quitting smoking, and scared

Hang in there! I quit over the summer and ballooned...started running...nothing! Started tracking calories...saw some movement the right way! Started networking and finding MFP supportive awesome friends...and things are getting there.

Good luck with the smoking...it is SOOOO tough...you can do this!!!

I smoked for 30 some odd years and quit because my kids kept on gripping about it. The funny thing is it took my daughter about 3 1/2 months to realize I quit and we had to tell her brother at 6 months. I did a lot of solitaire and puzzle books my thing was I did not know what to do with my hands. PS I went cold turkey. Good Luck and best wishes

sorry, no advice here from me, just support. I totally get how frustrated you are, it's so hard to be doing all the right things and not see the desired result. Have faith fellow browncoat, you are headed in the right direction and good things DO come to those who wait.

Smoking will kill you faster than 30 lbs Keep up the good work. I have stopped smoking with out gaining weight but I haven't stopped smoking with out eating more. When I quit I just plain ate more but I also new I would so I planed for it and chose low carb/fat foods and ate most my calories from protein. If you are gaining weight and working out then either you need to increase the exercise or lower the caloric intake :-)

I quit smoking a year and half ago and really didn't gain any weight because I chewed extra gum. I chewed it all the time. It helped until my husband quit, then he ate all the time (as so did I) and thats when i gain my 35 pounds. But I was worried about gaining weight but then i thought "hey kick the smoking habit and get it undercontrol then focus on my weight." And that is where I am now. I hate that I gain weight but not as much as I LOVE BEING SMOKE FREE!! So take it moment by moment and get some Extra Gum. And know that you will be happy and healthy!! Christi

Thank you for coming out. It is taboo, to even say that you are a smoker in mixed company these days! I am tapering off right now and very very nervous about it. So far hanging out in the gym helps because I can't smoke there, but it is hard.

I quit smoking 8 years ago, but I had only smoked 5 years moderately. I quit by using nicotine patches. It worked well. I was tired of smelling like smoke, feeling anxious when I couldn't have one, and hated having ashtrays and junk lay around- gross. I had one after I had quit and it was nasty and made me nauseated. I was definitely addicted to the nicotine itself. So weening off of nicotine with the patches really helped me. It wasn't cheap, but I saved so much money by not having to buy cigarettes. I started chewing more gum, especially after I ate, because cigarettes were great after a good meal. I can't imagine ever smoking again, and it's funny how now I see other smokers and cringe. I can't believe there was a point in my life where I wasn't bothered by it, didn't think much of it, and thought nothing of how attractive or unattractive I was, or how other smokers appeared. Now I can't stand to see people smoke, mostly because I know what they're doing to themselves, and it's such an unhealthy habit- and a stinky one at that, ha. I have since become really involved in health and nutrition.

Even better:

My parents smoked for about 40 years, my Dad a little longer than Mom.

Last April 2010, Mom went into cardiac arrest and had to get the fun electric shock thing done to bring her back. She then had to have an emergency double bypass surgery on her heart. We almost lost her. She was the only person left on this particular floor of the hospital that had survived. It took months and months for her to heal because they had to break open her chest bone and stretch her body out just to do the surgery. That's common of course but it was weird to hear about. She didn't have any taste for months, and because of the surgery, she now has neck and shoulder problems from being jerked around so quickly so they could save her life.

After this, both my mom and dad never once picked up a cigarette after that day of her surgery. My dad spent every moment possible with mom while she was in the hospital. When he came home, he kind of muttered to himself how the house smelled like cigarettes. They never even smoked inside- only outside. So it was pretty strong for him. I knew at that point it was unlikely he or mom would ever go back to smoking.

Coranary Artery Disease happens from poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. My mom is not an obese woman. She's petite with a little bit of a tummy, but that's it. She's not the healthiest eater in the world, but she's not the worst. And while her mother also had heart problems, I am certain, as well as the doctors, that her years of heavy smoking landed her in the position of facing death. She was considered dead for 4 minutes- that's a long damn time.

I'm sharing this because I want to show that if my parents can do it, anyone can. It doesn't take a horror story to get you there. Just determination and a damn good reason as to why you want to quit. And to me, any reason is good enough. You just have to make up your mind that you will do it. You have to know you will quit. If you're scared about gaining weight, understood- you might. But you'll create a new habit later and deal with that when the time arrives that you're comfortable for another change. It's a much better alternative.

So yeah, okay, so they eat more now. They've gained weight. My dad is a piglet! Sheesh. Whatever. But you know what? I wouldn't change it for the world.

I stopped cold turkey over a year ago(yesterday was my 1 yr. anniversary).......best thing I ever did. Just always remember you can lose weight not a lung. Another thing I was told is a women's body handles the withdrawal alot different than a man's and it can take us up to a year to mellow out. Not sure this is true all I know is I don't want to go through the withdrawals ever again. I learned cigs are sold in packs for a reason......cause if you want one you will buy a pack and be right back in the habit again. I always remind myself of the NOPE not one puff ever!! Good luck with your journey and I hope I can be some support for you.

My wife and I quit 15 months ago using the pill. It really works. We both smoked for over 20-25 years. So don't give up, every day will get better. Every week will make you stronger. MFP is such a great tool, the support is great! Best of luck!