    lrussell0402 Posts: 6 Member
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    I went cold turkey over a year ago with no backsliding (even though I wanted to!) but I think you'll only be successful if you TRULY want to stop. I had a stop date and time and the hardest day was the first day...and I still have days that I would LOVE to have a cigarette but those are few and far between.

    You CAN DO IT!! ...Smoke film covers up medical issues...as soon as mine cleared I discovered thru 3 trips to the ER that I had acid reflux, esophagitis, and a hiatal hernia...
  • bsmithmia
    bsmithmia Posts: 41 Member
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    My advice is to get yourself out of the familiar situations where you get the urge to smoke if you can. For example, people who you smoke with at work - ask them not to ask you anymore. Clean your car and remove the ashtray to remind yourself you aren't smoking in the car anymore. Remove the ashtrays from places you smoke around/outside your house. Get a calendar and mark off the days that you haven't smoked. You should track it just like your food to get you past the first 6 weeks.

    I quit cold turkey at the beginning of November and the hardest part for me was the first 6 weeks. You will have cravings for 2 - 3 weeks and they get better and then one last round of cravings between the 4-6 week mark. But as someone mentioned above, YOU HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT. IMO you sound like you know you should but you're not ready to stop.

    Just think about it, why would you go thru the trouble of getting healthy and only do it half way? Go all out and make the necessary changes and your body will pay you back by losing weight and you will feel 100 times better when doing exercise and day to day activities. Just do it - QUIT SMOKING! Good luck!
  • jimcarey24
    jimcarey24 Posts: 9
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    I quit smoking 7 years ago after being overweight (289lbs) and diagnosed as a type II diabetic. I really struggled to quit and finally I went to my doctor for help and she put me on "the pill". At the time my health insurance provider wasn't covering Zyban and I couldn't afford the $80.00+ so she prescribed Wellbutrin - same drug but marketed as an anti-depressant, and covered by my insurance. I quit within 12 days of starting with no cravings, and haven't looked back since.

    As for dealing with food cravings, it's really about making sure you have healthy alternatives around. Make sure that the bag of potato chips isn't in the house but the celery/carrot sticks are. If you're in the car, put some bubble gum in your purse and make sure you take a bottle of water - sipping on water helped me through some of the rough spots.

    Best of luck, I really hope you quit because it's definitely the best decision you could ever make.

    Cheers!
  • theCarlton
    theCarlton Posts: 1,344 Member
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    I'm pretty sure there's no easy way out of smoking, just as there's no easy way out of losing weight. You must change - no excuses. It doesn't matter if you put on weight from quitting; you're strong enough to lose the weight again.
  • Linda5678
    Linda5678 Posts: 32 Member
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    I have smoked for 37 years. I quit one time using Chantix for 1.5 years but started smoking again, slowly at first, just at social gatherings where there was alcohol, then before I knew it I was back to smoking a pack a day. I turn 50 in June and I need to quit smoking and lose 50 lbs. I decided I was going to do this for myself. I bought Nicorette Gum, joined MFP, started exercising and eating healthy everyday. In 7 weeks I have not had a cigarette and in 3.5 weeks I have lost 11 lbs. I feel great and I have no plans on going back. It is one day at a time, but there is a last time to quit for everyone we just need to do it one LAST time! All ex-smokers know what we are going through but that is how they became ex-smokers. It is a struggle, but it is going to be worth it. Do it for yourself, and know you aren't the only one struggling it was just as hard for them to quit as it is for us, we can do this!
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
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    Check out Allen Carr's easyway to stop smoking.

    This times a hundred!! After I read this I had no problem quitting my more than 15 year habit and haven't looked back since!
  • kelleygi
    kelleygi Posts: 650 Member
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    I am 44, 5'7, 35 lbs down to 150, try to run/walk 3-4 times a week plus lifting. I smoke and have no plans to stop. I smoke generally less than half a pack a day. I just plan when to smoke so that it will not effect my workouts ( even more than they do anyway! ). I just figure I have given up most of my "fun" bad habits like crack, the porn industry and nightly Tequila bouts.....A gals gotta hang on to SOMETHING!!! :smokin:

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