OK so I'm DEATHLY scared that I'm going to just pack on the pounds when I quit. My dh and I have been planning this for weeks now. I have a bunch of low-cal snacks, veggies, sugar free gum, and all that stuff. My quit date is tomorrow. I'm sooo nervous that I will fail. I'm nervous that I will notice some weight gain and then start smoking again to keep from gaining weight. I'm just a bundle of "scared" right now. I want this sooo bad, but my will power against cigarettes is next to nothing.
Any advice from ex-smokers or anyone for that matter would help. I would love to here some experiences as far as the weight gain goes and how it effected you. I'm dying for some support right now.
You can do it! Quitting smoking is one of the most awesomest (totally a word...) things you can do for yourself! Don't be scared, it's not nearly as bad as you are convincing yourself it is going to be. It's not like 3 days after you quit smoking you magically gain 20 lbs You have the right idea with getting some healthy snacks. Keep your hands busy! When you get the urge to smoke, don't turn to food immediately (Gum is good) just try and distract yourself. Put on a song that you love to sing and dance to, go for a walk, clean the toilet, just do something that will distract your brain and hands! I also suggest picking up the book Alan Carr's Quit Smoking the Easy way (you might be able to find the audio book too!) It really helps you to feel less afraid.
I have been quit for 3 years now, and I never ever want to go back! I probably put on some weight because of quitting smoking, but as I was already pretty big, it really didn't make much of a difference. The hardest thing for me was learning that I didn't need to stop at the store for smokes every other day. For a long time I was still stopping at the store, but instead of buying smokes I would get red bull and beef jerky and chocolate bars! I was spending more on junk food than I had on smokes
I would also recommend, if saving money is part of the appeal of quitting smoking, to physically take the money you would spend on smokes, and put it in a jar. Otherwise it might just get lost in your daily spending!
You can do it!!! Anyone can if they want it bad enough
i've never been a smoker but my mom is. she swears by those electronic cigerettes. she would use those and black jack gum to help take the edge off. she had to quit cold turkey after going on oxygen.
I quit smoking on March 11 (a little over 8 weeks ago), the same day I started my diet and exercise program. I smoked for 40 years and for about 10 years prior to quitting I was up to 2 packs a day (what can I say...I was an idiot). Since quitting smoking, I have lost 15 lbs. I will NEVER smoke again...and I haven't even had any cravings or any desire to smoke for the past 6 weeks (about 2 weeks after I quit). What helped for me:
First, my exercise program has really helped. When I was smoking, I couldn't even climb a flight of stairs without being winded. It was a couple of weeks into my quit before I started to see the benefits in my lung capacity, and it's so wonderful now to be able to exercise without struggling for breath. I'm still not able to run for any distance (mind you, I'm also 55 years old and have bad joints). However, I'm able to do a 3km power walk every day, plus I bought a mini exercise trampoline and I can jog a bit on it, plus I go biking, and next week my pool will be open and I'll start swimming. This is SO much more enjoyable than smoking, and I'm truly enjoying life 100% (if not 1,000%) more now as a non-smoker.
Second, I read a book by Alan Carr, called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". I highly recommend it...it's a best seller and should be available in any decent bookstore (or online). It truly changes the way you think about smoking. Before I quit, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to quit, that I would always want a cigarette, that I would never truly enjoy social situations again without a cigarette (particularly if others were smoking), etc., etc. Reading that book put an end to all of my fears. Carr is a former smoker and he writes in a way that smokers will understand and will be able to relate to. He's not the greatest writer and he tends to repeat himself, but if you ignore that part he makes a heck of a lot of sense. It's truly worth reading.
Third, I absolutely refused to substitute food for cigarettes...no feeling sorry for myself. If and when I felt like smoking (mainly in the early weeks), I would drink more water. Often I drank it through a straw, which sort of emulated smoking (dumb, I know). After the first week I said to myself "OK, the next time I have a craving, I have to do 10 squats!", and I kept that promise to myself. If you just substitute something else (water, squats, whatever) in place of the craving, then you will find the craving will disappear very quickly.
I wish you and your dh the best of luck with your quit. It's the best decision you will ever make.
e-cigarettes are AWESOME. been using them for 10 months and have not wanted an analog cigarette since. if you get a nice model (I like e-go T) you won't feel like you're having the "fat free tasteless" version of cigarettes - the nicer ones produce nice thick vapor that feels great.
I quit smoking in the middle of my weight loss and it didn't stop me from losing weight at all. I quit with those Nicorette lozenges. Took care of the withdrawal and oral fixation. Tried the e-cig too, but for some reason it made me cough just like a real cig.
This is some awesome advice! It gives me so much hope! I think I'll really try the doing squats when I have a craving. That's an awesome idea. I'm going to toy with the idea of an electronic one as well. Great ideas, thanks so much. I feel more empowered.
I quit smoking cold turkey which was the best way for me. My advice would be to join a forum for smoking cessation (quitsmokingmessageboard.com is the one that helped me). I don't think I could have made it if not for that site. whyquit.com was also a huge help. I spent hours there when I was still in the white-knuckle craving phase. I've been a non-smoker for 18 months now and I love it. Weight loss has slowed to a slow crawl but I still think it was worth it. No regrets.
I used chantix almost 2 years ago and it's worked and I haven't picked up a cigarette since. I think I gained a little but it was before my weight loss. Don't think about not smoking, that's how i feel I made it.
For me the physical effects only lasted 3 days and after that it was just psychological. It's good to start other things in life like new exercise activities etc that are positive. I chewed alot of sugarfree gum and still do. Keeps my mouth busy. Good Luck . It is worth it. You feel as though you will miss it so much but that's just the addiction talking. Once that brain connection weakens, you won't think of it much and your decision will be reinforced by how good you feel. I can remember getting really bloated and "fat feeling" in the following days but it eventually went away. Nicotine does have an effect on your digestive system and it takes some time for it to adjust. Just keep in mind when you feel sickly that it is actually a sign of your body healing and adjusting so you can actually see it as a positive and feel excited about it. One you quit you will wonder why it took you so long to take the plunge. It is so liberating. I am excited for you
I gave up using lozenges 8 years ago. The lozenges were so good I got hooked on them for three years (you can use them on airplanes, in the office etc. - all the places you can't smoke!) In the end I preferred lozenges to cigarettes. But lozenges were better for my health so all was good. To quit the lozenges I started taking breath mints (they taste the same, but contain no nicotine!). I still take breath mints to this very day!
Good luck! Quitting smoking is harder than weightloss. So if you can do this, weightloss will be easy!
I used the electronic cigarettes (disposable, without nicotine) and have never looked back! I did it with only those, cold turkey from nicotine.
I tried the patch and everything else, and nothing worked. E-cigs are amazing!! It's been over 4 months for me, no cigarettes I've had no problem keeping my food intake the same.
I quit cold turkey in 1994. It took several tries to finally get it right, but I think I have it now.
For me, dieting is much harder than quitting smoking. With smoking, you have a few days of intense disruption, a few more weeks of moderate upset and then you are on the road to freedom. Dieting is for life and requires continual attention. Quitting smoking is something that ends at some point, and you don't have to think about it anymore.
You can do this! Don't be scared, be prepared. It sounds like you are prepared, so good on you. Good luck.
I read somewhere that it is easier to lose weight and stop smoking than it is to do only one of those. Something about focus and motivation, I think. Another thing I read is that it only takes 5 days to detox and then it's all psychological.
I bought an e-cigarette 14 months ago. I did go through a very mild withdrawal the first 5 days and I still get the urge to smoke every now and then but I'm never going back. To be honest, I don't want to quit smoking, so it's perfect for me. I know people who gradually lowered their nicotine to 0 and then quit the e-cig, too, but I don't think I'll be one of them soon. I did lower my nicotine to almost zero, though. No matter how you use it, it's a great tool.
quitting smoking- help!!
You have the right idea with getting some healthy snacks. Keep your hands busy! When you get the urge to smoke, don't turn to food immediately (Gum is good) just try and distract yourself. Put on a song that you love to sing and dance to, go for a walk, clean the toilet, just do something that will distract your brain and hands! I also suggest picking up the book Alan Carr's Quit Smoking the Easy way (you might be able to find the audio book too!) It really helps you to feel less afraid. 
If you just substitute something else (water, squats, whatever) in place of the craving, then you will find the craving will disappear very quickly.
