Knee-jerk would say smoking, but I've thought that the thing with smoking is that once you're off it, it requires only moderate will power to not smoke again because you don't in fact ever need to smoke. Food, on the other hand, is a constant struggle against eating enough but not eating too much.

So, people here who've quit smoking for at least a year or two and who also have had a major change on weight and pretty consistently stuck to a weight management approach, which was harder to do?

I quit smoking about 7-8 years ago after smoking about 2 packs a day. It was hard but after a few days I was already over the hardest part and stuck with it. It is rough if you're hanging out with people who smoke and you just watch them, even to this day. I never really noticed any ill effects from smoking, I actually started feeling all kinds on aches and pains after I stopped. Maybe the smoke dulls it or something. With eating right, I at least am striving towards a goal and can see real results all the time. I know that by adjusting my diet I can achieve more towards my goal. So I would find it much easier to stay the course eating because i can see the results.

I've been smoke free for over four years now, after smoking for close to ten. It was tough. It was damn tough. For me, definate similarities exist between losing weight and quitting smoking. Both took everthing I had. I dropped over 40 pounds in a matter of months and became almost obsessive about going to the gym. I'm the type of person that picks something and does it to the fullest. Smoking and losing weight were both tough, and both took every ounce of focus to achieve. I will say though, that getting in shape and losing weight helped me to reach a point of disgust with the effects of smoking. Fitness helped me stay quit. It's great that the effects of each coincide with each other.

My father says, for him, quitting smoking. Because he was able to quit cold turkey. But of course he gained a bunch of weight which caused all kinds of health issues. Some 25 years later he still struggles with the fat loss.

Good question. I definitely see similarities. I'd say so far for me completely quitting smoking has been harder in the long run.

A year ago I'd have said dieting. But you can still have some fast food, one 'bad' meal - or several/month, some alcohol and keep weight under control though exercise and not overdoing it. True, some people will go on a binge and loose control for months or longer, but I think once you are trim it's easier to stay relatively trim.

With smoking, you can have quit for 2 years, walk into a bar and smoke - have you still quit? I think it's easier for me to get addicted back into smoking than eating, because with eating the weight gain is fairly immediate and noticeable. The effects of smoking are not so obvious.

I guess another way of looking at it for each person is - if you started smoking again for a week, or eating badly for a week, which is easier to stop. I know many people will binge a bit on vacation, or around the holidays and successfully get back to their diet. I’m guessing most people who used to smoke don’t ‘allow’ themselves a couple of packs on vacation.

I know many people will binge a bit on vacation, or around the holidays and successfully get back to their diet. I’m guessing most people who used to smoke don’t ‘allow’ themselves a couple of packs on vacation.

Good Point. When I quit smoking 2 1/2 years ago the mentality I had with myself was that there could be no excuse that warranted me smoking a cigarette. Not a death in the family, not a stressful day, not a drunken night at the bar. NOTHING could allow me to smoke.

It's too bad that I can't say that with food. Matter of fact, I wonder how many successful AA recoveries there would be if every day those people had to take just a little drink. NA attendees had to take just a little smack or coke every day. Do you think they could stay on the wagon that long. It takes real guts and fortitude to do what we do every day.

No doubt about it losing weight has been hard as hell on me. Way harder than quitting smoking. I quit smoking October 6th, 2003. I haven't had a smoke since then. I don't think about it, I'm disgusted by it, it makes me nautious to be around other people who are smoking. I started my life and fitness change January of 2004 and I still have to deal with the fitness goals and changes and things that I want to do to make my body better for me. That will never end.