Smoking-cessation

chanel1twenty
chanel1twenty Posts: 161 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm preparing my plan to quit smoking. I am so ready to butt-out, but fear that doing it now will set back my weight-loss progress immensely. I began this just to get skinny again, but now that I've been working out and eating well, I feel the best I have in recent memory so I want to keep it up. Problem is I feel as though my smoking habit...no, I KNOW that my smoking habit is preventing me from exercising as long as and with the intensity that I want. I know I physically can, but my breathing gets in the way. Hell, the first thing I want after a workout is a cigarette.

My entire family smokes, I've been addicted since age 13, and I have a 15 month-old and 11 week-old that I never ever want to smoke. If I'm smoking by the time they're older, than how much of an a** would I look like when preaching to them about smoking. Whenever my oldest sees me smoke, she asks "what's that?" I always refer to them as "ickies" but that doesn't rid her interest.
My wake-up call was a few days ago when I caught her...she had gotten into my cigarettes and had one in her mouth. My heart sank, face got hot, my guts churned, and I wanted to die. Two days after that, my uncle was diagnosed with lung cancer and given 4 months.

Have you, or someone you know, successfully quit smoking? Preferably without gaining weight? I tried quitting with Chantix when I was 16, but the side effects I experienced made it not at ALL worth it. It was dreadful. How did you achieve it?

Thank you,
Chanel

Replies

  • 8dozendiets
    8dozendiets Posts: 47
    Many years ago, I quit smoking. I was 25. I lost 5 pounds. But I starved myself doing so.
  • redhead1910
    redhead1910 Posts: 304 Member
    I've never smoked a cigarette in my life so I don't have any good advice for you. :( But I wish you luck!
  • Shelby1582
    Shelby1582 Posts: 191 Member
    I quit smoking in January and lost ten pounds. I feel great and used fruit flavor Nicorette gum for the first few days but didn't really like it and also the e-cigarette. During the first few weeks when the cravings were the worst (after work, just getting home was when me and my hubby would sit outside and smoke and catch up on our days) I started working out hardcore because I knew while I was working out and struggling to breathe that I would not want a cigarette. I started doing Insanity and when I first started I couldn't even complete the warm up without pausing it and couldn't finish a whole workout at all.
    5 months later I am toned, fit, don't think of cigarettes anymore and can finish a whole workout. One of the reasons I delayed quitting was because I didn't want to gain weight but I didn't eat when I had a craving and I was conscious of what I did eat. I drank a lot of ice water when a craving hit and would do random jumping jacks or crunches if I was at home. After a couple set the craving was gone. Working out helped a lot and I wasn't very active before so it did wonders for me.
    You can do this! I'm proud of you for making the decision to quit. The Livestrong app was really helpful to me too. You can log your cravings and vent to other people in your position. I like the community support aspect of it which is one of the things that I think makes MFP so helpful. Feel free to add me if you want any tips or anything.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    My fiance is now on his like millionth attempt to quit smoking. He's going the lozenge route and is actually doing pretty well so far. He finds that the lozenge is easier for him to commit to. The patch route left him with irritated skin and practically overdosing on nicotine. He was also irritable. So if you're a fan of candy and want to quit, I would try to lozenge. My fiance says they kind of taste funny, but they're better than the gum.
  • HopeDaleen930
    HopeDaleen930 Posts: 39
    I really liked Chantix. I didn't snack that much either... Talk to your Doc about it.
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
    I quit smoking around 2 months ago. Unless you choose to quit logging your food intake at the same time there is NO reason you should gain weight.

    Oh - I'm addicted to an e-cig instead :smokin:
  • hellraisedfire
    hellraisedfire Posts: 403 Member
    I've never been a smoker, but I've heard that some people prick their fingers with the spring-loaded thingies that diabetics use to cause a negative sort of feeling when they're craving a cigarette. so you'll start to associate cigarettes with a (visible) physical pain and not want them anymore.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    I quit over a year ago (passed my first 'smokiversary' on January 29th) and didn't gain weight...you just have to focus on NOT replacing cigarettes with food, and you'll be fine. Pick a fitness goal (for me it was C25K) that will allow you to see and feel the changes in your lung function immediately. I also recommend the QuitNow app for smartphones, as it gives you updates on your health changes and money saved...very helpful to keep motivated.

    I also tried Chantix in the past and the side effects (for me - psychotic nightmares) caused me to stop with that. This last time, I used the patch for a couple of weeks, and that helped take the edge off.

    At this point, I'm thankful every day to be free of that stinky, money sucking, life controlling habit...its a whole new freedom!!

    edited to add...GOOD LUCK! You can totally do this :drinker:
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    I quit a year and a half ago. I started at age 11 and smoked for 32 years, a pack a day habit.
    My doc told me to either focus on weight loss or quitting, not both at the same time.
    I quit using Chantix the first three weeks, but they made me so loopy, I had to get off of them just to function normally. Cinnamon sticks helped a great deal, in fact, I kept a jar in my car, at my office and at my Mothers place. That and gum, but invest in cinnamon sticks for sure.
    My kids are 18, 16 and 9, so this was a big deal for them for mama to quit. They had been on me forever to quit. When I quit, my own Mother quit two months after me.
    You'll gain, but if you're leading a healthy lifestyle, it really won't be that bad at all. I WASN'T leading a healthy lifestyle when I quit and I gained almost 35 pounds.

    Edited because I am my own grammar nazi.
  • LovinDaNewLiz14
    LovinDaNewLiz14 Posts: 217 Member
    TODAY MAKES DAY NUMBER 41 FOR ME!!! I am 26 years old, and started smoking around the age of 18 years old.( I quit cold turkey, and since than have lost a total of about 5 pounds. What helped me was my awesome support system, working out and writing in a journal...You can and will do it, it is more of a mind thing!!! I ain't gonna lie the first two weeks was hell, but once I got over that hump no cravings hell they even smell bad to me!!! I am sending a friend request your way, I have a few friend on my list were we quit after years of being heavy smokers. I do not regret it I feel better, exercise longer and just glad I did it:)
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
    I'm currently in the process of quitting. I had smoked for ermmmmmmmmm well since I was about 14 or so until now at 44. I tried cold turkey...THAT just doesn't work for me...Right now I smoke only a few cigs (as in 2-4) a day and am feeling much better for it. I can't wait to be able to kick the habit completely!
    Feel free to add me if you like. I could always use and give extra support in both areas of diet and exercise and also quitting smoking. :flowerforyou:
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    I was a smoker for 20 years, I decided one day it was time and now have been smoke free for a year and a half. I didnt gain any weight because I didnt substitute eating for smoking. The first two weeks are going to be hell, after that it gets better. Plan on not sleeping and being aggressive one minute and sad the next. After two weeks the insomnia goes away and about a month will go by until you feel back to normal, its all about self control.. you can do this.

    By the way, if you dont quit smoking you have all sorts of wonderful things to look forward to, like dying from respiratory arrest. I watched someone die from this, and it made me get my act together.
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    Okay here goes. I quit last September and have not lost an ounce since then. Matter of fact I gained 20 pounds. Neither of those things matter since this is not a race. My goal was to improve my overall health. So quitting smoking was critical. Just recently as I got over finally the craving and got my calories under control, I have begun to lose again. I am still about 15 pounds above my lowest point but headed in the right direction.
    I did not want Chantix but I had my doctor prescribed Wellbutrin and that helped a lot. I took it for four months before I actually quit. I started with patch number one for two weeks. After the two weeks I want off the patches and stayed on the Wellbutrin. Three months after quitting I went off the Wellbutrin. It has taken eight months for the cravings to become very irregular and weak. This allows me to concentrate more on physical fitness and calorie control.
    Remember this is my story, yours will be different. Cravings are different for each person and so is weight loss and gain. YMMV. One thing I did learn, no craving ever lasted longer than it took to smoke a cigarette. I wish you the best of luck. This is not an easy task but so very worth it.
  • mercurysfire
    mercurysfire Posts: 144 Member
    i quit smoking for good almost a year ago. it was a long process. i tried the gum and patches, but i couldn't tolerate them. i had to taper off. now, if i smoke my stomach gets really upset and i have to go take a nap. how in the world did i function smoking a pack or two a day for so long? i still don't know. i gained about 5 pounds, but as soon as i was able to start intensifying my workouts, they came right off again. and believe it or not, writing down how you are feeling actually did help. i didn't get snappy or go on crying jags, but i did get snacky. nicotine is an appetite suppressant. the first couple of weeks are tough though, so know that going in. and when you workout or do anything, note how much better you feel, how much further you can go, how much harder you can exercise. how much better you feel overall. you'll really notice a difference about 2 weeks in. and it just gets better. i started counting calories about the time i was sure i could say no to a cig. alcohol was always my big breaking point. figure out what triggers your smoking breaks.
  • maiaroman18
    maiaroman18 Posts: 460 Member
    I quit 7.5 years ago when I found out I was pregnant. Cold turkey. Every once and a while if I were out drinking, I'd smoke a few, but never picked it up again. Substituted food for cigarettes, and gained a whole lot during my pregnancy, but not afterwards.

    Picked it up about a year ago when I got really stressed, and quit cold turkey before joining mfp two months ago. Haven't gained weight. I just got disgusted with it one day. Never had a craving. No mood swings. I feel a million times better.

    I smoked a pack a day. Originally started at 18 and quit at 23. I got pneumonia when I quit the first time, and a really bad URI this time around.
  • nonellabella
    nonellabella Posts: 8
    My mom. She was PSYCHO during the first 3 weeks...but every time she wanted a cigarette, she went for a walk. I imagine that would be hard with babies, but if you can manage it, this might be her secret as to how she stayed slim. She also chewed a TON of gum and brushed her teeth all the time and drank a big cup of coffee or tea or water every hour or so to keep herself from eating too much. She actually ended up losing weight by the end of that summer...she kicked drinking and smoking in the same summer, and came out about 30 pounds lighter. Like I said though...she was ALWAYS walking.
  • mlg1712
    mlg1712 Posts: 14
    ...you just have to focus on NOT replacing cigarettes with food, and you'll be fine.

    This.

    I quit almost 2 years ago, but replaced smoking with whole blocks of chocolate and bags of lollies, and gained heaps :embarassed:

    I started smoking at 13, smoked about 30 a day until I was 28. I used Champix for just over 2 weeks, then stopped smoking & stopped the meds. My only side effect from the Champix was tiredness. It wasn't uncommon for me to fall asleep mid-conversation!

    You can do it!
  • sigsby
    sigsby Posts: 220 Member
    Today is day 51 smoke free for me. I had lost 25 pounds before I quit. I have gained all but 7 of them back since I quit smoking. I didn't want to diet and quit smoking at the same time. Chances are I would fail at both if I did. Getting healthy is small changes every day.
  • ouleanna
    ouleanna Posts: 47 Member
    I am almost 7 years smoke free. I went to one of those hypnosis seminars. I'm not quite sure if it was the hypnosis, the $50 I spent (we couldn't afford to waste money), the fear that my kid would eventually see me smoke, or a combination of all those things, but I did it. I didn't gain any additional weight that I remember. The only weird (?) thing from the hypnosis is that I can't stand being around any smoke smell. My lungs close down. That shouldn't be a bad thing except when I'm running and someone is burning something in their fireplace. I wish you much luck. It's hard...but I've never been happier!
  • FaerieCae
    FaerieCae Posts: 437 Member
    I quit in january, the 7/8th attempt. This time I did it with Champix (dont know if thats the same as the one you wrote bout). It took out all the physical cravings and made it easier to quit. The worst side effects I had were nausea and vivid dreams. There is no way I will go back to smoking, im enjoying being in control and being able to push myself in workouts and still feel like im getting enough oxygen to carry on. Im not red gasping and splotchy.

    Getting control back was a huge thing for me.

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