Question:
For post ops who have quit smoking prior to wls

This is a kind of survey on emotions and struggles. Part 1--For those of you who quit smoking at some point preop, describe how difficult it was for you. Part 2--How hard of a time have you had dealing with food issues post op? head hunger, cravings, moodswings, binging and barfing, etc. What I am looking for here is the relationship between giving up smoking and giving up comfort foods and bad habits in general. Did you have a hard time with both? a relativly easy time with both or was it very different for each-smokes and food? I am preop, surgery scheduled for August/03. I quit smoking a while back and am looking to compare with others on these issues. All comments welcome, put in your 2 cents.    — mary ann T. (posted on May 14, 2003)

May 14, 2003
i quit somking april 1 2002 and had wls feb 20 2003. quitting smoking was not as difficult as i had expected and i was a 40 year smoker. however i did gain probably 65 lbs and that was what made me persue wls. i was miserable!! post op i have not had many problems giving up certain foods. i did have a bout with food depression for about 2 weeks but then it lifted thank goodness. a strange thing has happened recently and i don't know how it will turn out. i crave cigarettes once or twice a day and have to talk myself out of smoking. you would think that after a year i would have this thing under control but i guess i don't. i figure that maybe i am craving food and it is manifesting itself in the form of cig craving. go figure how i came to that conclusion. amature pshy? i binged only once and ate an entire bag of pop corn. i was mad at someone and did the fat girl thing. ate until i was sick. it was a terrible experience and i wouldn't recommend anyone trying it. i even lost a days work. it took me about a week to feel normal in the pouch area. i am not a barfer so i can't help you there. compairing the 2 vices and giving them up, it has been harder mentally to change the eating than the smoking but neither has been really difficult. i am only 3 months out so ask me in in a year. i hope this cigarette thing passes. good luck to you. it is worth it
   — Priscilla A.

May 14, 2003
Ann, I quit smoking about 4 weeks prior to surgery. It was difficult but knowing that the surgery would either not take place or be cancelled due to breathing issues kept me on track. I am now 6 months post op and I have to say that it is difficult sometimes. I know that I cannot use food for comfort because if I overdue it I feel very ill so the urge to light up is stronger now than when I quit. Right now I go for walks, surf this website, exercize or anything I can think of to get my mind off smoking (I really do miss it). The only thing stopping me is that I feel healthier than I have in years and don't want to mess that up. I am hoping that in time I will adjust to doing something other than eating or smoking. Good Luck to you. Debbie Open RNY-Distal 11/9/02 242/166/76/125
   — debbie11092002

May 14, 2003
Mary Ann, like Priscilla I too quit smoking almost a year prior to surgery. I suprised myself at how easily it was for me. After I made it past that first week anyway. However, I also gained a lot of weight and in turn really pursued having surgery. I had always been overweight and always felt miserable but after quiting smoking, I literally couldn't do anything physical with all the additional excess weight. As far as the cravings go now. Well, I am now about 9 and 1/2 months out and down 110 pounds. I don't crave cigarettes at all anymore, in fact just to be around someone who smokes and smelling them when they stand next to me is nausiating. But the food cravings are another story. That has been much harder for me. Night time has always been the worst time for me. I don't have a problem with the sweets (I have always stuck to the SF alternatives) but the salty sort are what call to me. I am a chip-aholic. I still have them but try to curb my cravings by drinking water or any liquid. That helps sometimes but not all. When I do cave in to one of my cravings I just think MODERATION. I mean having surgery shouldn't be a life sentence of denying yourself everything you ever loved to eat. But we have to learn to control. I feel I can still have some of those things but more as a reward than anything else. I hope that helps. By the way, I never had a problem with barfing either. I hope that helps.
   — Laurel C.

May 14, 2003
I am not one of the fortunate who remained smoke-free. I did quit post-op but not very far in advance. Luckily, I had no breathing problems and did my breathing exercises a lot. I was home from the hospital about a week before I started smoking again. As far as the food issue, I have on occasion ate things I knew I shouldn't and then suffered the consequences. Most of the time I'm very careful as to what I put in my stomach, as I experience a lot of nausea and diarrhea after eating. I'm under a great deal of stress at the present time, as I and many thousands of others are loosing their jobs due to a take over by another company. I am suppose to have 70-75 grams of protein a day and don't even come close. Most nights I have 2 or 3 bites of dinner and can't handle anymore. I pray this gets better in time - it's nice always seeing the scale move but it's not doing it the healthly way. I am 3 months post-op and have lost 52 pounds.
   — Terrie R.

May 14, 2003
I tried to quit smoking many times and failed. I knew that if I could get past a few "smoke free" days then it would be alright but I never could get paid a few hours. Therefore, I did smoke right up to the morning of surgery. But for some strange reason, I never even missed it once I stepped foot in the hospital, etc. It's been 13 months now and I have had my temptations to smoke when around other smokers but I know that if I take just one drag off a cig then I'm hooked again and I'll never quit...so I just don't do it but it's a struggle alot of the time. As far as the food goes, well I still have a big problem with food. This surgery was on my stomach and not my brain. I still have the same food issues, etc. I just can't eat the volumne now. I recently joined OA (overeaters anonymous). It's just like the alchoholics anonymous, etc. Hopefully, I will be better able to abstain from those foods that are hurting me. Sorry this is so long. Hope something here helps you with your question. God Bless and Good luck on your journey!
   — Peggy D.