Gemmie Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Hi everyone, Today is day 1 of my whole 30. I am a pack a day smoker and broke down and bought a pack of cigarettes today and smoked 3 already. Does this mean I have to start the whole 30 again tomorrow without the cigarettes? Changing my diet is not that difficult for me, but quitting smoking is a toughie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted February 23, 2016 Moderators Share Posted February 23, 2016 The Whole30 rules ask you not to smoke or chew tobacco while doing a Whole30. I am rigid about all the Whole30 rules except this one. I used to be a psychotherapist and I worked with lots of alcoholics. One of our standards was that patients should not attempt to quit smoking while they were detoxing or in the early months of their sobriety. Ultimately, we wanted people to quit smoking, but we concluded that trying to quit smoking and alcohol at the same time was too stressful. That approach might be correct. However, some people find that cleaning up their act in every possible way at once works. It is the approach that Melissa Hartwig favors. Let me conclude with this thought... If you told me that you snacked on roasted peanuts, I would tell you that you ruined your Whole30 and must start over. You tell me you smoked 3 cigarettes, I say, "Having some trouble with stress, are you? Can you figure out alternative ways to manage your stress? Take a hot bath, go for a walk, listen to some music, etc." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmie Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Thank you so much Tom for your input here...I really needed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted February 23, 2016 Administrators Share Posted February 23, 2016 If you are interested in quitting smoking, I highly, HIGHLY recommend the book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Alan Carr. I used in successfully as have several other folks on this forum. It's worth seeking it out, especially if you are a logical-minded person, the book just makes sense and creates new dialogue to help you work through the quitting process. And even if you decide not to get the book, remember: you won't die, the discomfort from the tobacco withdrawal is temporary. You may feel angry and resentful and sad and angry (again) and miserable while you're quitting, but cravings are finite, they don't last forever, I promise. Really pay attention to how you're feeling while craving and notice that while it may feel like you're craving for a solid 20 minutes, you're not. There are micro-breaks between the cravings and as you go along, the breaks between get longer and the cravings & intensity gets shorter. Whether you decide to quit now or later, I really hope you do. You deserve better than to be slave to a chemical that is messing with your brain and body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmie Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 thank you Ladyshanny...good info for me to consider! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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