Quitting Smoking While Losing Weigt

Nicotine gum. Seriously, it will help. Also have lots of low carb snacky things prepped and ready to go, carrot sticks and the like. Keep your hands busy. Drink lots of water.

You are braver than me. I confess I am holding off until I'm done losing weight. But I'm then going to do some muscle building, so any extra eating from quitting will just get accounted for in the extra I'm eating to build muscle . A plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel.

Yep, I can hear the addict talking! But I can also hear the awesome determined person who is gonna quit and lose weight doing it too. Here's how I found the whole lose weight/quit smoking journey...

When I quit cold turkey about 4 years ago I was amazed by how much more energy I had. Seriously I wanted to run around and jump and lift things and all sorts of crazy stuff haha. Anyway, I channeled this into the C25K program. It was the first time in about 7 years since I took up smoking that I was actually able to go for a run, so I used that as my motivation - it was like congratulations, you've quit smoking now you can run further and faster! So obviously that helped to burn more calories.

To fight the cravings and avoid snacking/binge eating, I chewed gum (regular, no nicotine - you're trying to stop being an addict right, not just give up smoking?) and developed a tea habit. Don't get me wrong, I walked into a shop to buy a pack of cigarettes and avoided it by buying a 3 pack of krispy kremes :-/ Still a win as far as quitting smoking went though... Anyway, I bought myself a nice tea pot and spent some of the money I saved on cigarettes on fancy loose leaf teas. Whenever I was craving I would go and make a cup of tea. It was perfect, got me away from my desk without going outside, gave me the 4 minutes I needed to stay ahead of the craving (science says the cravings last about 3 minutes each so if you can resist for that long you're gonna be fine) and the tea gave me something hot in my throat to combat the scratchy kind of feeling I got with the cravings.

So yeah, you can totally do both - there's plenty of people on here who will be there to support you when you take the leap. Feel free to add me if you need some support, you can do it!!

whyquit.com helped me quit cold turkey, which is the only way to do it and not start smoking again. I've know very few people who successfully quit by using a nicotine replacement product. It's like telling an alcoholic to drink beer instead of vodka. The important thing is making the decision to quit. Once you've done that, it's easy. And yes, you will have LOTS of energy!

slaite1 wrote: »

I quit over three years ago. I was not active AT ALL. So I quit smoking, joined a gym and signed up for a 5k. I also started couch to 5k and chewed gum obsessively. I temporarily gave up coffee (switched to tea) and did not drink alcohol for about 3 months.

^ C25K, regular gum, tea. Looks like we have a pattern forming here!

I second using a vaporizer, I was losing weight and quit at the same time about 2 years ago. With the vaporizer, you can gradually go down in the amount of nicotine, which worked for me. The gum, patches, cold turkey, and medication did not do it for me, believe me, I tried them all. Be stringent in keeping that diary up and sticking to it, it should help you keep under control with food hopefully. Do you like gum? Extra's Dessert flavors are excellent and they have new ones all the time. Drink lots of water. As someone mentioned, you will be amazed when you can taste and smell again, great experience, but stick to healthy food . I forgot how good a fresh green bean or asparagus tasted like until I quit and now I eat tons of veggies . Good luck, you can do this!

ecig....definitely, ecig.

I quit smoking using a combination of the gum and wanting to impress a new boyfriend who thought it was disgusting(highly motivating) I had tried for years off and on and finally did it. To offset the possible weight gain I ramped up my exercise and started running again. It was helpful for me to see how my lung capacity grew as I healed. I told myself that I would accept a slight gain because the benefits of quitting outweighed the momentary gain. In the end I lost 10lbs, no gain! Its been over 11years since I quit and am so happy for it! You can do it! Good Luck

Do not, repeat, do not "quit" smoking. Change your mindset and become a non-smoker instead. I admit it is just a trick by changing your attitude but I found that becoming something was a heck of a lot easier than quitting something. Just like I am not losing weight...I am becoming a healthier person.

ohgeeque wrote: »

Thank you, all of you. You have given me some very important insight. I think it will be very helpful. I'm going to quit tomorrow. Go to bed a smoker and wake up an x-smoker. I have gum, water, and celery sticks. I took the day off from work, I plan to clean, walk, walk the dog, knit, read, clean some more.

Like weight loss, it will be a process that takes more than one day and like weight loss if I never start I'll never finish.

Right now, I'm an addict but I won't be one forever.

Thank you again for your help and good wishes.

Woo-hoo!! You can do it! I'd wish you luck but you don't need it. Enjoy!

It takes a hell of a lot of determination to KEEP smoking these days! All the avoiding-the-health warnings, ignoring the shortness of breath, smelliness, and being a social outcast.

You already know you've got that determined streak by losing weight, too. Turn the smoking stubbornness into the refusal to poison your body with cigarettes.

You can do it!

I quit 4 months ago. I have lost 5lbs so far, I never actually gained any weight, but I think it might have made progress a bit slower. On the other hand I have taken up running and I can swim faster for longer since quitting, and the feeling of climbing a flight of stairs without thinking my heart will beat out of my chest feels GREAT! I would recommend it just for the personal achievements, a couple of pounds of weight gain is nothing compared to how better you will feel for doing it.
Edit: knitting helped me ALOT! I really does help.

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Quit cold turkey after 30 years in July. It CAN be done.

Yes! Way to go!

I've quit cold turkey twice. Each time, I had just found out I was pregnant. The first time lasted two years, the second time, three. My son just weaned himself on his second birthday and for whatever reason, I got a little tipsy and thought, "Hey, I want a cigarette.." Ugh. I'm honestly so ashamed. I feel extreme guilt and embarrassment when I buy a new pack. I often get told I don't "look like a smoker" whatever that means. I know I should just throw away the pack I have now but I've told myself.. Three today, two tomorrow, one the next day. I'm determined to make this my last pack. It was easy before, knowing I had a miracle growing inside me to quit for. Now I really need to tell myself that I'm worth it, too.

I quit 10 days ago. It's nothing compared to some of the other posters but it's still a huge win for me! I quit cold turkey. The very first day was the hardest for me, cause I usually falter in the evening and start over the next day.. I was a smoker for 7 years, about 6 cigs a day.. I've been exercising for about six months now, aiming for 4 times a week. I haven't gained a single pound since I quite smoking. I know it's only been 10 days but I have established a bunch of healthy habit over the last few months so gaining weight after quitting is unlikely. I also decided to start running more regularly. Running takes my mind of things.

The thing I love most about being a non-smoker is the fact that my hair and clothes don't stink anymore. Sooo worth it

You're already committed to being healthy, so stick to your exercise regime, healthy snacks, drink loads of water and keep your mind busy. You can do it. I believe in you