I am starting Atkins at the beginning of the week... one day. I also desperately want to quit smoking. I have started back at the gym (2 weeks and feeling great) and smoking is starting to interfere with my workouts (smoking after cardio excercise is like dragging a knife through your lungs). I don't know whether it would be better to get through all the withdrawls at once or whether too much at once will sabotage me. Does anyone have any suggestions?


Heather

Hi there!

I guess it really depends on how addicted you are. Heavier smokers may have more severe withdrawal symptoms. Many people tend to gain weight when they quit, but that may be due in part to substituting food for cigarettes. One tip: make sure you have quick and easy LC snack foods on hand for those moments of weakness.

I'm not sure how hard it will be for you, but the sooner you quit the better!

Good luck, and have faith in yourself!!

KC

Well, Banshee....I'm glad to see I'm not the only one out there doing it all at once!!!! This is my 2nd week since my D Day of quitting. The first week, I have to admit....with doing Atkins...the kids.....and every little thing....it was hard. In fact I didn't do so well. I smoked 6 that first day *which was great compared to the 2 packs a day I was smoking*.....4 the 2nd and 3rd day....and then 1 a day for the next 4 days. Now, I can honestly say it's been a week and I have been smoke free! And along with the new WOE, I am confident that I won't gain the weight that many say you do after quitting. I feel great! I can breathe better! And I can really taste my food and savor the flavor! And thanks to Atkins I have a lot of good food I can still eat! Granted there are some things that I have to ask for forgiveness for because I sometimes still covet them! BUT! It's getting better and better all along!

I confess that I'm not doing it on pure will power alone though. I have been on Wellbutrim (which is the same as Zyban) and using the patches and the nic gum when I absolutely have to. BUT! I give all of the credit and glory to God because during those weak moments....I call out to Him and He gives me that added strength that I need!

Now, If I can start an exercise program like you, I'll be doing even better! I just want to encourage you to keep on keeping on! Don't give up and know that there is another one out there going through this with you.....not just going through it.....but praying for you as well!

I hope to hear a wonderful praise report soon!

Banshee, just checking to see how you are doing! You are in my prayers!

Thank you for checking in on me. I am not doing as well on the quitting smoking as I would like. I am down to five cigs a day but I can't seem to get over the final hump. The biggest problem (or excuse depending on how you look at it) is my husband. He smokes and isn't quite ready to quit yet. He just started a new job and doesn't want to turn mean during his first few weeks of the job. Hopefully he will be ready to stop in two weeks. I would like to try the patch but can't afford it for another two weeks.

Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. How are you doing?

H

Bansshee, I'm doing fine here, although I have had some major testings the last week where I wanted to just sit and smoke a whole pack!!! I know exactly what you mean when you said your husband smokes. You are right.....that is another hurdle altogether! I just thank God that my husband is trying to quit alongside me this time. I'm not smoking at all, but he has been smoking an average of 5 cigarettes a day. Saturday he said he had smoked the last one in his pack and was not buying another.

Just a word of encouragement....the word of God says in Exodus 23:30 By little and little i will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. As long as you are trying is all that matters! It didn't take overnight for the addiction to come so it won't take overnight for it to be OVERcome! Just take one day at a time, one moment at a time, and when you find you don't have the strength, then ask the Lord to give you His strength!!! Just keep confessing that you ARE quitting! In Revelations 12:11 it says that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

Until next time....Be blessed!

Im having a hard time getting answers about this..

other than the obvious health hazards of smoking, how does it affect LC dieting? or does it at all? Any reply or pointers in where to get info would be much appreciated, thanks!

Congrats with heading in the non-smoking direction! had been maintaining my weight with the Atkins WOL for 7 months when I decided to achieve my next goal of quitting smoking. On June 21 it will be my 3 month anniversary!! I was on the patch for 9 weeks and it sure helped with the cravings and breaking the habit. After 9 weeks I was ready to be off the patch and have done well ever since. As for weight gain and what U should do about it. Of course this is just my opinion, but the 1st couple weeks after U quit smoking I wouldntchang whole lot about your exercise routine or your way of eating. Your body is going thru enough stress. Once U become established as a non-smoker then U will need to make some changes in order to speed up your metabolism. That is a big culprit of weight gain after stopping smoking...metabolism. My scale says I am up 8 pounds in the 3 months however because I have been doing resistance training for about 2 months now,some of that could be muscle. Also and more importantly my clothes arent much tighter and that is a better indicator. If U r quitting smoking then YYYEAAAAAAHH! That is so important. Then add in dietary changes and more intensive exercise. Hope my opinion helps.

I quit smoking and started Atkins about the same time. I did not gain any weight from quitting smoking. I believe that it has slowed my weight loss, but it has not stopped it.

You can exercise a lot more because you feel so much better. Also, I think low carb really helps withdrawel symptoms.

One thing I did (which works great with low carb) is to carry a water bottle everywhere -- I told everyone that it was my new 'cigarette'. Every time I had the urge to smoke, I took a sip of water. After a while, I associated the urge to smoke with 'I'm thirsty' instead. Sounds crazy, but it really did work!

I have the same concern as moses, but I think gwilson has answered it pretty well. Atkins diet worked for gwilson even whilst smoking, and although he/she says smoking still posed problems after that, it was certainly possible, and he/she feels good about it.

Furthermore, in the introductory blurb of Atkins, it says it can help with tobacco addiction - however, there's absolutely nothing in the induction diet rules about smoking, and apparently that's supposed to be the most strict part of it, unless I'm greatly mistaken. By contrast, it does specifically mention caffeine, which it says can mess up the induction.

So, on the strength of that, I think that I'm going to do it by making sure I'm happy with a successful Atkins induction before I try to control or quit smoking. But I plan to give up coffee completely before I start Atkins.