quit smoking help

rachpauljack
rachpauljack Posts: 5
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
iam soon to be trying stopping smoking again, but concerned i will put on weight from eating more to stop the craving for cigarettes any help and advice would be great x x

Replies

  • ericsoh
    ericsoh Posts: 1
    Quitting smoking slows down your metabolism. I quit 1 and a half years ago and gained about 20 pounds, and ate the same as I did before I quit. My advice to you would be research ways to speed up your metabolism in your diet, and also become more active than when you were smoking. After time you will feel great from not smoking and working out regularly will be easier. Good luck!
  • BrianBier
    BrianBier Posts: 18
    Fantastic on your quest to quit smoking!!! I quit about 8 years ago - cold turkey - and have never looked back!

    The best advice I can give you is simply to use the power of the mind! Imagine yourself as a healthy non-smoker...imagine the smell of cigarettes making you sick...imagine someone offering you a smoke and you turning it down because it disgusts you. Put all of these images on center stage in your mind...close your eyes and picture them -- this will blow it up to a magnitude that will cause your subconscious mind to make it true.

    This is not an easy thing, but if you are truly committed to it then it will be a simple accomplishment for you!

    Brian

    Another thing....never "try" to quit smoking - just "BE" a healthy person that doesn't smoke!
  • butterflysoul2
    butterflysoul2 Posts: 4
    Congrats for taking the first step. I smoked for over 15 years and quit almost two years ago. I quit cold turkey during exam week my final year in college. I will not lie to you, it will be hard and it will require all of your strength to maintain but it can be done. I don't have a lot of advice for you, my personal go to is gum, I am constantly chewing gum, just regular gum not the type made to help you quit. I did not gain any weight when I quit, so I guess that helped. You will not believe how great you feel and how much of a difference it will make in your life. It is worth the struggle. I am 31 years old and before I quit had high blood pressure issues and anxiety problems. Now my blood pressure is normal and I am completely healthy (other than the weight I still have to lose LOL). Anyway, if you need support from someone who has been through this, just holler at me. Good Luck !!!
  • rachpauljack
    rachpauljack Posts: 5
    thanks for the help hopefully this time round i will quit x
  • nldsmiley
    nldsmiley Posts: 38 Member
    Quitting smoking is WELL WORTH the weight gain!! The overall benefits are way healthier so what if you do put a few pounds on. I smoked for over 15 years maybe more and quit 3 years ago. I also did gain 10 lbs but I feel so much better about myself, my health, my life, and most of all I KNOW I have a better future. If you have kids, that should be another motivation because it is unfair for adults to expose their kids to second hand smoke. We have a choice, they don't. I tried the patch and it did not work but then I went cold turkey and as Brian stated, I never looked back. Sure it was hard at first but if you really want it...you can really do it! Keep hard candy around and lots of gum so when you have a craving you have something to reach for. I also notice that I am not as sick anymore with colds and stupid little things. Good luck to you and if you need any help, advice, I am here!!!
  • dawnelaine96
    dawnelaine96 Posts: 38 Member
    I'm certainly no expert nutritionally, but I used to smoke 2 packs a day back when I was younger. I quit cold turkey after several attempts. The unsucessful attempts were due to the fact that I was constantly around other smokers and would crave them when I saw others smoking. The time I was succesful, was because I had changed jobs and nobody at my new job was a smoker. I didnt have the temptation so it was fairly easy or me. It also helped that my young son came to me in tears terrified that I was going to die because I smoked. At the time they were showing horrible, graphic commercials on tv about what smoking will do to you and my son had seen those.

    As far as snacking goes, In my unprofessional opinion I'd say Keep yourself BUSY. Find things to do to keep your mind off of cigarettes and snacks. Go out with your friends. Go hiking, go to a movie, whatever you can think of. And if you feel the need to snack, try grapes or granola or something healthy.

    Anyway, good luck. I truely hope you succeed!
  • eshyay
    eshyay Posts: 18
    I think, as long as you're aware of the fact that you may be hungrier, you can do things to head it off at the pass - because you CAN do this!
    Sugar-free gum may help - it's obviously not something you want to chew on all the time for the rest of your life, because artificial sweeteners aren't crazily good for you, but they may be a useful coping technique to get you through the really rough part. Similarly veggie sticks may not only help as a healthy snack but also to satisfy the part of you that wants something cigarette-shaped.
    And finally - better lung capacity means bigger workout goals - fit in some extra exercise where you can and capitalise on that lack of smoke. The extra calories gained may help you as you find a way through!
  • rachpauljack
    rachpauljack Posts: 5
    iam going to try cold turkey, but sometimes i do enjoy a cigarette more so when having a few drinks, i also suffer really bad anxiety attacks and have been told from the doctor that stopping smoking is a good way to ease them, thanks again for the support and advice x
  • eshyay
    eshyay Posts: 18
    Oh also, when I quit smoking it helped me to say to myself, "All you have to do is NOT SMOKE."

    Not many people find that helpful, but those who do seem to think it's magic.
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
    lol 3rd time today I've said this but - have you thought about reading Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking book? I reads it almost a yr ago and havent smoked since, nor did I put on any weight. It's every bit as easy as he promises.
  • might4
    might4 Posts: 99 Member
    Just start each day with figuring out how to get through that day! One day at a time is the best way to tackle it. I quit 4 years ago and I did put on over 20 pounds - but I was not making an effort to control anything. Being here and committed to the MFP process is much of the battle already. Surround yourself with supportive friends! (I sent you a friend request)

    YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
  • skinnymoomoo
    skinnymoomoo Posts: 202 Member
    I totally recommend the allen carr (not the funny man!) stop smoking books too!!, i read that and packed in, i used patches for a week and a half too, kept forgetting to put a patch on so just stopped all together. I used to clean like a mad woman, or find anything other than eating to occupy me when I got a craving. xx
  • Geordie_Girl
    Geordie_Girl Posts: 175 Member
    My husband gave up using the nicorette inhalers and recommends them to everyone.
  • skinnymoomoo
    skinnymoomoo Posts: 202 Member
    *BUMP How's the no smoking going? x
  • craft338
    craft338 Posts: 870 Member
    i'm not quite ready to quit yet, but when i am...i'm using MFP. i'm gonna enter my cigarettes as calories so I won't want to have them as much.
  • thistimesforever87
    thistimesforever87 Posts: 1
    I took Chantix. I was a pack and a half a day smoker, and by the end of the first month on chantix was so grossed out by cigarettes. I can smell them a mile away and the smell gives me headaches. I strongly recommend Chantix to people who want to quit, because it made it pretty painless.
  • cwann1
    cwann1 Posts: 6 Member
    I am a few days away from 6 months of not smoking. It is really mind over matter. I actually lost weight because now I am able to breathe when I run! Good luck!
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