smoking and dieting

roboticseas · Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:16 am

Iv read a few times that its best to tackle one thing at a time when it comes to smoking and dieting.

I really want to lose weight and I also want to quit smoking. I know smoking raises your metabolism (iv read about it....but not sure if its true. Obviosly it raises it in a bad way)....and im nervous that if I try to lose weight and stop smoking at the same time.... that I will not see results for a lil bit.

Do you guys think it will be better if I just stick to the diet for a lil' bit until I lose some weight and then tackle the smoking problem?

What are some of your experiences if you tried to quit?

Maryone · Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:52 am

I've choosen to face the two problem separately. I know that for people, smoking and healthy eating can't make a great pair and it's true. BUT for me, the two issues are really hard issues I need to work on and I can't handle both. I eat or I smoke, when i'm stressed/frustrated etc... I eat but then I can't eat what I would love to eat in those time so I smoke... Oh but wait I can't smoke...so I'll eat... and it goes on and on and on... LOL I will take it one at a time, i'll lose the weight and than i'll stop smoking! I WISH I could do both but I don't think it's gonna happen! But if you feel you can handle it, GO for it!

roboticseas · Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:05 am

im not sure if i can right now. i reaaaally want to quit smoking (and i say this with a cig in my hand with a hacking cough)....but i dont think i can do it right now. maybe i can cut down but im not sure if i can quit. im hopefully gonna see a doctor this week about my cough. i havnt had a cold in ages and maybe i forgot im supposed to have a cough but its just an annoying one and im pretty sure the smoking isnt helping. maybe he can help me quit but im afraid to use patches or pills..... i dont like to use prescriptions meds or anything weird like that.

in any case, id like to get into the 130s before i quit i guess so that i can just get there. i havnt seen the 130s for years! so maybe after i have my eating under control... ill get to the smoking part.

..and i hear you on the replacing food with cigs. after work, i want to go in the fridge and find something to eat... but then i have a cig and i feel better =/

maltby_gardner · Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:17 am

Well obviously you need to do what you think will work best for you and, of course, I have no idea what your current weight is. That being said, if it were me, I would quit smoking first, then worry about my weight. That's mostly based on watching my mother die of emphysema; I've never smoked myself. The hacking cough can't be good. And you have a better chance of taking of your unwanted pounds and keeping them off if you can exercise. It might be hard to do that with that hacking cough and if you're still smoking.

Maryone · Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:22 pm

roboticseas wrote: im afraid to use patches or pills..... i dont like to use prescriptions meds or anything weird like that.
Did you heard about some laser treatment? If I had the money, I'll definatly do it this way. No patch, pills, gum or whatever for X weeks etc... I think it's only one or two session and you're done.

Are you smoking a lot? Like one pack a day? I don't smoke a lot (usually about 8 cigarettes each day) but that's definatly something I want to get out of my system.

roboticseas · Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:12 pm

i smoke maybe half a pack a day.

when i go to the doctors, ill see what they recommend and if i can do the lazer thing. what exactly do they lazer?!

my cough is from a cold i just had but im saying that because im smoking.. its not helping it get any better.

my goal for now is to just cut down... and maybe have less than 10 a day to start.

Maryone · Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:06 pm

roboticseas wrote: what exactly do they lazer?!
I googled it and I found a little text explaining how it works, seems pretty simple, painless and easy... humm maybe too easy!!
http://www.laserconcept.com/smoking.php

A-Rod · Tue May 01, 2007 11:13 pm

roboticseas wrote: but im afraid to use patches or pills..... i dont like to use prescriptions meds or anything weird like that.

you won't use prescription meds because they're "weird" but you'll inhale all the crap that's in cigarettes? ;)

i mean, i'm just saying ... the stuff in the cigs are probably worse for you, if that helps to ease the transition.

roboticseas · Wed May 02, 2007 8:29 pm

i know.. it sounds weird. im smoking in all this bad stuff but i dont want meds or patches because of side effects....im just saying... i dont wanna use more bad stuff to cover the bad stuff... ya know what im saying?

id like to do it naturally... but it doesnt look like i can do it cold turket so i may have to buckle up and survive the sleep problems, anxiety, etc associated with the nicotine help.

mjmjam2002 · Tue May 29, 2007 8:57 pm

I first quit smoking in December 2006, I used the patch for a week. I also cheated. A drag here and there, which just turned into full blown smoking. You can't cheat, or you will fail. You have to sit down and think am I ready to stop making excuses. Smoking is the devil. You will never be able to quit if you can't stop making excuses and you have to take it one day at a time.
I quit again and for good January 7 2007 and I used teh patches for another week because I needed something that made me a little more bearable to be around. I have a young toddler and a deployed husband so me yelling and what not at my poor kid wasn't feasible. They helped with my anger, they don't make you not want to smoke, I used them for aweek so that I could mentally break the hand to mouth. I also stocked up on pretzels and popcorn and rice cakes and grapes (frozen) and after meals or whenever I was freaking out for a ciggarette I ate something better than what I wouldv'e eaten. That was it, I told myself that those snacks are all I get for a smoke freak out. After awhile it will get easier but its hard.
I drank lots of water to.
I also would run up and down my stairs a couple of times. That first two weeks are awful, I barely left my house which is bad thing to do, but I was depressed and coudlnt' bear to do it.
Its not easy , there are always excuses, "im on the rag, i lost my job, money is tight, i gained weight, etc etc etc. you just gotta get through it, I can remember thinking "what the heck do nonsmokers do with their lives, ugh this is soo borign" Lol then I'd tell myself, oh they just deal with it and they breathe easier.

You said you are worried about the side effects, well with the patch you get vivid dreams. I thought they were awesome and was a little upset when I took myself off the patch since normally i dont dream. I think its important to not stay on a nicotine replacement very long. It should just be used to show you that you can do it and then get rid of it. All you do by using it is prolong the withdrawal, Ive just never stuck with cold turkey.
Oh yea when I quit for good. I made sure I did while on the rag, for some reason it was easier for me, Iknew if i could handle that , i could handlle anything. Now if i can just use this to my addiction to junk food.
Good luck :)
you can do it. will you hate the world? yes, will it last forever, no? Will you still have cravings months down the road? yes DO they get easier to say no to? heck ya.

Scarlett46 · Wed May 30, 2007 3:23 pm

I know that doctors, friends, and maybe even your own head will tell anyone that smoking is so bad for you that it should be the first priority. I know this... But as a current smoker who has successfully quit for long periods of time and then started all over again, it does not work unless you are completely mentally ready to quit smoking. I think your body would handle both dieting and quitting at the same time, but only if your mind is set on it.

Personally, I am mentally ready to change my way of eating, but totally not ready to quit smoking yet. And the more people ride me about it, the longer it takes. It's like my brain rebels from all the nagging. I can be so close to ready, but just one person nags one time, and it's all over. Just leave me alone about it and I'll do it in my own time!

I feel like such a hipocrite saying all of this (even though it's truly honest), because I know that my DH needs to quit smoking badly for his health, and won't unless I do, but I can't help it! I am just not ready!

Also... when I do quit, it has to be a "secret" until I'm confident that it's going to work. I can't go and tell someone that I haven't had a cigarette in 3 days, and then show up the next day with one in my hand.

AnonyMouse · Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:53 pm

I am new to this board, as a poster.. I am a longtime lurker! But THIS is a topic I can wrap my mind around. I am 30 YO and started smoking when I was 15. I LOVED CIGARETTES. Loved Loved Loved them. If you asked anyone who knows me, they would tell you that I LOVED SMOKES. I was up to about a pack and half a day, with a cough that I would tell people was from allergies, or dry weather. HA. All right Mousey, get to the point.. SOOOO.. I decided it was time to quit smoking, which I had done once before. And failed. Miserably.

I quit 05/07/07. I had picked a quit date of 05/14/07 (I quit a week early, WOW!!). In preparation for quitting, I cried about it, grieved about it, and decided what I would do to take up all the spare time I was going to have. Because I used to get home from work, and hang out on my patio chain smoking for like 2-3 hours A NIGHT. Weekends were all day, all night smokefests. Once I had all of that in order, I referred to the internet to help me stop smoking, and found a website that changed my life. I had a major light bulb moment when I started reading on the site. It was free. It was strict. It was like someone was plucking all of the frantic questions about quitting right out of my head and providing the answers.

I have been smoke free for 1 month 7 days, and I feel so very empowered. I feel like I never smoked. It's really indescribable, but I can tell you I have had P-LENTY of excuses to start up again in the last month (talk about being TESTED), and haven't even entertained the idea of taking a puff. It's over. I have broken up with cigarettes. For Good.

I started SB again (2nd time's a charm) on 06/04/07, and I have been a good little cadet, with NO CHEATS. BUT.. I weighed myself and the last time I did Phase I, I lost 8 lbs. I have been in P1 for 10 days and have only lost 1/2 a pound. :shock:

For me, quitting smoking was wayyyy easier than "quitting" food. I can't believe I even said that. But here's a few points to ponder..

*Food is socially acceptable, smoking is not.
*You have to eat to live, you do not smoke to live.
*Food can help you AVOID cancer, smoking brings it on.

What I am really saying, is that quitting smoking is much much much easier than you think it's going to be. I think this is cheesy to say, but if I can do it, you can do it for sure. BUT let me say this, if you are going to continue smoking, ENJOY it. Because it doesn't last forever. :wink:


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