Quitting Smoking While Losing Weigt

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ohgeeque
ohgeeque Posts: 224 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have lost 20 pounds, about a third of my goal. With that loss I am already feeling much better but my original plan was to quit smoking at 25 pounds. However, as I near that point I become more concerned about the effect it will have on my weight loss progress. That is stupid. I know that to stop smoking will be a greater benefit to my health than losing more weight. I am trying to build a better me.

I want to quit. I want to quit now. I need to know what to expect and how to counter it.

So, has anyone quit smoking recently? Do you have any warnings? Any advice? Tips?

Help.

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Replies

  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    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 :D. A plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I quit a couple months ago using a vaporizer...yes it has nicotine in it but so does the gum etc.

    I haven't gained any weight back because of quitting cigs...but I have a great substitute as well.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    That's your Inner Junkie just making excuses again.

    I lost 36 pounds in the first 6 months of my quit.

    Gaining weight doesn't have to happen if you don't want it to, right?
  • taentea
    taentea Posts: 91 Member
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    I've quit smoking cold turkey over 7 years ago and that gave me a jump start to lose 25kg (55lb) in following few months. I found that the two processes complimented each other nicely. New food and exercise adventures took my mind off cigarettes and clearing taste buds, better ability to breath and smell things made healthy food and exercise more enjoyable.
  • evivahealth
    evivahealth Posts: 567 Member
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    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!!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    id use an e cig. i quit using one last year (i gradually reduced to 0 nicotene)

    but i wasn't trying to lose weight at the same time. one battle at a time- cigs last year, weight this year (and next) LOLOLOL
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    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
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    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.

    I gave myself a week to be crazy. Everyone is different, many people prefer to be at work, but I took the week off. I mostly stayed in my apartment and I ate whatever I wanted. I drank lots of water and juice. I painted my entire house. Every inch was spotless. I fixed things. I was like a manic energizer bunny! It worked for me. I could stay as busy as I wanted, or just take a nap. Once I got past the first 4-5 days, I joined the gym and the rest is history.

    I highly recommend getting active. Become obsessed. Run all the time. It's hard to want to smoke when you run almost every single day. And you kind of naturally want too eat better when you're more active. I certainly didn't gain when I quit. I got on the best shape of my life :-)
  • evivahealth
    evivahealth Posts: 567 Member
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    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!
  • schillewis
    schillewis Posts: 144 Member
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    taentea wrote: »
    I've quit smoking cold turkey over 7 years ago and that gave me a jump start to lose 25kg (55lb) in following few months. I found that the two processes complimented each other nicely. New food and exercise adventures took my mind off cigarettes and clearing taste buds, better ability to breath and smell things made healthy food and exercise more enjoyable.

    Agree completely! In the past, my smoking actually impeded my weight loss because exercise was so challenging. I quit cold turkey 3 years ago and I can't believe the difference now when I go to the gym! So now is a GREAT time to quit - you won't ever regret it.

    Good Luck :smiley:
  • 2012ALM
    2012ALM Posts: 22 Member
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    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!
  • tjcalley
    tjcalley Posts: 163 Member
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    I quit using a ecig as well. I had started going to a spin class while I was still smoking and that first class I went to I actually thought I was having a heart attack and it was embarrassing. I quit that week. I still think that the ecig somehow doesnt help my breathing but it is 100x better than it used to be while smoking. Also you can slowly lower the nicotine. I think I started with 21 and now I'm at a 3. I also did not gain weight from not smoking. Good luck!
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    ecig....definitely, ecig.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    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.

    So not true!

    Each person's journey to quitting smoking is a personal one. For some, doing it cold turkey just isn't possible or successful. That certainly doesn't make them any less of a person if they need some help to get there. The most important part of the equation is becoming a non-smoker - no matter what it takes! :)
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
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    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 :)
  • ohgeeque
    ohgeeque Posts: 224 Member
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    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.
  • EdBaumann
    EdBaumann Posts: 1 Member
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    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.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I quit smoking and drinking at the same time I started eating well and exercising. It just made sense, and I was tired of my lungs feeling like they were on FIRE every time I'd go jogging.
    It wasn't that much of a struggle for me, it really is just mind over matter.
    Edit: and I don't believe it hindered me losing weight at all.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    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! :smiley:
  • cmcdonald525
    cmcdonald525 Posts: 140 Member
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    Vaping. You still have the smoking sensation but you can breathe so much better and wean yourself off the nicotine if you choose. My e cig has become one of my essential weight loss tools as well. Craving something? You can vape it! Right now I've got funnel cake, mint chocolate cookie, banana bread, and lemon bar juices. I find they are so much more satisfying than the real thing.

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