Stopping Smoking

I would love some input on this too!! I am so scared to try to quit smoking and lose weight at the same time. Would love to hear thoughts!!

I used MFP to get control of food and exercise first for around 6 months.
I then planned to quitting of *kitten* from 1st August and having tried most NHS NRT methods (and failed), chose an ecig.
I am now almost 6 months in with this and have reduced to the Medium liquid with plan to move to low in about another month.

This has worked well for me and hope whatever method you choose you succeed.
I fell way much better, can breathe, no cough, and no stinkies either.
Probably use the gym a lot more too!!!

I started on my journey to better health in 2011. In June I make a lot of dietary changes, In July/August I make exercise changes and also quit smoking. I counted the days and at any moment could tell you how many it had been since I had my last. After only a month I was smoking again and soon, back to a pack a day. I quit again in October of that same year and haven't picked it back up.

What helped me: Don't count the days. Don't say: it's been 13 days since I've had a smoke. If you do that, you are focusing on it and thinking about it. Try to put it out of your mind. Starting a new exercise regimen can help with that. Also, you will find it easier to work out if you aren't smoking.

Maybe it is weird but I would also take sticks of gum and roll them up (they roll up to about filter size) and when I was really stressed or sometimes in the car, I would suck on the end of it for a little bit and then start chewing it when I felt calmer or got tired of looking like a weirdo... lol.

Good luck!

Hey there,
After multiple tries I have finally quit smoking after 25 years. The real motivator was while I was working for an ambulance company one morning I happened to notice my pulse was racing. Alerting my partner he hooked me to an EKG and rushed me to a hospital nearby. My pulse was nearly 200 bpm blood pressure was sky high but I felt fine. It turned out my lifestyle of binge drinking, smoking, and eating **** had finally caught me at 41 years old. Good news I'm young enough to make a realistic improvement in my health. No smoking, moderate drinking, and diet/exercise are key.
I used the 21mg nicotine patch for 4 weeks but I did feel the need to snack and eat more often. I recognized the trend and adjusted what I was shoving in my face. Boredom eating ebbed after a couple of weeks and things returned to normal without too much weight gain. Smoking will kill you, 10 pounds won't.
Snacking on high fiber foods should help satiate you. The mental BS goes away after 2 weeks or so.
Good luck and cheers!

Hi i really want to stop smoking but the worry of wanting to eat more to help with cravings is putting me off..everyone says people gain weight when you stop smoking and i really dont want that to happen.. Is there anyone out there that is quitting the *kitten* at the same time as healthy eating that can give any advice..

Has it worked for you?

HELP!!!!!!!

Yeah I didn't gain a pound ... quit cold turkey was smoking for over 16 years and the last 4 years was a 2 pack a day man. ... I just put my determination into my weight loss into smoking... not much else to say .. its a constant battle against yourself be the stronger one and don't give in to a piece of paper with tobacco in it.

I quit smoking almost 2 years ago cold turkey. I had the same fears as you about weight gain and such, but the thing that really put it into perspective for me was thinking “I’d rather gain 10 lbs than die a painful, premature death of cancer.” See, the thing is losing weight is hard but not impossible. Coming back from the dead is impossible. I ended up not gaining any weight from quitting smoking though so it wasn’t a big deal at all, but even if I had gained weight I would still call it 100% worth it. It’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Good luck!

I'm 21 days nicotine clean now. I've tried to quit several times with different replacement things like patches or gum. I've lasted longer this time saying screw all that and going cold turkey with nicotine completely. The first 3 days sucked *kitten*. Like really sucked. The rest of the week sucked less. Now it doesn't suck at all. I actually don't even think about it anymore.

BUT

In order to get to this point so far it took a whole lot of hard candy. Like jolly ranchers, lemon heads, just a crap ton of sugar to give me something to reach for. I did end up gaining some weight. I think around 10 pounds or so within those two weeks becasue I was eating everything.

BUT

**** it. Gaining 10 pounds is so much more healthier than smoking anyway. Now that I don't need the candy every 15 minutes the weight is easily coming back down to normal. It has been around one week or so since I stopped allowing myself to indulge (bc I no longer need it, just want it) and I am already down 6 of the the 10 pounds I put on. It is just my body coming back full circle.

Seriously, dont give 2 ****s about the weight gain when you quit. It will come off as fast as it goes on as soon as you are all better and hell, even 30-40 lbs heavier is healthier than a pack a day.

Great advice and success stories... think i will wait until i get to my goal of 20lbs down and then quit .. i know i can do this

Hey all!

I quit 86 days ago after smoking a pack a day for 15+ years. I haven't gained a single pound. I actually lost two the first month because I was so strict with myself about my eating! I gained three pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas and they are already back off. I'm 35, so my metabolism isn't exactly 'peppy' either.

It IS super easy to pack on the pounds... but only if you get careless. You know how to manage your food and your diet because you're here on MFP. So do it. Do not use food as a substitute. Do NOT snack on celery or carrots or candy instead. Learn to anticipate an "empty" feeling (easy to confuse with hunger) when you go through withdrawal and find something other than food to help get through that uncomfortable 3 minute craving. Find something to keep your hands busy like a craft (I crochet) or an app that you really love (like Candy Crush!)

I read "the Easy Way to Quit" by Alan Carr and it changed the way I think about smoking, which was super helpful as well. But I am living proof that you can quit and NOT gain an ounce. I also have an app on my phone that counts the days and how much money I have saved. No excuses. Quit if you can!!

you guys are ace... sod it im doing NOW!!! why wait..

Cigs and lighter have just gone in the bin.!!!!!

YAY NIKKI! Go you!!

I'm a former smoker, I was at almost a pack a day. I was overweight at 230 lbs, out of shape, and heading in the wrong direction with my habits and lifestyle. I quit smoking first, YES I gained weight but I only gained it because I found solitude and contentment in my food, it's my addiction, I've been obese my whole life, and I was covering that addiction with the smoking. When I quit, I knew I was going to revert to my old ways and reach out to my best friend, my pal, food!! So YES if you don't recognize it and address it, you will gain the weight however, if you look at the whole picture and see what you're doing and WHY you're doing it, you're more able to commit to doing BOTH at the same time. Not to mention, your lungs with absolutely LOVE you when you start to workout (if you haven't already) and will help you in ridding yourself of all the toxins you've ingested all along. It will take time, years to try to "fix" the damage but I can tell you, I'd never look back ever at the cigarettes...it's all about the will and the want...will you quit and not gain and how bad do you want to quit and not overindulge, that will be your driving factor!!
Also want to add, the whole idealogy that food "tastes so much better" after you quit is nothing short of a mental head f**k and really just plays on the psyche to fill a void that you found in smoking...break the barriers!!!

~ 3 years strong and 50+lbs lighter....and still going!! )

What helped me quit was switching to an e-cig. I got one in August, when I really began using myfitnesspal, and I've been smoke free for a few weeks now. I never noticed an increase in appetite or anything.

I quit cold turkey and I did not substitute cigarettes for food. I have been cigarette free for 18 months now. In the first few months it was awful, now its the best thing I ever done and I am glad I fid it without aids. My partner is hooked on the tabs now and still needs a nicotine fix every now and again. Just do it and speak to your doctor if you ate worried about weight gain.

I am an ex smoker but I am the opposite of what you are looking for so I am going to share what I did so you can NOT do it. Stay away from candy you suck on. I turned into a lifesaver junkie three bag a week. I did the mints ones with a hole. Still a ton of calories. My doctor told me not to worry about the weight gain I could work on that later. OK that is what I did. I drank a lot of cranapple juices. Cranberries gets the nicotene out of your system. Well the juice is loaded with calories. If you just absolutely just drink water try the powerade zero no calories no carbs. I had toe cramps for several years this also got rid of the cramps. The powerade zero did work for that. Now for the part that should work that I would do I if I got a redo. I would drink the powerade zero with a straw I did use a straw for a drink when ever the craving for a cigarette hit me. The drink and straw give you that had to mouth sensation that you need from smoking. In all I still don't regret listening to my doctor. I would rather be able to breathe to exercise my FAT butt off than not be able to breath at all. I have been quit for over 3 years now. I did the Chantix 1/2 doses. It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life but it was well worth it. If you need some one just for support to cheer you on I would love to help you any way I can. I will never judge a smoker as I was on for over 35 years.