A friend of mine recently told my fiance this after he mentioned something about wanting to quit.  He made a comment about not wanting to quit because he would inevitably eat more, and her response was, that it would happen even if he were to not eat at all, that it's the only negative to quitting.  Is this true?
138178
Quiting smoking will not make you gain weight by itself.  Weight gain is a direct result of calories consumed, and calories expended during exercise, daily activity, etc.\n\nQuiting may make you feel like you need to do something with your hands- thats partly why people start eating more after quiting. If you begin to feel like this, you should have some gum, go for a walk, or find something constructive to take your mind off of smoking.\n\nSo if you're thinking about quiting... Go ahead and do it without worrying about gaining weight- you'll feel better in the long run.\n\nGood Luck
193140
I smoked for 6 years. I quit because I got pregnant and I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't got pregnant. I used my smoking a crutch (a big one!) whenever I got uncomfortable in a stituation I would have a ciggarette. I have a fear of talking to people because I think that I will say something stupid or I won't say the right thing and no one will like me. I smoked because if you have a ciggarette in your mouth then you can't talk lol. Also, I did all sorts of drugs for like 6 years and smoked constantly...I quit drugs and still smoked ciggarettes I guess because I couldn't have anything else fun lol. My dad has smoked for about 28 years! Please quit you won't regret it I promise...I never realised how bad I stunk from smoking untill I quit. You'll have more energy andyou will feel healthier after you get through the coughing stage. You can do it!
260629
Sometimes people do have lives that are not great and they turn to food for comfort.  Food like drugs can be an addiction to many people.  Food/drugs don't yell at you, don't call you names, don't put you down, don't hate you, don't beat you, etc....Yes, people who are overweight do know that in time being overweight will give them a heart-attack, stroke, high blood pressure, puts strain on your bones, make you have diabetes.  But, you also have to realize that in some homes the whole family is overweight and everyone eats the wrong stuff.  Smoking will eventually kill you, give you emphysema, had terrible smoker's cough, jaw cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, etc....But, there are people who are thin and eat bad food and smoke and then go to the gym, they are still harming their bodies as well.  It's not always easy to shut off that I want to eat button or smoke button or do drugs button, some people don't have that switch even though they know it will kill them sooner or later.
101810
You don't HAVE to gain, but it's common to put on about 10 pounds.  It's not because you quit that you gain, it's usually because you feel the need to have something in your mouth!  Try having a lot of low-cal snacks around, like carrot sticks and celery.  You'll be fine.  Congratulations for quitting!
14295
Some of us have that problem of gaining weight, and others have trouble loosing. It certianly has little to do with how much you eat, though a doc friend has told me the amount of times I eat and what times I eat. Finaly I have gained weight, my wife too.
568317
Eating sweets, over eating, or eating because we believe it makes us do things better is an emotional problem which is normally called emotional eating.  As you continue this or believe that it makes you better, you will be no different from anyone addicted to substances, etc, smoking, drinking, etc.  You will become dependent on it to "make my mind work faster" and the amount will increase over time.  One problem, it has consequences..........weight gain.\n\nWatching T.V. and eating sweets is comforting in your living room or bedroom or where ever it is feeling good to you at the time, so you have now learned that those two items go together whenever you turn the T.V. on.\n\nIt will take time to unlearn this process.  Substitute the sweets with something else like bouncing a small ball in your hand.  You will learn how addicted you are when you find this task difficult.\n\nGood Luck.
390412
There is a saying, and it goes like this: Anything in excess is harmful. \n\nToo much of a good thing becomes bad. Too much food, medicine,  water and even too much oxygen is harmful. My advise is take things in moderation, including workouts. Living healthy and fit is good as long as it is pursued in moderation, not excessively or obsessively.
346426
You sound just like my older sister, shes addicted to chocs.... too much really isn't any good, think of your health i always say the same to my sister, im sure one of these days she will be diabetic.for the ammount she also eats.  Try to cut down, so that you will stop. this may sound hard to you, but its the same for ciggies, i was a heavy smoker for years. i  had health problems. I'm now a non smoker. nothing comes easy you need the willpower...
211210
I think everybody's body is different. Some people who drink, smoke and never exercise live to be 100. Other people who are very health conscious drop dead at 45 from a pulmonary embolism. It certainly can't hurt to eat healthy though. Most people's body's can't handle the abuse of trans fats and tobacco for very long before they start having health problems. People like your grandfather are few and far between.\n\nIn answer to your question about whether or not I hate the self-righeous bastards who preach about eating healthy, yes I do. I can barely get the food in my mouth before my fiance is telling me how bad it is for me. I do try to live a healthy lifestyle, but every once in a while you want to eat a ton of fried food or ice cream or whatever it is you're craving. It's not gonna kill you. It's not something you can do every day, but people are just way too uptight about it.
274664
don't introduce crap into your body. just keep walking, maybe even putting some running in there too. watch your eating, your body will adjust soon, don't worry. In the end, after walking and running and quitting smoking...you will end up 1) being a non smoker 2) being the weight you want and 3) being in shape. It won't happen overnight though! Keep at it, and good luck!
644456
You can exercise all you want but if you eat twice as much such that you take a step forward to lose weight(exersice) but take two steps backward(eating too much) then you are in for a rude shock.Geeeee! I believe something like that is happening to him.
394067
This is not a stupid question at all, and you are definitely not alone. Restrictive dieting can often lead to periods of binge eating, its a psychological response to storing food to prepare for the next "famine" as such. Im told this reaction was a survival technique that helped humans evolve but now we dont need to stock up by binge eating and these habits end up just making us overweight and unhappy. Im speaking with experience since I am being treated for bulimia, dont have the answer yet but Im getting there I think. I would suggest that if its worrying you to go and have a chat with your doctor. There is an Aussie written book that you might like, its about letting go off the idea of dieting....heres the link.\nBest of luck\n\nhttp://www.ifnotdieting.com.au/cpa/htm/htm_store_product_view.asp?id=11
217314
I too am trying to quit smoking.  I was smoking full flavor 100's and smoking about 1 1/2 packs a day.  I have lowered to lights shorts and smoking now only about a 1/2 pack a day.  My suggestion would be not to grab a cig as soon as you get up in the morning and everytime you eat.  Try not to pick one up just because your bored or think you need one.  Wait until you just can't take it any more and you HAVE to have one.  Pay attention to how often you smoke.  If you just had a cigarette 30 minutes ago, make yourself wait another 30 minutes.  Also, set a goal that by a certain day you will be a non-smoker.  And write down the reasons that you want to quit.  Post the goals and reasons on the fridge or somewhere that will remind you constantly why you are doing it.  Good luck sweety!  You can do it!
207877
Yes. i find that it is so hard to resist food, but if we each give each other moral support, it just might work! May i ask what diet you are on? or what you recomend? You may e-mail me at gavin_small2003@yahoo.com if you wish, its,up to you. Best wishes in keeping the self control(i'm trying to drink lots of water.
473536
The following are the excerpts from the site shown as source.  This may help you.\n\nTechniques for Working on Eating Problems:\n\nYou may have been put on diets or diet pills, forced to eat when you weren't hungry, weighed and lectured by well meaning (or not so well meaning?) doctors or relatives, or felt otherwise disrespected and intruded upon. I will not be weighing you or telling you what or what not to eat. This may feel like a relief, or you may not like that. Some people become dependent on others to tell them what to eat. I will simply be encouraging you to sense your hunger and satiation points, and to notice when you can follow them as guides, and when it seems too difficult. \nUltimately, you will learn to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. But in the meantime, when you cannot always do this, we will use the symptoms to point us to the triggers and issues in your life that you have been using bingeing, and/or dieting to solve.\nVR
142285
Have another serious talk with her saying "Hey I notice you havent been eating much, is everything ok??"  Don't accuse her of neccessarily having anerexia, as that woould put her on the defense...  Now you're coming across as a good concerned friend...  Maybe it has nothing to do with being aneroxic at all, maybe its a sign of depression...  Did she just recently lose someone close to her??  Or maybe a bad breakup??  Or heck maybe she just hasn't been feeling well the last few days...  See what she says...  If it's only been a few days or so since this pattern started and it's pretty sudden, it could be one of the above, just be there for her for the next few days till she slowly gains back her appetite...  IF however this has been an ongoing issue, whether or not she admits it (she'll probably be in denial even with herself) I would then say "well, you might say it's no big deal, but I am truly concerned for you..  I have noticed that all you ate today was a tic-tac and an apple, or whatever, and then tell her this is not healthy...  Mention again what you said about the running and healthy foods, which should be part of any healthy lifestlye, even if your not on a "diet", tell her you want her to help yourelf, but she's gotta do it when she's ready, and in the meanwhile if she ever needs anything to call you day or night to talk (even if it has nothing to do with food, like i said earlier there could be an underlying emotion helping cause this, the best thing you can do is just be there as a friend)...  From there back off for a few days or so, unless you see herself in an immediate life threatning situation, such as she's talking about suicide and stuff...  See if she takes your advice and starts to get help oh her own...  If she doesn't look like she's going to take responsibility for her own actions and seek help on her own, then you might have to...  Maybe go to her again and say "You know I noticed this situation hasn't getting any better (and possibly even worse) You leave me no choice but to go to the authority (whether it be a councelor, school nurse, trusted teacher) myself, that's my duty as a friend...  If you'd like we can go together to talk to them, and I'll be there every step of the way with you, but if you don't come with me, I'm still going to tell them..." She might be mad at you, but in time will thank youo....  Aneroxia is a very seriouos conditioon and needs to be adressed, don't let the possibility of having a friend mad at you, stop you..  I'd rather have a mad friend than no friend, and aneroxia is indeed fatal in the long-term...  Thing is it's one of those slow deaths where your body will just weaken to nothing, but your not going to die from starving yourself one day, many people fast for religious purposes, etc. for a 24-hour period...  Your body has enough fat and nutrients stored that you can survive, but over time, it WILL kill...  PLease talk to her today, don't procastinate...  Good luck to both of you
303037
I've heard various things, like wait 10 minutes or go for a walk.  I'd say wait the 10 minutes and if you still have the craving, go ahead and have whatever it is but try and make it a small portion.  I don't think there's any real way to stop a craving - but I have also heard that after a couple weeks of not eating something (sugar, butter - whatever), you won't want it any more.  I've never been able to hold out long enough to test that theory!