Giving up smoking and dieting

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spells1977
spells1977 Posts: 146 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I gave up smoking 4 months ago whilst trying to diet AND give up caffeine lol. As i was so focused and strong willed at first i am now finding that the easier the giving up smoking the harder it is not to keep snacking on food. I thought that this would happen at the start - not now!

I'm really struggling lately and i don't want to undo all the good work i've done losing weight etc.

Anyone else foolishly given up everything pleasurable all at once?? Any tips like nice snacks to have other than carrot sticks?

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  • Guisma
    Guisma Posts: 215
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    wow, 3 in one !!! AMAZING!!
  • Ed_81
    Ed_81 Posts: 31 Member
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    I gave up smoking and embarked on a healthier lifestyle at the same time too. It was the best thing I ever did, I've not had the urge to smoke or snack and the benefits I've seen from both changes has been more then enough motivation to keep me on the straight and narrow.
    :)
  • noirnatural
    noirnatural Posts: 310 Member
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    Congratulations on the 4 months!!!
    as of June 1, I gave up smoking and also set a goal to loose 30lbs in 30 days:noway: ..LOLI know crazy right....well I believe in going big .plus I like the sound of 30lbs in 30 days..:laugh: ..anyway...this is my second time quitting and I discovered some great snacks..I drink the walmart version of crystal light antioxidant with a lot of ice, very cold, I also like to eat walmart lime fruit bars(70cal), jello sugarfree, and grapes green ones...and of course my favorite air popped popcorn..

    good luck and let me know if you come up with any other snacks...
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    Many people, when they leave an addiction they try to replace it with another. I myself have a HIGHLY addictive personality but I feel that things got better for me once I learned that.

    I was addicted to nicotine, gaming, and couple others that I donot wish to share here. I always replaced one addiction with another and food was just convenient to replace those addictions with.

    Now thank god most of my addictions are replaced with something healthy or I'm working towards healthier addictions. You just have to remember that in the end its not worth it. Cigs won't take away your stress. Alcohol won't change things. Food isn't going to fix the situation. Steer the addiction towards a better place. I now try to focus more on my field, I try and socialize outside. I workout. I try to live a normal healthy life and this is what I've been trying to steer my addictions towards.

    Remember, you're not going to change your habits in a day, or a week, or years even. I quit smoking like 6 years or so ago, and even yesterday when I hung out with my friends all I wanted to do was take a drag out of a cig. Its not gonna be easy. I'm telling you this not to scare you but rather to warn you to not let your guard down.

    Hoping you good luck. If a weak person like me can do it, anyone can do it :)
  • annie24342
    annie24342 Posts: 49 Member
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    I always found that running helped me with both. Once I really began to run often, I realized that I couldn't run as well when I smoked. Exercise makes me feel healthier, and I lost the desire to make my lungs gross when I needed them to work so well. Plus, the more cardio you do, the more calories you get for snacks ;)
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    special K cereal bars come in a range of flavours including chocolate, chocolate mint, raspberry and apricot. I know they are not the healthiest but they do hit that sweet spot and only 90 cals a bar. Also just found Weetabix Toffee cereal bar (taste like flapjacks) only 80 cals a bar.

    Well done on the smoking it is the single most effective thing you can do to improve your health so no matter what, keep off the *kitten* gaining a couple of pounds that you can lose again is nothing compared to smoking related health issues further down the line. :drinker:
  • mevalentina
    mevalentina Posts: 362 Member
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    Congratulations are your decision to quit smoking. It is the hardest, but best thing I ever did for myself I had smoked for over 12 years. I gained about 25 pounds the first few months that I was quitting you constantly feel like you have to have something in your mouth, plus I always found cigarettes killed my appetite. The best advice I can give you is just to maybe talk a walk when you have the urge to eat something or buy some sugar free candies to maybe take the desire to eat something substantial. other than that fruit, raisins, beef jerky, air popped popcorn those are just a few ideas! Good luck and great job!!
  • psychofantasy
    psychofantasy Posts: 71
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    Nicotine is an appetite suppressant ( http://arstechnica.com/science/2011/06/researchers-learning-how-nicotine-works-as-an-appetite-suppresant/ ) so its understandable that you would experience an increase in appetite. I'm a smoker, and I plan to quit, but i'm afraid it may derail my nutritional efforts right now.

    As for caffeine, I quit cold turkey in 2004. Now i have a diet soda now and again but not often and not in great quantity. I remember feeling tired and sluggish directly after i gave it up, but nothing since then.

    Anyway, congratulations on quitting. That is no small feat!
  • LAS_1980
    LAS_1980 Posts: 156
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    Well I didn't quit smoking and dieting at the same time, but I quit when I found out I was pregnant. So you can only imagine how much weight I gained considering I was eating for two, not smoking, and out on the road with my husband, getting hardly any exercise!!! If you find it overwhelming, just continue not to smoke and once you feel like you're not eating all the time out of boredom or because of you craving a cigarette, try then to start eating healthier. Good luck, I know you can do it. :)
  • sodaisy
    sodaisy Posts: 69
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    Well done on getting rid of all bad habit!!!

    I've stopped smoking at the end of Feb this year (been a smoking for 16 years), and decided to lose the weight since April. It's a slow progress as I am hungry all the time! I'm not too bad at weekend when I am at home, but I turn into a food monster when I'm at work. I snack on honey roasted ham and extra light Laughing Cow cheese with wheat free oakcakes. I also have apple, pear and a box of fruit salad (chopped up orange, strawberry, kiwi etc) on my desk. I also have a pint of water so I always drink that first before I eat just in case I'm thirsty rather than hungry, but 90% of the time I'm hungry.

    Hope this help and don't give up!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    2 out of 3 for me - i am keeping the caffeine. i just had a handful of strawberries & a tbsp nutella - not too bad on calories (about 150ish).
  • Fatbuster205
    Fatbuster205 Posts: 333 Member
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    Allan Carr's The Easy Way to give up Smoking - get it and read it and believe me you will be fine! I gave up 18 months ago and no regrets, no cravings etc. Occasionally, I pig out and it is nothing to do with not smoking! Read the book - it will change your life!
  • gypsybree
    gypsybree Posts: 218
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    I didn't do all that at once.... but I did quit smoking and I didn't gain weight. I did use an e-cigarette for the first 3 months, after I realized my accomplishment and was proud and found all the positives, I found that the ecig was annoying to keep up with, charging, juicing, etc etc. So I quit that too.

    I felt that I wasn't deprived with the ecig, I had everything I wanted and I was able to come to the conclusion that cigarettes are just not for me (after 15 yrs of smoking).

    My friend used Chantix and gained 60 pounds. She quit almost a year before me and I've been smoke free for 1 yr and 4 months. (She felt guilty for using Chantix cause she was quitting for Lent but I told her she had to do what she had to do and she still wasn't smoking so Chantix was okay. She ended up only using the first series.)

    You can def do it, as far as carrot sticks, I never even tried cause I knew they would fail me.

    Personally for me, when I'm craving food or something or just not feeling 'it' I exercise. Really makes you feel good about yourself which is irony cause when I work out I'm flabbin and flappin all over the place--its the end result which matters. :)

    Good luck!!!
  • charanne52
    charanne52 Posts: 88 Member
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    I tried to do both at once but found it really hard. Since my weight was not a real issue at the time I decided to concentrate on becoming smokefree and will have been quit for 5 years this coming September. As I had smoked for more than 30 years quitting was very difficult to do and I unfortunately added about 40 pounds in the process. I let it go for a while but now I am here to get myself healthy and fit.

    I love junk food and it became my best friend in place of tobacco so what I do now is either buy the pre-packaged 100 calorie snacks (chips, pretzels, cookies) or buy large bags and make up my own. I also am very fond of Fibre 1 bars which are also around 100 calorie and good for you.
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
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    i quit smoking right after my last diet. used the Allen Carr book, so by the time i quit, i didn't think of smoking as something fun.

    changing my eating and exercise habits was more difficult, and still requires some effort. on the other hand, one can become a nonsmoker instantly.

    as for caffeine, i largely gave that up all at once. not as difficult as dieting, but harder than quitting smoking due to the low grade headache i had for a minute.

    anyway, congrats on the changes you are making.
  • natvanessa
    natvanessa Posts: 230 Member
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    I quit smoking January 25, started exercising and counting calories a few weeks later. I found it was not that hard, the key is being motivated! What I enjoy now is being able to run without hacking up my lungs lol!

    You can do this, just don't look back!!
  • CourtneyHollinger
    CourtneyHollinger Posts: 57 Member
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    I think its a hand and mouth motion try chewing on gum or just drink water a lot from a straw. I heard it helps. I am a smoker but am not ready to give that up yet just dieting and exercise. But I give you a high five bc if you have been doing this for 4 months I know you will get past this hump! Keep up the awesome work!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • spells1977
    spells1977 Posts: 146 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies :)

    I'm really proud of what i am achieving. It has been incredibly difficult to do it all at once. I'm just worried that my resolve is starting to slip. I've taken note of some of the snacks people have been suggesting and hopefully this will satisfy my cravings.

    It's weird how i'm not missing the *kitten* but i'm craving bad food that i never really ate in the first place - like chocolate and cakes! Very strange!

    I do find my excersizing is a lot easier without all the gunk on my lungs! And it defo takes my mind off everything. An addiction to the gym is not a bad thing :D
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
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    Gave up smoking in January, Diet Pepsi in March and began dieting (for real) at the end of March. Everything gone. Just gone.. Sniff. But seriously, I feel SOOOOOOOOOOO much better. The hardest is of course the dieting because we all have to eat to live. Plus it's a longer term goal. Good luck. Stay strong and know that you're healthier for your choices!
  • Journalartista
    Journalartista Posts: 84 Member
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    I did it all at once too. Smoking, sugar, coffee... I feel great! When I'm wantng a smoke I get up and run up and down the stairs 10 times. It works! Lol
    Much love to ou!

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