Quitting smoking and losing weight? Come say hello

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

Me! Hello there. My name is Lacey. I haven't officially quit..but I have cut back a lot. I don't really smoke during the week at all and just have some on the weekends. Usually when I go out. But, I'm a stress smoker. I've been really stressed out lately and find myself wanting to buy a pack! Ughhh

Add me if you'd like some support. I quit smoking with the patch 7 weeks ago. I was super snotty and super hungry for the first few days. And again when I stopped with the patch.

I had tried unsuccessfully 3 times over the past 2 years to quit but, the weight gain scared me into going back to it. This time I am doing it all right. No smoke, no alcoholic drinks, working out and eating well.

Gotta say I am feeling fantastic.

Good for you! It has been 3 months since my last cigarette. I gained 10 lbs when I quit. At first, I quit smoking and drinking alcohol. Wow was that hard!! So I replaced it with sweets!!

What I have found is that when I exercise, it relieves my stress and I don't feel the need to indulge on cigarettes and junk.

The first month is always the hardest, but I just stuck with it and chewed my Nicorette!

It takes 21 days to break a habit.

The hardest things that we do are always worth it!

Good Luck!

I quit smoking 3 months ago and was a smoker for 30 years. I started MFP about 3 weeks ago and have lost a total of 7 pounds to date. So I wish you luck and much success

I have been using MFP since Jan 2012, and have lost 42lbs. Only about 5 pounds away from my goal. Yesterday I went for a physical and expected a really good report. NOT - I was called back to the doctor 20 min after I left, they asked me to come back for a second chest X-Ray. There was "shadowing" on my both chest x-rays, dr said it is probably "nothing" but is sending it out to a specialist for a second look. Also told I have begining stages of emphysema, was given Spiriva, and inhaler, and am being referred to a Pulmonoligist for further test. Docotor also concerned about slow heartbeat, have to pick up Holter monitor on Thursday. Of course, doc said I really needed to quit smoking! I am 49, and didn't start smoking until my mid 30's. Anyway, my quit date is Sept. 4th, next Tuesday. I am going to use the "patch". I am scared, and frustrated....

Hey there, same thing with me and guess what? I went and got an ecig and stopped smoking traditional cigs and stopped using the ecig after about 8 months. I started running and my lung function is back now to 98%, so there is hope!

Now I do have trouble breathing when air quality is bad or its super humid, but other than that, I am well. So dont sweat it, just stop smoking and start exercising more, pretty soon, you are going to be surprised at how much easier exercising is going to be. I used to struggle watching a cop chase a perp on tv, now I can actually run for miles! ( well before my back injury I could run three straight miles).


I never in a million years thought I would get one of those smoking related diseases, ya know, cause I am awesome like that. I was so freaking scared when I found out what was going on it was not hard for me to stop. The thought of dying with emphysema scares me. I have seen what it does to people. Struggling to catch my breath is very scary.

This thread could not have came at a better time. My quit date is Sunday. I'm using chantix this time. I hope it works, I am to the point where I hate being a smoker. I think my determination to quit is good.

I lost 30 pounds then quit smoking last April and lost another 30lbs! You can do it if you put your mind to it!

I am quitting too - on my 4th week of Chantix (which has made it much easier). I had gained weight prior to quitting. But hope we can all support one another.