WLS and Quiting Smoking dont go together...

Hope everyone is doing better than I am now..

I am about 2 1/2 week on Chantix.(helps the no smoking).  Well the no smoking is going well dont care to have them, but on the down side i want to eat all the time.  I know that i am not hungry, and I am just replacing one bad habbit with another. I know this is the head hunger talking to me bud dam its so hard right now.  I was up to about 2 1/2 packs a day.  I have tried drinking the water and waiting the 30 min like my Dr has said to, but its not working.  

Any ideas will be great.

Thank you

Scott

Good luck with that one....  I don't smoke but am trying to get my hubby to stop.  I remember that my Dad had to quit and he started chewing gum.  He had his RNY done six months before I did but he's also 10 years post-op and back to smoking again. 

Good luck!

Scott, I found that I chewed a lot of sugarless gum to cut the cravings and also to keep my mouth busy.  Using the Chantix is a great way to quit smoking and it shouldn't be too much longer until you can kick the smokes & Chantix for good.  Just keep in mind that smoking and WLS do not go together well.  You could be in for a very bad time if you develop an ulcer in your pouch from smoking.  You might also chop up some carrots and apples and when you get your head hunger, pop a piece and crunch away.  This is very low calorie and good for you too and will probably help in the need to have something in the mouth.  I developed a habit of putting a pen in my mouth right after I quit.  It did help with the hand to mouth but after putting the wrong end in one time, I cured myself of that.  Good luck and keep on quitting.

Hi Scott -

I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet but I have heard about you from the WL west siders.  :)  I am a tempe/mesa gal myself.

I am preop so helping with the WLS surgery side of it I can't help with but I did Chantix back in February 2008 to quit a 30 year habit of smoking.  I took Chantrix for one month and after I saw the cost of it I made the decision I would only do one month of it.  that stuff is expensive.  I had really bad side effects from it though, felt like crap all the time and the nightmares were so graphic and violent, that was enough for me. 

I found chewing gum helped with not eating.  I also found chewing on a straw, pen, toothpick or something helped with the oral fixation.  I also learned several years ago while trying weigh****chers and it does work if you have the disicpline and are able and I did it for quit smoking too.  After you are done eating what you are able to eat, brush your teeth.  When quitting smoking I brushed my teeth a lot!  I used to smoke Menthol and they were NASTY if I smoked after brushing my teeth so that helped me a lot.

Be careful as I think we all know when you end one habit or addiction you tend to pick up another and you have come to far to let bad food choices be your habit. 

Best of luck to you :)

Nice to meet you.. 

I have not had issues witht he chantix.  I know i have to becarefull with the bad habbits. I am trying so hard not to put a camel light back in my mouth.  I have been doing this for the last twenty five years and its time to stop.. Just want the mind games to stop.. I guess i need to buy some gum..

Have you got a date for the surgery yet?  What part of mesa/tempe are you in?

Scott

The gum I hope will help you.  I found I just had to keep my hands busy as well. 

There were several times I would reach for my purse to get cigs and then remembered I don't smoke anymore.  The old habit thing LOL

No I do not have a date for surgery yet.  I am sending my insurance appeal in today, I was denied the first submittal because I did not have documented exercise.  So I had to do the three month multi-disicplanary Aetna crap.

I am south of the I60 by the Tempe Lakes subdivision area. 

Hey there Scott,
How's the new job?

It sounds like you are hitting hte 6 month wall that many post-ops experience.  Many comprehensive Bariatric programs start their graduate type classes at 6 months post-op since that's the time the insides are completely healed, most foods have returned to the menu, foaming has subsided, dumping is minimized or controlled, and people are kind of on a euphoric/invinsible weight loss high!  In other words, you may be able to eat more, tolerate more and do some mental chatter like "I can get away with sooooo much and still lose"!

You have gone through some major life changes with moves, new job, tackling smoking, losing weight and look hot.....all within a few short weeks.  Those are stressers for the most of us and would make anyone of us head to the refrigerator! 

Now's the time to tackle those head issues!  Check yourself into as many support groups as you can.  We are indeed like alcoholics and some of us (me) need more support groups than others to stay focused and on track.

Some basic rules at your stage is to switch out all or most of the slider foods for dense proteins...i.e. out with the yogurt, soft eggs, cottage cheese, peanut butter options as protein and in with the grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, grilled lean meats.  Do NOT drink or even sip with those meals and wait a full 30 minutes or even longer afterwards.  Design your meal around the protein and add 1 or 2 low glycemic fruits or veggies (google low glycemic lists).  Always do the 3 bites lean dense protein to 1 bite low glycemic fruit and veggie.  Stay away from the whites:  flour, rice, pasta, potato, etc....  If you are at your goal weight then learn to manage the calories you can handle and the foods that keep YOU personally on track by trial and error and by JOURNALING!  It's as important to journal during maintenance as it is while trying to lose...maybe more important.

You may consider getting friendlier with the scale and add in more weigh-ins besides weekly or monthly.  Don't let there be a 5 pound weight fluctuation.  A 2 pound fluctuation is normal and safe.  5 pounds takes more and more work to get off the further post-op you get so learn to manage tomorrow's eating by today's weight.  Over a bit?  Adjust your menu to take out processed foods the next day, switch out a steak for fish, add a salad with light vinagrette instead of a bit of potato salad, etc.  Little changes immediately keep us from having to seek big help or even  a revision later on.

A graduate group begins on Tuesday the 3rd (see other threads for details) and you are welcome to come.  Our first meeting will be a "self awareness/self assessment" meeting and we'll outline the balance of the year and get ideas for needed topics.

Tootles dude!  And big hugggzzz your way,

P.S.  Don't forget to suck down a protein drink when the hungries (or empties) hit.....AND....if you feel hungry?  Answer it with good ol water to see if you were really just thirsty.  Our bodies send off the same signals for thirst as they do for hunger.

1.  Water first
2.  Protein drink  STILL think you're hungry?
3.  Measure out 2 to 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast.  Eat it slowly.  WAIT 30 minutes then
HYDRATE!