smoking> quitting?

yep im the same lol, i feel getn my diet etc sorted is enough to concentrate on just now :0

I think you should focus on quitting and then focus on losing weight.

Nope just have to quit. Give yourself some slack and continue on with your workouts etc. Waiting's not going to make it any better. It sucks to quit. You just have to do it. You'll workouts will benefit b/c you'll be able to breathe better. Maybe replace the smokes with more miles run/walked or whatever it is you do

Set some goals and buy new workout clothes/shoes/tunes with the money you've been spending on smokes.

I started MFP when I quit smoking, in order to NOT gain weight from the quit. Once I got into the swing of things, I actually started losing weight and I've been on the path to fitness ever since.

Don't be afraid. You will only gain weight if you eat more than you burn. If you log what you eat, you exercise, and you eat at a deficit, there is NO way to gain weight.

Good luck! Not smoking (after 34 years) is fantabulous!!

ETA: I used pretzels (measured), berries, tic tacs, toothpicks, and fake cigarettes to get me through the first 3-4 days.

I quit at the begining of my journey. How else could I get healthy by puffing away on those things? How would I tone up and build endurance while being unable to breathe? I am in this for the long haul, and want my whole body to be healthy, not just be skinny. I did not notice a difference in any weight gain or anything when I stopped. I used Nicoderm and my doctor said when times got really bad I could chew Nicorette too. This helped me tremendously. I didnt use food as a surrogate cigarette, and when I felt like smoking I drank a glass of water, and changed what I was doing. When it got bad I would chew a peice of gum or nicorette for the bad cravings.
You have to REALLY be ready to do this. And you cant do it half way or you will never beat the nicotine demon. You can make it easier on yourself by using stop smoking aids, this doesnt make you weak and it isnt a crutch, it is to just get you through it. You can do this if you really want to!

I did gain weight when I quit, but I was already gaining. It wasn't like I was consciously trying to lose weight and couldn't because I stopped.

I honestly am SO happy I stopped. So happy. I am sure if you still watch your calories on here and find low cal/no cal things for the oral fixation aspect, you will be fine.

do both. If you are basically working on eating healthy then it should hopefully help with the potential weight gain. Good luck to you!!

In September 2009 i gave up smoking and joined a gym for the first time. I was 2 stones over-weight at the time and had just returned from a summer holiday disgusted at the sight of myself in a bikini and suffering from a chest infection. I did really well and by March 2010 i had kept off the cigarettes and lost 2 stones all i can say is it takes will power and only you can do this, noone else can help you. However, due to the sudden death of my mum i started smoking again and havent been able to give this up completely although i have cut right down.

I quit smoking April 6, 2008. I had tried many methods before that (gum, patch, zyban, hypnosis).
These all eventually failed for me but I learned from each attempt.

Finally, I went to a website called www.whyquit.com . It is totally free and is to date, the best reference I have found for quitting smoking. Go there and download the E-book called "never take another puff". I read through that and after all the knowledge I had, I was able to quit and then be ready for all the temptations. I was quite slim - maybe even underweight so I wasn't really concerned about gaining weight. I eventually did gain about 50 pounds (and became "overweight") but I was at least free from the nicotine. After a cholestorol scare from my doctor, I then started to eat better and exercise and dropped about 10 pounds. I then tore a tendon in my shoulder and had to take a break for almost 2 years.

I then found this site (mfp) and have shed almost 20 more pounds and am no longer "overweight". It's been a long road.
I highly recommend that everybody trying to quit go check out that www.whyquit.com site. Totally free and a great resource.
A few tips: nicotine replacement is a scam (gum, patches etc) - it's like an alcoholic switching to light beer (duh). The other eye opener is that most doctors are useless in helping you quit. They will give you various prescriptions - more drugs to get you off drugs!

The guy that put the website together was way ahead of his time decades ago. He recognized that smoking was an addiction not a "habit" as many people or doctors used to think.

He tells people to try all the other methods of quitting and once they fail, try his way. You only have to do one thing - never take another puff - simple. Everything else is just how to cope with withdrawal and triggers and to be prepared for when they happen.

Another thing I learned is you will always crave a smoke - at least for several years. It takes some people 20 years to completely lose the craving. My father is here visiting right now and I feel so sorry for him - always having to go outside and have his smoke. I do *not* miss that part - being a slave to the addiction.

Anyway, I have this will help somebody. The only other trick is you really really really have to want to stop. I wanted to live longer to enjoy my kids longer and grandkids someday. Also to spend more time with my wife. Oh and lastly to suck more retirement money from the governent! ))

Quitting smoking was my hardest vice to give up - more than beer. I don't know if I would attempt a diet at the same time but if you can replace the cravings with excercise, that would be an awesome and much healthier way to do it.

HI
Like two or three others I joined MFP soon after giving up, in order to avoid putting on weight! It's a nightmare for 3 or 4 days, but after that.... it's fabulous! I smoked 15 a day for 25 years!! Give up this weekend, as you say. By next weekend, smoking will be history!!! Get Allan Carr's book. Brilliant. Gave up cold turkey, no meds or anything.

more tips. I was a pack and a bit smoker per day. I went from about 30 cig down to about 17 and went from a light to an extra light. The less nicotine your body is used to, the better. The cravings are less intense. And for me, the cravings took almost 4 months to really calm down - but they eventually did calm down. I would still love to have a smoke now but dare not try since I know I will be hooked again and start the suffering withdrawal process all over again. The reason cold turkey works so well is that you remember how awful the withdrawal is for life. A method of quitting that is easier is bound to fail. Why? Because you will just figure - hey I can quit again so you will be easily tempted to start again. Even thought the nicotine is out of your body after just a few days - it has actually reprogrammed your brain to crave it long after it is gone. Pretty evil stuff.

You know quitting I initially thought would be harder that dieting/exercising. But once I did everything else just fell into place. You won't miss it and you'll love that you can really breathe when exercising and can push yourself more. I used e-cigarrettes for about two weeks to help me with the cravings. Drinking a lot or water and chewing gum helps too. Good luck with quitting and getting to a healthier new you!! You're worth it! :flowerforyou:

You can do it. It's hard. I quit 2/22/06. Pick a date. Change your routine. You will feel, look, breathe better.