Hi! :) I quit smoking 11 days ago....need support, please.

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First a bit of background:
my name is lori. pleased to meet you.:smile: i have struggled with weight loss most of my life. i also struggled with drug addiction for 17 years.:drinker: so my weight would fluctuate in huge amounts depending upon whether i was using or not. i used food as a void filler. so i was up and down 60 pounds once or twice a year.:noway:

that being said, im in therapy now, and have not used in over a year.:bigsmile: my weight gain has not been as drastic as it used to be, although its still 40 lbs gained.:grumble: i made myself aware of that pattern, and incorporated physical activity and tons of vegetables.

well, i quit smoking 11 days ago,:smokin: and my losses have stalled, im not losing any inches, either. i know why, that isnt the problem. i have been using the cessation as an excuse to shrug bad eating choices off. not too smart.:cry:

i would love to have someone, or even better, someones to help me stay on track, stay motivated, hold me accountable. ive been doing this alone, and i find myself reading message boards for inspiration and encouragement, perhaps its time to take the leap, and buddy up.

thank you for listening.:blushing:
lori
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Replies

  • LambrettaVVespa
    LambrettaVVespa Posts: 26 Member
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    Hello.
    The issue with smoking cessation and weight gain is that it's not normally directly caused by the avoidance of tobacco products. In fact, it's people eating more to compensate or eating more because they've read somewhere that stopping smoking causes weight gain and therefore is used as an excuse (subconsciously or not) to eat unhealthy foods and make bad dietary decisions - the 'Ah, what the heck? I'm going to gain weight anyway' mentality.

    Instead of eating more, you need to find something else to fill the void left by quitting smoking. Occupy yourself by reading, taking walks or doing some medium-high intensity exercise at home. Look for new ways to enjoy yourself. As you've made the (superb) decision to quit smoking, you'll find your breathing begins to improve quite radically over the next year. The timescale for improvement in lung performance is typically up to the 9 months mark but I've found it takes a year to get the full benefit.

    Due to the improved cardiac performance you'll find you will eventually be able to do more and more cardio based exercise without feeling exhausted. Start off with waking and slowly increase the intensity (pace and inclination) and amount of time. The endorphins and chemicals released when exercising can leave you feel a lot better than a smelly, pointless cigarette. Most of the pleasurable effects of smoking are actually psychological. The pleasurable effects of exercise are both chemical/physical and psychological.

    Remember that by now, the Nicotine will be completely out of your system. This means that any withdrawal will be almost entirely psychological - in your mind. Therefore you need to focus on distracting yourself to relieve the psychological cravings. Although the worst of the physical withdrawal is now over, the modified receptors in your Brain may need up to 8 weeks to "calm down". Following the 8 week mark, you're over the worst.

    You may know all this. You may not care. The point I'm trying to make is that it's pretty much all psychological at this stage. Now you've quit one of the most unhealthy vices to have, you can focus on getting that whole lot fitter as well as fighting off the cravings by exercising at eating wholesome, healthy foods.
  • Kenazwa
    Kenazwa Posts: 278 Member
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    That's tough. I think that it's really easy to use food to fill the void that quitting smoking leaves. The advice I've come across most often is don't just stop a bad habit, start a good habit, preferably something that keeps your hands busy or at least gets you away from the kitchen.

    Good luck! You're on the right track, sounds like.
  • pinkaeryse
    pinkaeryse Posts: 25 Member
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    i know, eating is the culprit. i just wanted some shoulders to cry on i suppose. weak moment. thank you for reading and replying. :happy:
  • Petrapio
    Petrapio Posts: 1
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    Hi!
    Good job on quitting!! I quit smoking 7 years ago. I had pneumonia on top of asthma so it made it "easier". Well, exercising is easier cause I can breathe better(good thing to focus on). I chewed a lot of gum instead of reaching for food. There are good flavors. Mixed Berries by Extra is good gum. And you can chew gum anywhere. :D It is sugar free as well. (Whenever I got in my car I wanted to smoke. Instead I chewed gum.) And by chewing gum you won't associate you not smoking with eating all the time.
    Good luck! I hope this helps.
  • pinkaeryse
    pinkaeryse Posts: 25 Member
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    thank you, it does! :)
    Hi!
    Good job on quitting!! I quit smoking 7 years ago. I had pneumonia on top of asthma so it made it "easier". Well, exercising is easier cause I can breathe better(good thing to focus on). I chewed a lot of gum instead of reaching for food. There are good flavors. Mixed Berries by Extra is good gum. And you can chew gum anywhere. :D It is sugar free as well. (Whenever I got in my car I wanted to smoke. Instead I chewed gum.) And by chewing gum you won't associate you not smoking with eating all the time.
    Good luck! I hope this helps.
    [/quote]
  • history_grrrl
    history_grrrl Posts: 214 Member
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    Hi, OP. I have always said that smoking was the hardest thing I ever did. Two things helped a lot. First was an online quit-smoking support group. I quit back in 1998 when there wasn't much happening on the Internet, but I stumbled on a fledgling group. I don't think it's around anymore, but a lot of people used a SilkQuit quit meter to track their quitting progress. I remember that I downloaded it, filled in the information, and checked it religiously, like five times a day. It was a great motivator. It's still around; here's the link:

    http://www.silkquit.org/stop-smoking/quit-meter.aspx

    Second, I remember that a lot of people on that board obsessively ate Chupa Chups, which I gather were or are ice-cream flavored lollipops of some kind. Like you, I was very worried about putting on tons of weight. My solution (since I quit during the summer): blueberries. I ate three pints of blueberries a day. Now, eating too much of anything is a problem, but I figured that, if I was going to mindlessly stuff myself periodically, better blueberries than chocolate chips. Maybe you can find something you love that is good for you and works with your fitness goals.

    One last thing: it sounds like you are trying to make a lot of big life changes all at once. That can be overwhelming. Don't beat yourself up if you can't do it all right this minute; you're only human, after all. Be kind to yourself. One step at a time. One day at a time. And listen to Lambretta, who offers wise advice. Best wishes to you on your journey.
  • pinkaeryse
    pinkaeryse Posts: 25 Member
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    i totally did that wrong, i think, lol, i hope you get the point. THANK YOU. :smile:
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
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    I've known people who found it helpful to chew gum or chew on flavored tooth picks the replace the cigarettes.
  • prism1968
    prism1968 Posts: 121 Member
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    There are several apps that are great for this, too! Eleven days is awesome, too, yay you :)
    The apps I've seen will tell you all the good ways your body has changed in just these 11 days, plus all the money you've saved, etc... Good luck to you! And I second (and third) all those that say take advantage of your improving lung function by moving more. Walk off cravings?
  • miss_mckenna
    miss_mckenna Posts: 18 Member
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    I get it. I quit smoking about ten years ago, and my partner recently quit chewing tobacco. My transition from smoker to non-smoker was hard, but I just stayed away from all of the things that I used to do...no bar hopping for the first few months, no drinking...period, started walking on my breaks, and I always had a mint or lollipop handy. My partner had a really easy time quitting, he used Chantix to quit and he hasn't had any cravings at all. He misses it (obvs) but the meds have significantly cut down his cravings and he's not really cranky...if you can get your hands on Chantix, I'd recommend it. Good luck, you're fighting the good fight and kicking those old habits to the curb! You'll feel amazing, and your body will love you for it. Stay strong!
  • MimiMedrano
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    I quit smoking 7 years ago and gum and hard candies (especially jolly ranchers) got me through. I know there's sugar in the candies but it still beats mindlessly eating a bag of funyuns or a tub of ice cream!!! Good luck, it's tough but you can do it!!!!
  • kimberlyamat5
    kimberlyamat5 Posts: 17 Member
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    I stopped smoking two years ago after 40 years of smoking. I started smoking when I was 8 years old. When I turned 48, couldn't breath, asthma, and COPD I knew I had to do something. I wanted to be around to see my grandchildren grow up and hopefully God willing great grandchildren.

    I gained so much weight when I stopped smoking because I traded food for my cigs. Keep working out, watch what you eat and know that in the end you will be thankful for this step you are taking on your road to changing your life for the better. Oh by the way I am a recovering addict myself. I have been drug free for 24 years, cigarette free for two years. Good luck.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    Lori, I think you're amazing with the changes you've already made. I hope you're successful in staying away from cigarettes.

    As posted above, your lung function will slowly improve over the next year or so. I'd suggest some type of cardio excercise, something that places at least a moderate demand on your heart and lungs. That way, as you continue to heal, your capacity, power, speed, and/or endurance will improve and it can help motivate you to stick with it. (It worked for me, anyway.) I like bicycling, but walking, running, swimming, or any number of other exercises will do.

    I smoked for about 45 years before I finally quit for good. Over the last twenty years I tried cold turkey, patches, gums, Zyban, and a nicotine inhaler. None of them seemed to work for me until I tried using e-cigarettes fourteen months ago. I haven't had a cigarette since, and I've had less than a handful of urges to deal with. I'm not suggesting that you should switch to e-cigarettes, but if you're unable to make this work, there are other methods.

    One more thought: This might be different for you, but I used to use smoking as a means to curb my appetite. When I got hungry I'd light up a cigarette. So it's kind of a double whammy when you quit smoking. Not only do you want to put food in your mouth to fill the cigarette void, but you also want to put food in your mouth because you're hungry and you're no longer using cigarettes to deal with the food urges.

    I'm not trying to make excuses for you to eat more. I'm just saying that you have a lot on your plate, and again, I think you're doing an amazing job of dealing with it.
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    Congrats on quitting smoking! I have been smoke free for 8 years. My advice for what it is worth is that quitting smoking is going to have a greater impact on your health than losing weight. I used Quitnet.com to help me - folks are all going through the same thing as you. Keep up the good work and hang in there - it does get better.
  • MaaKeMeThinn3r
    MaaKeMeThinn3r Posts: 135 Member
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    Get an e-cig!! All problems solved:drinker:
  • jkmartin941
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    Lori,
    You may not know this but what you are doing to change you life is nothing short of amazing. It takes strength and courage to face these battles. I know I have went through them my self. Having 13 years clean and a non smoker now for a year and a half I understand your struggle. At this point the physical craving should be gone. The psychological effects can be dealt with in therapy. For me when the desire to smoke came I would tell myself they are just thought and take the opportunity to just go for a walk or some other physical activity for about 10 minutes. I hope this helps. Keep up the awesome work, you are worth it. :wink:
  • erin_larson
    erin_larson Posts: 9 Member
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    Quit a pack a day smoking habit 12 years ago and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Things that helped me were drinking a lot of water, chewing on straws (needed something to replace the tactile feel of holding a cigarette), chewing lots of gum, reading a lot more, and going for walks. Finding something to fill your time in the "cig void" is critical, for me it was going online and doing a lot of reading. Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • history_grrrl
    history_grrrl Posts: 214 Member
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    Just wanted to add one more thing I remember from my early days of quitting. There was a woman on my quit-smoking board who talked about how she had used cigarettes as a coping mechanism and, without them, had to learn entirely new ways of managing the stresses and strains of life. That really hit home. I started smoking at 19 and smoked for 19 years. When I quit (cold turkey except for the blueberries), I was shocked to discover how angry I got about the littlest thing. It felt like there had been rage bubbling underneath the surface for all those years, and now it was coming out. I didn't really understand until I quit that I was addicted to a drug, and I didn't know how to handle things very well without the drug. So the thing about needing to develop new coping strategies really resonated with me. OP, since you have struggled with other addictions too, this may be even more so in your case. As others have said, it takes a lot of courage to do what you're doing. Stay strong.
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    Just wanted to add one more thing I remember from my early days of quitting. There was a woman on my quit-smoking board who talked about how she had used cigarettes as a coping mechanism and, without them, had to learn entirely new ways of managing the stresses and strains of life. That really hit home. I started smoking at 19 and smoked for 19 years. When I quit (cold turkey except for the blueberries), I was shocked to discover how angry I got about the littlest thing. It felt like there had been rage bubbling underneath the surface for all those years, and now it was coming out. I didn't really understand until I quit that I was addicted to a drug, and I didn't know how to handle things very well without the drug. So the thing about needing to develop new coping strategies really resonated with me. OP, since you have struggled with other addictions too, this may be even more so in your case. As others have said, it takes a lot of courage to do what you're doing. Stay strong.

    +1 on the anger. I made a joke out of it - I called it the "crab fest". Even long after the anger subsided, any time I would get irritated with my husband, I would use the "I just quit smoking" excuse - he would just laugh at me.
  • pinkaeryse
    pinkaeryse Posts: 25 Member
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    i really appreciate all of the encouragement and support!! :happy:

    i do cardio every day, but i call it having fun or playing outside :) i hike, i bike, i walk...i dance and sing. i mostly stay below my tdee minus 20%. some days i seem to lose focus, i spent so many years getting what i wanted when i wanted it. :smokin: its just adjusting, and YES coping skills, lots and lots of new coping skills. therapy does help.

    id love adds, if you'd like to share strength and support. there's more to life and love and happiness than shedding fat. :flowerforyou: