Hi everyone,

I am finishing week three of Atkins and am moving into the ongoing weight loss phase.... I really would like to quit smoking after I hit one month on this plan. Has anyone quit smoking recently? What type of reaction did your body have? Any weight gain from it?

Good luck to you . I quit smoking over 3 years ago and it was the BEST decision I have ever made. I actually had NO withdrawals from it, not did I gain much weight.

Wow! You are really getting healthy! My DH quit smoking about 8 years ago and he feels soooo much better. He did gain some weight but he wasn't doing Atkins at that time. He has got it all off using Atkins though. Good luck to you with both the diet and quitting the ciggies.

If you decide to do it, email me or pm me and I will try to do it with you. I had quit two weeks before starting Atkins and stayed quit for three months before starting back.

My hubby is almost to the point of ordering me to quit...lol...not to mention it is affecting my workouts AND they cost WAY too much!

I started taking the Zyban last week (didn't take them over the weekend though) and so far haven't felt that "gotta quit" urge that I felt last time. Maybe a partner in quitting would help.

Anyway...give me a shout if you want a quit buddy.


L

I haven't had a smoke in a year and a half! I wish I had been doing Atkins at the time. I think I would have not gained so much weight. My advice is definitely quit but be prepared for the increased urges to eat. If it were me I would stay on induction for a few weeks into quitting. REMEMBER nicotine only takes 48 hours to get out of your system........the rest is psychological. Just keep telling yourself when the urge comes "I don't do that anymore" another good thing to do is make a list of WHY you want to quit......ie. to live long enough to see _______.etc. visit the list every time you want a smoke. Replace the smoking with another activity..i.e. exercise.

Good Luck..... I quit cold turkey after 30 plus years if I can do it anyone can....this I promise.

Yeah! So glad you're thinking of quitting - I quit just over 10 months ago, long before I started doing Atkins, and I admit it was the most difficult thing I have ever done but I KNEW it was time, and also the best thing I would ever do for myself. I gained quite a bit of weight but was not on any weight control regimen and was overweight to start with. Also was depressed and untreated at the time - major emotional problems to deal with. Probably picked a bad time to quit...but I did it! Knew I could lose weight - I've done it before and can do it again, but I had never quit smoking. I first used the gum and patch together lol they warn you about that - then got Zyban after going crazy but still not succumbing after the first 3 weeks - was on that for the 3 months - and I have not had a smoke since I threw my pack out at 7:20 p.m. on October 7, 2002! Found the gum most helpful after the initial withdrawal, because it satisfied the oral craving that the patch or Zyban didn't do for me - and I eventually switched to regular sugar-free gum. Good luck, you can do it, and even if weight creeps up a little, at least you have Atkins to follow so you'll feel healthier and you will lose it soon enough. A few pounds are less likely to kill you than those smokes...
Way to go and good luck!
AJ

Congrats on deciding to quit the death-sticks!!

I quit 5 years ago, before Atkins. I was a normal weight at the time. After a few months, I started to gradually eat more, partly b/c of the urge to put something in my mouth constantly, and partly b/c I had an absolutely hellish experience with perimenopause. SO, ... I put on a total of 30 lbs, then had to get it off-no easy trick until I found Atkins! Now I am once again a normal-size nonsmoker.

Just be aware that everyone is different-there is no one-size-fits-all to quitting smoking or to losing weight. Just find what works for you, and stick with it. I have a daughter who can only quit smoking cold turkey, for example. I quit on the patches and found it much easier for me. Same as weight loss and maintenance-different strokes for different folks. Best of luck to you!!

I quit on New Year's Eve. I used the Commit lozenges, and stuck to OWL. I did quit losing for MONTHS (I was guilty of a few "stress snacks")but I also did NOT gain my usual quit-smoking 30 lbs! Working in a smoke-filled bar, I was especially proud of myself!

I soooooooo need to quit smoking! I am really scared about gaining weight but I need to do it. The #1 reason is my son, Jared. He just turned 6 in July and I PROMISED him that I would quit smoking by the time he turns 7. Now, I know that's a year away but I don't really want to wait. Also, they are so expensive! It's unbelievable how much money I spend on those disgusting things. I have quit before but it has been a few years. I would rather quit while I'm trying to lose the weight- then wait until I get to the place I want to be and then mess it all up by quitting.
My boyfriend's parents smoke, my parents smoke everyone smokes! But I don't want to be a slave to cigarettes anymore.

Good low-carb thoughts to all!!

Tracy

Do it Gawdess...You'll never regret it ! But you will regret it later if you don't quit.

Decide what you'll do when you feel like you want a cig and everytime you get a craving do that. It will become a habit.

It's not going to be easy but you can do anything you WANT to do. I quit smoking about 7 yrs. ago when my daughter came to me crying saying "Mom I don't want you to die." That's what did it for me...Makes me teary eyed just thinking about her little face when she said that.

You go girl !! You can do it.

I quit smoking 1 1/2 yrs ago. After I decided that that is what I wanted to do it was easy! I smoked since I was 12 and had tried several times to quit, but just wasn't determined. I quit because of a dream I had the night before I was planning to quit smoking. I wasn't taking quiting seriously until happened. Just remember, You are better than that!! You are in control of your body and what you decide to put inside of it! This is your choice!!


Now if I could only have a dream about getting past induction!

Congrats on deciding to quit. I started 6 weeks ago (after smoking for 30 years). I'd tried countless times before and always ended up putting on a power of weight. This time I've had no urges to eat, am absolutely positive it's the Atkins diet & all the water flushing the nicotine out of my system. I used the 21mg nicotine patches for 2 weeks, 14mg for 2 weeks then 7mg for 2 weeks. They helped a whole heap. I've finally beat my addiction, but have gained another filthy habit - I NOW LOVE CHEWING MATCHSTICKS. Drives DH insane - LOL.
Best of luck
Pam

Gawdess - I quit smoking 18 October 2002. I will always remember the date. It's a tough road to travel, but when you are "mentally" ready, you will do it. I used the patch...after smoking 17 years (prior to that I quit for 5 years, and prior to that I had smoked for 15 years). It worked for me, in fact I didn't complete the last 2 weeks on the patch because they started to leave placement marks that didn't want to go away. I actually thought that since it wasn't so hard, if I ever went back to smoking, well, later on I could quit again cause the patch was available! But, I didn't (thought about it alot, but didn't) and I am doing okay. I still have a dream once in awhile of lighting up, but what are dreams for, right? I gained weight, yes. But, I told myself that I would quit, gain the weight, and then look to losing. One hurdle at a time, you see. What made me decide to lose weight now? The scales! Both my husband and I are doing lowcarb together, and that makes it good. We are entering into our second week tomorrow. Those who can diet successfully and quit smoking at the same time have my utmost respect...as for me, it was one bad habit at a time. As an ex-smoker now (I hope forever because - an addict is an addict forever) I don't put down other smokers and never will.....I think they have right also, and I firmly believe in separate smoking areas. I have had smokers who have blown me right out the front door with their smoke! People who smoke have lost some of their rights with this whole issue - BUT everyone of us who smoke, or have smoked know it's not healthy for us, and each of us have to work out our own paths toward what we really want to do....quit or not. Just take one day at a time, okay!

Thanks for all the great posts...I want to hit 185 and then I will quit...I want to get under 200 so badly and I want to be able to keep it that way...I think I will try the patch...hopefully I dont get too grumpy

Try the patch you can wear for 24 hours - its better than the 16 hour - especially if you are a heavy smoker. I can guarantee some weird dreams for awhile, but after awhile I didn't have them, and kinda missed them! hahaha. I am routing for you!