I'm writing this because usually when I verbalize what's off, I can sort of get my head wrapped around it and come out on the other side all the better.

I'm also hoping that some of you may have experience with this.

My problem right now is that I am seeing my caloric intake rise for the month of February and it's causing a bit of apprehension, anxiety, panic if you will.

I've lost more than 20 pounds since November 1 just by counting calories. I started working out in January and do this three times a week. No less than that. Ever.

On January 31, I quit smoking. Best thing I could have done, don't regret it, and am getting through that beautifully. Problem is, I am eating more.

I normally take in 1200 to 1300 calories a day. The month of December, I averaged 1189 calories a day and in January, I averaged 1193 per day.

In February, in just six days, I am averaging over 1500 calories a day. I can't wait until the end of February to deal with this. I am trying to nip it in the bud.

Today, I'm already at 1020 calories for the day but I still have to eat dinner.

See my problem?

Allowing myself to gain a few pounds is not an option. Smoking is not an option.

I can add two more days of training to my schedule in the month of February.

So.... offer up some high-density, high-fiber, low-calorie food choices. They don't have to be traditional. I am perfectly content eating 1/2 bag of baby carrots and half an avocado and calling it dinner.

Thanks for your help!

Now... my favorite part of this post! Ready? Here goes!!!

Six days, 18 hours, 4 minutes. 135 cigarettes not smoked, saving $40.52. Life saved: 11 hours, 15 minutes.

Oh come on, cut yourself some slack, will you? Hello, of course your calories are going to be higher because you have eliminatinated the nasty cigarettes from your life!!!!

You have come so far in such a short time. 20 lbs is AWESOME. Over 6 days without the nasty cigarettes is even MORE awesome. You're not going to gain any weight on 1500 calories a day. That's incredible that you're keeping to that with giving up, yeah you guessed it - the nasty cigarettes.

Some food ideas:

Gum - not really a food
Hot cup of tea
Steamed veggies, green beans, cauliflower, whatever you like
Cup of chicken broth
Big leafy salad with some beans thrown in, like chick peas or red kidney or black beans
Fiber One cereal has 60 calories for a 1/2 cup serving. And that 1/2 cup is quite fillilng.
Raw veggies and hummus for dipping
Homemade soup with lots of veggies and some beans
a 3oz can of tuna in water (90 cals) with raw veggies or in a salad
Fish
Chicken breast

Diva you can do this. You are such a determined person. You WILL get through this as well. We're here for you. Good luck.

Diva, I always wonder how you eat so little. What's your hurry? What jeans size are you after and why does it have to be so soon. You're already quite slender for your height, so why be so hard on yourself? My post truly comes from a nice place, I'm not at all trying to criticize your plan, but there's nothing wrong with eating 1500 calories when your hardcore exercising (as I know you are) and you're hungry. You certainly cant keep up 1200 calories forever, I suspect, so at some point you will need to get your body used to a bit more calories. BTW, I know you just broke up with your BF after 8 years so maybe your haste is all part of your new life, but most men do like a little meat on a woman's bones, so go easy on yourself.

Mami,

You're so sweet. Right now, the last thing on my mind is what a man wants on his bones. LOL The hurry? I don't know. I don't think I'm in a hurry. I don't care if I only lose two pounds each month. The thing is to not gain weight.

If I don't stay on top of this, it gets away from me. You know how that goes, right? You think... no big deal... no big deal... no big deal... and one day, it's a big deal!

I'm not mentally ill but I set very high standards for myself. In everything... business, education, relationships with my children, my housekeeping. Excellence is just something I am for.

Robin, :-p to you, too! LOL But I think you really enlightened me. Duh! Beans. Beans in everything... salads, broths, all that. You're right.

I think I'll get a handle on this. It's just a matter of pulling menus together differently.

But I don't want you guys to think I'm mentally whacked about this. (I'm mentally whacked about other things but not about this.) The thing is I don't ever intend to do battle with my weight again. Once is enough for me. I've learned my lesson. And if I start allowing "excuses" to take over, I'm going to be back in that 155 mode and that's not where I want to be.

I'll let you know how it goes, and Mami, if I meet a man with meat on his bones, I'll think of you.

*kisses* to you both

Favorite part again... here goes!

Six days, 19 hours, 46 minutes. 136 cigarettes not smoked, saving $40.94. Life saved: 11 hours, 20 minutes.

Diva~try what I'm doing.

I gained 8 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas and didn't gain or lose anything during January. I finally sat down and made week-long meal plans. Yes, I have choices each day (5 or 6 breakfast ideas, 2 or 3 lunch ideas, 6 or 7 dinner ideas and 6 or 7 snack ideas). The menu has the calories of each food next to it. I printed out a stack of these and I highlight the foods as I eat them so I can easily add them up. Often, if I know what I plan on having for dinner, it will dictate what other things I eat so that I know I'll come in on plan (1200-1400 calories per day). Since doing this, I've been spot on almost every day. I have to confess, during January, I was eating probably closer to 2500 calories per day--no wonder I didn't lose and thank goodness I didn't gain more.

I understand how you feel that this is like a personal crisis. It was for me also. I'm just glad I found a way to get myself back on track.

I know you can do it. You have the determination!

Diva, have you gained any weight yet? For all you know you may still be able to lose eating 1500 cal/day. Now wouldn't that be great?

Oh, agree with the hot tea suggestion. This tends to help me when I'm hungry and there are no healthy choices.

Diva, let's look at the reality here:

Today was high (1898)because you had a payday candy bar AND peanuts.
2/5 was 1063
2/4 was 1078
2/3 was 1411 because you had Hershey's kisses
2/2 was 1372
2/1 was 1293

So, a couple days you had candy cravings (very common for smokers trying to quit). That's the only time you went all that much higher than what should be your goal of 1200 (I assume?).

Except for today, you haven't gone over 1500. **** you barely went over 1400 that one day.

Don't beat yourself up over today, which I guess is the day that is bothering you at over 1800. I don't have the same mindset of gripping tightly to strict rules to succeed, but I can understand that feeling of "I let this happen once, what's to say I won't be doing this every day now??"

I don't think you need food education, you're very intelligent about that already. My only advice I can offer up is to avoid peanuts and candy right now, and try some of the ladies' suggestions above for when you get the smoking-curb craving.

Plus - keep in mind that smokers usually start freaking out after about 7 days of cold turkey. Perhaps just sit quietly in the dark for a while and meditate upon your accomplishment thus far, and accept that it's going to be rough-going for a little while.

We're all rooting for you.

Diva!! How absofrigginlutely wonderful about your smoking!
Congrats!!!

You do NOT have to increase your calories, honest.
How long did you let those smokes rule your life???
You beat the dickens out of those cancer sticks, now you are worried about food????
It's ok to go over now and then, unlike cigarettes, you can splurge one day and then the next get right back on the healthy food train!

Get back on, girl!

I am a bad muncher, but I know that so I plan for it.
I eat at night, so be it. I just make sure I can afford it calorically.

Right now I am kind of...shall we say uninspired? with my snack choices at night.
I have crackers and cheese, wasa and laughing cow (jazzed up with Mrs Dash Spicy blend and a big thick tomato slice!)
Since my gb surgery I have had sodium probs as well and whn I started watching my sodium, my weight maintainance is sooooo much easier!

I also have airpop popcorn (1/2 cup unpopped) with parmesian cheese and PAM butter spray (18/1 sec sprays)

Also, FF plain yogurt with (unsweetened) pineapple, coconut extract and 1 apple, chopped and stirred together and ( if calories allow) dipped with wasa, or just a spoon. It tastes so rich and fattening!

I love threads like these because they give me snack ideas.

OH! I also have dark chocolate and some form of wine or beer at night.
That is my one vice, but as long as I keep it within limits, it's good for me AND it makes me be good during the day if I want to have it!

PS. You can e-mail me anytime you want to.


Now... my favorite part of this post! Ready? Here goes!!!

Free and Healing for Eleven Months, Twenty Two Days, 22 Hours and 43 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 28 Days and 17 Hours, by avoiding the use of 8279 filthy cigarettes that would have cost me $1,365.40.

I quit smoking for good 3 yrs ago, and in the begining it was hard and I did tend to snack a bit more. (ummm thats why I'm here...LOL) Have it planned in advance to have a healthy low calorie snack around for when you get a craving. CHUG CHUG CHUG water, when it just feels like you can NOT do it and need a cig. Trust me it gets SOOO much easier, it took a good year to really get over it...and still today I think about it from time to time. YOU can do it, I wouldn't be so hard on yourself about eating a little extra.

Hey guys,

I'm happy to report that cravings are not the problem. I don't have any. The wisest thing I could have done was taken the focus off the quitting itself and planted that focus on working out and eating to lose fat. I'm smart... gotta tell ya!

SB, when I look at the FitDay, I see what I could have plucked out of there to keep the numbers in check. Ticks me off every time, too. But after reading YOUR post, I don't know why I thought the whole month had gone down the toilet. Two over-the-top days... for some reason it felt like much more.

Thank you for putting it in perspective for me.

Aschen and Just Me, look at YOU TWO! You are my HEROS!!! You understand my excitement, although everyone else seems to undertand it, too. Counting calories has been so much fun, but quitting smoking is a blast! I so love this experience.

I will harness this... I think I'm more afraid than anything else. As I stated earlier elsewhere, what has sabotaged previous quits was the weight gain.

So back to my favorite part... here we go! Ready?

One week, 15 hours, 57 minutes. 153 cigarettes not smoked, saving $45.99. Life saved: 12 hours, 45 minutes.

Diva~Glad to hear you're not throwing in the towel!!!

Never, ever, ever throwing in the towel. At least not today!

One week, 18 hours, 19 minutes. 155 cigarettes not smoked, saving $46.58. Life saved: 12 hours, 55 minutes.

These are my calories eaten the past 9 days:

2181
1914
1527
2407
1909
1462
1183
2006
2046

During that time I've lost about 2.5 pounds. I've only worked out about 4 times during this period. Point being, you might be surprised to find you'll actually lose more weight, or at least the same amount, by having a few high days or mixing it up a bit.

I can see you're a very driven person, but having a few high days does not mean you'll go back to your "before" weight. If anything, you're practicing maintenance and that's a good thing.

Glad you're feeling better!

Hola Ladies,

Yes... feeling much better. I have a handle on it. You'll have to forgive me for drowning in a glass of water over this. Withdrawal has a way of making things look SUPER HUGE. Everything is magnified.

I'm just going to trust the process. I know what to do, how to do it, and I am doing it. As long as I put forth effort, the results will come.

They may not come precisely when I want them. After all, man makes plans and God smiles.

But come they will!

Focus on the effort... the results will come.

Favorite part again... ready?

One week, one day, 3 hours, 29 minutes. 162 cigarettes not smoked, saving $48.87. Life saved: 13 hours, 30 minutes.