smoking,eating and studying....

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In my attempt to give up smoking this morning i ended up eating like a pig today. I am studying Javascript at the moment and it is very intense. Pressure always makes me eat and smoke too much.

I really want to stop smoking but i am scared to put weight on if i do that will make me more miserable but if i dont then i have the risk of getting cancer G-d forbid

Any advice?

Replies

  • dzarello
    dzarello Posts: 119 Member
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    In my attempt to give up smoking this morning i ended up eating like a pig today. I am studying Javascript at the moment and it is very intense. Pressure always makes me eat and smoke too much.

    I really want to stop smoking but i am scared to put weight on if i do that will make me more miserable but if i dont then i have the risk of getting cancer G-d forbid

    Any advice?

    Chantix and light cardio.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,002 Member
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    ^^ What he said.

    Seriously, take breaks and do some jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups, dips, planks, jump rope, etc. Have a glass of water next to you or hot tea. Food and smokes are just habits. Replace bad habits with good.

    Exercise is the best anti-anxiety treatment there is. Try it.
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
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    I found that a stress ball helped me greatly learning Javascript.
    At least it keeps your hands from going to a cigaret or food.

    And with learning Javascript you're going to need something that reduces stress ;).

    Also take breaks regularly, otherwise it will do your head in. Your brain needs a couple of minutes off to process every now and then.
    Get some fresh air, will help you think..
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Cardio helps a lot...and drink TONS of water while you're quitting. Try to find something to occupy that craving ...like gum or sugar free hard candy. That "oral fixation" goes away after a while if you hang in there.

    Its SO worth it in the long run to quit smoking, so hang in there!! :drinker:
  • leanne2376
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    I am exercising i am doing zumba and have a trainer. That isnt the problem.

    Its the cravings
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    I am exercising i am doing zumba and have a trainer. That isnt the problem.

    Its the cravings
    The first week or 10 days are the hardest...I promise it does get easier. I used the patch for a while and that did help....(and water, water, water....to help flush the toxins out)
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
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    Hot tea, low cal crunchy stuff like popcorn, carrot sticks, pepper strips, etc. helped keep my hands & mouth occupied when I quit earlier this year.

    Try to keep stress to a minimum as much as you can, take breaks, do something fun, reward yourself for you successes.

    Also keep in mind that quitting smoking in almost all cases is a LOT more important to your overall health than losing weight so go easy on yourself the first week you are trying to kick the habit. You'll get back on track soon and you'll probably be able to workout a lot harder in the very near future.

    Kudos on your attempt to quit!!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Chewing tobacco.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Chewing tobacco.
    :laugh: yes, because mouth cancer is much a better option than lung....:noway:
  • keelz2010
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    Read Allan Carrs book The Easyway to Stop Smoking, I don't know how it works, it's like hypnosis or something but it will help you give up. You can get it in The Works bookshop (UK) for about £1.00. keep lots of healthy munchies around, such as satsumas or clementines, low in cals and peeling and breaking them into pieces gives you something to do with your hands. Also try chewing gum or sip fruit teas. Good luck with giving up the cigs!
  • heygina
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    I went to the "roll my own" thing. I'd do like a pack at a time, but then it got really boring. So much so that it wasn't worth the effort for me to keep smoking if I had to make them myself! Then when I was down to like 3 cigs a day I was like, "why am I still doing this?"
  • hkry3250
    hkry3250 Posts: 140
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    if you're worried about gaining weight, think about this. Smoking a pack a day does the same damage to your organs as being 100lbs heavier. Not to mention the added benefits of cancer, lower stamina, being out of breath easier, lower sex drive, etc. etc.
  • Easywider
    Easywider Posts: 434 Member
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    Transition from nasty cigarette smoke to vaping/baking marijuana. :)
  • MJEekhoff
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    Reach for carrot sticks, celery sticks with peanut butter, a banana with peanut butter, handful of nuts such as peanuts, almonds, stuff like that.

    As for the advice on quitting smoking? Can't help you there. I smoked for 25 years and quit cold turkey almost 3 years ago. It was easy for me and I haven't craved a smoke at all. Don't hang around people who do smoke, though. It'll make you want to smoke. A craving only lasts for 15 minutes then it subsides, so if you can make it through a craving once, you can do it again. Get your mind focused on other things, reach for healthy snacks like fruits and veggies, or even go for a walk/jog to get your mind off of the craving. You can kill a few birds with one stone this way: Eating/snacking right, quitting smoking, and getting in some exercise.

    Also, it helps to look at this and realize what's truly going on as you quit smoking:

    Within ...


    • 20 minutes - Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.

    • 8 hours - Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.

    • 12 hours - Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.

    • 24 hours - Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.

    • 48 hours - Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.

    • 72 hours - Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.

    • 5 - 8 days - The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.

    • 10 days - 10 days - The "average ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.

    • 10 days to 2 weeks - Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.

    • 2 to 4 weeks - Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.

    • 21 days - Brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.

    • 2 weeks to 3 months - Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.

    • 3 weeks to 3 months - Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. If not, get seen by a doctor, and sooner if at all concerned, as a chronic cough can be a sign of lung cancer.

    • 8 weeks - Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (1997 study).

    • 1 to 9 months - Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.

    • 1 year - Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke have dropped to less than half that of a smoker.

    • 5 years - Your risk of a sub-arachnid hemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study). If a female ex-smoker, your risk of developing diabetes is now that of a non-smoker (2001 study).

    • 5 to 15 years - Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.

    • 10 years - Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker (2001 study and 2012 study).

    • 13 years - The average smoker able to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker (1998 study). But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study).

    • 15 years - Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study - but note 2nd pancreatic making identical finding at 20 years).

    • 20 years - Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study). Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker (2011 study).
  • RockstarPunch
    RockstarPunch Posts: 203 Member
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    Go cold turkey, write out reasons you want to quit, let the habit go, PRAY and ask for the desire to be removed. I smoked for 12 years and through Jesus the desire was removed and I havent smoked or had the desire since i quit (its been 2yrs) Not a drag or even sitting next to a smoker to inhale excess smoke since, I didnt use gum, patches, or anything....just the power of prayer.
  • keelz2010
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    Transition from nasty cigarette smoke to vaping/baking marijuana. :)

    THIS ha although then you have to deal with the munchies!
  • MJEekhoff
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    Transition from nasty cigarette smoke to vaping/baking marijuana. :)

    THIS ha although then you have to deal with the munchies!

    Why would you go from one addiction to another? This is terrible advice, whether or not it was meant in a joking manner.
  • Tricialew32
    Tricialew32 Posts: 96 Member
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    I promise you it's easier to lose weight after you've stopped smoking for a few months than it is to stop smoking.

    Different things work for different people. I quit during a bad bout of bronchitis and pleurisy. It scared the heck out of me. Patches helped for that first week.

    after smoking 28 years I just decided that being a little heavier was more appealing than emphysema or cancer. I gained weight immediately...like 20 lbs but I wasn't going to stress over it because avoiding undue stress is helpful.

    I've replaced my bad smoking habits with annoying habits like running into a quiet house and announcing my new 5K personal best time....or spending ridiculous amounts of money on running shoes, fitbit, Nike fuel band....workout clothes...Insanity workout (which I did the first 90 days after quitting smoking - I had to do month number 1 twice :)

    My new bad habit is buying fitness stuff and driving a stupid amount of miles to enter mud obstacle races. (All that buying is still less than I spent on cigs).

    Every day you don't smoke....put $5 in a jar. That's what it was costing me. That is what motivated me to stay quit. I'd still like to lose 10-15 lbs. but I'm not going to stop eating and I'm never going to start smoking again!

    Good luck...you can do it!
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    Go cold turkey, write out reasons you want to quit, let the habit go, PRAY and ask for the desire to be removed. I smoked for 12 years and through Jesus the desire was removed and I havent smoked or had the desire since i quit (its been 2yrs) Not a drag or even sitting next to a smoker to inhale excess smoke since, I didnt use gum, patches, or anything....just the power of prayer.
    It wasn't the prayer. It was you.