Hello all! So, I'm doing really well with the eating thing, however....I have desperately been trying to quit smoking and now I'm half afraid to try for fear I'll want to use food in place of cigarettes. I had quit the first of the year but it only lasted for two weeks. Since then, most days, I only have about three cigarettes, so I'm not a heavy smoker, but I still know how terrible it is for me. I'm vowing that 2007 is the year of getting healthy, so does anyone have any ideas of what would help me to kick the smoking but not have me wanting to eat everything but the kitchen sink?
I have no idea, but when you find it, send it my way. I did however, decide that when I hit 199, thats the last day I smoke. 199 is some magic number for me, I KNOW I won't snack myself over it again, so I plan on using the "Do you REALLY want to weigh 2somthing again"? argument with myself.
i went to my doctor and got a perscription for one of the stop smoking drugs..great thing I did quit smoking (for about a 6 weeks) bad thing..i gained 15 pounds. i got scared and started smoking again (though I did go from a pack a day to a pack a week)..figured i really want to get my weight under control..when that's done, i can tackle the smoking issue.
i need to lose this weight. i have never been this heavy in my life and am very uncomfortable with the way i look and feel. i hoping this year will be the year i figure this all out.
"Only" two weeks! That's a long time! The worst was over, by that point!
I quit smoking 5 years ago, and promptly gained about 40 pounds. Quitting smoking was far easier than weight loss, in some ways. I just know that for me, quitting smoking was 'easy' because I had a very clear indicator of whether or not I was on track or not (just don't smoke). Food is different, because you can't "just not eat" for the rest of your life.
Hi I quit smoking on Jan 19, 2007 so I hear you but what I did at first was trident gum, Nicoderm CQ patch, dumdum suckers and lots of willpower. The first few day were pretty hard for me but after the first week I was sailing along. The patch really helps, I had tried the no name patch and it really didn't do it for me I needed the name brand stuff. Feel free to PM me. Good Luck!!!
I just quit as well. I'm doing it cold turkey since, well, I only smoked 3 a day.
Here is some advice my friend gave me. She lost 20 pounds when she quit.
* 15 Jumping jacks whenever she felt like smoking. (So far I've done it once)
* Sugar free gum or cough drops. Something low calorie in case you are in a car or a public place. Never anything more some low calorie candy, or else you're going to get in trouble real quick.
* Drink a glass of water (this works wonders for me)
* Brush your teeth (same here)
* Take it one day at a time. Don't quit if you lose willpower one night. Keep fighting everyday for your health.
Thank goodness smoking has never been something I needed to quit.
I tried cigs in JHS and hated them, again, thank goodness.
I have heard that brushing your teeth a LOT and chewing minty gum is a good thing to do.
The gum probably satiates the oral cravings cigarettes give you.
Robyn
Congratulations on deciding to quit smoking! I am a former 1 1/2 pack a day smoker. I quit cold-turkey on October 19, 2005. I believe that positive thinking and a good plan are the key to overcoming this strong addiction. Smoking satisfies a "need" you have. If you take away the cigarettes, the "need" doesn't just go away...you will find some way to try to satisfy it. I advise having a plan. Take a look at when you feel the biggest need for a cigarette and make an alternate plan to deal with that. My need was relaxation. Without the cigarettes, I had no idea how to relax. After a good dinner, what do you do if you can't have a smoke? Work gets rough and you need to get away for a few minutes, where do you go if not outside for a smoke? Kids are fighting and you feel like screaming, what do you do if you can't step outside for a cigarette? Getting ready for bed and need to chill out for a few minutes, how do you do this without a smoke? Unfortunately, I did use food to satisfy my relaxation need and I did gain weight. This does not have to be your outcome. Now that I am trying to get healthier and lose the weight, I try not to turn to the food anymore. Here are some of the things I do...long bathes with a good book,reading the 3FC threads, playing a game on POGO. Some people use exercise. I'm hoping that I can develop that very good habit also.
Regarding positive thinking....try not to allow yourself to dwell on the craving. I literally had to talk to myself constantly. Here's how my "conversations" would go......"I need a cigarette." No, I don't need a cigarette because I don't smoke!" Then I would make a conscious decision to think about something else and not allow myself to think about the craving. Don't allow yourself to fall into self pity or feel like you are being deprived. Be firm with yourself. This might sound a bit crazy, but it did work!
Breaking this habit is truly a one-day-at-a-time experience. Initially, it can be very difficult, but it is not impossible! It takes about two weeks for the body to stop craving the nicotine. After the first two weeks, its all a big mind game. Each day does get easier and easier and the cravings will get fewer and farther apart. Hang in there. Feel free to PM any time you need a shoulder.
I quit smoking cold turkery in July 2002. I smoked as few cigarettes as you do at that time (used to be much, much more).
There were 2 reasons I quit. One being that I couldn't quit coughing and I had a sore throat every morning that I woke up. The second being that a pack of Marlboro reds cost nearly $5 - and I refused to smoke anything off brand.
I got up one day and decided I was done. That I was tired of wasting my money and I was tired of these respiratory issues - and I was also tired of walking around at work smelling like smoke. It never occurred to me that I might eat to soothe the stress. I knew I needed to quit. And I just did.
About a week later, I smoked half a cigarette and I haven't had one since.
For me, the need to quit was stronger than the addiction. However, I think it is important for people who are trying to quit to realize that once you're quit, you still will have cravings... they will get less and less, but they will be there. Just because you quit doesn't mean you will never want another smoke ever again. Its up to you what choice you make when a craving occurs, whether you have been quit for 1 week or for 5 years.
I've just quit to....today is actually the 3 week mark...I actually didn't try to quit...i got the flu and just didn't have the energy to smoke...that got the first few days out of the way and I just sorta stuck with it.
I'm paying just as much attention to not smoking as to what I'm eating...since I've just quit it is still on my mind quite a bit. Just like the food change it does get easier. I was anywhere from 3 to a pack a day depending on the day. good luck!
I quit cold turkey 17 years ago. Had a few lapses here and there but finally (for the past 2 years) now no longer have any cravings.
You just have to make up your mind to do it and then do it.
AbsoluteDiva is currently giving up smoking--you should look for her posts. She is counting the hours and minutes AND the amount of money she is saving by not smoking. She's even saving the money to do other things with--like getting her teeth bleached. (All smokers need this!!!)
I quit in February 2006, after a few months of exercise. I realized that to do more exercise which my body was craving I needed to get my lungs in shape. i quit for 7 weeks and then started again because I allowed myself a couple of cigs for my birthday late April. In May I found out I was pregnant and I quit again and haven't wanted one since. Okay, I did have a stressful day a few days ago and was really craving one all day but I found other things to occupy my time.
I tried a quit pack as well, a program where I live where they give you a backpack filled with things to help one quit. Things in the bag included, a deck of cards, crossword puzzles, toothpicks, herbal tea, vitamin C candy drops, gum. So things that keep your fingers and mouth busy and your mind off of cigs.
Good luck, I know you can do it. I dont' know how many times I've tried but I think I've finally got it!
Wow, this thread is immensely helpful! I'm a smoker who's been toying with the idea of quitting for a while. I don't know why I just don't take the plunge. I'm nearing that point, closer and closer everyday. But I am saving this thread to look at daily. Thanks!!!!!
I have quit so many times and actually, my family thinks I quit over a year ago! Though keeping it from them is hard, it actually makes it better in that I smoke very little and only when really stressed. I made it six months once, but when my father was diagnosed with cancer, I started again (yeah, he was a long time smoker and yes, you would think his diagnosis would have kept me OFF them! He passed away in August of 1999).
I'm just now starting my weight loss journey for the LAST time and I have not yet added exercise to it as I've been really focusing on my eating triggers and in making healthier eating choices, but the time is going to come soon to start moving, and I'm hoping to be done with the cigarettes by then.
Thanks so much for the advice! I am now formulating a plan!
How do I quit?
