Any smokers?

I quit smoking 9 months ago and have lost weight since (not gained). I went to an Allen Carr's The Easy Way clinic. AMAZING.

My opinions on this....If you go into it thinking it will be a struggle, it will be. If you go into it thinking you might fail, you probably will. The only way I was able to quit was to realize that I was stopping. I wasn't TRYING to stop. I was simply DOING it. Also, I was not giving up anything. I was freeing myself from something terrible that only had illusionary benefits. I am trying to use the same method (The Easy Way) to get off of purely unhealthy junk food. It is VERY successful. Once you take away the ILLUSION that something is good or pleasurable, you see it as it truly is = poison to your body. All of this being said, if someone had said, "Danika, you can quit smoking today but you will gain 15 pounds", I would have gladly done it right then and there. Every single day, I am a happier person for having quit. Also, you should not gain weight. Just do NOT replace cigarettes with any other food or drink (drink water). Also, you will be able to work out EXTRA hard. I can now run for an hour straight without stopping or having a cherry red face.

I wish you the best of luck and if you want a new friend, add me!

XxX Danika

I stopped cold turkey in November and started to gain so joined MFP and lost a bit. I will admit to smoking on nights out recently but have set rules about when I smoke. The thing is though, it takes me a full week to recover from a couple of ciggies on the weekend, so I think I have to cut them out again. But there are some days when all I can think about is a ciggie! I even had the really vivid dreams about smoking and some really wierd things! lol. They are actually worth quitting the gigs on thier own! lol

I once read this quote:

"Never do two hard things at once." It was a book about fasting, and how you shouldn't fast during stressful times, if you can help it. But, I think it applies here, as well.

Of course I advocate quitting, but, maybe you can hold off until you have the diet and exercise under control? Or quit, then work on diet and exercise?
Why make the process more difficult than necessary? If you make it so stressfull you can't handle it, you won't succeed on either front.

I smoked for 37 years and stopped 3 years ago. I used patches for the first 3 weeks then cold turkey. I put on some weight but only because I chose to concentrate on stopping smoking. I have been up and down the scales since I stopped but am now well on the way to permanent weight loss and improved fitness

Another thing to add, is that when you quit smoking you can do more at the gym/exercise, push your body harder, run faster, cycle longer etc so you'll lose weight / inches.

I don't think some people realise just how much smoking can take hold of your life and hold you back.

Like I put earlier the biggest regret was I didn't stop sooner - I smoked for approx 16 years.

I was a smoker, now I am a runner, YEAH!

I quit on Ash Wednesday of this year. Since that day, I have lost 43 pounds. I started running on April 2nd, (the day after Easter), and have steadily racked up 154.67 miles, and am on my scond pair of running shoes.

I smoke a cigar or two on weekends still, and find that it is not interfering with my running routines.

I've struggled with cigarettes since I was 16.

Quitting is not a whole lot different than deciding to eat healthier and lose weight.

If you analyze it too enough...you can come up with lots of reasons why you can't do it...

i smoked a pack and a half a day. I'm doing pretty good I've had 4 in the last 3 days. I'm trying not to be miserable trying not to be grumpy. I've got this.
The 4 I've had are at work. Break time is really hard.

I quit over 2 months ago and have continued to lose (over 20lbs), you can do it if you are determined enough.