Smoking

lavitaloca
lavitaloca Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone tried to lose weight and quit smoking simultaneously? I am doing both and it is FRUSTRATING because I feel like I have removed two HUGE ways that I deal with the stresses of life, my kids driving me bananas, and just general female mercurial mood shifts. I know that some people report gaining weight when they quit smoking because they turn to snacking. Has anyone experienced this? Does anyone have any advice? Right now my kids and their homework is drivng me crazy and all I want is a Newport and a pint of Chunky Monkey.
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Replies

  • Culley34
    Culley34 Posts: 224
    I had an aunt gain 50 lbs after she quit smoking. Smoking, as a way to relieve stress is one thing, but nicotine is also a huge appetite suppressant -- so it's normal to snack.

    My advice: try not to buy junk food. When you get a hunger pang -- snack on something very low calorie (perhaps carrots and hummus). Out of sight, out of mind is the best way. Also-- after 72 hours of no smoking your body should stop with the constant cravings. You'll still get them, but they should be much more manageable.

    My father used chantix to quit and did so for about 13 months. He gained 5-7 lbs in the process and said he had some pretty vivid dreams.
  • ahart78
    ahart78 Posts: 28
    I quit smoking about a month and a half before deciding to lose weight. I KNEW I couldn't handle both at once. I have been smoke free for about 2 months now(minus one small slip up) and have been losing weight for about 2 weeks :)
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    I would pick one or the other and once you've met one goal, go for the other. Hard to say which is worse for you, being overweight or being a smoker. Most of the health risks are the same, although swap lung/throat cancer for diabetes.

    I know a lot of quit smoking programs say replace your cigs with a healthy snack but calories are calories. It's about getting down to the oral fixation, which is with food and cigs.

    Good luck!
  • AlichiaMJohnson73
    AlichiaMJohnson73 Posts: 186 Member
    Raising hand "ME"!!! I'm actually going through this right now...I just quit smoking on August 2nd at 11:30 pm the eve of me and my hubbies birthday's! I'm still going strong and I haven't gained any weight! i'm here for moral support if you need me!
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
    You can do its going to be hard but it will be worth in the end just focus that energy into some thing postive and you and the Ice cream and new port really didnt make life easier it was just a state of mind you shift to I have some free 9 months now and it cross my mind from time to time to smoke but i dont give in to it
  • chunkiedunker
    chunkiedunker Posts: 144 Member
    I am a non smoker officially on july 1st of this year. I will tell u i stopped the weightloss thing in the process. I tried my best to eat clean and not binge or snack but i ate more than i should have. I gained about 10 lbs back from quitting both smoking and counting calories and working out. Today i feel great. The cravings are still there every so often on those rough days. Just turn ur attention to something else for 5 mins and u will forget all about wanting one. U can do anything u put ur mind to. Me i had to quit one to quit the other. I just tried my best to not eat terrible. Good luck. If u need a friend feel free to add me.
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    I am TRYING to quit smoking for the past 3 months. I have drastically cut back, but not totally quit yet. Smoking seems to be kicking my *kitten*.
  • rfechter
    rfechter Posts: 109 Member
    Sorry I can't say I experienced it myself but my best friend at work had similar issues. With the stress and anxiety she made the decision to concentrate on one problem at a time. Since her weight was the most pressing issue she concentrated on that. If it is possible it might be good to speak with your Doctor about options to help with the stress. Good luck. :smile:
  • pennyburton
    pennyburton Posts: 2 Member
    Yes, I've tried both and it is really hard. Nicorette will help you get over the hump, just be careful with it and taper it off. I actually like it better than smoking. The first time I quit I brushed my teeth every time I wanted a smoke, it got easier to just not smoke! (I quit for 25 years so that definitely worked!) Hang in there and good luck!
  • jipsybird
    jipsybird Posts: 878 Member
    I've never had a smoking habit, but I can imagine it being very frustrating for you. I have 2 toddlers and I find myself often frustrated, especially with the older one (who just turned 3). I find that getting a good workout in really helps my moods. I used to snack a lot and found that even when I tried eating 'healthy' snacks, I would still overeat. Plus I love sugar (especially chocolate n pb). So having carrot sticks never quite filled my sugar cravings. I do find that if I avoid extra sugars, the less I crave sugar. I really try not to snack between every meal anymore. I usually don't need one in the mornings, but sometimes in the afternoon. I try to plan what I will snack on so I don't turn to a quick sugar fix.

    Best of luck to you. I know some people can quit smoking cold turkey with few problems, and I hope you can find a method that works for you.
  • twelker878
    twelker878 Posts: 146 Member
    Hang on girl, you are in for a heck of a ride. Quitting smoking is difficult on its own, add to that dieting and exercise and look out world. I put on over 12 pounds when I quit smoking but I was not dieting and exercising at the time. I have since lost it all, and some additional weight, but it's a challenge. STAY STRONG and Good LUCK. Just keep telling yourself SMOKING IS BAD.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    You've got this. Hang in there. Both are hard to do but might as well kick them both at the same time :). I quit smoking and didn't gain any weight but I watched what I ate and started exercising.

    You won't regret it.
  • joannaorgovan
    joannaorgovan Posts: 71 Member
    I gained back 5.5 pounds after 4 weeks of not smoking. I went back to smoking. I'll either die of lung cancer or obesity related issues. I don't want to get fatter.
  • kls13la
    kls13la Posts: 380 Member
    I quit smoking on March 22 and gained some weight, which brought me here.

    However, every pound I gained was 100% worth it to now be smoke free and going strong. I've lost the pounds gained and then some.

    My advice is to focus on quitting smoking for one month. That will get you through the toughest time. Try to snack on healthy things, but if you fail, so what. What's a few more pounds to lose in the grand scheme? Chances are you aren't going to gain more than four or five pounds in a month. After a month, then do both weight loss and continue quitting smoking. Just my two cents. Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I never thought I would quit.
  • PisceanDream224
    PisceanDream224 Posts: 168
    I smoke and that is why I have such a hard time with cardio. It is getting easier though. Mine isn't mental, like a lot of other people's addiction. In a way it is, but I really do have hard cravings when I go without them. I've been smoking since 1994, which was the biggest mistake of my life! I remember wanting to quit back in 1999 and having a hard time even then. I think it will be easier to quit once I get in the habit of working out at a more advanced level of cardio because they say it is easier to quit with exercise. Someone also told me to drink red wine often because it kind of kills the craving. Someone else told me to eat fruit. Like another poster said, a calorie is a calorie! I think it may be easier for some to just slowly eliminate it either by cutting back and quitting or by using patches or an aide.

    Wonderful that the ones who have quit did! :)
  • xxmangexx
    xxmangexx Posts: 13 Member
    Doing both is quit difficult. I can't say that I have completly cut out the smoking, but I did come accross a crutch. Get a water bottle with a spout, not just the open bottle. This could be either a smart water bottle with the flip top nozzle or even a refillable just with a pop top. Whenever you feel the urge to smoke, try suck the water out of the bottle instead. Of course this would only work if you are trying to kick the cesation habit and not the nicotine addiction. Hope this helps.
  • PinkRainToday
    PinkRainToday Posts: 13
    Consider the fact that you smoking can kill your children.

    Now tell me it is difficult to quit.
  • lavitaloca
    lavitaloca Posts: 28
    Consider the fact that you smoking can kill your children.

    Now tell me it is difficult to quit.

    I NEVER EVER EVER smoke around my kids. Like NEVER. I do it outside of the house. My children have NEVER seen me with a cigarette in my mouth. So trust they are not in harm's way.
  • AlichiaMJohnson73
    AlichiaMJohnson73 Posts: 186 Member
    Consider the fact that you smoking can kill your children.

    Now tell me it is difficult to quit.

    I NEVER EVER EVER smoke around my kids. Like NEVER. I do it outside of the house. My children have NEVER seen me with a cigarette in my mouth. So trust they are not in harm's way.


    They're also saying that 3rd hand smoke is harming kids...do some research on it on the web...I'm not trying to scare you, but just keeping you informed. I want you to successfully become a non smoker also. I stopped cold turkey...it wasn't easy but that's what makes me not want another cigarette...who'd want to keep quitting? I figure..."I'm no QUITTER at QUITTING!!!"
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
    I can't do both at once. I quit drinking, then started my weight loss journey, smoking is next....one thing at a time :)
  • PisceanDream224
    PisceanDream224 Posts: 168
    I forgot about to mention this... I have known people who have used that "smokeless" cigarette with the filters, and they have really had success stopping smoking. One girl quit in a month just by going from the highest level, all the way to the lowest. I was thinking about doing that, too. It would be worth a try! :)
  • lavitaloca
    lavitaloca Posts: 28
    I can't do both at once. I quit drinking, then started my weight loss journey, smoking is next....one thing at a time :)

    Thanks everyone for your advice and comments and to you for keeping it real.....I had a friend tell me the same thing. And congrats on being 9lbs away from your goal. That's awesome.
  • RubySinclair
    RubySinclair Posts: 90 Member
    Good luck to you! I know it's hard! If you like MFP, you might like this program I found - stayquit.co.uk - In the long run, it didn't work for me, but I could very well see it working for someone else.
    Everyone is different, but one word of advice: I quit for two years... not one single butt, so I figured "I'm tough.. I can have just a few on weekends" and for a while that was true, but eventually the stupid things snuck back into my life so now I have to quit them all over again! :angry: Do not make this same mistake! Once you get that wonderful feeling of beating the b**tards, don't ever let them back in even a little! Once again, good luck! The feeling you will get when you have control over the nasty little things is really, really worth it!! :happy:
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    The patch + electronic cig that is just water vapor and no nicotine. Kills the oral fixation and the physiological withdrawal symptoms.
  • clairebee
    clairebee Posts: 1 Member
    I took a nonsmoking class at a hospital which helped me a lot. They recommended the patch AND a lozenge or gum when a craving hit. Seemed like it was overkill but they said it was recommended by Mayo Clinic. I was worried I'd feel ill with both but it made such a difference... I didn't gain weight and my cravings were so much less than just the patch or the gum (as I had tried previously). Eventually I moved on to just the lozenge, but I'm tapering that now too.
    Good luck!
  • brainfreeze72
    brainfreeze72 Posts: 180 Member
    My doctor once told me he'd rather I gained 5# for every cigarette than to continue smoking. I quit the smokes 5 years ago and between that and my thyroid I gained nearly 35#. I finally got sick of making excuses and started exercising more. I dropped 5# then it was time for my physical. My doctor referred me to MFP to help me track my calories and it's helped me lose another 5#. I don't "diet" well. I'm not a nice person to be around when I'm hungry but it helps me track what I've eaten for the day and make better decisions for myself. I love being active so getting out for a hike or a long power walk with my dogs is not usually a problem....finding time to do it is the problem. I've learned that I'd rather power walk 5 miles a day than give up my wine but if I get lazy, I haven't earned my wine (or ice cream but I've got more will power for ice cream than wine). Personally I know how hard it is to quit smoking and stay quit so I'd go for quitting smoking first. If you've already made it through a day or two without a smoke then I would encourage you to keep up the momentum, even if it means weight loss has to take a back burner for a couple weeks/months/whatever. You might find you have more energy and stamina once the nicotine addiction takes a back seat and you start breathing better and sleeping better. Try eating healthier, fruits, veggies, lean protein. Try to stay away from those quick meals and processed foods. I personally feel better when I eat lots of veggies and fish or poultry as opposed to red meat and carbs (although I do really like red meat and carbs). Whatever you do, I wish you much luck and peace going forward.
  • krazyforyou
    krazyforyou Posts: 1,428 Member
    By all means quit smoking first. Aftrt about 2 weeks the xravings go down dramiatly. If you can some weight we will deal with it later. Good luck.
  • reesa418
    reesa418 Posts: 22
    i just quit smoking at the end of February this year... it wasn't by choice really....i caught a cold that turned into bronchitis and was in bed for two days. after not being able to smoke for a week without choking i decided i would just not smoke anymore...it really wasnt that bad for the cravings for me, but i DID GAIN 30 POUNDS!!!! that is how i found this website! i am so thankful for it! (i do still crave a cig once in a while, so i just take a couple puffs from my husbands :) dont tell!! )
  • 388gigi
    388gigi Posts: 485 Member
    I quit smoking, started C25K (couch to 5 k running app) and MFP all within the same week.

    The C25K really helped with the smoking, because I knew that if I started smoking again I wouldn't be able to improve with the running.

    It will be 2 years in January since my last smoke :-)
  • emmie0622
    emmie0622 Posts: 167 Member
    my husband read allen carr's easy way to stop smoking, I got it on amazon and he was able to quit when he finished reading the book. It was recommended on a post in one of the forums.

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