Stopping smoking when you're on a diet

[CaraCee]

Hi all! I'm planning on giving up smoking soon but am really worried about my weight ballooning up! My friend gained 10lbs in her first two weeks so she started smoking again!! I don't want this to happen to me. I want to give up but I don't want the weight I've lost to creep back up... Does anyone have any tips? X Cara

[gingernut49]

I gave up smoking four and a half years ago by sucking lozenges (Nicotinell). You park one in your cheek and it lasts for ages, around 45 minutes I found, and you honestly don't have any desire to smoke, and of course you're not going to eat whilst sucking a lozenge! I'd tried many times before to give up and patches brought me out in a rash, cold turkey didn't work, and there were no e-cigarettes four years ago and I think they're just cheating anyway.

The lozenges definitely worked and I've been smoke free - and better off - since then!

[CaraCee in reply to gingernut49]

Hi Gingernut49 thanks very much. Did you try the inhaler? I feel like I need something to do with my hands. I'm worried they might taste a bit nasty. And to be honest it's all so expensive that I don't want to waste money.

[gingernut49 in reply to CaraCee]

There were no inhalers when I was giving up over four years ago. The lozenges are just mints so they're not nasty at all. If you need something to do with your hands - knitting or twiddle a pen? I honestly didn't find it any problem at all with the lozenges and they stopped me eating as well.

[Happyone]

I feel for you..I gave up smoking while on a diet about 18months ago using patches which I found the best way for me. At first I didn't put on any weight, in fact I was still losing but I then had a slow gain of around 6Ibs. Speaking to dr who advised that a little weight gain is normal (about 7Ib), My advice is, it will be hard and you may put on a little (unless your one of the lucky ones), but think of the health benefits. It will all be worth it in the end. Good luck x

[CaraCee in reply to Happyone]

Thanks Happyone! As you say - this is about the long term not just the short term. The benefits overall will be worth it even if I do gain a few pounds. x

[Hidden]

Hi CaraCee,

Generally I'd suggest dealing with the smoking habit first and then dealing with your eating and exercise/activity habits after the first change has settled down a bit.

However, a good read around the NHS live well lose weight pages will give you some ideas and, perhaps, you could start making some sensible "food swaps" in advance of perhaps going the whole hog at a future date?

They're similar processes in some respects and both sets of habits are complexly interlinked with many aspects of how we perceive ourselves, our 'social' context and both involve a certain amount of having been had over by people who have made good money out of our 'bad' unhealthy habits.

Good luck with your weight loss efforts.

[Windswept1]

I gave up smoking 20 + years ago and went 'cold turkey' put on weight and only last year got around to losing it. good idea to swap food stuffs around now but perhaps also increase exercise, as that will help keep the weight off and give you something to do when you might want to smoke. Good luck. Soooo pleased I quit the cigarettes and even more pleased I have lost weight and doing c25k.