Perfect or worst time to quit smoking? (during weight loss)

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anacepeda
anacepeda Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read/heard countless people saying that they started overeating when they tried to stop smoking, or at least they craved food badly!

I'm at that point of a 'life changing habits' where I'm extremely motivated due to the wonderful results! I went from 100% couch potato to walking 40 mins everyday, I cut off all sugar and processed food and I lost 11 lbs in 2 months (still 20lbs to go)

Since these changes I don't have snacking/candy cravings and I feel great so I thought 'hey, this might as well be time to quit smoking. But now I wonder: will this motivation I'm having help in the smoke quitting success or will it ruin the rest of my progress with huge cravings and thoughts? would it be better to do it only as next goal after I finish this one?
I smoke for 22 years, 2 packs per day and have lots of anxiety!

p.s I'm aware there aren't many smokers in here, mostly healthy or trying to be healthy people but I believe some might have smoked at some point in their lives and could share how quitting affected their eating habits
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Replies

  • kelleybean1
    kelleybean1 Posts: 312 Member
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    Anytime to quit is the perfect time. Do it now--today!
  • liftingandlipstick
    liftingandlipstick Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I started with MFP in February. I spent a few months getting the hang of the weight loss thing, developing those healthier eating habits, then decided to quit smoking June 1st. I used Nicoderm patches for about 6 weeks, but then started having a skin reaction, and from there I went cold turkey. I think that since I had already built the habit of logging and thinking about what I was eating every day, it was easier to me to not replace smoking with eating. I did stall on the weight loss for about 6 weeks after quitting, but I didn't gain any, and now I'm not only losing at a good clip again, but it's also way easier to work out harder and longer, because my lung capacity is better :)
  • EverSinging
    EverSinging Posts: 30 Member
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    Anytime to quit is the perfect time. Do it now--today!

    That was my exact thought! There is no better time to quit smoking than immediately! Good luck!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Anytime to quit is the perfect time. Do it now--today!

    It's not that easy. See quitting will be very stressful, if you add diet to it then one of your plans will buckle and you may even burn out on both. What I suggest is to pick a quitting day and starting that day eat at maintenance for a couple of weeks. Working out can actually make the withdrawal go faster, so focus on that every time you feel the urge. Yoga and relaxation helps too. You will only be totally miserable the first week, after that the number of times you get the urge goes down considerably, so if at the beginning smoking is all you can think about all day every minute of the day by week 2 you barely feel the urge to smoke a couple of times a day and it goes away within a few minutes.

    It's very important to keep yourself extremely busy for the time to pass faster. Do whatever you want. Rent a whole bunch of movies and shows you like for example, bury yourself in easy but time consuming work, or do whatever you want to do but don't just sit there idling, and remember: "just one" is never "just one" even years after you've quit. Don't tempt yourself thinking you have it under control.
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
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    I smoke as well but I also know that for me personally, I can't try to do too many things at once when it comes to life changes. I know that losing weight right now is my main focus and if I incorporate trying to stop smoking at the same time, I would just be setting myself up for failure on both accounts. I would be putting myself under too much stress. That's just me though. If you can do both I admire you for that. It's just not something I can do myself.
  • Mylolamia
    Mylolamia Posts: 88 Member
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    It has been a long time since I have had a cigarette (46 years) when I smoked over a pack a day. The best way is quit "cold turkey". If you are smoking two packs a day, I can only imagine what your lungs must look like. Do it now...today...don't even think about another one. Chewing gum, eat veggie snacks will help but go into this with a positive attitude...no negativity here. This is important for your health and wellbeing.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
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    I'm on day 2 of quitting. Tried to start Wednesday, failed Friday. Having some health issues because of it so I'm done. I usually smoked half a pack a day unless it was a night out then it ended up being a whole pack or a pack and a half on those nights. I started when I was 18 as soon as I went to college. Here I am 12 years later...I've read conflicting thoughts on here concerning gaining weight from smoking. From what I've gathered a) if you have a calorie defecit you shouldn't gain weight regardless BUT that b) it does slow down your metabolism anyway...I quit for a year in 2006 and I gained a lot of weight but it was also an extremely stressful time. So I plan to do it differently this time. Eat healthier, start a REGULAR exercise routine, do ANYTHING BUT EAT OR SMOKE when I get cravings such as jumping jacks or yoga or meditation or walking. Trying to replace a bad habit with healthy ones. I don't have a choice. I want to smoke all I want and it's actually making me depressed sometimes that I can't (how pathetic is that?) but I don't have a choice now. I HAVE TO QUIT.

    Congrats on the walking and losing 11lbs! As far as whether or not you should wait to quit until you've reached your weight loss goal, I think you should quit as soon as possible. It will help you reach your goal if you can exercise more and breathe easier. I think that's one reason I gained so much weight. I told myself I couldn't work out because I couldn't breathe well enough. I told myself "I can do light exercise like walking, but that doesn't burn enough calories". So I just didn't exercise. At least try to quit. Give it a really good, serious try.
  • anacepeda
    anacepeda Posts: 15 Member
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    but it's also way easier to work out harder and longer, because my lung capacity is better :)

    Ah! exactly! I would love, for example, to sometimes substitute my brisk walking with running but no way my lungs permit that.

    thanks for sharing your example, I loved to hear that after the 6 week stall it went back on track and you didn't gain any!
    and congratulations, 50 lb lost is great! :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Actually this is a trick that may help you. It may be silly and you may feel silly, but it helped me A LOT. When you feel the urge you can actually "smoke" a pencil. Just mimic the action of smoking with a pencil, a pen or your empty hand. The deep breathing will help calm you down and the hand to lip movement will help you tackle the oral fixation. Within a few minutes the urge will be gone, it's actually like magic!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Quit 4 weeks ago on Tuesday, 3 months into my calorie counting, 3.5 months into my exercise program. Smoked for 30 years.
    I'd say now is a good time!
    P.S. did the patch for the first 4 days of that then said why replace it so cold turkey! Feel great!
  • anacepeda
    anacepeda Posts: 15 Member
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    thanks for all the feedback, I loved reading your stories and tips and feel really motivated!

    I don't think i'm capable of full cold turkey experience, I tried 10 years ago and I kept crying (yes, real tears), I only made it for 3 days, I was at a point that someone saying something to me, it would sound like an insult or a negative comment. I felt like the saddest person on earth and wasnt able to control my emotions

    This time I was planning on gum/patches... anything that could provide some help!

    I absolutely admire everyone capable of cold turkey, I can't even imagine how hard it must have been!
  • foor78
    foor78 Posts: 1
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    I'm also wanting to quit, everyone around me is quitting!! I've been smoking for 20 years and I was happy to see your post this morning so I could get read the feedbacks as I too was thinking this morning, is now a good time to quit being this is also my first day with MFP and changing my life around for the better.
  • trinatrina1984
    trinatrina1984 Posts: 1,018 Member
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    Well done on what you have achieved so far, I gave up cold turkey a couple of years ago and didn't really find it too bad because the time was right.When I gave up I found I had heaps more energy which made me more active - and doing something active kept my mind off smoking, At this point I didn't really lose any weight because I was still eating rubbish all the time but I think if you are in the right frame of mind (sounds like you are) it can be done. It will be tough but you can do it, giving up was the best decision I ever made.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    Anytime to quit is the perfect time. Do it now--today!

    Agree 100%! In terms of damage to your health smoking is far worse than being overweight.......good luck!
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
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    Also, there is a Quitting Smoking group on MFP. It's been pretty dead over there so to have some new members for feedback and support would be great!
  • hekate89
    hekate89 Posts: 28 Member
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    I started MFP in february (or thats when I really started doing it seriously), and went on with that for a few months. In these months I started getting a pretty good work out routine as well. I had many of the same thoughts as you did on quitting smoking, and worried a lot if it just would make things worse again food-wise. I decided to quit cold turkey at the end of April. And for me it has been surprisingly easy! i just took one day at a time and was really determined. And I am still smoke-free=) Sure I miss it now and again, but the rewards I have gotten from it outweighs that by far. I say go for it. I don't think you have anything to loose!

    =)
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    quit smoking but buy nicotine gum/spray, once you've finished dieting then quit the nicotine altogether, its really good at killing appetite too even better than smoking imo
  • anacepeda
    anacepeda Posts: 15 Member
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    What about the 'ritual smokes'? (not sure if this is the proper term, english is not my main language), those cigars that were some sort of mandatory ritual? did you change the whole situation or learned to live it without the cigars?

    for example, I love drinking an espresso and I always smoke 2 cigars (5 mins apart) after that, its like I can't do 1 without the other

    Or with alcohol, at home I never drink it but if there's a bday party or celebrations with drinks, every single time I drink wine, its yells for cigars

    did you just stopped doing the things that made you want to smoke?
  • pipertargaryen
    pipertargaryen Posts: 303 Member
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    For me, it was perfect.

    I couldn't work out much because I couldn't breathe. I quit in March (I was down about 20lbs at that point), and although I was dreading the weight gain everyone has warned about for years, I figured I would have to do it anyway, weight be damned. For my health. I was on the patch for 1 week, didn't like how it made my arm feel, then went cold-turkey.

    Well, I've lost another 46lbs since then. It can absolutely be done. I didn't allow myself to gain weight, basically. Just like I don't allow myself to binge, etc. Discipline. I'm not saying that it's easy. I miss smoking more than I miss eating like a beast. But it can totally be done.
  • caliv0608
    caliv0608 Posts: 18 Member
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    I'm sure it's different for everyone, but for me, if I were to make too many changes at once I would get overwhelmed. You seem pretty well established in your new routine of healthy eating and exercise, though so this would probably be a good time.

    My doctor said that how much you smoked determines what type of tobacco cessation tools you should use. For example, I only smoke 2-3 cigs per day. When I asked about Chantix, he was like "Yeah, no". From their viewpoint, 2 cigs a day is in "just go cold turkey" range. But to me, the last couple are the hardest to give up. Cutting back was no problem. Losing the last one is harder.

    What helped me quit for long periods of time in the past was using situations to my advantage. Once I got a really bad cold and didn't smoke (never smoke when I don't feel good). Since I hadn't smoked for two weeks, just kept on not smoking once I felt better. Also, you'll need to replace the activity with something else, and if you're like me, may have to give up coffee until you're well quit. LOL. After a couple weeks, you'll find you get more out of your walks and have so much more energy and that great feeling helps motivate to stay quit. I've heard it takes 21 days to form or remove a habit. Good luck!

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