Quitting Smoking, But Terrified Of Gaining!

Wow good for you! (And everyone else here that quit too!!)

I completely agree with everyone that says find something to replace it with something healthy when you feel a craving come on.

I read in a health magazine (sorry I don't have a reference lol) that exercise helps overcome the cravings, for example go walk around the block when you would normally go outside to smoke.

For me what worked (and avoided weight gain yay!) was to drink a cup of coffee (black) every time I had a craving, because it gave me the "buzz" I was looking for but had no calories.

The advice to brush and floss your teeth is also a REALLY REALLY good one, both for dieting and quitting cigarettes because it takes the right amount of time and it's much easier to resist when your mouth is clean.

Now I use a cup of tea for any cravings I have (food or otherwise). By the time I heat up water, steeped the tea and begin drinking it the craving has passed but also I kept busy with the process of making it. I don't use any milk or sweetener however so it's a calorie free indulgence.

As your lifestyle becomes more healthy and you start feeling the positive and healthy repurcussions it becomes easier to make the right choices, just whatever you do be aware of what your choosing to do when the cravings hit... people gain weight because they feel hungrier so make the choice to grab something healthy like veggies or fruit that way you fuel your body not replace poison with more poison.

Oh and I went cold turkey nearly 4 years ago!

Spartan_Gingi wrote: »

Hi all! I'm on my last pack of cigarettes. If I'm going to lose the weight I want by June, I feel like I should make the full commitment to my health. However, I'm really concerned I'm going to gain!! Anyone have a success story to share about quitting and still losing? Tips? And how'd you do it?

I guess I can't call myself a success (yet), but I'm heading in the right direction.
I quit smoking December 5. With the holidays coming on, I gave myself permission to not worry about weight loss, have my last hurrah with the beer, and concentrate on not smoking.
My quit method was the patch. I used my last patch one week ago.

Taking on smoking cessation and weight loss at the same time can be overwhelming, but yet concentrating on your food intake and logging might keep your mind from the smokes.

A couple of suggestions that helped me:

• Don't worry about exercising (especially aerobics) for at least a month. Give your lungs time to heal. If you start now, you could run out of breath too soon, and you could become discouraged.
• Drink lots of water. Water curbs appetite, flushes out your system, and helps your metabolism. Beware, you'll get lots of exercise running to the bathroom.
• Reward yourself. You're taking on some major tasks, you deserve rewards for the little success.
• Don't beat yourself up if you relapse. We're human, humans screw up. Just give it an "oh well" and start over the next day.
• Take advantage of the support you'll get here, either personal responses to your successes, or encouraging words from the posts.
  
  You've taken the first step, anything's possible!

I had a college professor who said he grew a mustache when he stopped smoking so that he would have something to fiddle with around his mouth. He told us that's part of why people smoke. I've never smoked, but I find that exercise helps keep me from eating because it is hard to sit around eating when you are exercising.

Hello,

I quit smoking a month ago an it's been great so far. I don't think you should be worried about weight gain at all because quitting smoking on it's own does not contribute to weight gain. Weight gain happens because you choose food to replace the oral fixation you originally had when you used to smoke.

Try avoiding greasy foods right after you quit smoking. This is because smoking affects the digestive process and you could end up with acidity ( this could happen with regular foods as well). Make sure you incorporate adequate amounts of fiber in your diet and also drink plenty of water.

Quitting smoking would be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. I was a compulsive smoker for 5 years and I used to smoke close to 10 cigarettes a day. Ever since I quit about a month ago, I've started feeling stronger, I think I look much better, your face stops looking pale and there is some colour to it ( Sometimes I just feel like staring at myself these days). You could face mild insomnia ( Again every person experiences symptoms a little differently), but cut down on the caffeine as this could also increase acidity.

Since you've decided to, you should quit. The symptoms aren't as bad as they are made out to be and I haven't had any cravings at all. The symptoms are all in your head because you think your life is going to be less enjoyable without it and you end up feeling like you're missing out on something while that is not actually the case. So good luck to you and enjoy feeling healthy, relatively wealthier and relatively, okay lets say absolutely more beautiful.

I quit 6 years ago and weigh 20lbs less....it's all in your hands. Stay focused on what's really important, set the goal and do it......you got this!

Spartan_Gingi wrote: »

Hi all! I'm on my last pack of cigarettes. If I'm going to lose the weight I want by June, I feel like I should make the full commitment to my health. However, I'm really concerned I'm going to gain!! Anyone have a success story to share about quitting and still losing? Tips? And how'd you do it?

I don't no where you are from but in the UK at any pharmacy you can sign up for smoke free and they start you off on patched and mints which takes niggle away and instead of going for a cigarette hit the gym for an hour. That's what helped me

I switched to vaping and counted calories to make sure I didn't go over just to be putting things in my mouth. Did not gain weight.

Well done!