Quitting Smoking!!!!!!

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mbrownks77
mbrownks77 Posts: 137
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone! So, after a long weekend spent in the hospital with my mom for emphysema.......I have a doctor appointment Thursday to learn what to do to stop smoking! I love my mom with all my heart and I NEVER want my kids to feel how I have the last few days. My question is.....does anyone have any ideas on how to quit without gaining weight???? I've put it off for years because I'm so scared I will gain but I HAVE TO DO IT NOW! I am willing to try anything so if you have any ideas at all, please let me know. Thanks so much!!!!!

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  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    Good job! My dad died from throat cancer 4 years ago and I just quit smoking this year.

    It was difficult for the first 3 or 4 days (withdraw), then it was all about saying no.

    You can do it!
  • grumpz
    grumpz Posts: 30
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    Still a smoker :sad: But in saying that I've heard as long as you don't replace eating with smoking you are fine. Appearantly when you give up people tend to eat instead, it's something to do with the brain wanting to put something in your mouth. Also when you give up smoking you regain taste buds that were damaging hence eating is more enjoyable again.
  • bfrederick3015
    bfrederick3015 Posts: 33 Member
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    I joined MFP and slapped on a nicotine patch the same day. I've lost 16lbs so far and I'm not even tempted to smoke. Someone in my family had lots of luck with Chantix and her weight stayed the same. Whatever you method you choose, good luck!
  • Ben2118
    Ben2118 Posts: 571 Member
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    I quit in November with 18 left in my pack, I was researching weight loss, calorie counting etc ,trying to decide how I was going to shift 100+ unwanted lbs and thought to myself, well there is no point doing loads of exercise is when I finish it I go for a smoke!!

    I think you just need to find some replacements for the mental addiction, the physical addiction will go within days but the mental one tends to stay with you a lot longer. I do thinking like just going outside anyway for a min or too for some fresh air, or I get a glass of water.

    Not sure if I put on weight in the first month of stopping as I wasn't monitoring it, but I have lost 14lbs since then.

    Good Luck, it isn't easy but its 100% achievable.

    Ben.
  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
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    If you have a bit of an Oral personality, i'd suggest swapping a cigarette with chewing a stick of gum. That way you keep your mouth occupied and it's not with a cigarette! (or food)
  • mbrownks77
    mbrownks77 Posts: 137
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    thank u all! very good ideas. i smoke outside because i don't want it around my kids. so i'm thinking mine is more of a stress/nerves thing. i'm telling myself that every time a craving hits i will jump on the treadmill or ab lounger! i donLt exercise enough as it is so maybe this will help me quit smoking and lose weight at the same tim! my fingers are crossed!
  • onvacation
    onvacation Posts: 24 Member
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    I quit (again) January 1st. I haven't gained any weight and it is going very well. I love the site - becomeanex.org. Check it out, it has tools you can use to prepare for your quit and a great group of folks on the boards for support.

    If quitting was easy, no one would smoke! You just have to take smoking out of the picture.

    A book that is also very helpful is Allen Carr's the Easyway to quit smoking. If you go on the site I mentioned above people have posted a free link to the book.

    Best of luck to you!
    Kim
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
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    This is yet another thing on the "to do" list....

    I'm the kind of person that when I set out to do something, I need to focus on that completely. Right now, the focus is on diet & exercise. I'm letting the smoking thing lie for the time being but once I start to get in a groover with eating and exercising and get at least half way to my goal then I figure I'll tackle the smoking.

    Good luck to you all!
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
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    On my previous quits, I've chewed on coffee stirrers, lol! Not the most attractive thing but it definitely works and satisfies the "oral fixation" problem! :bigsmile:
  • emma44ny
    emma44ny Posts: 141 Member
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    I truly believe you have to replace it with something physical... Quitting smoking is beyond just mentally being addicted and therefore replacing the oral fixation with food.. There is also something physical about your metabolism actually slowing down, etc etc.. I would start some type of cardio regime and have it readily available so that when you really want to smoke or are really stressed, you can work out the stress in a healthy, proactive way. Good luck!! It's not easy but it's the best thing you'll ever do!!
  • masterofktulu
    masterofktulu Posts: 151 Member
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    My solution was going on Champix. I was a pack a day smoker for a few years and I went to the doctor and prescribed for Champix. Now I have been smoke free for months and I feel absolutely no withdrawals or cravings. It is about 60 Canadian dollars for every 2 weeks but its way cheaper compared to the 250-300 I was spending on cigarettes. I would go ask your doctor about it and see if it interests you! Good luck!!
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
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    In the US it's Chantix, I've done it and it definitely works. Well maybe not really since I'm smoking again. But seriously it does work and there's next to no withdrawal. I just had a weak moment and now I'm back smoking again. My own fault, not the medication but it really is helpful. I will get back on the wagon very soon!
  • kiffypooh
    kiffypooh Posts: 1,045 Member
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    I quite smoking 6 years ago next month...wow, that sounds so crazy. I used the patch and it worked for me. The first time I tried quitting I used the patch but when I went down to the 1st level (lowest dose) my cravings started getting really bad and I caved. This last time I stayed on the 2nd level until I felt ready to move on. It took about 9 months of complaining and wanting to smoke (I still want a cigarette daily :sad: ) for my mom to finally say, "are you going to start again?" and I said, "no, I've made it 9 months and I'm doing this to be healthier when we have kids" and she said, "stop your b!^*$ing and just do it then." Some reason that worked for me (even though I still want one), I just realized no matter how much I hated the cravings I wasn't going to start again. I use to say (and part of me still believes this) that once my kid(s) are grown I will start again. I think there's something to not telling you that you will NEVER have one again. Kind of like if someone told you or you told yourself you couldn't have (insert your favorite food here) again, it just won't happen. I use to chew cinnamon gum like Big Red until my taste-buds were no longer there, that helped. What keeps me going now is to remember what the first drag of a cigarette tastes like after not smoking for so long. That ash, gross taste that makes your head spin and makes me want to throw up.

    Best of luck to you! It really is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life! I'm here for you to support you!!! :flowerforyou:
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    For me, it wasn't just chewing...gum didn't help.

    It's the hand to mouth motion.

    I chewed a crap load of pens LOL!
  • grumpz
    grumpz Posts: 30
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    My solution was going on Champix. I was a pack a day smoker for a few years and I went to the doctor and prescribed for Champix. Now I have been smoke free for months and I feel absolutely no withdrawals or cravings. It is about 60 Canadian dollars for every 2 weeks but its way cheaper compared to the 250-300 I was spending on cigarettes. I would go ask your doctor about it and see if it interests you! Good luck!!

    Champix is a very good product to use, several of my family members quit using it. Unfortunately for me I got terrible side effects and spent half my day vomiting :cry:
  • masterofktulu
    masterofktulu Posts: 151 Member
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    Oh no that really sucks! Yes if I don't eat food and take the pill with a glass of water I get very queasy. And to reduce costs I have also only taken one pill a day. It costs me 60 dollars for the two week packs and I can save 60 bucks just by taking one a day and it is working!
  • mirahonthawall
    mirahonthawall Posts: 236 Member
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    i quit smoking the day i started working out, cold turkey. it was fine for me because i wasn't really around anything/anyone that made me want to smoke, but when i was, i caved and started again. once that pack was done, it was back to quitting!....it's been nearly a month, and i haven't had any weight gain.

    i think there was no weight gain because i didn't replace smoking with eating food. i'm not sure what the other reasons are for weight gain while quitting smoking, but i just kept eating well and exercising, and in fact i'm losing weight.

    i do miss smoking though, not the effects and all of the negatives, but the social aspect of it, and the act of smoking itself. i know obviously quitting is for the best, and i'm hoping that it will be forever!

    yes, i'm weird lol

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