Quitting smoking and losing weight?

BuggerLugs_x
BuggerLugs_x Posts: 31 Member
edited February 16 in Motivation and Support
Has anyone quit smoking and continued to lose?
I have attempted to lose weight a few times (quit within a week) and I have lost count at the amount of smoking quits I have attempted (longest been 74 days cold turkey).
My question is basically because I started logging food on the 11th, weighed in measured up and took pictures etc. I have just smoked what I hope to be my last cigarette though. So I was hoping for some tips on not eating more and still trying to lose weight and tone up as well as staying quit. I would like to at least maintain.

Replies

  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
    Personally for the next couple of months I would concentrate on the no smoking and set MFP to maintain.
    I quit May 2011 after smoking for 13 years and it was hard.
    I decided to not diet until I had my quitting under control. It was the best decision I ever made. I put on 7lb but I think personally dieting and quitting smoking would be too much.
    Good Luck, you can do it.
  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    Hi,

    I quit smoking 2 months ago - cold turkey & feeling great. I did gain a little initially but now I'm tracking on MFP to ensure I'm not replacing the cigarettes with food. Cravings were not bad at all & on an evening when it would be easy to replace a cigarette craving with food, I found other things to distract myself...read a book, have a bath, paint nails. If you have your head in the right place to quit smoking you will be fine - don't look back. Good luck with the weight loss & quitting smoking.
  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    As per comment above, for the first 3-4 weeks of quitting I didn't add on pressure of dieting. After that, I felt in control of the smoking & ready to tackle my weight.
  • lucasmoten
    lucasmoten Posts: 143 Member
    I started with MFP in June of last year as a smoker at 260 pounds.
    I did the C25K and ran my first 5K in August, and at this point I was down to 225 pounds
    Less than a week after that 5K, I quit smoking under the hopes that it would allow me to regulate air better for improved running times, and of course the health benefits.
    I've had two races since then, but now in March, I'm under 190 pounds, so I've lost more since I've quit smoking then before hand. Granted, it's taken a longer amount of time, but that's to be expected as your metabolism compensates due to body size (I'm not burning as many calories automatically to maintain fat I no longer carry around).

    I've quit cold turkey before, but this time it just so happens to coincide with what I want out of life instead of being more of a whim. That said, it helps to identify low calorie foods to help deal with nicotine urges. My favorites were ... celery fries (thin cut sticks) at home, and while out on the go or at the office, I'd suck on hard candies or chew sugarless gum (the 5 calorie/stick kind). Another factor is nicotine actually boosts your metabolism, so all things being equal, not having it means you'll naturally burn less calories. Not a ton less, but I figure up 5% wouldn't be out of the question. That can still be substantial, so other supplements may be helpful (drink more coffee)

    Bottom line is, yes you can lose weight after quitting smoking.
  • paula5077
    paula5077 Posts: 57 Member
    I also wanting to quit smoking. But I am trying to get some of my dieting habits in place first. Routine more than anything. I feel like, if I start feeling better about myself, looks and so forth, that I will "want" to stop smoking more therefore be more dedicated. And if I gain a few back it wont be as big of a deal to me.
  • ticribbs
    ticribbs Posts: 120 Member
    Just a tip on quitting...chew gum...lots of gum! Above advice also seems pretty solid, good luck!
  • s1rens0ng
    s1rens0ng Posts: 127 Member
    I quit smoking and started dieting the same week.. basically you need to find something else to occupy your mouth and hands.

    Chewing gum is a good one, i quit with nicotine gum for a few days then normal gum and do you sketch or play guitar or consoles? try keeping your hands busy with something .. i sketch so i ended up chewing pens and doodling a lot lol

    Alot of people go for vaping now but i didnt like the idea of inhaling more crap into my lungs.
  • MichaelDST
    MichaelDST Posts: 53 Member
    I quite two years ago after a 20+ year, two pack a day habit. The key for me was (as others have mentioned) finding something to keep your hands and mind busy. The gum helps too. Try to stay away from things you did/enjoyed while you were smoking (ie: alcohol). You might need to shake up your routine a bit to get your mind on other, newer things. Resist the temptation to satisfy your oral cravings with food, especially snack foods. Push through the first week or two, then you're sense of taste and smell will start to come alive.
  • tomaspetro
    tomaspetro Posts: 1,508 Member
    I've probably had a worse habit than most. I'm 64 now and started when I was 14 and at least 2 packs a day for the last 25. I've decided to go the E-cig route and have been at it for a couple of weeks now with 100% success as regards the non use of tobacco. I agree with those who would say that quitting all together is the wiser choice but I'm happy with where I'm at for now. So far I haven't noticed any interference with my weight loss efforts.
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