I CANT STOP EATING!!

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LisaV74
LisaV74 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Ok this is my second day on this thing.. Im exercising a lot but i have recently give up smoking and put on a stone which i need to shift before end of March.....

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  • mochax
    mochax Posts: 5 Member
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    From what i hear when you stop smoking it increase your eating. Have you tried the patch or anything? It may help and also try drinking water when you want to eat.
  • jrusso28
    jrusso28 Posts: 249 Member
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    Your eating cause of the nicotine withdrawl as well as your habit of having a smoke in your hands.
    Its natural for folks to substitute food and gain weight when quitting.

    I substituted carrots and gum when I needed something in my hands.

    Good luck.
  • geoscot
    geoscot Posts: 13 Member
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    Stop eating anything with corn syrup including: soda pop, pancake syrup, store bought cake, cookies, candy. Even some fruit juices have corn syrup. Check the label on anything that you eat. Corn syrup and sugar to a lesser degree, raises your glycemic index, making you hungrier when you "come down' from the lift it gives you. Corn syrup actually makes you hypoglycemic, and your body will try to achieve that unattainable level of sugar again. That's why you’re hungry again! That is part of the problem with our society and its eating habits. The food you get makes you hungrier and you want to eat more. Makes a great marketing plan for the food companies, but also very unhealthy.

    As far as the smoking goes, ignore it, crush it! I smoked for over ten years and quit with willpower alone. Just imagine yourself having to drag a bottle of oxygen around, gasping for each breath. Get in shape, get healthy, reject the status quo and the corporations (ie cigarette companies) controlling you with their product!

    Good Luck my Friend. Consider friending me on MFP and joining my group Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing. Peace!

    -Scot
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    I quit cold turkey and joined the gym/MFP and determined to lose weight (instead of gain). I did too, lost 15 pounds!

    So, your hands want something to do and your taste buds are no longer dulled and your hunger hormones are no longer squashed by the nicotine.

    So give yourself something healthy to snack on....raw veggies, grapes, pretzels, suck on hard candies (not my 1st choice), or bigger snacks scheduled for certain times. Then tell yourself to wait just 1 hour (or 2, or whatever) until the next scheduled snack.

    Another trick is to play with a toothpick or plastic straw (keeps fingers and mouth busy).

    Something I try to do is, when I feel starving, is drink 20 oz of cold water first, then wait 30 minutes. If I'm still really hungry, then I have a small snack.

    You can do this! Imagine, being thinner AND a non-smoker :bigsmile: . Just keep that goal in mind every time you crave something to eat. Do you NEED this food or is this all a trick of habits and hormones?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    No idea about smoking but make sure you're set up on MFP to lose no more than 1lb a week, and make sure you eat your exercise calories.
  • Sweetpopcorn619
    Sweetpopcorn619 Posts: 8
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    I've got a friend's hen do planned in Spain in July... Need to get to bikini sharp asap!!!
  • tmos512
    tmos512 Posts: 119 Member
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    Sunflower Seeds! Keeps your hands and mouth busy.
  • jrusso28
    jrusso28 Posts: 249 Member
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    Another helpful pointer.....

    The cigarette cravings tend to only last for 3 minutes at a time.
    So when they come on strong, just tell yourself that you are only having to endure them for 3 minutes.
    Drink plenty of water to keep yourself feeling full.

    I used to go for a walk up the stairs and then back down to my desk whenever I needed a break.
    Didnt look forward to the stairs, so I started to condition myself that cigarette cravings = walking up and down the stairs.

    I kept playing little mind games with myself to help compbat those cravings.
    You can do it, hang in there.
  • dendra7
    dendra7 Posts: 113 Member
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    Lots of good tips here already. Here's my suggestions:

    1. Cinnamon or mint toothpicks
    2. Gum
    3. Water, hot tea, etc. Hot beverages slow me down.
    4. Keep a big old bag of raw veggies (think celery, radishes) cut up in the fridge -placed front and center. Eat them whenever.

    You have to replace that smoking habit with something for a bit. Don't let it be food.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Oi! Double whammy!
    Quitting smoking is fantastic! But it can make you more hungry for a time. And nicotine withdrawal will make you gain weight! No longer getting that stimulant doesn't help either. But good for you for making such a fantastic change!
    Adding new exercise will also make you more hungry! Drink a glass of water before eating, every time, even for snacks. Eat slowly and mindfully - enjoy every bite! Chewing gum can help, I find it makes me more hungry. Lots of veggies! High fiber, low calorie.
    Good luck! Doing great already!
  • Craigg214
    Craigg214 Posts: 6 Member
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    I bought a book at Walmart - cook this and not that - everything is under 400 calorie meals. It helped me alot to be able to eat almost as much as I use to, but alot less calories.
  • operavagabond
    operavagabond Posts: 84 Member
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    Quitting smoking was the best decision I ever made. And yes, I did gain weight at first, but my lungs became healthier and within weeks I had more stamina for walking, which in turn caused me to exercise more. Within 6-8 weeks all of that extra weight I gained after quitting smoking came off through exercise.
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
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    whenever you want a cig, do jumping jacks until the craving goes away. You will be a lean, mean jumping jack machine in no time
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Will be praying for you to stay strong with the healthy choices you've made, congratulations on quitting smoking, it is hard but totally worth it. Try to find healthy snacks if you must. Gum is a no-brainer to keep you busy. Or even lifesavers or some low-cal candy when it gets really bad.

    Just think of all the benefits to your body. Your lungs are healthier, your skin will be younger looking, you will heal better, less likely to catch a cold, able to recover from injury/sickness better, you will smell better, feel more energetic, and have more oxygen in your blood to exercise.

    Wishing you strength and success.
  • Churble
    Churble Posts: 85 Member
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    Lots of good tips here already. Here's my suggestions:

    1. Cinnamon or mint toothpicks
    2. Gum
    3. Water, hot tea, etc. Hot beverages slow me down.
    4. Keep a big old bag of raw veggies (think celery, radishes) cut up in the fridge -placed front and center. Eat them whenever.

    You have to replace that smoking habit with something for a bit. Don't let it be food.

    I always thought the toothpick thing was silly, but I tried it, and it definitely works. I have mint flossers with me at all times now, if I start getting a craving (quit smoking a year ago, so now I'm more likely to get a craving for food I just don't need) I just chew on the end of the flosser. Not only does it stop me from eating just to give my mouth something to do, but it also gives me that just brushed mint flavor which means any food I ate wouldn't taste good anyway.
  • pittures
    pittures Posts: 44 Member
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    vitamin c - every time I wanted a smoke I waited one minute and chewed a vitamin c
    used them for about 10 days after I quit (chewed perhaps 10 a day, something about vitamin c helping flush out nicotine - I didn't care I just wanted something haha)
    you have to drink a ton of water
    it wasn't the total answer for me but it certainly helped I think
  • kelliegeiger2012
    kelliegeiger2012 Posts: 1
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    Well there are tons of great tips on here already, but I've heard that sipping a cup of tea slowly can lower cravings for food, and it would give you something to focus on, instead of smoking. I'm sure you're doing great, keep on chuggin!
  • nitepagan
    nitepagan Posts: 205 Member
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    The most important thing is the quitting smoking. Smoking causes many changes in the chemical processes of your body, so when you quit, it takes time for your body to get back to normal. 15 lb weight gain is normal. The cravings are the most difficult part, do not give up, keep going. After the last time I quit, my pulmonologist said I had 95+% of my lung capacity and not to start smoking again. Don't give up, unless you want COPD or some other life threatening disease. Smoking marijuana has not been shown to affect the lungs.

    When you reach a point, when you believe the smoking habit is under your control, 6 months or a year smoke free, then work on losing the weight.
  • jennilanch24
    jennilanch24 Posts: 1
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    SNAP. giving up the cigs has just made me want to snack snack snack. i have found little satsumas a help as you have to fiddle around peeling them. good luck
  • Figrating
    Figrating Posts: 9
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    It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times. (Something like what Twain said.)

    More seriously, I quit many, many years ago. The only way I succeeded was by scaring myself that I was dying. (Might have been truer than I know!) At the time I was gurgling like an underground spring as I breathed. I had nightmares about starting again. It took over a year before I felt safe. Some say smoking is more addictive than heroin. NO question it's toxic. Good on you for freeing yourself. You will need great determination to stay free. Good luck to you.

    The good news is that everybody here can help you with the food addiction. Several really good ideas here already. Show up here everyday. Keep your food diary. Drink your water. Be sure to have PLENTY of fresh fruits and vegetables READY to eat. Make a few friends to share the trip. APPLY YOURSELF. Check out some of the incredible success stories. Most impressive I've seen is from a woman who lost some 100 lbs. and SHOWED us she looks like a lingerie model today. As you start to succeed, help others!

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