Struggling with giving up smoking vs SW

julie19

Silver Member
It is 3 weeks today since I packed in smoking & so far I have only gained 1.5 pounds (and I know why) but today I am seriously struggling with cravings, either for a cigarette or just FOOD! I know I can eat as much free food as I want but I feel like I haven't stopped eating today & I am still hungry, if I eat my lunch now I will have nothing left for later, I have managed to only have 2 syns so far today (a chocolate options), has anyone got any advice or help? It doesn't help that I am on my own in the office too and it is DEAD quiet so I know it is probably because I am bored & have time to dwell on it.
 
Well done on joining slimming world and giving up smoking!! After three weeks of not smoking you've definately cracked it and most cravings will be pyschological! If you're hungry go for it! Some days I can't believe how much (free food) I've eaten!! but if you're hungry gor for it!!! :eek:
 
Well done you!!! Can I ask how you gave up? I decided at the end of last year I would lose weight and give up smoking. I took up SW first so put the GUS until later n. I figured food would probably be my substitute so I would learn to eat better so when the time comes I will make better choices if you see what I mean?

Free food is free food! Just dig in! Better to have some healthy food than give into a fag, which will undo all your hard work so far!

Good luck!!!

(Maybe post over on the uit smoking board too if you haven't already?)
 
Well done Julie on giving up smoking, for me it was the hardest thing in the world and due to putting on weight i started again. I did stop for 2 years though and i should have been better prepared food wise when i stopped and perhaps i would still be a non smoker.

Eat your free foods as has already been suggested. I also drank a lot of free point soup (ww) like carrot and corriander that had chillis and cumin in and that gave me that peppery taste in my mouth that smoking gives me. Wish i had drunk more of it now though.

Also what helped me was getting my calculator, pen and paper out and working out how much money i was saving and how many holidays or weekends away i could get within a year from the money i had saved. This wasnt just from the cost of smoking though, it was loads of things like 100's of plug in air freshners and chewing gum and mints etc to hide the smell of the awful cigarette. I loved planning something nice ahead with the money i hadnt burnt away.

I hope to be joining you soon as soon as im at target for my weight. Im fed up of stinking :eek::eek::eek:

Good luck x x
 
Thanks everyone, I have just been to Tesco and bought loads more free foods to keep me going today, also bought some Mikado's as they are low syn & some quorn cocktail sausages as they are 1/2 syn each. I just have to get through today & I will be ok again probably!
 
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Well done you!!! Can I ask how you gave up? I decided at the end of last year I would lose weight and give up smoking. I took up SW first so put the GUS until later n. I figured food would probably be my substitute so I would learn to eat better so when the time comes I will make better choices if you see what I mean?

Free food is free food! Just dig in! Better to have some healthy food than give into a fag, which will undo all your hard work so far!

Good luck!!!

(Maybe post over on the uit smoking board too if you haven't already?)

I went to my local stop smoking clinic & they gave me the new patches which are a lot stronger & the niquitin mini lozenges, they are like tic tacs and while you have one in you cannot eat anyway (they are very minty), I have to say that this is my third go and so far so good, today is just a hard day but I figured that the eating was under control so I needed to get the smoking done & dusted, I have given myself a limit of putting on 7 pounds BUT it has to be gone within the year.
 
My DH is on day 4 fag free with the pills. I think it maybe a route I'll need to go down as I really don't smoke very much. I actually bought 20 on Saturday and still have 10 left... and that was with going out Saturday night so I smoked more than I normally would.

I can go for days at a time, it's just that some days I can't go without one!! Makes it very, very hard for me to quit because I can't use nicotine replacement therapy as it gives me more than I was having! Maybe I should visit the clinic and see what they say!

Well done though for getting so far, I keep telling my DH once he's done a day, he can do another one, it'll soon be a week, and once he's done one week he can do one more the weeks soon turn into months and years etc, etc....
 
My DH is on day 4 fag free with the pills. I think it maybe a route I'll need to go down as I really don't smoke very much. I actually bought 20 on Saturday and still have 10 left... and that was with going out Saturday night so I smoked more than I normally would.

I can go for days at a time, it's just that some days I can't go without one!! Makes it very, very hard for me to quit because I can't use nicotine replacement therapy as it gives me more than I was having! Maybe I should visit the clinic and see what they say!

Well done though for getting so far, I keep telling my DH once he's done a day, he can do another one, it'll soon be a week, and once he's done one week he can do one more the weeks soon turn into months and years etc, etc....

That is how I am trying to look at it, one day at a time, once that one is done the next one will be easier, my biggest problem is the mornings, if I can get up in the morning & not crave one too much then the day is ok but if (like this morning) my first waking thought is to reach for a cigarette then I know I am going to have a hard day. If you do go to your local group ask for these mini things, without these I reckon I would have caved by now
 
Hi, I sympathise with your pain. I visited Quitters last Friday with the intention of stopping on Monday (a work day). But, I had such bad PMT on Sunday, I thought it best to wait another week. I have been really worried about gaining, so this week, I am cutting down on everything in the hope of tempering my appetite. Probably foolish, but I am crossing my fingers.

Camille, I was given the choice of all the NRT and chose patches plus the inhalator. If you had the inhalator, you wouldn't have that slow realise of non-stop nicotine. You just gently suck the tube (with a capsule in that lasts for 20 mins), as and when you need it.
 
Hi, I sympathise with your pain. I visited Quitters last Friday with the intention of stopping on Monday (a work day). But, I had such bad PMT on Sunday, I thought it best to wait another week. I have been really worried about gaining, so this week, I am cutting down on everything in the hope of tempering my appetite. Probably foolish, but I am crossing my fingers.

Camille, I was given the choice of all the NRT and chose patches plus the inhalator. If you had the inhalator, you wouldn't have that slow realise of non-stop nicotine. You just gently suck the tube (with a capsule in that lasts for 20 mins), as and when you need it.

Good luck when you do stop. One thing I did change this time was I am treating it exactly the same as SW, in the past when I have tried if I caved and had a cigarette I would just go with the oh I have failed mentality & start smoking properly again, this time if one day I have one I treat it the same as if I had had a bad SW day and had too many syns, I write it off & the next day I go straight back to plan, so far it is working and I only 'failed' once right at the beginning, I refuse this time to beat myself up over having a weakness, I did the eating so I can do the smoking too!
 
well done i have got my quit pack and will be quitting this weekend so we can all do it together
 
My last day will be Monday. It would have been Sunday, but I have taken Monday off work for my daughters 4th birthday. I didn't think it would be fair to ruin her birthday with my short temper!! lol

I still need to attend Quitters again on Friday despite the fact that I won't have stopped. I find the Quitter lady a bit patronising, but I just smile patiently and nod lol.

Sugar free/low syn lollys or sweets might be in order.
 
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