Just Quit Smoking and Dont Want to Put on the Pounds

My brother was a heavy smoker. What helped him was to gnaw on a plastic straw like you get at a McDonald's. He swore that this was the key to his success. Good luck.

There is something called EFT - it's emotional training and I think this may help you - google it and maybe you could find a person near who does this work.

Ally

Please read "the easy way to quit smoking" by allen carr. it will help you a ton.

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! YOU ROCK!!! YOU HAVE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE!!!!

OK, now I would suggest to get on a Weight Watchers program. They will give you great ideas for snacks and food and tell you how much you can eat per day. You can eat regular food and you don't have to eat anything special or buy their food. They have an online only program, or you can go to local meetings which I would suggest because then you can meet someone with your same goal and support each other.

I lost almost 30 lbs on the program. If you don't want to lose, but just want to maintain, they can do that too!

For snacks, try: Chewing sugar-free gum, sucking on hard candies (no fat, few calories), Great Value brand Honey Wheat Pretzel Twists, pretzels of any kind.

Eating carrot sticks or celery or other veggies will add no pounds and have almost no calories; just dip them in "Kraft Free Zesty Italian" dressing. Cooked a can of green beans in beef broth and add a touch of worchestershire sauce and soy and eat the whole can one by one! (Weight Watchers doesn't count vegetables against your food intake at all (except corn and potatoes)).

Good luck and hang in there...the hand-to-mouth thing is habit and the craving will pass...no excuses girl! Good luck and may God Bless you!

congrats on quiting. Try tic tacs one at a time. or a small salad. That may help. My grandma licked on one lolly pop throughout the day to help her.

I wish you the best of luck.

I am fighting to quit smoking How did you do it? Ive tried the patches and cool turky but have always gone back to smoking....

Have been a student of nutrition for a quarter of a century and hurry to tell you not to do weight loss pills or listen to fad diets........The way to lose weight is to quit eating anything with sugar or with white flour and add lots of fresh vegetables to your table without depending on lettuce-based salads much. You'll learn quickly to prefer the taste of whole grain breads, cereals, pasta. Also do not go for trendy fat-free or low-fat foods if they are altered to be so, as they don't do much beyond lower nutrient values and make you hungry. Exercise. Take a good multi-vitamin (not Centrum, but one from a health food store), being sure it has 200 mcg. of chromium picolinate it it. If it doesn't, get a bottle of chromium picolinate by itself and take that in addition to the vitamin pill.......Shouldn't eat gobs of sunflower seeds. Get the unsalted ones from a health food store. Snack, too, on small handful of walnuts, pecans or almonds.

I read one response that seems to advocate Chantix. I beg you to research that drug if you're tempted to use it. Get on the internet, particularly the USDA medwatch website. There are terrifying side effects from it, including suicides.

My brother just quit smoking and here's what worked for him...Prescription of Chantix and mint flavored toothpicks. The Chantix helped curb the craving while the toothpicks substituted for the hand to mouth motion. I've heard a lot of people gain weight because they're substituting food for cigarettes. The hand to mouth motion.
Good Luck!

Have you tried the patch or the new gums? My husband and I quit smoking almost 2 months ago, and I used the patch for 2 weeks. That's not the length of the program, but that was all my body could handle. After that, the patch made me feel ill.

We both went shopping for our snacks before we quit. We both bought gum, but had to limit our intake. We were using gum as a replacement, but because we weren't smoking, we were both chewing our gum really hard, and then we were biting the insides of our mouths. Not everyone gets this tense during the intial phase of quitting.

We then got mints, and let me tell you, GET A LOT OF MINTS! If you get sugar free mints/candy limit your intake as they can give you diarrhea. We also bought straws and tooth picks to chew on. You can cut a straw to about the length of the cigarette, and this will help you with the hand-to-mouth habit.

You could also try chewing on cinammon sticks. This helped my mom years ago.

Be sure to drink a lot of water! My back and scalp broke out in acne really bad for the first 4 weeks because my body was getting rid of all of those toxins. Drinking water will help get rid of those toxins faster.

Good luck and if you slip up and smoke, don't punish yourself. A lot of people slip up when recovering from an addiction.

Hi A.. I quit smoking about 2 1/2 years ago. Good for you honey. I am also more fit than I have ever been in my life. I have lost over 100 pounds the right way, and have muscle tone!!!!!! I read where that guy that plays on JACK@@# had taken each time he would break to smoke and instead done some exercising. I don't know how you are about exercise but myself I wasn't real into it. I started small with just a brisk walk. Now I do all sorts of stuff, and cannot stand the smell of cigs:) Next....pray. Pray!!!! :) Good luck to you, and know that I will pray for you:)

I don't know how to prevent weight gain, but I am interested in how you quit. My grandmother has emphysema and won't quit smoking. She says anything she would try would have too many side effects. Just curious.

BTW: CONGRATS on such a great achievement! In case others forget to tell you, I am proud of you for quitting. I know it can't be easy.

That's awesome about you wanting to take charge of your body. First may I suggest eating 'whole' foods whenever you get the idea of wanting to put something in your mouth. Eat as many fruits and veggies as you can throughout the day, it'll help flush out the toxins that smoking left behind, and drink 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces of water.ie: you weigh 150 lbs-drink 75 oz of H2O. The other thing is that if you want to lose FAT inches fast, check out my website (www.itWorks.net/FitForLife); I'm introducing a revolutionary, 100% herbal wrap that breaks-up 1-4 inches of FAT in just 45 minutes. You won't lose anything by checking it out, but inches! I know it'll work for you that's why the name of the company is itWorks!. call me for more info - ###-###-#### - M.

A. congratulations on your accomplishment! You've taken a very important step toward a healthier, better-quality life. Your children will benefit, too. Whether you smoked near them or not, the second-hand smoke was bound to have an effect on them. You have a lot to be proud of.

To support your change to a healthier lifestyle, please consider taking nutritional supplements, and drinking cleaner, mineral-enhanced water. You can find these, along with a full line of wellness products at my website, www.nikken.com/brendaramsey. We also have a very effective weight management program available, in case you do want to lose a few pounds. Again, congratulations!

Congratulations A.! This is an awesome task and YOU did it! I am going on 8 years quit. My recommendation if you need to put something in your mouth, is to chew on a straw, I preferred stir straws used for stirring coffee. They seem to really help. And with hunger feeling- water feels you up and eat fruits and celery, carrots, etc.

When I stop smoking, It made me feel hungry a lot and I did a research on healthy snacks that I would have already liked and bought like 5 different kinds, like all kinds of unsalted nuts, dried fruits, yogurt, and chewed gum all the time. Also, added more fresh fruits and veggies and ate sensible meals. The reason I chose heathy snacks was because I didn't want to gain weight. What you just did takes a lot of will power and to have faith in yourself. I haven't smoked in 15 years and it wasn't easy because the cravings never go away. The only way it will happen for you is if you are serious about the decision and find it in yourself to walk away from the cravings. It's well worth it after you've quit and a lot more money for other more important things. Hope the best for you, good luck, and don't give up.

I have never smoked - but have had friends go through what you are going thru - it is a hard habit to break. This is what worked for them -- one would get up and run around the block when the urge hit -- her lungs reminded her just why she was quitting - and she got in great shape! Another was never without chewing gum -- but use the kind with xylitol as a sweetener it is healthier, have something for your hands to do other than putting food or a cigarette in them - take good supplements - as your body may be craving missing nutrients which leads us to food to find them. Drink plenty of water - carry a bottle of water around - and take sips all day -- it keeps the stomache full and less in need of food. My dad said when he quit, he didn't realize how good everything smelled - and food was so enticing - because of the smells -- I don't know about other help aids out there -- but being conscious of it will help you. Good luck - what a great thing you are doing. Even nonsmokers can get in the snack - habit ---

A., kudos to you on your choice to add years to your life and to have your family enjoy you that much longer! Smoking truly is one of the hardest addictions to overcome, but it can be done. I've a few suggestions:

Keep lots of ziploc snack-size bags of washed fruits & veggies HANDY in the fridge. You'll be less tempted to grab high calorie, low nutrient foods when the cravings hit or when you're walking out the door.

Wear a rubber band on your wrist and snap HARD when a craving hits. This technique is a deterrent I learned from The Amer. Heart Assn. I suggest following it with a personal affirmation that you create for yourself, such as "I have the power and strength and knowledge to handle everything in my life. I am satisfied and free."

Drink lots of water. Ice cold w/ lemon is good for metabolism and taste. It keeps you full, helps clean out the body and aids with the oral fixation.

Go to the dentist and get your teeth cleaned. You're less apt to have an "OOPS" and get your beautiful, clean smile dirty again. Keep sugar-free gum on hand, as well.

Post on your bathroom mirror, fridge & pantry doors, and dashboard of your car TOP 10 REASONS I QUIT SMOKING! (keep all statments in the positive, not negative - e.g., I want to live a long, energetic life! -- NOT I don't want to get lung cancer.)

Lastly, as one other suggestion, you might consider, for weight and metabolism changes that occur with quitting smoking, the Shaklee Cinch weight loss program. It's not only great for weight loss, but phenomenal for regulating blood sugar levels, curbing cravings, kicking up the metabolism and providing energy. I gained 21 lbs. after quitting smoking, unfortunately, but have since lost 30 lbs successfully with the use of the Cinch program and adding exercise twice a week.

I hope these suggestions are helpful and I wish you long-term success A.! Feel free to contact me by reply or at ____@____.com if you want to know more about the Shaklee Cinch program. Good luck.

Drink a LOT of water...it will help fill you up...plus you casn munch on veggies through out the day and not worry about caloric intake...eat reasonable meals. make sure that you eat breakfast every morning. IT's the biggest mistake that a person trying to lose weight makes..my doctor told me that if you don' "break the fast" from over night your body goes into famine mode thinking there isn't enough food and starts storing as much fat as possible to tide it over... You don't want that so make sure you eat your breakfast!!!

fruits are good in moderation of course (high source of naural sugars). Try to keep meals balanced. I found a good quick breakfast that is filling and healthy is yogurt with a teaspoon or two of granola cereal and a few slices of apple or some other fruit. For lunch I usually go for something in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes and sprouts... and for dinner whatever I make for the family.

I hope this helps!!!

Good Luck!!

I highly reccomend Weight Watchers! You don't even have to go to meetings if you don't want to, you can do it all online. But I know the meetings help a lot of people and I am sure that there are some going through the same thing you are.

The great thing about weight Watchers is that you are never deprived. You really can eat what ever you want, you just have to stay within the guideline of your plan. It has really helped me learn to make healthy eating choices become a habit.

Also drinking plenty of water, and eating more fruits and veggies can help. Instead of sunflower seeds why not chew sugarless gum, or mints. There is also dried fruit mixes or even keep a toothpick in your mouth.

Hang in there, it will get easier and your doing a great thing for you and your family!!

hi there,

pleae read this, even though i was never a smoker....

some things about smokers are really right on. number one, when you want to smoke, you have to take a break from whatever you are doing (especially now since so many places do not allow smoking) then you take several deep breaths (through your cig) and all of this involves ritual (all the stuff you have to do to actually be smoking). so these are all good things. my husband was a smoker, and even though i was not, i could almost feel what he was feeling, the shakes, the anxiety building up so much he wanted to scream...but my theory is that if you could still do the break from what you are doing, take the deep breaths, and then replace one ritual with another (because a lot of it is muscle memory) you can do it. when you feel those cravings, find something to fill you up, food wise like the healthy stuff the person above wrtoe about, or something to take the time (go run up and down the street, seriously) just try anything. you are making such a huge step in your health! yoga is fantastic for this stuff, because it draws you into your body, and you move with how you feel. good stuff. hang in there!

I know you have heard this before.... but... keep carrot sticks, celery sticks, grapes and other healthy foods available... half of the problem when I stopped smoking was not having something in my hands... I had trouble when I got into the car, never realized how much I smoked in the car, so when I would get into the car and want to have a cig I would HOLD and slowly eat the large Pretzel Rods... it would take along time and I held it like a cig and one would generally last the entire time of a normal trip in the car... good luck... it has been 15 years since I quit...just keep telling yourself no... willpower is important..