Are there any Pre-diabetic/diabetic ex smokers here? I am looking for advice.

[QuittingGirl]

Hi everyone,

 

I am new to this forum and just recently quit smoking, my last cigarette was Monday night at around 7.30 after dinner, May 22nd. I haven't had a cigarette in almost 72 hours! Yay!!  It's not easy as all of you know, but my question is....are there any pre diabetics/diabetics  here who have quit smoking?  I am a pre diabetic, I have been for about 8 years now.  I'm not on any medication, but I try to watch my carbs to an extent.  My A1C has been between 5.9-6.1 for most of the time that I was diagnosed.

 

Anyway, another question that I have is how do you quit smoking AND watch your carbs and diet? I am trying to watch my carb intake, but it's difficult because not smoking makes me so hungry!!

 

I hope this is the right place to post this in since I'm a newbie to this whole website and forums.

 

Thank you for helping me! 

Sandi

[DenaliBlues]

Hi, Sandi. These are great questions. Quitting smoking can mess with your blood sugar (drive it down or up) as well as your digestion (which might slow down). So listen carefully to your body, support it with whatever fluids and nutrition it needs during the first crucial weeks of your quit. I am not diabetic, but I do have to be careful about extra weight. I found ice-cold sugar free and caffeine-free drinks (especially diet root beer) to be really helpful. I also used a lot of non-food things: aromatherapy inhalers, silly putty, fidget spinners, etc. Best of all, though, were small tasks to keep me busy. I kept a notebook of little house things that needed attention, and every time my mind or body yearned for a smoke I’d go cross something off the list instead of lighting up. Small stuff like wiping the schmoo out of the bottom of the recycling bin, or tightening a screw on a drawer pull. Distracting myself became a creative exercise. Plus my house was nice and clean for a while, LOL. 

Edited May 26, 2023 by DenaliBlues