I have been on the induction phase for one week. I am currently a smoker, but really want to quit. I do have a couple of questions regarding smoking and Atkins.

1.) Cigarettes taste different to me now that I am on Atkins. Did anyone else experience this?

2.) Should I try to quit smoking now, or wait until after induction is over?

Thanks,
Chad

I quit 2 weeks ago. I am still in induction after 6 weeks.

Really, now is as good a time as any. Read some of the posts here. Many seem to indictate that quitting during a LC way of eating has been easier than they ever imagined.

Ok so you may see a slowdown in weightloss or you may see the loss continue. Who knows. Just keep doing everything right and I doubt you'll see a gain. I have lost 1 lb in the past 2 weeks.

Now you mention it, I also noticed a change in the flavor or cigarettes during induction. Not for the better either. A strange flavor.

I am so glad I have quit. I don't regret it for a minute and going cold turkey was really very simple this time. Very few cravings.

I'm also looking foreward to my insulin sensitivity being restored in the coming weeks. Read down the list a bit and see the links I posted regarding smokers having a higher insulin resistance than non smokers. That means we actually lose weight more slowly.

Thanks for the reply. I have to agree with what you said. I don't see any point in waiting to quit. I'm sick and tired of being a slave to cigarettes.

Thanks again.

I've quit for almost 6 weeks. One of the most helpful things for me was getting this book: Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. You can get it at Barnes & Noble or you can order it from Allen Carr Barnes & Noble.

I went to the Barnes & Noble and Amazon.co.UK(Carr) sites anyways to read reviews on the book before I got it. I'm skeptical by nature but both sites had a fair number of good reviews... like over 100 on B&N and over 200 on Amazon. he's an English Author, which is why most the reviews are on Amazon UK

i started a thread about Allen Carrs

The mans a genius!

Today is day 10 for me and the quitting has been relatively easy (touch wood)

......but I've put on about 2 kilos/4 pounds.....I'm not eating differently or more. I kind of understand the insulin resistance, but can you explain if smoking causes this, so my weight loss is slow....which it is....then why would stopping make me put on weight, why doesn't it just continue as is until the few weeks pass and the resistance is lower?

Does that make sense?

Frances

From what I have read (I began a thread down a ways that has a lot of smoking/insulin resistance links in it...I'll bump it to the top), smokers are more insulin resistant than the general healthy population. Now ordinarily that would make us resistant also to losing weight. However the stimulating effect of nicotine also keeps our metabolisms revved a bit.

Quit smoking and the metabolism slows immediately but the insulin resistance persists for a few weeks and gradually improves.

Just a note though: it the nicotine that also causes insulin resistance. So if you quit using the patch or gum you will remain insulin resistant until you quit those. So thoretically, patch and gum users should be more vulnerable to weight gain that cold turkiers if all other factors remain equal.

I had quit smoking on 2/9/04 and I was cig. free for 14 days, until a run in with the ex love of my life, who is now married. Blah, Blah, Blah!! Anyhow, I started again after that and I haven't really been able to kick the habit completely. I've been trying again the last two days, but the cravings are awful and I had a patch on yesterday along with Zyban. My concern is that I've lost 7lbs doing Atkins and when I quit smoking before I gained almost 10, but I wasn't doing any "diet". So from reading the posts, I can almost guarantee weight gain even though I'm doing Atkins??? Is that correct or incorrect?? I'm just want to prepare myself for the just in case.

It sounds like that's what happens to us when we stop smoking..........this terrifies me, but if I can be guaranteed that it's short term and then things will noticably improve I can just about live with it.....

toning_up......thanks for your explanation, that does make sense and with today being day 12.......I'm on the countdown to losing weight in about 6 weeks.....seems like forever......

I'd like to hear some positive stories of weight loss after stopping smoking....

Frances

Same with me. I'm terrified that if I quit again, I'm gonna gain all this weight I've lost back. Which, I know, the health risks with smoking far outweigh the risks with weight gain, but geez, when you've been battling for something for so long and your finally conquering, you don't want to put anything in your way that will change the outcome. If that makes any sense. I know I need to quit, and I did quit for 14 days, but I gained 10lbs. I wasn't on Atkins than, but I'm still afraid that if I quit again now, I'm gonna gain and I don't want that.

Saying this sounds stupid, but my mind set is on losing weight. I just don't know how to incorporate both in my life. Any suggestions???