I have been a smoker for years, I find myself eating healthier and choosing to live life to better my heart. however, I smoke,, I eat healthy, then I go smoke when I am done..

I would like to hear how you quit smoking, and did you quit while dieting and how you are doing since you quit smoking,, I am conscious of the smoking now, and something will click and I will quit, I am just not ready yet, perhaps some stories may help me get to the decision. Thanks

good qeustion! i too am a smoker and trying to lose weight also.. just dont think im quite ready to kick the habit... i would love to be able to quit. its soo dang hard tho! hopefully some one will reply with some helpful tips... i could use all the encouragment i can get

Me to Sheilamarie,, I am just curious to how others have done it ,, and if they did both dieting and quiting,, that would be hard to do both of them,,,

Hi! This is my first post here, but a good one for me to post to...lol. Tomorrow will be one month since I quit smoking. And a week after that I started the eating right and exercise thing, so I sorta did them together!

I've smoked for about 13-14 years, 2 packs a day on bad, stressful days, but normally 1 pack a day. What made me quit? Going to the hospital because I COULDN'T BREATHE at all one night...my kids were scared, my husband was scared and I was REALLY scared. I was diagnosed with pnuemonia and had a 4 day hospital stay because of it. The smoking probably really helped it develop.

2 years ago my husband's grandfather commited suicide because he was in the end stages of lung cancer and just couldn't deal with the pain and not being able to breathe at all. The pain meds weren't working for him anymore. He smoked up until his dying day.

When I was young I had an uncle who was a drifter who would come stay at our house when he passed through town. I laid awake many, many nights listening to him cough and cough and cough. When it bothered him and he couldn't sleep anymore, he'd go have a cigarette. I asked my mom why he coughed all the time...and at a very young age, I found out what emphysema was.

I've known for awhile that I wanted to quit smoking, I just wasn't ready! The cigs are really a crutch! I was literally scared to quit because I didn't know what else would comfort me when I was mad, depressed, bored, all that good stuff...my cigs were my 'friends'. My hubby quit almost a year ago and was on me to quit. I got out of the hospital and just didn't pick up another one. I'd gone 4 days cold turkey involuntarily. Hubby hid my smokes, but didn't throw them away in case I snapped. After about 5 days of almost causing a divorce and my children to hate me forever, the cravings really, really calmed for me! Those first few days were HORRIBLE. If hubby and I got into it, I wanted to run for a cig, if the kids got on my nerves I wanted to run for a cig, if I had to talk to my annoying mother, I wanted to run for a whole pack of cigs.

Now, it's not half as bad! I have noticed that out of habit after meals I'll think 'let me get the kitchen straight and I'll go have my smoke'...not CRAVING one, just thinking the same thing I've thought for so many years. I won't lie, cravings do hit, but I chew gum and try to do something else. They're gone pretty fast.

The exercising and eating right was I guess prevenative, theraputic and I've wanted to for awhile. The main reason I haven't exercised in the last few years is because I couldn't breath once I started! I still have trouble at times, and I think the pnuemonia isn't gone. I *could* jog, physically, as far as my legs, but my breathing won't let me! I tried the other night and came home wheezing, had to hit my inhaler before a full blown 'I CAN'T BREATH' panic came on.

I feel much better though! I can't say that it's from not smoking, but I know that's a big part of it! I noticed something the other night...something that I've wanted to have for a very, very long time. I went to get into the shower, for some reason I smelled my hair and it smelled like my shampoo, and I hadn't washed it since the day before!!!!!!! It always smelled like smoke...now it smells fresh and flowery, just like a girls hair should smell!!!!!

Another scary thing, I'm 28yrs old, and I'm having to keep an eye on a spot that was found on my right lung while I was in the hospital. I have 3 kids and a husband that need me....and I've jeopardized me being here with them for them to grow up, for what? A buncha smoke sticks!

This is getting way too long...sorry...lol. The only tips I can give you are be strong, take stock in a good gum that you REALLY enjoy (important, not any ole gum will work for me...lol...they're my new smokes!), maybe try to exercise when an urge hits....can only help right? Warn those around you and apologize in advance for any biting off of heads you may do and really, just make sure you're ready! It's alot like weight loss, if you fall back into smoking, you'll feel like you've failed (you haven't, it's just delayed victory) and that will make it harder to pick back up on the effort.

Hope this helped, if you read this far! LOL.

Kim

Kim~ That is so inspirational, Thank you so much for sharing, it was not to long, I could have read more.. Thank YOU

I wrote this as a post to someone else who was ready to quit. Thought I'd re-post it here (rather than writing it all out again!)

----------------------------------------------

I was a pack and a half per day smoker for 15 years (started as a teen). I quit painlessly (seriously) back in the early 1980s. I'll tell you how.

One Step at a Time.

No, I'm not trying to be cute or funny. That's seriously the name of the product I used. Before making this recommendation, I checked -- they are still in business, you can Google it (or Yahoo or whatever you use).

One Step at a Time is a series of 4 filters. You attach a filter to your cigarette and smoke through it. You use each filter for 2 weeks (you can clean them when they get gross -- looking at what collects in the filter is a smoking deterrent in itself). Each filter successively cuts down the amount of nicotine you can draw.

If memory serves, Filter 1 cuts your nicotine consumption by 25%, Filter 2 = 50%, Filter 3 = 70%, Filter 4 = 90%. I'll check after posting and if the percentages are different, I'll edit this post.

((( Edit: I originally stated Filter 3 = 75%. In fact, it is 70%. Change made above. )))

You WILL find yourself smoking more during the first part of Filter 1. I went up to 2 packs, trying to compensate for the reduced nicotine. But after that, I went back to 1-1/2 packs, then down to 1 pack, then just a few smokes a day...

By the time you finish Filter 4 (about 2 months after you start), you will probably be able to just stop on your own. I stopped about 10 days into Filter 4 and have never picked up another cigarette. Never. No withdrawals symptoms at all, because the nicotine was reduced so gradually.

Have I ever craved a cigarette? Nope. I will admit I occasionally find myself thinking "I should be having a cigarette now" (as in after dinner), but I've never acted on it and it's never an uncomfortable feeling. This is funny -- every now and then I find myself holding a pencil like I used to hold a cigarette. Old habit .

In any event, no drugs, no patches, you should be able to pick it up OTC, no prescription and, at least back then, it was relatively cheap. Like under $30 cheap. And I can tell you from experience, it works.

Good luck in whatever you choose. You can do it .

---------------------------------------------------------------

There are several other ways to quit as well. I know there is an online support group, sort of like a 3FC for smokers. I've never used it but I know several on these boards have and were happy and successful with it.

One word of caution. If it were me, I'd work on one thing at a time. Quit smoking first. I think (personal opinion) it's the more immediate threat to your health. Excess weight is more of a long-term health issue.

And quitting smoking is also faster to do. If you're really determined, you *can* quit smoking overnight. Can't lose the weight overnight (oh, how I wish you could!).

Anyway, just my 2c. Good luck!

yes, thank you for your story and helpful tips. your right, it is alot like trying to lose weight too. sometimes i feel it may be even harder to give up the smokes than it is to give up the food!

Hi there! I just quit smoking about six weeks ago, and I've been dieting for about five months now. I didn't really plan to quit, in fact, I always said that I'd "never" quit, at least until I graduated college (I'm 22, I've been smoking about a pack a day since I was about 15...I know, bad bad bad). But I'd been doing a lot of cardio and I was always breathing heavily, and I heard about the Couch to 5K running program, and I've always wanted to be able to run. I tried the first week and I was so out of breath; it was SO horrible!! And I went home and I did some serious thinking, and I realized that if I really wanted to lose weight and get in shape, I had to quit smoking.

So I just quit then and there, cold turkey. I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid I might fail, so no one even knew I was trying to quit. I just suffered through the first few HORRIBLE days of craving food and being extremely cranky and really really wanting a cigarette by myself. Whenever I wanted food I just hopped on my treadmill for 15 minutes, and whenever I wanted a cigarette I brushed my teeth or chewed gum or (how sad is this) just sat there holding a butt from the ashtray.

The first few days were the worst, but the first few weeks were pretty rough too. My roommate smokes, and all my friends smoke, so wherever I go, people are smoking. But right away I could tell the difference when I was doing cardio, so that kept me motivated. And I didn't gain a single pound from quitting, I kept losing weight at the same rate I had been while I was still smoking. But I was careful not to replace smoking with eating though, which was really difficult!!

So as far as tips go, I would definitely tell the people around you - get a good support system. Let them know you're about to turn into a cranky screaming monster! Stock up on healthy snack food (veggies, fruits, etc) and gum. Get rid of all your cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters, anything that reminds you of smoking. Get plenty of sleep and plenty of exercise. Be strong!! You can do it!!

Kim,

Please make sure you watch that spot on your lungs religeously!!! My ex is in the hospital this very morning having surgery for lung cancer. It started several years ago as a spot. They have been watching it and a month ago did a biopsy, and yes it was cancer. He was a heavy cigar smoker. His doctor, also a cigar smoker, told him cigars were harmless.

My husband (current) and I both quit smoking last October. He did it cold turkey, but I'm a wus! I went to the doctor and got on the welbutrin pills and the patch. The combination was amazing. No withdrawl, no itchy-*****ies. I always put off quitting because I didn't want to gain any weight. I'm in my 40's so it is harder to lose it once I gain it. This time I replaced smoking with exersize and just started a weigh loss program to lose the 20 pounds I was already up before I quit.

As a woman I am so weight consious, and my self esteem and sexiness factor are closely tied to the scale. Yes, there are days I want to cry over my 20 pounds. Other days I just celebrate kissing my husband and enjoying how great we taste now. That's sexy too.

tlmcharg, hope the ex pulls through well! That's extremely scary! I'm going to have to really push the doctors about this spot. One sent me for more x-rays to check the size and when I got there THAT doc said 'I don't think it needs to be done, it's probably just calcified something or other'....probably, maybe doesn't cut it for me, I've got 3 kids! I'm going back next week...My doctor knows it should be checked.

It's great that you quit! Congrats! It's a hard thing to do. My hubby was out to sea when he quit smoking, otherwise I don't think he could have done it. We've tried to quit together before, and we trigger each other, or act like kids and conspire ways to get cigarettes....lol.



I think alot of people keep smoking for fear of gaining weight...I know that was one of my fears! Maybe that's why I hopped into eating right and exercising with both feet. I knew I was miserable at the weight I was and I CERTAINLY didn't want to get any bigger!

Good luck to y'all that are gonna quit, you can do it! I'm here and I'm sure others will be here for support! I'm online on and off all day long, and I'm open to emails or posts!

Kim

Hi to everyone, newbie here..I did Atkins for the past year and now in a slump, tired of not having fruits and not seeing any more results, so I started the Sonoma Diet, looks like a great lifestyle diet..Anyway, I am a 2 pack a day smoker and am petrified to quit due to weight gain, but same time, petrified to continue smoking. I tried chewing gum, but I just ended up with a chewing gum habit to go with the smoking..Any suggestions?

I tried to quit in 1997 and I found that gum caused me to crave a cig even more.. I never really found a solution to help with craving,, It was not long untill I was smoking again,,

Hi Crock – I smoked a pack a day for 10 years and quit about 6 years ago. Three things happened for me. The first was that I had “click” regarding the identity part of it. I viewed smoking as a kind of rebellion and I thought it made me cool. All my friends smoked in high school and that is how we spent a lot of our time – hanging out, drinking coffee and smoking. I had to separate smoking from my identity and realize I didn’t need it to define me. This may or may not apply to you. Second, I started waking up every morning and the first thing I would do was cough. I thought, if I am like this in my 20’s, what is it going to be like 10, 20, 30 years from now? Also, I went to the dentist and he said that smoking was really hurting my gums and if I didn’t stop then all my teeth would fall out (he put it less bluntly, but I got the point). So he wrote me a prescription for Zyban, which is the anti-depressant drug Wellbutrin. I know that not everyone has good luck with it, but for me it worked like a charm. It didn’t make it totally easy to quit, it was still hard, but it made it possible to get through the day and not feel like I wanted to scream. It took awhile to learn what to do with my hands. I went through a lot of lollipops.

I can now smoke on occasion and it doesn’t bother me – except that I know I can never smoke a Camel again. Even last night, I went to a play and there was someone smoking on stage. I spotted the pack immediately and almost instantly the craving was there. It was so weird. I am lucky that it only happens with that one brand since it is what I smoked the whole time I was smoking.

Like dieting, you need to be ready. It is different because you abstain completely, but in many ways it is similar. You have to know where your danger spots are (going out for coffee or to a bar, hanging out with certain friends) and you might need to not do that for a little while until the worst of the cravings are over. Habits ingrained for years are hard to break, but with effort you can do it. I didn’t do it while I was dieting, and I do think I put on some of my weight from that time. If I had been more careful, I think it would have been negligible, but I wasn’t worrying too much about it then.

Thanks Nancy,, I smoke Camel Lights.. funny..... I appreciate your thoughts..

Ms Crockett,

I am 41 years old. I began smoking as a young teen and seemed to get hooked almost immediately. I tried to quit after only smoking for a short while. I had no idea what I would have to go through in order to free myself.

So.. I kept smoking. After I got married my husband immediately quit smoking. We were supposed to do it together. He was able to quit immediately with no apparent difficulty. I continued for a few years. In secret.. we argued about it constantly. Quitting for me back then was not just a matter of willpower. I was ready to sell my soul for a cigarette.

I think several things finally led me to be able to quit. Here they are in no particular order.

1. My husband. His acceptance of me was dependent upon my ablility to quit. A lot of people don't understand this. They say he should take me as I am especially since I smoked before we were married. I am SO blessed to have a husband with such strong convictions and love for me. Without his strength and unyielding insistance I probably never would have quit.

2. Society. Society made it very difficult for me to smoke. I couldn't smoke at home. Couldn't smoke around my friends (unlike when I was a teenager), couldn't smoke in this building. etc etc..

3. Since I was not free to smoke whenever I wanted (unlike when I was a teen) I cut down on how much I smoked over the course of a year or so.. (yes it was a long journey). It finally got to the point where two a day were what I had to have. Then one.. one a day for .. was it weeks or months?? Anyway, ... there were several tricks I did to help me go without smoking for hours at a time. One in particular that I remember was I stuffed cotton ball cotton in a straw, cut the straw to about the size of a cigarette and used to draw air through it as if I were smoking. Unbelieveable how this sensation made a difference some of the time. I drank water constantly and kept active as possible avoiding every situation I could that would make me want to smoke. There was one friend in particular who I had to avoid as she smoked and even though she didn't smoke around me, the smell of smoke eminating from her was a horrible trigger for me.

4. I had several false starts. I honestly think this made it even harder. Everytime I started again it seemed the next attempt to quit was that much harder. I can never ever describe how horrible I felt about myself and how miserable I was trying to quit and failing.

5. My last cigarette? I was so desperate. And as this was such a long time ago the resources that are available now were not readily available then. Anyway, what I did .. I don't regret as it made it possible for me never to smoke again. However, I would never recommend it to anyone as a safe way of quitting. One day I was so disgusted with myself. I felt lower than I ever have. I bought two packs of cigarettes. Rolled up my car windows.. All of them and chain smoked as fast as I could a pack and then some more from the other pack. I drew the smoke in as hard as I could. Sucking down one cigarette after another. I made myself so sick. I vomitted in the car out of the car. I was really sick for days.

6. You would think that after that I would never ever crave a cigarette again. Well, this is not true. I still had withdrawel but was able to get through it by remembering the day in the car. I discovered later that what I had done was my own method of "aversion" therapy. I craved a smoke and craved a smoke.. but was able to work past it. I think after 30 days it started to get easier. Then a few months would go by and I would have instances of craving. But of course I was able to work through this. By the time I hit a year I knew I was going to make it.

The day in the car was about 20 years ago. When was the last time I craved a cigarette? Only 2 months ago. Yes. Even after 20 years certain situations make me think of cigarettes. There is no way I would ever try them again. NO WAY. Yet, I find it amazing that my body and mind would still think even for a second that a smoke would be good. So sick is addiction.

I can't blame my weight on quitting smoking as I've been overweight most of my life. But I do applaud you in your efforts to free yourself from nicotine. I wish you the best of luck.

Jayde
So grateful to be smoke free for 20+ years.