Smoking

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cheesevixen_staci
cheesevixen_staci Posts: 153 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have already quit drinking (24/26 days sober), and now I kind of want to quit smoking. I smoke around 6-10 cigarettes a day. I may stress 1-2 times a week and have a couple more, but not often. I'm just worried when I stop smoking I'll eat more. I've always heard smoking helps you not give into hunger cravings. I remember when I quit drinking. I think I ate everything I saw for a week or so.

Anyone on here quit smoking and be able to stick to their guns like before when it comes to food? Personal stories needed.

p.s. been smoking since I was about 12 (Quit between 14-16, a yr when I was 20, and a yr when I was 23) So I've been smoking for roughly 8 years. Gonna be 28 July. I need a change.

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  • sargessexyone
    sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
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    Some people will tell you to just quit cold turkey. I couldn't do it that way. I smoked a pack+ a day for 30 yrs. I went the e-cig route. Also known as vaping. I have not had a regular cigarette in 2 months.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Electronic Cigarette worked for me. It's not "exactly" quitting. But it really is the next best thing.
  • cheesevixen_staci
    cheesevixen_staci Posts: 153 Member
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    But don't you want food more along with the withdraw? I have a feeling I may start eating some feelings on anxiety.
  • catmonteith1
    catmonteith1 Posts: 8 Member
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    Oh gosh, quitting smoking was the best thing I've ever done for myself!
    I quit cold turkey after smoking 10 cigs a day for 17 years. I always thought that if I could make it past 3 days, it would get easier
    every day. It did.
    For me, i was trying really hard to be mindful of my diet and exercise and just make better choices in my life.. There just wasn't any place for smoking anymore. Not to mention that its becoming way less socially acceptable these days.
    I let myself munch on whatever for three days, i think i was pretty much eating at maintenance. I chewed a lot of gum. After 3 days, i was so proud of myself and i found more energy, it was easier and easier everyday. I definately stayed well away from alcohol for a couple weeks. Keep your hands busy. After the fifth day, i was feeling quite accomplished. Only had one snap-show moment the entire time.. Significant other wasn't listening to me and asked me to repeat myself.. How DARE you!! lol!:noway:
    Anyway, you can do it! And when you do, never take another puff ever again, so you wont have to quit again!
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
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    All right, if you are counting days sober it might be a good idea to keep the stress down until you are super comfortable with not drinking. Not to point on the obvious, but weight goals and smoking goals tend to fall to the wayside when the alcohol comes around.

    To keep your sanity in the interim and still make some accomplishments you might want to think about shifting over to electronic cigarettes. Still something to quit and not trying to imply they are good for you, but they keep me from lighting up, I don't wake up coughing and I can go out and exercise for hours at a time vs. getting winded walking upstairs.

    If you want to quit altogether, I found that the patch and logenzes were extremely helpful, especially the logenzes since I could just pop one on demand.

    To keep from smoking, it really helps if you do stuff with your newly liberated lungs. Running, biking, any cardio really that gets you breathing and makes you loath the idea of a cigarette messing your lungs up again. Plus, the exercise obviously helps keep the weight from going too high as you adjust to withdrawals.

    Anyway, best of luck!
  • jojo37696
    jojo37696 Posts: 93 Member
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    I did the laser thing 2yrs ago and haven't had a craving since. It was the easiest for me. I did gain 20 lbs but it's coming off now plus some. It is doable and you have to be conscious of what your doing. Good luck to better health
  • jojo37696
    jojo37696 Posts: 93 Member
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    oh by the way. I smoked since I was 12 also and I quit at the age of 59. If I can do it anyone can.
  • GoodLittleEater
    GoodLittleEater Posts: 53 Member
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    Great job quitting drinking! I've been wondering if that's the only way I'm going to succeed here myself.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    I quit cold turkey in 2007 after 17 years of smoking. The physical craving went away in about 3-7 days but the mental aspect of filling in the time gap was harder. When I say that I mean in the morning my routine was grab a coffee and light up. After quitting I was getting ready too early cause I allowed time for going outside to smoke. At work, 10 am break rolled around and all the co workers would go out to smoke and I would sit there and go "wtf am I gonna do during this time?"

    Naturally a lot of people will gravitate towards eating during those increments in the day.

    The trick is to find something to occupy you former "smoking time". Make sure it's not food. Go for a walk, call a friend, surf the net....just don't use food as the "smoking time" filler. Also, don't think too far ahead. Deal with quitting the cigs on an hourly basis, then daily, til before you know it you're smoke free.

    Good luck and its the best thing you can do for yourself and loved ones.
  • bellaphile
    bellaphile Posts: 20 Member
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    I tried nearly everything (patches, gum, pills, cold turkey) to quit smoking. I smoked for about 15 years, off and on, and finally was able to successfully (130 days today) quit by using nicorette lozenges...though I had to wean myself off of those, too.

    I didn't notice any subsequent weight gain, though I was heavy already. I knew that I couldn't do smoking and good cardio at the same time, so to get thinner I knew I would have to quit smoking first.

    If you do gain weight, you're already on a path to take it off and the extra 10 lbs you might gain are a lot easier to get rid of than the damage continuing to smoke will do to your body.

    Good luck! You can do it!
  • MakeMineSugarFree
    MakeMineSugarFree Posts: 11 Member
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    I quit cold turkey almost 7 years ago. I smoked one and half to two packs a day for 20 years. It was really the best thing I had done for myself in years. It also started me on my weight loss - lifestyle change journey.

    I will be honest in telling you that quitting cold turkey was hard. I had a wonderful support system. I took it one hour at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, and here I am smoke free for almost 7 years. When I got stressed - or feeling the need for a cig - I would call my husband and he would litterally let me "*****" the need for a cig out of my system. The needing the cig feeling would pass, he would tell me I was doing great and he knew that I could do this. I bet I called him 40 times the first day. Each day it got a little easier and I called him and *****ed less and less each day. If it hadn't been for his support, I'm not sure that I would be smoke free now.

    We decided to put back the money I would normally spend on cigs each week into an account and see how much we could save for a year. I spent roughly $60.00 a week on two cartons of cigs a week. The first year we had a little over $3100.00 in my cig account. We took the kids to Hawaii. They said it was more fun than watching me smoke. I have to say, I agree with them.

    It can be done. Some gain weight and some don't. It's different for everyone. Good luck with it!
  • conqueringsquidlette
    conqueringsquidlette Posts: 383 Member
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    The e-cigs were the only thing that worked for me, personally. I started at full nicotine strength juices and just worked my way down on those, and stuck to the fruity/candy flavors because they masked the decreasing nic concentration better (and it just felt like staying away from the tobacco flavors made sense since I was trying to quit.) I decided that even if I never quit vaping, I'd be better off than the pack a day crap..... But I honestly just sort of hit a point a while after I got down to the 0mg juices where I was forgetting to take it with me and eventually it just died in the junk drawer.

    The patches, gums, inhalers, whatever stuff didn't help me out much because it's the actual act of smoking and the throat burn that I found hardest to give up. Cold turkey didn't work - I "quit" a bazillion times a year and would have one bad day and be right back to a full pack before bed. My dog has better willpower than I do.

    ETA: It's been two years since I quit.
  • alysiahelene
    alysiahelene Posts: 1
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    E-Cigs were the only way I could quit after 16 years of smoking a pack a day... Next month will be a year without a cigarette! There weren't any food cravings for me when I switched. Being stressed out because you can't smoke is going to make you just want to put food in your mouth instead. (In my experience trying to quit cold turkey anyway!) I recommend to ALL smokers to give e-cigs a try. I've already stepped down 2 nicotine levels and am getting close to 0% and quitting it all together.

    Good Luck!!! (and don't beat yourself up if you slip up... just keep trying!) :happy:

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