Should I stop smoking?

satchel2008
satchel2008 Posts: 136 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So obviously I should stop smoking but I'm only 3 weeks into this I'm making a drs appointment cause my hormones are all over the place and I'm dealing with rough family situations. I'd like to stop at some point cause it's bad for my health and really expensive but I'm scared to do everything at once and become overwhelmed and just break. Should I try quitting now or should I wait awhile until thing has become more of a life style??

Replies

  • theonlyclevergirl
    theonlyclevergirl Posts: 11 Member
    Lady I think you should quit with help so you win your battle! I have a family member that quit with the help of Wellbutrin. They say that there’s not a day that goes by that they don’t think about having a smoke after a good meal. Also I recently started Wellbutrin after a mental breakdown and I believe it’s a great drug to help you cope with difficult situations and help you deal with the dread and fear some of wake up with every now and then.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    I agree with ditching the cigarettes first and foremost. With any help that will get you there.

    Good luck with the extra stress you're dealing with!!!
  • boilerdawg2009
    boilerdawg2009 Posts: 979 Member
    I agree with quitting smoking first but still stay on mfp to track and get support. You don't want the stress of quitting lead you to indulging in food. Anytime to remove something bad from your life you need to replace it with something positive. Stay on here to help keep yourself steady and then once you start to feel the stress from quitting subside, then start back on the weight loss train! And of course, get your doctor's advice as well for how to handle the two!
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
    You've got a lot on your plate. It's ok to take a step back and just breathe for a while and look at your situation as if you're not in it. Being overwhelmed can just lead to inaction so its OK to dial it back and proceed with smaller goals instead of looking at the big picture. Being present is very helpful if you concentrate on the past it can be depressing and always looking towards and uncertain future leads to anxiety.

    I use what I've learned from my past to help with my decisions in the present moment to guide myself to a more positive outcome in the future.

    Focus on the positives of quitting smoking as they pertain to you. My Dad might still be around today if he quit earlier in life before pancreatic cancer took him so I am always for quitting ASAP. Definitely discuss this with your doctor. Focus on the positive health and financial aspects of quitting to break that habit.

    Don't beat yourself up if you fall back in some way just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward toward what you want.

  • FitGamerSmoak
    FitGamerSmoak Posts: 224 Member
    Just go for it. While it’s hard to do (and I’m still doing it, quitting that is), we’re always going to have stressors and reasons we want to smoke.

    We have to realize that there is no better time than the present to do so. Best of luck. I’ll be here rooting for you while I work on my quit too. :)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    If you have the will power, just quit "cold turkey."

    My father did it after many years of smoking nothing but Chesterfields. He still died of emphysema and developed a hole (fixed w/surgery) in his lung nonetheless. I quit "cold turkey" too but I had only smoked a few years in my years and, as far as I know, there have been no lasting effects.

    If you can't manage that, then just do the best that you can. Good luck!

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Stop smoking (using whichever method suits you) and perhaps eat at maintenance to avoid weight gain from compensatory eating?
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    Yes - quit - It's not easy , but you can d it - I did
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    I honestly cannot imagine EVER answering the question, "Should I stop smoking?" with a, "No."

    Seriously. 100%, stop smoking. As @sijomial suggested, maybe eat at maintenance for awhile. But absolutely, stopping smoking is a huge deal. Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase do it, if not for you, then for your loved ones (I lost someone I loved to lung cancer).
  • angela_boinkers
    angela_boinkers Posts: 11 Member
    Yes, please quit now. It will be 3 years for me this month. I used the patch at first (which is covered by many medical insurances).
  • Hollis100
    Hollis100 Posts: 1,408 Member
    edited February 2022
    satchel2008 wrote: »
    So obviously I should stop smoking but I'm only 3 weeks into this I'm making a drs appointment cause my hormones are all over the place and I'm dealing with rough family situations. I'd like to stop at some point cause it's bad for my health and really expensive but I'm scared to do everything at once and become overwhelmed and just break. Should I try quitting now or should I wait awhile until thing has become more of a life style??

    I agree with people who said quit smoking first and then work on weight.

    I quit smoking many years ago. People have to find their own personal reason to quit. We all know cigarettes are expensive and terrible for our health, but those reasons didn't work for me -- I quit because I got mad at myself for depending on cigarettes for every little up and down during the day, exactly like a drug addict.

    I would have continued smoking if I could have had a cigarette only once in a while, like a piece of chocolate cake, but I couldn't, and it finally made me furious that cigarettes ruled me. I agreed to suffer for a few weeks, knowing that was the worst part, and told myself "Tough s**t" when I craved them.

    I also joined a stop smoking class for 6 weeks, even though I wasn't smoking, because I knew I was likely to start again. That class really helped. They taught me to think like a nonsmoker.

    Do whatever it takes to stop smoking. Use aids like patches or medicine or stop cold turkey, whatever works for you. Stay away from people who smoke while you are quitting -- I did that for the first six months and it really helped. And look into a stop smoking class -- many hospitals have free ones.

    Editing this to add another thing that helped me to quit: I planned treats, from buying scented lotions and bath gels, to all the books I wanted to buy, to travel, to low calorie and sugar free candy. If you decide to stop smoking, make sure to plan some treats and/or positive activities you can look forward to doing.

    Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

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