I can only agree with all the other posters about reading Allen Carr. I had to read the second book he wrote (in the UK it was called "The only way to stop smoking permanently") before I managed it but I did so - and never looked back - in early December 2001.

I had been a smoker for the best part of 22 years (I gave up twice when pregnant and breast-feeding, but each time eventually returned to the evil weed). My kids are now 7 and 11 and I am so glad I did this for them and for me!

I put on weight, lost a lot doing low-fat, but lost muscle too. I put some back on again, because the low-fat thing was not sustainable as it was basically a starvation diet. After getting lots of colds in the winter after I did the very low-fat thing, I went to more "normal" eating, but put some of the weight back on. I have now managed to get most of that weight back off again through moderate low-carbing and do resistance training twice a week.

But I was so glad to be free of the smokes that I didn't mind putting on weight initially!!! It was only when I began to get serious pain in my feet when I got up in the morning (so painful I could barely stand) that I took action (and when I realized I'd gone up to a size 26..).

Low-carb is the best way to lose in my opinion. No stress, no hunger, more energy and less illness. There's absolutely no competition.

amanda