Hi I just signed up today after reading some of the questions in this forum for the last week. I too will be starting Dr.Atkins diet on Monday. A little (alot) scared because I have quit smoking, this is my 4th week now. I have been taking zyban and it has helped. One thing I have done is when I would have a craving I would take a sucker and go outside. Just like I was smoking. The hand and mouth motion seemed to help. One thing I'm worried about starting this diet on Monday. Is that you can't have any sugar. Does any one have any suggestion on what I could be doing instead of grabbing a sucker? Sure drink some water but any thing else.

Congratulations on quitting smoking!

How about a cinnamon stick or a stalk of celery?

Karen

Thanks for the ideas but I'm not really big on celery but I'll try the cinnamon sticks. Got any other ideas? Any one?

I just wanted to pop in and say hello and welcome! I quit smoking 4 months ago. There is a ton of support here, so you have come to the right place! I hope all goes well for you.

I can't answer your question, because when I quit, I made a conscious effort to not replace it with anything else. I just wanted to make a clean break. I like the cinnamon stick idea. I have recently started taking a cup of coffee outside, just because I have realised that I don't take coffee breaks at work anymore. Why would I? I don't need a smoke! So that's what I do now. I don't know if you plan on going off coffee as part of the new way of eating or not. I opted to keep my coffee, but that's a decision that you will make for yourself.


Anyway, take care and if we can help, just holler!!

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking and start Atkins. I am a 6 week quiter myself and what has helped me is coffee stirrers. I chewed on those things for weeks, no calories, no carbs. Try it and see. And good luck to you, you can do it. We are all here to help

I'll have to try those coffee stirrers. I know when you have a drink with straws I tend to chew those. Thanks.
Good for you Dizzyd on your 4 months quitting smoking . I know Dizzyd I shouldnt have started on the suckers. But I did try last year to quit and that didn't go well. I think it's all has to do with the hand and motion. Thanks again all you internet buds.

I think that is great that you all quit smoking. i will be starting that struggle soon, but have been doing atkins for the past three months, and am afraid to gain the wieght back if I quit. Any suggestions????

Welcome, I just started this forum a few weeks my self. This is a great place for support. On Monday (July 8) will be my 8th week as a non smoker. Sure there is times I miss it. I changed my routine. If I'm craving a smoke I'll sometimes take a stick of gum(I know some gum can be 1 grams of carb .) Some time just taking a drink of water or going for a walk. Every one is different.
I'll tell you what I do I take a deep breath like first taking a drag of a cig. (in hale xhale) Then a piece of gum goes straight to my mouth. Before going on Dr. Atkins diet I used to have a sucker and go outsite (I didnt allow smoking in the house.) I think it was the hand and mouth motion. IT HELPED. Even when the phoned rang I would take the cordless and a sucker and head outside. It's all a habit. So you need to change those routine. I always find first thing in the morning is tough.( Thats when I really enjoyed my smokes.) So now I go to the computer read my mail. I forget about having that morning cig.
I'm also on Zyban. That REALLY helped too. Maybe think about that also. Just go the your doctor and ask about Zyban.
I hope these ideas helped you on trying to quit smoking.

These are great ideas. I will be trying soon
Does the Zyban not effect the Atkins program, due to it being an anti depressant? I tried the generic brand, Wellbutrin when I first started Atkins and cound not reach my ketosis, so I thought the rx had something to do with it, as soon as I stopped, within a week I hit ketosis. Any thoughts on that??

Hi, I just started Dr. Atkins diet and tomorrow will be two week. I have lost 6 lbs in those two weeks. I throught I would try the Dr. Atkins even when I'm on the Zyban. I only have 2 1/2 more weeks of zyban and then I'm on my own. Maybe I will lost more weight I feel I didnt lose that much weight in those 2 weeks.
I have a few friends that have said I looked like I have lose a lot more then 6 lbs. Maybe it's inches I have lost?
I have been using those ketostix and just did it now and it was purple. Not the darkest purple, the one below it. So I guess I am losting fat.
If you decide to go on Zyban take it 8 hours a part. One in the morning and one at supper. Take it with food. Last year when I was taking it. After 3 weeks I had to quit. I was feeling sick to my stomach. This time I told the druggest and she told be some medication should be taken with food and to take it aleast eight hours apart. This time I never felt sick to my stomach.
So what ever you do, take one day at a time. Remember smoking is NO GOOD and the PRICE.

Thanks for the advice.... I think I will try the Zyban again. I have lost 30 pounds in four months, but I am still not there yet, so I am leary on trying to quit smoking yet.
I will get ready soon, thanks... gotta go.

Hi Congrad... for losing 30 lbs.
You REALLY need to have your mind set to quit. Other wise I believe you may not successed.
For my self I had to quit so it was a little easier.
I had tried quiting many times on my own, without any aid. I believe Zyban really works wonders. I know many people who use Zyban and it worked for them.
So when the time comes have that willpower, you can do it.
P.S . It also helps when there is no one else in your home smokes. If there is get them to quit at the same time as you.
Good luck.

Congrats to everyone for quitting smoking, or even thinking about it!

I quit on May 26! Yipee! Hubby had quit a week earlier. I am now in my 4th week of Atkins. Three weeks after quitting, I had gained 5 pounds! Yikes!

Somehow, I was able to quit cold turkey. The funniest thing has kept me smoke free...I like the way that I smell now! I put on my perfume every morning! It's nice to be able to hug people and not be embarrassed about smelling like an ashtray!

So anyway, having the will power to quit smoking has given me the strength to stay on Atkins!

Good Luck everyone! You can do it!

Congrads on doing both. I am also on Atkins it only been 4 weeks. I too tend to go up and down on the scale. I'm in my 9th week of quiting smoking and I have notice I smell things that I had never seem to smell. I mean my sense of smell have gotten stronger. Now I also really notice how people smell after they had a cig. Yike (did I smell like that?)
Good luck to you all.
Remember take it one day at a time. We can do it.

Congratulations on those great quits! I quit July 12, 2001. I just celebrated one whole year quit, and does that feel good! I had never been able to quit before in all my 49 years, and I started smoking when I was only 12.

When I first quit, I put on 20 pounds. That eventually came off, but I was already heavy when I stopped smoking. I admire your ability to quit smoking AND diet. I could never have done it. I ate so many Tootsie pops I should have bought stock in the company But I still think that it should be easier to lose these 50 or so pounds than it was to quit smoking, so I am finally ready to tackle that.

There was a fantastic website that I used for support when I quit that helped tremendously. I still drop by! It is called http://quitnet.com, and it is very similar to this site.