I've found it SOOOO much harder to quit eating junky foods and snacking then I did quitting smoking.

Any here quit smoking as well?

If so, what do you think?

Hi There..I'm new to this web site but wanted to share a few things. I quit smoking 2 years ago and I still say it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was overweight before I quit smoking but two years later my weight just skyrocketed. Why? Because I didn't replace my cravings with anything positive...I replaced them with food. Lots of food. LOL
Now that I've been seriously changing my eating habits for the last 3 weeks I can see the similarity with quitting smoking...it's a lifestyle...a changed lifestyle. But here's where I find it different. At least when I'm craving food, I can have a little bit. Anything small...but when I craved the cigarette I couldn't have 'just a little bit'...lol
Here's to a better life style for us!

I believe food issues are THE MOST difficul to get under control. Although it may be incredibly difficult and traumatic to quit smoking, drinking, drugging etc - it IS possible to live without them. You can't quit food however and MUST consume it daily to live and therefore are forced to get it under control without going "cold turkey". Again - I do not belittle the trouble people have with other addictions but they are NOT necessary to live - food is.

As far as junk food goes - I still battle - but I greatly help myself by NOT having it in the house - NOT shopping when I'm hungry and having a clear list of what I need - and having a few "emergency" snack foods in the car or purse when out. That way when the Big Macs are calling I can down a NV granola bar and a plain iced tea to take the edge off. You have to come up with your own strategies for dealing with the cravings and give in ONCE IN A WHILE in moderation.

Quitting smoking was really difficult but once I finally did it and stuck to it, it was easier than the diet thing because you never have to go back to it again. If I could just quit eating all together it would be easier but since we have to eat to survive, I always pick the bad choices to eat!!!

So I vote quitting smoking was easier.

I quit smoking in 1986 and it was hellishly difficult . . . but amazingly easier than getting my eating habits under control. Happy to say, I only quit smoking once. I definitely cannot say that about solving my weight problems.

I can't say I agree with the idea that "you don't have to smoke but you do have to continue eating". Yes, you do have to eat to live but given the question I think it comes down to CHOICES. You choose to handle stress with or without a cigarette. You can choose a carrot or a cookie.

I was a long time smoker who quit the habit almost 4 years ago. It was by far, the hardest thing I ever did and it took almost 3 years before I believed that I was truly going to be able to stay quit. (You always THINK you want what you can't have).

I see alot of parallels with quitting smoking and changing your eating habits. It's your approach and your attitude about things. If you're going to quit smoking more often than not to be successful you have to prepare - educate yourself, write down your reasons for quitting, stay away from tempting situations. The same is true if you want to lose weight - plan your meals, make good choices, avoid bad triggers.

There are several very successful people here at 3FC who have lost a ton of weight and kept to goal. One thing they all have in common is an ongoing committment to their lifestyle. I do admire them when they talk about just saying "no I can't have that" when they are in a situation that would conflict with their healthy eating plan.

And I think that's what it comes down to - whatever you are doing - are you committed to it, can you resist temptation, make a better choice or will you cave in?

One of the reasons that helps me keep my smoking quit is that there's no way I want to go through withdrawal again. So I vote that giving up smoking is harder. Just my opinion...

I quit smoking six years ago and I find losing weight to be much, much more difficult. The thing about smoking is there's a definitive line - if you smoke a cigarette, you've crossed it. Food is much more ambiguous.

Other reasons, I think, that quitting smoking is easier: there's mostly a universal stigma against smoking. Food doesn't have the same stigma. Smoking causes second-hand smoke that irritates those nearby, overeating is less invasive. There is one way to smoke; there are many, many ways to overeat.

I would say, for me, quitting smoking was much easier than staying on plan with food. I had smoked off and on for some years and whenever I wanted to stop smoking I did not have a problem quitting. I finally made a decision almost 9 years ago to stop smoking permanently.
I also realize that we can make decisions as far as what or what not to eat, but to keep it interesting we sometimes have really good tasting foods and maybe get carried away with portion sizes. As far as smoking is concerned once you put the cigarette down, you never have to pick it up again, but you do have to eat.
I've heard how hard it can be for some people to stop smoking, this is just from my point of view.

I have quit smoking in the past but alway start back up again, I'm sure the only reason I could never quit for good was because in the past I always quit for the wrong reasons, such as my ex husband b**ing at me about it, and what makes no sense at all is that I smoked when we met and he never objected then. I enjoy my smokes, and don't have any plans to quit in the near future. Maybe someday I'll decide it's time.
Changing my diet was easy, the only problem with it in the past was that I had gotten lazy & relied on prepackaged processed foods. Now that I've gone to fresh I'm losing weight. I don't even have cravings for the bad stuff, all my cravings are for things like brussle sprouts or roasted root veggies and that kind of stuff, right now I'm craving grapefruit unfortunatly it's out of season & all the ones at the store look a little sad, I'll have to settle on the juice.

Yep I am here to stop smoking as well as the weight loss. I am not new to this site but just pop in every now and then. i did give up for about 18 months and put on 8 kgs, lol, but now that I have taken thoses off again, i have stopped smoking and feel that I will not put the weight back on, but continue going down, even if it is very slowly.Now I seem to have more control over the muncihies I stuff in my big mouth. I have been quit for just under a week, so if anyone wants to jion me jump on in.
Mary

Smoking is easier to stop for more reasons than just the fact that you HAVE to eat food. While you're saving money by stopping smoking, I know personally I nearly put myself into debt trying to eat healthier! Over the summer, just for myself I was spending $100 in groceries a week due to living in a city where fresh fruit and produce prices were ridiculous. Now at college, I have to fight the dining services to get healthy foods and still end up having to supplement my meal plan with outside sources of fresh fruits, veggies, and gluten and dairy free foods. Eating healthy is also not as socially acceptable as quitting smoking. Everyone wants to be thin, but social events tend to be based around food. In my case as a college student, you will find all kinds of pizza, wings, and beer before you run across a veggie plate at gatherings.

Quitting smoking was MUCH easier then trying to stay on track and lose this weight.I have gone off track more often with the eating then with smoking,and I have quit smoking many times.

Wow I completely agree how much it costs to eat healty compared to eating junky!!!

I'm just the opposite-I can eat healthy till the cows come home! BUT, you take away my cigarettes-I"LL KILL YOU!!!! I know, I know, I gotta quit! I dread this more than anything!! Gonna do it in '08 after I reach my goal... oooooh it's not gonna be pretty.

i need to quit smoking and lose weight.. but wasnt about to tackle em both at the same time.. so i asked myself a question.. if my cupboards were empy, i had no ciggys, and only 5 bucks. what would i buy??? ciggys all the way.. i would rather smoke than eat.. sad huh?? so.. decided to tackle weight first .. and even tho i dont advocate smoking at all, when i get hungry or just wanna put something in my mouth i have a ciggy.. it helps me for some darn reason lol. i also read an article a few months ago from the american medical association that said people gain weight when they quit smoking 75% from munching to make up for the ciggys, but 25% was that ciggys actually have something in them ( cant remember what its called) that is an appetite suppressent ..