Smoking and getting fit!!!!!!!!!

lisacarrana · May 2014

Yes I'm a smoker, for the first time in my adult life I have come to realise I need to give up. The other day after running 5K I got home and wanted a cigarette, how wrong is that!

I go to the gym 6 times a week, I eat well and have lost 135lbs since June last year.

So this is the scary part, everyone says ex smokers pile on the pounds.

Has anyone here given up smoking and not gained weight, can it be done?

How did you do it? Cold turkey or patches or anything else?

I have to do this.

ninerbuff · May 2014

I did it. Smoked for almost 20 years (less than 1/4 pack) and didn't pile on the pounds. I quit cold turkey. Selected a date (more than a month out from deciding to quit), mentally prepared myself for that day and when it came I quit.....................and never went back. I did have dreams of smoking for a couple of months, but they eventually subsided. It's been more than 10 years now and I my one regret in life is I wished I never smoked. I know it's directly affected my endurance and that I could so much more cardio fit than I am now.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SomeNights246 · May 2014

I quit smoking while losing weight. It can be done. Just find something else to keep your mouth busy with.

For me, mints did the trick. I quit cold turkey and every time I craved a smoke, I'd pop a mint in my mouth. Less calories than shoving potato chips in my mouth while craving a smoke.

Don't be afraid to give up smoking for fear of weight gain. Even if you do gain a few lbs, you can lose that weight again. And in the long run, your lungs will thank you.

Madame_Goldbricker · May 2014

In the same boat. Its the last thing I feel is holding me back now. I've just started attempting to run & my lungs aren't having any of it. I guess I need to decide which I want to do more & which is more worth (yeah I already know the answer).

jenilla1 · May 2014

You will only gain weight if you eat too many calories. It's common for people to gain weight after quitting smoking simply because they substitute food for the cigarettes. (Eating mindlessly and smoking are both a function of oral fixations.) Extra calories equals extra weight. Just monitor your calories and you should be fine. My husband just pops in a piece of gum when he gets a craving. He carries around a pack of gum like it's a pack of cigarettes. I can always tell when he's feeling a little stressed, because out comes the gum. :laugh:

lisacarrana · May 2014

I have been looking into it and I think cold turkey is the way to go. I will set a date and stick to it. I will invest my money in gum and mints!

I also thought I would put the money I would have spent on cigarettes into a separate account, I could use it for my PT sessions.

Thanks everyone, I know I can do it and if I put on a few pounds I can work them off. Glad to see people have managed to give up, for me it feels harder than weight lose.

Marcel182 · May 2014

I quit smoking while losing weight. It can be done. Just find something else to keep your mouth busy with.

For me, mints did the trick. I quit cold turkey and every time I craved a smoke, I'd pop a mint in my mouth. Less calories than shoving potato chips in my mouth while craving a smoke.

Don't be afraid to give up smoking for fear of weight gain. Even if you do gain a few lbs, you can lose that weight again. And in the long run, your lungs will thank you.

This.

I didn't gain any weight when I quit, mainly because I started eating healthier at the same time and intensified my workouts.

When the cravings hit (and they will at first but they actually don't last long if you're in the right mindset), just ignore them. Sounds easy, and it is. Or, if you really need to occupy your mouth with something, munch on a carrot or an apple.

Looking back, it's ridiculous just how easy it is to quit. The anxiety and fear of "losing" that crutch are completely unjustified. The thing is, you have to really want it. Personally, that famous book "The EasyWay To Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr helped me a lot. Reading it gradually puts you in the right mind set to be completely disgusted with that last cigarette when you reach the end of the book. After that, you'll never want another one. Maybe check this site out : www.allencarr.com

Good luck!

ninerbuff · May 2014

bump

Can_Change_Natalie · May 2014

I quit smoking just over 2 months ago, I like you was working and and still smoking and realised how much it was holding me back. I used to have a smoke before and after the gym and it really used to affect my workouts.

I decided to read Allan Carr stop smoking which i had bought previously however never read, it mentally takes you through stopping so by the time you finished the book you have already mentally stopped. it worked for me and i will never look back and know i will never smoke again.

I didn't gain any weight whilst stopping i think the first week i didn't lose but i didn't gain either ... all the best with your journey and i hope you are able to hit the habit.

HollisGrant · May 2014

Yes I'm a smoker, for the first time in my adult life I have come to realise I need to give up. The other day after running 5K I got home and wanted a cigarette, how wrong is that!

I go to the gym 6 times a week, I eat well and have lost 135lbs since June last year.

So this is the scary part, everyone says ex smokers pile on the pounds.

Has anyone here given up smoking and not gained weight, can it be done?

How did you do it? Cold turkey or patches or anything else?

I have to do this.

Good luck. I quit cold turkey many years ago, but after I quit I signed up for stop smoking classes because I knew I would be tempted to start again. The classes were very, very helpful. Many hospitals have free classes. The classes kept me motivated and retrained me to think of myself as a nonsmoker. I also stayed away from people and places where I could smell smoke for about 4 months.

I didn't gain weight. You have to substitute something until you adjust so plan things other than food. It's good to give yourself treats, something to look forward to -- I bought a lot of books, plus bubble bath, lotions, etc. that smelled nice because when I quit smoking I was suddenly aware of how bad cigarettes smelled. I also traveled a lot that year. Exercise is another good substitute. Oral things could be mints and sugar free gum, water, tea and coffee.

Edited to add the main thing to remember is you go through a period of adjustment with cravings, but other than the first week it wasn't that bad for me -- and eventually the cravings absolutely stop. It was a relief to become a normal person who never thought about cigarettes.

EmilyEmpowered · May 2014

One of the things that helped me was doing something active when I had a craving. I'd walk,do jumping jacks, pushups, whatever. Helped remind me I was giving up something terrible for me in favor of something awesome! Good luck,you can do it! Yes it's tough But worth it. (& from experience,cold Turkey was the only way that kept me away for good.)

Smoking and getting fit!!!!!!!!!

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