I want to quit smoking, but am afraid of the weight gain. Anyone successfully quit smoking and lose weight? Would love to hear your story!

I did quit smoking 15 + years ago..I did not initially gain weight.. I think it can be done with maybe a small amount of weight gain..but hey some people gain weight even while they are smoking so I think it is a very individualistic thing..I think if you re in the right mind set to quit smoking you can carry that mind set one step further and use it to refrain from gaining weight.. Chewing sugar free gum helped me a lot as did Tic tacs.. I still chew sugarless gum today...although that in itself can be a habit...I replaced the ashtray with a glass of water..and thus my journey began to drink a lot of water..it is very doable..when you are totally ready..just like weight loss..you got to be ready..

Good luck

I think quitting is worth a small gain.

You can always lose the little extra weight...but smoking kills you. :(

I'm a smoker to in the same dilemma.. I already quit one addiction for this diet.. the other will have to wait until I can maintain a good weight. I will be quitting when I am at my goal so a small gain can be easily controlled Rather then gaining at my current weight. Right now, I am having a hard enough time controling weight food and other things... So I will save that next battle for when I can focus on it completely.

Emily.. your 19! QUIT NOW!! I wish WISH WISH WISH I had never started!!!

Emily.. your 19! QUIT NOW!! I wish WISH WISH WISH I had never started!!!

I don't smoke, nor drink.

My Gosh Emily.. I'm an IDIOT! I thought you started this thread.. and GOOD FOR YOU that you don't!!!!

(Ok I see why I thought that,.. I saw in the made board the thread title.. and at the time you were the last post so I thought (DUH) you posted.. ok let me get my glasses..)

:)

I quit smoking 1.5 years ago and I gained weight. My Doctor says I am much healthier with a few extra pounds than I was when I was smoking.

When I decided to get on this diet again (after falling off for several months and gaining back 20 pounds!) I decided to quit smoking and make the "get healthy" my new obsession. It worked great! I quit about 6 months ago and hardly ever think about it. Now I am focused on watching that scale move and getting to my goal, which is only another 20 pounds away (I've lost 30!!) Just replace the smoking with something healthy- and everyone's right- even if you do pick up a few pounds, it's way better than smoking. Now I look at people who have a hard time breathing and I am so thankful I just bit the bullet and quit! Good luck to you!

I too soon will be taking on the challenge of stopping to smoke - here is a link with TONS of great online support and resources that I have gathered - hope it is helpful :)

http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47606&highlight=smoking

Thank you everyone. Not sure what I'm going to as of yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I am learning that smoking is a crutch for me when I am trying to lose weight. I'm just afraid that if I quit smoking I will gain even more weight. I have to get this weight off.

I quit smoking about 16 yrs. ago after smoking for 20 yrs. I did intially gain weight (about 20 lbs. over 6 mo.) but then you focus on taking the weight off. And everyone is different, but it's WELL worth the effort or weight gain.

When I quit over 10 years ago I didn't gain more than about 5-7 lbs. what I did was buy one of those fake cigarettes that taste like menthol (even though I didn't smoke menthol cigarettes). It helped just to get over the habit of smoking by having something in my mouth, nicotine patches helped with the craving. You have to do something with your hands & mouth. Chew gum and take up knitting or fake cigarettes help. Good luck it is a great step to take for your health.
cheers,
anderjan

I want to quit smoking, but am afraid of the weight gain. Anyone successfully quit smoking and lose weight? Would love to hear your story!

I quit smoking a few years ago and didn't gain weight at the time (this was all before my current weight gain). Back then, I was in good shape and very worried about weight gain when I quit. I wanted to quit specifically so I could be a better cyclist. So, instead of munching something when I got a craving, I made myself sweat. Either a 5 minute jog around the block, or some tough workout video. For me, exercising reduced the urge to smoke a cigarette MUCH more effectively than munching on a carrot. And I didn't quit cold turkey (ouch, cold turkey is like starvation dieting, might work for some, but not me!), I gradually reduced number of cigarettes per day, and spent about a year smoking 1-2 cigarettes a day. Then one day, I forgot to have one!

With smoking you have to figure out other ways to curb your appetite (a cigarette used to take the edge off my hunger, I had to learn other things to do to stop the stomach rumblings), and at the same time other ways to curb your cigarette craving (eating a chocolate bar helps the craving, but not your waist!).

What really worked for me was to think about and write down every situation/time/place where I would want a cigarette, and then figure out specific substitutes for cigarettes in each situation. I used to light up every time I got in my car. So I paid a lot of money for a professional detailing. After that, I couldn't bring myself to light up and ruin all the money I spent cleaning my car... I also keep chewing gum in my car and I smack it up on my commutes.

I still crave a cigarette sometimes, that will never go away. But now I've learned I can just wait a few minutes and the cravings pass, or I can walk around the block, or I think of not being able to smell as well (smoking kills your sense of smell). Good luck to you! It may take many tries before you quit, but it's worth it!

Thank you everyone. Not sure what I'm going to as of yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I am learning that smoking is a crutch for me when I am trying to lose weight. I'm just afraid that if I quit smoking I will gain even more weight. I have to get this weight off.

Just quit...The thinking process is taking up too much time..When I decided to quit...I just decided...stop..throw out ashtrays etc...and that was it..
The same applies to losing weight..Anyone can talk about it..but to lose it takes work and determination and dedication....Give it a go..No one ever died from quitting smoking as far as I know..or from cutting back on food...

I think you are right, Lulu! I don't smoke, so can't speak to that, but for most bad habits ... including eating too much and exercising too little ... I believe the best idea is to just stop thinking about it and do it!

There's a place for precognition and cognition phases but in the end, it's action that gets the job done. :)

Thank you, thank you! I put on a patch this morning and guess what I've lost almost 4 lbs!!!!! I am going to incorporate (as previously said) quitting smoking into my new lifestyle. When I was 130 I didn't smoke like I do now, but this is it. No more excuses!!!! I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I did slip to my dad. He was very supportive which surprised me because he is a 3+ pack smoker a day including cigars. My new life has begun!
Again thank you so much for the support on an off topic subject.