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Old 11-05-2012, 03:09 AM   #1  
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Default quitting smoking while losing weight

i have decided to quit smoking and for several reasons i dont want to wait until i hit goal (which was the plan)

the short story is this: i feel like crap

for the past 3 weeks ive had a cough that i cant kick. its waking me up at night and i find myself coughing and clearing my throat constantly. im wheezing all night (i feel the best right when i wake up in the morning before ive smoked)! today i told my boyfriend i was thinking about quitting and he said, "good, you cough *constantly* lately. ill totally quit with you". if he says he'll do it, i know he will. him noticing my cough with as oblivious he can be really let me know that i need to do something.


i hate being a smoker. ive hated it for years now. i finally quit for 4 months last year (my all time record) and gained about 30 lbs. i actually made a CONSCIOUS decision to start again, yep. i couldnt deal with the weight gain and decided to start smoking again... sooooooooooooo stupid.

ive heard from nearly everyone that you cant quit without gaining so im going to write a detailed journal for the next few months in the form of updating this post.

staying on plan and quitting is going to be damn near impossible but im going to try. it may delay my weight loss goals which will only depress me on top of dealing with the no cigarettes. i sincerely ask for your support.

i am a heavy smoker, the kind where even my smoker friends talk about how much i smoke. "man i smoke too much but im glad i dont smoke as much as you!" probably 1 and 1/2 packs/day. i started at age 14 but i did not smoke 1 and 1/2 packs/day back then. i just sort of slowly worked my way up to that by the time i was in my early/mid twenties. im preparing myself now. my quit date is nov 9 which is this friday. i know we're all big advocates of "dont plan, just start", but everything ive read suggests a quit date and ive also ordered some nicotine patches that wont arrive for a few days. the only other times ive quit for any significant amount of time (more than an hour, in other words) were times when i used the patch.

im going to be completely honest and no matter what happens i hope that i can create a reference for other women who are considering quitting while dieting.



ive always heard that if you stop smoking by 30 you can basically completely reverse the effects of smoking and end up with the same health risks as never smokers.

(http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...092120,00.html this article and numerous other resources including www. cancer.gov agree). i figure that even though im 31, itll add up pretty much the same


i am actually excited to quit again. it always ends up being less horrible than i expect (much like dieting) and i feel better about myself once im actually doing it even though im super crabby the whole time. how im going to fare without stuffing my face as a substitute? we shall see...

im going to weigh in on wednesday as usual and consider that my starting weight. wish me luck!

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Old 11-05-2012, 05:33 AM   #2  
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GOOD LUCK!!! Try to get lots of new habits that are good and can help take your mind off smoking! Soda water w/lemon, hot tea, ice water, exercise, hiking, walking with some great music, a hot bath, etc., etc. I know it will be a hard thing to do, but you CAN! Stay strong.
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Old 11-05-2012, 09:37 AM   #3  
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I was working my way up to two packs a day by the time I finally quit. My problem was, I really liked smoking. As much as I hated it, I liked it. I finally quit using Chantix, five years ago. I'm not sure how much of my gain can be blamed on the quitting because I wasn't using my scale at the time.

Good luck with your goals and kicking that nasty habit!!
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:19 AM   #4  
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Good luck! Most people gain the weight from quitting because the replace smoking with eating. The oral fixation of it all.

Zyban (also known as Wellbutrin) is used to help people quit smoking, (it's also an anti depressant. I take it for the anti depressant aspect.) It's a super cheap prescription from your doc when prescribed as Wellbutrin. Like, I pay $4.50 a month for it. I think ppl take it for like 12 weeks. I've read a lot of people that were taking it for an anti depressant and were smokers quit without even realizing/making an attempt. Worth a thought, in my opinion.

Good Luck!!!
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:28 AM   #5  
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Good luck!! My husband and I quit in May and don't regret it one bit. I didn't gain any weight from it and neither did he. I agree with the previous poster that said she thinks people gain when they quit because they replace smoking with eating. I kept that in mind and didn't allow myself to snack or graze instead of smoking. If I got the urge I'd do something else with my hands and chew some gum.
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:32 AM   #6  
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Hey Julia, I justed wanted to write and say that I've been there (or close to there!). I was also a heavy smoker, 1 pack+/day, smoking since high school and I quit when I started dating my husband who is a non-smoker. Over the course of about 4 years I gained 60 pounds, so I completely understand the fear of gaining weight because it is a reality for many. Last year before I found out I was pregnant I decided to smoke in the evenings because I was tired of the weight (I stopped again the moment I found out I was pregnant and haven't smoked since).

Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to beat, and there are so many components to it (physical, oral, psychological, social). If you ever want someone to talk to about it, feel free to pm me!
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:45 AM   #7  
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I quit cold turkey in 1994. I had made many previous attempts. Like you, I was a heavy smoker.

I gained weight, but I wasn't thinking about not gaining weight. I think if I had planned like you are doing and thought about substitutions for high calorie oral gratification and made a real effort to be midful, I would have been ok.

I am quite a bit older than you are and have had a couple of kids. When I started with the cigarette cough, I also started peeing on myself. This was devastating to my self-image. So, if coughing isn't enough, you have that to look forward to if you keep smoking.

Keep up the good work!
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Old 11-05-2012, 02:07 PM   #8  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gailr42 View Post
When I started with the cigarette cough, I also started peeing on myself. This was devastating to my self-image. So, if coughing isn't enough, you have that to look forward to if you keep smoking.
Gail, I love reading your posts, but don't think I have ever replied to anything you have written. This was so awesome and deviantly supportive, it begged acknowledgement. Yes. That would be good motivation. :-)
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Old 11-05-2012, 03:24 PM   #9  
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LOL!!! Deviantly supportive - I've finally found my niche.
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Old 11-05-2012, 07:12 PM   #10  
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thanks for all the support and good ideas! im hoping that if im mindful of what i do i can keep losing. at the very least next time someone is asking about quitting and weight loss i can direct them to my experience.

ill keep you updated!
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Old 11-05-2012, 07:34 PM   #11  
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Good for you. Failing to plan is often planning to fail when we're talking about complex problems like smoking. And while you still just have to 'start' I think going about it with a clear goal, path to success, and an eye on your potential pitfalls (especially regarding eating) is very wise.

I wish you the best and might add I find tea to be an excellent oral substitute when all I want to do is eat, I bet it'd work for smoking, too. And walking about with a hot travel mug of tea is great social cover, too. You can drink and talk and do the busy hands/mouth thing with almost no carbs, no appreciable calories, and no addiction (unless you're particularly sensitive to modest amounts of caffeine).

Yay tea and coffee!
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Old 11-05-2012, 08:09 PM   #12  
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Quitting smoking is VERY hard to do but it can be done. I tried many times and failed but once I started to date a non-smoker it became very easy. I quit cold turkey after 18 years. I didn't gain any weight when I quit (I didn't replace smoking with food) and I don't miss it at all. Good luck. Also check out Quitnet.com.
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:35 PM   #13  
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Good for you! I don't have much in the way of advice, never having smoked myself, but I wish you success in your venture!!
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:36 PM   #14  
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I'm rooting for you! You can do it

I smoked for thirty years and clearly remember feeling like crap, too. Giving up smoking was huge; it was a big mountain that I couldn't even figure out how to go about climbing for a very long time. I won't bore you with the details, but two things helped me quit. The patch (which you're going to be using), and visualizing myself having to tell my family I have cancer. Sounds morbid, but for me it worked. I couldn't shake the fact that if I did die of lung cancer, my family would be shattered to the core not only because I was gone, but also because my death probably could have been prevented.

One day at a time! We're all cheering you on!
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