Hungry?

[Ben]

Im trying to quit smoking by using the patch and shear determination. Ive noticed today that im extremely hungry. I cant wait till I can taste and smell again. One of my biggest smoking triggers is hunger. When I was hungry I used to light up and the hunger pangs would subside. I lost over fifty pounds when I started smoking. My body weight leveled out at 180 pounds and has been the same for the last 4 years. Im not worried about gaining a few pounds. It feals good to eat again. Does anyone know why cigarettes suppress a persons appettite or is it the whole hand to mouth habit that makes former smokers gain weight?

[Giulia]

1. My doctor told me that cigarettes do not change your metabolism in a significant way. Not enough to make you gain weight when you quit.

2. My husband stopped and gained not an ounce.

For me, I found that cigarettes did suppress my appetite. Probably due to the fact that it numbed my taste buds and dulled my sense of smell. And ingesting that amount of various poisons would, I might surmise, create a lack of appetite.

If you're not worried about gaining weight, I find it odd you would ask this particular question.

Food for me was a trigger. Not hunger, per se, but food. Any food. Eat a piece of toast, I'd want a cigarette, eat a carrot, ditto. I always wanted to smoke after I ate ANYTHING. It was like a dessert after every meal, that cigarette. No matter how small the meal. Almost the same response that smoking marijuana had in making us all have the munchies (way back when). Except with cigarettes the craving wasn't just after eating. It was first thing in the morning when I got up, with my several cups of coffee, after breakfast, half an hour later, half an hour after that, fifteen minutes later, outside when I took that break, driving in my car, before watching a movie, before going to a non-smoking friend's house....etc., etc.

I know. I'm going onto other subjects. Sorry. But no, I'm not. Because the title of your post "Hunger" isn't just for food. It's for cigarettes too.

Know that when you can taste and smell again, your enjoyment and probably desire for food will increase. Just like you manage your quit, you must then manage the consequences of it.

[Ben]

I asked the question because yesterday after work I was eating every thing in sight and was still hungry. I would have to agree that the poisons in the cigarette smoke probably is the cause of a persons appetite to go down. Before I quit smoking I was eating like a bird. As soon as I would wake up in the morning I would have a cigarette in my mouth even before I got out of bed. I found every excuse you can think of to smoke a cigarette. If I was awake I had a cigarette in my hand. I had all the classic triggers ie driving, stress, boredom, drinking, eating, work, watching tv, etc.
Today is my second day not smoking. I caught myself feeling my pockets this morning walking out the door for work making sure I had my cigarettes and lighter with me. Of course I came up empty handed. Through out the day today I caught myself pausing or reaching for a cigarette that I didnt have. Overall the Day went good. I had some cravings but didnt cheat myself out of breathing clean air. I havent been stuffing my face as much today either .

[Giulia]

Ya know - this is a learning process. For all of us. And it's an on-going learning process. I never stop learning about how to remain smoke free - even after three months shy of a three year quit. That's one of the reasons I stay connected to this support group. I was with a another support group that dwindled down to nothing before this. And if this one died tomorrow, I'd find another. Because I don't trust myself to do this on my own. I need constant reminders. Because I'm a cigarette addict. Not a nicotine addict, a cigarette addict. And all THAT implies. And all that implies - is - the psychological addiction to it. Nicotine addiction? Are you kidding me. That's not what this is about. It's about belief. And believing that it relieves stress, believing that it keeps us from gaining weight, believing we need it for whatever darn reason we believe it cures us of, stress, anger, believing it tastes good.... All lies. But all truths too. For in smoking and inhabiting that world for as long as we have, it HAS become true for us. Belief creates matter. Belief creates what IS for us. That is why, I think, it is so hard for some of us to relieve ourselves of this addiction. Because we have turned it into a belief system of sorts. That and the fact that it DOES create a "high." It does alter our brains. FACT. And that high feels good. And we, obviously, want it again and again and again. And when we don't get it, we feel deprived.

But then I go back to this thinking: before I started smoking, before I became addicted to it, before it altered my brain chemistry - I never wanted, nor needed, nor craved, nor felt denied, nor couldn't handle stress any better, nor was I a slave. I could take a break and not think about a cigarette, I could finish a meal and give a cigarette not a thought in the world. I could have an argument and didn't know a cigarette might make it feel better. I could be on the phone and not have a cigarette in my hand nor even contemplate the fact of such. I lived my life without the thought of smoking in it. Wow. And wasn't that a beautiful time. I was a child, and free. I didn't need to feel proud that I didn't smoke. I simply didn't WANT one. I had tried them when I was five, stole a pack from my mother and thought they tasted really BAD.

So what happened? Life happens. And we need to prove ourselves, or become like the "in crowd," or we need to experiment and try all there is to try. The trouble is, when you try this, when you've not gotten your "high" the first time, you try again. Because there must be SOMETHING you're missing, because everyone else is enjoying it. So, you try again. And each time you try again, it gets easier to inhale all those poisons. And every additional time you inhale those poisons, they finally get ya. Because they've literally altered your brain.

They got ME. For many, many years. Too many. But I'm one of the lucky ones. Thus far. I don't have a picture of myself as an avatar with oxygen tubes connected to my nose, as one brave lady I know put up for all to see. Because someone loved me enough to continuously badger me until I finally gave up and tried to quit - for him (wanting to KILL him every time he badgered me) - I am heading into a three year quit. This quit of mine is every fragile. Why? Because I know I could start again in a heartbeat. Why? Because the "idea" of smoking, the remembrance of the pleasure it gave me is every present. This is my truth. I tell it. Because I know there are others like me out there. And it may help. If this truth frightens a newbie, I'm sorry. If it helps an oldbie, like me, I'm glad.

I'm not out there in the world gloating about my quit. Not one of those who goes to a movie and thinks about how grateful I am to not be one of those who are huddled outside prior to the movie, smoking their last. That thought really doesn't occur to me any more. I wish I COULD smoke without consequences. I enjoyed it. I really did. That chemical concoction inhaled after dinner meals was really pleasant. It was not pleasant at the end of the day after smoking too many before bed, however. Dry mouth, unpleasant taste. Phlegm the morning after. But I did it anyway. Just like you did or do.

I'm grateful that I don't smoke any more. But I still want one. But I won't have one. Because I'm grateful I don't smoke any more. And if you understand that, you'll understand my particular quit.

[Chris Hollis]

I totally and completely relate to what you've said here. I quit for six freaking years and started again because I did ENJOY certain aspects of smoking. It obviously had nothing to do with the nicotine addiction at that point and everything to do with cigarette addiction.

Anyway, I'm determined to make smoking a thing of the past. I've not gotten involved with the site after signing up and that was a mistake!

Thanks for a great post.

[Giulia]

Then you stay plugged into us, Chris. There are so many people on here just waiting to help you beat this thing once again.

[Ben]

Great post!

[kitty g]

I can relate also to this. I don't know what it is about a cigarette that is soooo hard to break, either the nicotine or the cigarette itself, but i haven't smoked for over 8 wks, and still crave them. Really bad at times. I hate to admit this, but I smoked crack for 3 yrs, and I can honestly say that quitting cigarettes is alot harder than quitting crack. From day one i quit that, I never had another problem with it and it has been almost 4 yrs. Praying I am sure got me threw it. But cigarettes, not so easy. Eveyday I yell I want a frigging cigarette!1 but before i quit I was yelling " I wish I could frigging breathe!! I just keep telling myself everyday that there is nothing good about a cigarette. I don't miss the nasty ashtrays, the smell or the nasty nicotine in my hair or clothes. But i still crave them. i sure hope the urge goes away but I smoked for over 38 yrs so I'm sure it's going to take some time. But the key is never go back to it as with any drug

[Giulia]

Some people crave cigs longer than others. I was one of those who did. Have you read the Allen Carr book? That can help a lot with the mindset. You say you still crave them - which you may, but I'll bet you don't crave them as much as you did that first three days, or the first week. The cravings should lessen with time. And one of the first signs of that abatement is when you realize you're thinking about them, but not necessarily craving one. Because believe it or not, one can think about cigarettes without craving them. I still think about cigarettes now and then. Sometimes, rarely, I have a strong urge. Most of the time though my thought process goes something like: "gee, it'd be nice to have a cigarette right now." But it's like saying, "boy, I'd love a chocolate ice cream cone." The feeling behind it isn't IF I DON'T GET AN ICE CREAM NOW I'M GONNA LOSE IT! Which is how one initially feels with quitting cigarettes.

You keep on telling yourself the truth - which is that there IS nothing good about a cigarette. The "goodness," the "pleasure" of it is all in our minds. In reality at this point if you took a puff you'd feel dizzy as all get out. And you know it. Because cigarettes are full of poisons and they deprive our bodies of oxygen.

Don't quit. Eight weeks is really, really good. Stand strong.

[Taja]

I'm not sure what attempt number i'm on with quitting but this time i realise i am going to have not be aware of my health in all aspects, so i have alot of fruit on hand. Its scary because i'm not into fruit and i could put it away as if i love the stuff, last time i ate an obscene amount of goodies as compensation to what i really wanted. Now i i just want to be healthy so i go gonzo with sunflower seeds and i its scary to watch me with mints but i say soon i'll be able to relax when there is more time elapsed from the addiction. With all the attempts i've made i feel more secure ok wrong choice of words but more aware of what could be my pitfall back into it. for one i cannot just have one and i will find any excuse i don't care i will use it to explain why i need to hold onto this habit. Being aware i think is key and pushing through a fear of emotion is what i think will help me. I wish everyone great success on accomplishing all their goals not just this one.

[A.D.]

Giulia, that was interesting and powerful. You should put it in a blog.

[Diana]

I agree it could be bumped or whatever yu do... Great read.

[Joanne]

I have tried to quit many times and I have noticed that in my case, during those first few horrible days, if I do not smoke that cigarette after a meal, then i just do not feel full or satisfied, even during the times when I have been smoking there are days that eat a large meal and dont notice how uncomfortably over stuffed i feel until after i smoke. i think that feeling of hunger is one of the ways the cravings hit us, our bodies just cant tell the difference between cigarette hunger and food hunger...