Quit smoking and I want to eat ALL THE THINGS!

SnuggleSmacks
SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Have any of you quit smoking? What did you eat to satisfy that craving to constantly put something in your mouth without wrecking your calorie goal? I've been doing great until today when I went over by nearly 400. It's all mostly healthy stuff, nuts and protein bars and black bean hummus and such, but I ate too much of it. Is there a better alternative to munch on? Gum is not an option, as I've had TMJ and had to have major jaw surgery.

Replies

  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    I think quitting smoking is so important, that you should focus all energy onto the first month or two. Many people report gaining a little weight immediately after quitting smoking, but a lot of them lose it pretty fast after that. I think the best thing you could do is to try and stick with carrot sticks and celery whenever possible, and if you do gain a couple pounds, not a big deal. It's worth a couple months of extra eating to give up smoking. It's just a bump in the road.
    smokersarejokers.png
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Try Allen Carr's method? It is a motivator from a former smoker. Free and online.

    http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

    And no, smoke shaming doesn't work.
  • jammoe130
    jammoe130 Posts: 10
    I think I understand exactly how you feel. I quit smoking about 7 months ago now and pretty much ate anything and everything I could get my hands on for a good month or so. It is not easy and don't be fooled into thinking it is. There will be good days and bad days but the most important thing you can do is concentrate on not smoking.

    I would recommend that you don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you go over on your calories then you go over, these things happen. Quitting smoking is a really big change for you both physically and mentally. I found breaking the habit hardest and still put pens and pencils in my mouth without really thinking (I have one there right now in fact!)

    Good luck with it and if you need or want any help or support, add me and I am more than happy to provide.
  • them_and_me
    them_and_me Posts: 60 Member
    Quitting smoking is your number one health priority! If you gain a few pounds in the process it's well worth the health benefits you're receiving. I've never tried to quit smoking and lose weight, but when I did quit smoking, I replaced it with black coffee.. no matter the time of day. Black coffee is exactly the nasty taste I need to satisfy the craving (and I still drink my coffee black to this day).

    Best of luck hun!!
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    When I first quit smoking, I picked up a mint habit. I popped mints like they were candy. Plus side? My breath always smelled good! My sister once commented that she smelled something minty. I laughed and said it was probably my breath. Mints are low cal, so even if I would go through an entire thing a day, I'd only go about 100 cals over maintenance or so.

    The trick is finding something to occupy your mouth with. It's an oral fixation as much as it is an addiction to the actual product.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I think quitting smoking is so important, that you should focus all energy onto the first month or two. Many people report gaining a little weight immediately after quitting smoking, but a lot of them lose it pretty fast after that. I think the best thing you could do is to try and stick with carrot sticks and celery whenever possible, and if you do gain a couple pounds, not a big deal. It's worth a couple months of extra eating to give up smoking. It's just a bump in the road.
    smokersarejokers.png

    Good comments. I quit smoking a long time ago and took a stop smoking class. They told us for the next 6 weeks to make quitting smoking the number one priority in our life. I drank lots of coffee, ate hard candy and chewed gum, went crazy buying books, and traveled. Whatever it takes, treat yourself to some things you enjoy. You can always lose the weight if you gain a few pounds.

    Congrats and good luck!
  • oxers
    oxers Posts: 259 Member
    It's worth a couple months of extra eating to give up smoking. It's just a bump in the road.

    I completely, completely agree with this. A few extra pounds are nothing. Give it a few weeks after you've kicked the habit, you'll whip 'em right off. And if that's the cost of such a dramatic health improvement, who cares? Think how many more calories you'll be able to burn (AND HOW MUCH MORE FOOD YOU'LL BE ABLE TO EAT) when your lungs are stronger and cleaner!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Thanks guys. I agree quitting is more important than keeping my calorie goal, but I don't want to go crazy with it.
  • navygrrl
    navygrrl Posts: 517 Member
    I quit smoking last September and still want to eat all the things, LOL.

    First off, congrats on quitting!

    Make sure you are keeping yourself hydrated. Find something else to do with your mouth/hands. I taught myself how to knit, and keeping your hands busy can help. Figure out what your smoking triggers are and try to avoid those. My husband went through bags of wint-o-green mints when he quit, and he would also go for walks when the urge to smoke would hit.

    You can always lose the weight you may gain, but smoking can cause damage you can't fix. You're already doing something amazing for your health. Focus on that, and then work on getting back into the groove of your diet.
  • ThatLadyJ86
    ThatLadyJ86 Posts: 112 Member
    I commend you on choosing to quit. I haven't quit YET because I quit drinking two months ago and I'm having the same cravings. Since getting rid of alcohol all I want now is sugar and it's really hard to fight those cravings, but I eat fresh fruit to control my urges for candy and other junk food that I can't have. I think that if you're healthy with your choices to curve the cravings, the weight gain shouldn't be too drastic. Overall, quitting is the most important factor and make sure you're drinking lots of water. Best of luck to you!!!
  • ironrat79
    ironrat79 Posts: 273 Member
    I quit 3 weeks ago this coming Thursday. I still snack some when I get the urge, but it will pass. I even quit drinking 3 months ago this coming Saturday. Just pick healthier alternatives when you snack. I hammer down on pineapple :)
  • loriq41
    loriq41 Posts: 479 Member
    I started the e-cig two days ago..I know! I know! but my mental health is just not gonna permit me to quit cold turkey..I know myself...even with this I know that I am "smoking" less...I will wean myself off of it...that being said, I am still consuming nicotine, not as much...and as far as wanting to eat everything..I dont know if it is from my lifting, pms or the reduction in smoking...it just sure sucks!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I used Chantix to quit. It's pretty expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it, but Pfizer has a discount program that helps. I just filled my prescription for the third month, and I keep forgetting to take it. My last cigarette was 2 weeks and 1 day ago, and I already think about it much less, and am only really tempted in moments of stress (and this being the end of my last semester of school, a few weeks from graduation, there's plenty of that) but I still have this constant urge to put things in my mouth.

    So far I've mostly snacked on nuts and those baked sugar snap pea thingies (love those!!) I need stuff that doesn't have to be refrigerated, so carrots aren't the best choice to carry around. Any other ideas?

    Have you guys tried kale chips? Is there a brand that costs a reasonable amount? The ones I've seen were about $5 for a tiny amount. Are they difficult to make yourself?
  • scuttlez
    scuttlez Posts: 51
    I commend you on choosing to quit. I haven't quit YET because I quit drinking two months ago and I'm having the same cravings. Since getting rid of alcohol all I want now is sugar and it's really hard to fight those cravings, but I eat fresh fruit to control my urges for candy and other junk food that I can't have. I think that if you're healthy with your choices to curve the cravings, the weight gain shouldn't be too drastic. Overall, quitting is the most important factor and make sure you're drinking lots of water. Best of luck to you!!!

    Heard that. I'll have a year sober on the 30th. I promised myself id make the attempt once I had a year! Congrats. One bad habit at a time lol . I'm terrified of giving it up.
  • Whiskeytub
    Whiskeytub Posts: 96 Member
    Congratulations to all of you who quit smoking and to all of you who haven't yet - you will and it will be awesome.

    I quit last summer, ate all the things and gained 15 pounds. Totally worth it. If you're working on quitting, let yourself gain weight if you need to. Losing weight is faster and easier than quitting smoking. In less than a year, I've quit smoking and probably in the best shape I've ever been in. So yeah, gaining a bit of weight after quitting isn't that big a deal - quitting smoking IS a big deal, and is completely and totally worth a few months of calorie restriction when you're ready for it.
  • julez4774
    julez4774 Posts: 80 Member
    i quit smoking just 9 weeks ago with aid of patches but then done it on my own i thought i wouldnt manage as had alot going on ended up badly depresssed i managed it feel whole lot better not smoking did find im always hungry thought nothing seems to suppress my hunger congrats on quitting best thing i did

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