Smoking, emotion and eating

DanniB423
DanniB423 Posts: 777 Member
edited December 2024 in Motivation and Support
Three years ago I stopped smoking. Last summer I went through a rough time that I have discussed in this forum before. I started up for about 3 months and quit once things leveled out. In March my life took a turn again (involving infidelity and divorce) and I have recently been smoking again. When I am smoking I lose so much weight and my calories seem much more manageable. When I don't I binge and snack constantly. The smoking almost compensates for extra food. Obviously I realize this is horrible and smoking awful and I don't plan to continue. And I know many people lose tons of weight never smoking at all but for a former smoker that ran back to it when life got too much.. It just feels different. Any insight?

Replies

  • nutty_me
    nutty_me Posts: 15 Member
    Smoking is often used as a coping mechanism. When this is taken away especially in times of emotional stress then we have to find something to replace this with and often it is with food.

    I am a previous smoker and In the past I would often choose a cigarette over food hence the weight loss

    Have you looked at different coping strategies/mechanisms for your emotional stress? Something that you know that you already enjoy doing or maybe something new?

    I hope that you can kick it soon and get back on track
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    I was a smoker (2 packs a day for 5 years)

    I replaced smoking with working out but it took several times to totally quit.

    A lot of it is habit and it is mental.

    If you want to quit I suggest to first make a plan to quit.
    What will you do instead? When you are lighting up a cigarette can you picture what it would be like if you weren't smoking? Can you first make a plan to cut down? And then go from there...

    After I started hitting the gym, when I would smoke afterwards I started to feel sick.

    It also helped ALOT to be around ppl who didn't smoke. It is hard to avoid smoking when everybody around you is doing it.

    You can do it!
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    I switched to vaping and slowly cut down the nicotine concentration over time.
  • nutty_me
    nutty_me Posts: 15 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    I switched to vaping and slowly cut down the nicotine concentration over time.

    I quit with vaping too. Although I do still vape now i feel so much better
  • Gun4a
    Gun4a Posts: 68 Member
    I quit smoking a few years ago while I was losing weight at the same time. What I also took up at that same time was exercising. It seems that brain does need a substitute when you quit smoking. Weather it's eating, gym or any other activity that keeps your mind busy...
  • queenofpuppies
    queenofpuppies Posts: 189 Member
    I quit smoking 5 years ago, 3 years ago, and two years ago. Each time I gained about 15lbs that didn't go away when I started back up so I feel this struggle. I think now that I'm over two years I really don't feel hungrier like I did at first...or maybe I'm just used to it. I started carrying around lemon water and sipping that when I got hungry, that helped a little but mostly its all about holding yourself accountable and making yourself suffer through the pain of the quitting. Sorry, I'm not going to make it sound fun. Losing weight and quitting smoking are both really hard things that involve a great deal of self control and perseverance. For me, accepting that I wanted to smoke, or wanted to eat a big mac but that that didn't mean I would was a big break thru...like letting myself want it. You don't have to quit wanting to smoke, you just have to quit making unhealthy choices. Good on you for fighting for your life.
  • tahxirez
    tahxirez Posts: 270 Member
    I'm in the same boat. I keep saying not even one puff. Its tough when you have a bunch of people willing to give you a cigarette at any moment (because they miss your company on breaks and such.) When I get a strong craving (i'm only about a week into my quit after my previous long term quit) I make myself do something very physical and preferably cardio related. I've upped my running mileage (which I tend to neglect when smoking) to reinforce the idea that for me making unhealthy choices leads to a landslide. I've worked too hard to get where I am and I'm not going back. As hokie as it sounds you have to take every minute as it comes. And its been suggested already but really be present in your craving, similar to meditation; acknowledge and allow it to pass you by. Have a set of aversion behaviors in your arsenal (not food related) and remember that sometimes it will take more than one to carry you through. Its all in our heads and we can do this!!
  • sparklyglitterbomb
    sparklyglitterbomb Posts: 458 Member
    When I quit (pack a day for years) I spent a fair amount of time finding other ways to deal with things. I was very intent on breaking the habits and learning all the triggers and changing how I reacted to them. If I was upset, I would read or write in a journal instead of grab a cigarette or something to eat. If I was bored, I'd do a puzzle or crossword. (this is simplifying, but you get the idea) It was a fair amount of work rewiring my brain and breaking those old habits, but it can be done.

    This happened when I was in the middle of losing weight and had just taken up cycling, so I was doing both at the same time. I think quitting smoking even helped change my eating habits since my sense of taste and smell improved so much when I stopped. I began to like different foods and dislike others.
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