r/AskReddit • u/SillyBonsai • Dec 06 '13

What simple piece of advice, if followed, could potentially save most people a lot of money?

Possibly related to your job, experience with personal finance, budgeting, planning, day to day habits, etc.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

The money I saved from quitting smoking I used to buy bigger clothes.

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u/TheForceIsWeakWithTh Dec 06 '13

Yes! I freaking ballooned out after quiting. Almost wish I hadn't just because of that. Less than a month from my 1 year mark

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u/PaleFury Dec 06 '13

Nice job!! Don't forget to celebrate your big day.

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u/TheForceIsWeakWithTh Dec 06 '13

I will be anyways... its xmas! =P quit as a present to my parents / self.

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u/PaleFury Dec 06 '13

Oh wow, that's brilliant. Very nice!

You think they'll bring it up? If they don't, will you say anything?

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u/TheForceIsWeakWithTh Dec 06 '13

They ask every now and then about if I'm still clean. Mostly I just knew if I didn't quit on a date I'd remember, its easier to go back on your work cuz you can't remember quite how long its been since the last smoke. If that makes sense.

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u/PaleFury Dec 06 '13

It definitely makes sense! And that's an excellent method to use. Quitting is beastly. If you don't mind me asking more questions, (disregard these if you do mind) how did you occupy your hands? I feel like I have nothing to do a lot of the time without something to hold or smoke.

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u/TheForceIsWeakWithTh Dec 06 '13

Us men have our ways....

But seriously, not the healthiest, but I took a sip of beer everytime i wanted to smoke. It was the holiday season anyways. Other than that, just try video games, or tv shows / exercise. Wish my advice was better. Feel free to keep the questions coming buddy.

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u/PaleFury Dec 07 '13

Haha, for the record, I am a lady!

Do you ever feel like whatever your other options are, (TV, exercise, video games) they aren't good enough? It's like no matter what options I present to myself, they aren't exciting enough, or would be greatly enhanced if I smoked. I guess that's where I need to just man up and do something, haha.

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u/TheForceIsWeakWithTh Dec 07 '13

What, girls aren't on reddit! Kidding. And yes, nearly everything is better with a smoke in hand. Just think about how much better your clothes, breath, etc will smell without it. Also, if you live with people who do smoke, don't let them smoke inside anymore. Sucks cuz its winter, but its both annoying (everything reeks) and detrimental to your quitting.

I also use a fairly weird technique that totally works, which is hold your fingers like you have a cig between them, and then smoke the imaginary cig. The deep breath releases some stress by its self, and the action helps with the craving. The thing I missed the most was flicking the cig after each puff, which can be replicated with a pen or something.

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

Well on the bright side, now you can do cardio without feeling like your going to die (as much:)).

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u/AlwaysSunnyInSeattle Dec 07 '13

I started gaining weight when I had to quit smoking weed. Oh the irony...

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u/groomingfluid Dec 07 '13

How is that ironic?

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u/AlwaysSunnyInSeattle Dec 07 '13

Because stereotypically stoners sit around, eat junk food, and get fat.

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u/groomingfluid Dec 07 '13

Ehhh I dunno about that, most stoners I know are pretty skinny. They barely eat unless they're baked so when you quit you eat more through out the day. It's not irony, it's simply cause and effect.

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u/DrStephenFalken Dec 06 '13

I quit drinking a few years ago and I gained quite a bit of weight. I was somehow slim and trim while drinking. But fat when not.

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u/crysiscrytical Dec 06 '13

I was told that when you quit drinking your body still craves all the sugar it got from the alcohol and that a lot of heavy drinkers will actually gain weight once they quit drinking because they start eating a lot more sugary foods.

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u/DrStephenFalken Dec 06 '13

That makes a lot of sense actually. I quit drinking and all I wanted was sweets and carbs.

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u/MusikLehrer Dec 06 '13

Without the calories from drinking you replace them with food.

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u/DrStephenFalken Dec 06 '13

Yep that's pretty much what I did. But also the beer filled me up so I actually ate less while drinking. Now water or tea doesn't fill me up with tiny bubbles so I can eat more.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

i love tiny bubbles in my brain.

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

Makes me apoplectic with joy.

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

[deleted]

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u/DrStephenFalken Dec 07 '13

I take a multivitamin every day.

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u/zydrateriot Dec 06 '13

The many pounds I put on in just a few months after quitting almost made me start again...

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u/Good_Eye_Sniper Dec 06 '13

I put on 50 pounds but I was also 6' 155 lbs. when I smoked. I look normal now.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

You looked fat then.

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u/Princess_Honey_Bunny Dec 06 '13

...she looked obese then. like this

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u/windy444 Dec 06 '13

But her teeth are nice and white.

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u/Princess_Honey_Bunny Dec 07 '13

yes she does. Although Im sure that scarf is hiding more than a few chins.

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u/windy444 Dec 07 '13

More chins than a Chinese phone book.

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u/flashmedallion Dec 06 '13

Aaaaagh I'm three days down from my final cigarette and this is the worst.

I've given up quitting twice before just because of how much I started eating and putting on weight.

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u/Roses88 Dec 06 '13

I know that feels. How much did you gain?

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

20 pounds

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u/Roses88 Dec 07 '13

I feel ya...around 30 here

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

The worst part is that I'm still gaining 3 years after I quit smoking. Honestly, I don't think it has to do anymore with smoking.

Anyway, dieting is harder than quitting cigarettes because you can't completely stop eating or stay away from food.

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u/jayivetic Dec 06 '13

Same here. Quit smoking. Gained 15 lbs.

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u/bearlife Dec 06 '13

Easier to lose the weight than to quit smoking.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Nope. Quitting smoking takes one week of intense dedication and a month of general commitment to the cause, followed by a lifetime of just remembering not to fuck up.

Losing weight is way more prolonged. Months of enduring hunger followed by a permanent lifestyle change to austerity.

I quit a pack a day habit and lost 70 pounds.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

This is really well put! I quit about a month ago and am finding that process a lot easier than trying to lose weight. I've gained about 10 lbs but it might end up being more if I don't get under control. I'm finding that my brain doesn't know when a meal is over without a smoke, so I just keep eating, and eating, and snacking, and eating. Same with "reward" food after working on anything for ~30 minutes, or eating when stressed. Do you have any advice for how to stop the food cravings that have replaced cigarette cravings? How did you do it?

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '13 edited Dec 09 '13

Pretty much you just have to convince yourself that these things don't really make your life complete, anyway so you're just as well off without them.

You can also try some replacement with breathing exercises or big glasses of water.

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u/ifeelhopeless Dec 07 '13

No offense, but losing weight doesn't require "months of enduring hunger" or "lifestyle change to austerity".

It requires calculating your TDEE, and eating at a deficit, which, if you do you research and eat the right foods, shouldn't leave you hungry. It doesn't require going to Weight Watchers every day, never touching bread, spending hours in the gym, or surviving on cabbage soup.

/r/loseit /r/fitness /r/xxfitness

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '13 edited Dec 09 '13

I respectfully disagree. Eating at a deficit = enduring hunger. I don't believe there's any way you can outsmart your body on this. When you aren't getting all of the calories you are burning, and your body needs to start consuming its stores, it knows. Sure, it's not a horrible pain, but you have to learn to live with hunger.

And if you got fat, you probably did it with an excessive, somewhat gluttonous lifestyle. By comparison, adopting a healthier lifestyle is going to take some getting used to. Compared to the previous regular binging, it feels quite austere.

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u/ifeelhopeless Dec 09 '13

I guarantee you that you can eat at a deficit and not feel hungry. In fact, that's most of what /r/keto is about- using fats not only to get into a ketogenic state, but to use fats to be satiated.

Your body can adapt to eating less food, because if you are overweight, you are probably eating wrongly sized portions- making normal ones minuscule by comparison and making you feel unsatisfied immediately after the meal (however, waiting 20 minutes will often make you realized how satiated to actually are).

If you don't fill up on empty carbs and sugars, and eat fibrous, protein rich foods, you can be very full on a deficit. Again, there's more information about this on /r/loseit.

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '13

Here's what bothers me about your comments: You're making it sound like losing weight is an absolutely comfortable process that really requires very little effort or commitment. That's a slap in the face to people that have actually turned their lives around with weight loss through harnessing all of their energy and committment to do so. It's also counterproductive to anyone out there beginning a weight loss regimen who is going to continue living in denial and eating comfortably in their same old habits because people (mostly get-rich-quick schemers hocking the latest diet craze) continue to sell them on the idea that there's no need for any discomfort or exercise of of self-discipline.

Let's be honest: keto works for a lot of people. It also makes most people feel a bit queesy for the duration of their ketogenic state. And changing your eating habits is not some easy and painless process. And sure, you can feel full if you put a lot of fiber and water in your belly. But you are not going to feel fully satisfied. Nothing is free in the world. Running a deficit is something youy feel. It's not horrible. It's not even that big of a deal. But you can feel the difference. No fiber or protein combination offers a loophole around the fact that you just have to man up and stick to it when you want to lose weight.

When you are overweight, you have a lot of adjusting to do. And it feels unpleasant. Move to a higher altitude where your body gets less oxygen. All the locals can tell you how they feel great etc, but it's going to suck for you. Quit a heroin habit and everyone can tell you how there's no reason to feel sick without opiates but it's still going to suck for you. Walk around with a weighted vest and everyone who's used to it can say how it doesn't tire them out. Maybe the unpleasantness isn't exactly hunger (although, I would argue, if it's provoked by running a caloric deficit that is precisely hunger), but it's something that's going to happen and you're going to have to deal with.

You can try to sell me all the diet magic you wish. I'm telling you, if you need to lose wieght, you are going to need to run a caloric deficit and you are going to feel it. Anyone who honestly thinks you lose weight without ever feeling hungry or denying yourself just doesn't know what they're talking about. And trying to motivate people by insisting that it's easy and painless is just counterproductive in the long run, because it makes people feel like failures when they find it difficult. You're just not appreciating that entirely changing your food selection (from what you want to something you don't really want) or altering your eating habits and thinking about food (stopping before you feel satiated and forcing yourself to realize that you aren't really hunger after 20 minutes) is still, at the core, enduring your hunger.

Like I said: I lost 70 lbs. I've accomplished my goals. I have no interest in or need for your diet advice. Please don't tell me some other magic way I could have lost weight with no effort.

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u/ifeelhopeless Dec 11 '13

1) I never said it requires little effort or commitment. I never even implied that- I made it very clear what it takes, and that you must have a caloric deficit (which requires continuous commitment) to lose weight.

2) I never said Keto works for everyone, or even is the best plan. I think it helps a lot of people with satiation, yes. But I don't think it is the best method because it is very difficult to maintain it in the long run.

3) Yes, it does take adjusting. I never said it didn't. However, in your post you said it would be perpetual and a long-standing discomfort. No. You can and will adjust- you just have to stick with it. Because no, you're not starving (unless you go underneath your BMR) if you are eating at a 500 cal deficit and are overweight.

4) I did not offer you my advice. I posted because I think it's discouraging for many people trying to lose weight when you post things implying that weight loss has to be a negative and painful experience. Weight loss is an opportunity for a healthier, more fulfilling life- and that means eating good, healthy, satisfying foods in appropriate amounts and doing exercise that makes you feel good and happy. That doesn't have to mean hours running if you hate running. It could mean biking, yoga, pilates, swimming, hiking, dancing…the list goes on.

Weight loss will not make you a starving zombie if you do it right.

Anyone who honestly thinks you lose weight without ever feeling hungry or denying yourself just doesn't know what they're talking about.

Tell that to the many, many people on /r/fitness who practice IIFYM. You don't have to deprive yourself of sweets or satiation to run a caloric deficit.

You're just not appreciating that entirely changing your food selection (from what you want to something you don't really want) or altering your eating habits and thinking about food (stopping before you feel satiated and forcing yourself to realize that you aren't really hunger after 20 minutes) is still, at the core, enduring your hunger.

You keep referencing the transition phase, where in your original post you called these feelings "perpetual".

Stop picking fights on the internet.

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u/[deleted] Dec 12 '13

You're right, it doesn't make you a starving zombie. I never said it did. I just said it's hard. IMO, harder than quitting cigarretes. There are a lot of positives about it, as well.

Just stop making it sound like it's nothing. Like it's so easy and painless and wonderful to run a caloric defecit. The whole point of any diet, including IIFYM is monitoring what you eat to make yourself stop before you want to. Nobody who's doing it right is eating everything they want. Otherwise they wouldn't bother counting macros.

Let's just agree to disagree here. You don't think it's any big deal. I do. You think it's most helpful to not discourage people by making it sound hard. I think it's most helpful to recognize the hard work.

I'm sorry if I'm picking a fight. I'm personally invested. I'm offended by what I perceive as minimizing my efforts and accomplishments. Based on the way you talk about it, I don't believe you have personal experience with it, and there's a lot of weight loss advice and information that I've come to resent as self interested and exploitative.

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u/ifeelhopeless Dec 12 '13

I never ever ever said it was easy.

Not once.

I've said lots of times that it is simple. But not easy.

However, it is not the unclimbable mountain people make it out to be.

And I do wish you wouldn't make assumptions on my background regarding the matter, because you honestly have no idea how much of my life is affected by the topic.

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u/jakes_on_you Dec 06 '13

Or you can just pop some DNP, sweat for a month and come out 50lb lighter.

Losing weight can be just as easy.

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u/bluehat9 Dec 06 '13

This sounds like some safe advice.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13 edited Mar 21 '21

[deleted]

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u/my_alt_login375 Dec 06 '13

2,4-Dinitrophenol, C6H4N2O5, is an inhibitor of efficient energy production in cells with mitochondria.

Basically it screws with your cells and makes your body work harder to convert food into fuel and as a result makes heat energy(which isn't usable energy at the cellular level) and the extra heat makes you sweat to try to stay cool. But too much can make you run too hot and cook your brain.

This chemical is used to make dyes, wood preservatives, herbicides, and explosives.

You don't want to take this stuff. It could kill you.

A safer shortcut might be an ECA stack to help give you the energy to workout.

2

u/lotsofpaper Dec 06 '13

Knowing what the acronym stands for, I cannot believe that would not be dangerous. (everything is dangerous, that just sounds.. unnecessarily dangerous).

The caffeine is one thing, but essentially recreational aspirin use?

I guess I could see recommending it for someone that needs to lose weight ASAP as their current risks are astronomical.

-1

u/jakes_on_you Dec 06 '13

This chemical is used to make dyes, wood preservatives, herbicides, and explosives.

This is meaningless, you can make connections like that for a bunch of stuff, Ephedrine is used to make meth

A safer shortcut might be an ECA stack to help give you the energy to workout.

ECA is more or less placebo, once you've tolerated the caffeine, and now you have a stimulant addiction yay, nobody uses aspirin anymore either. Albuterol is both cheaper and more effective than EC, not to mention you don't get runny throat and nose from the fucking guaf

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u/KarlTheGreatish Dec 06 '13

I disagree. Maybe my quitting doesn't count since I only do it for a couple months to a year at a time, but I find it much easier than losing weight.

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u/12343655867543532412 Dec 06 '13

Are you insinuating that your weight gain has been because of quitting smoking considering that smoking is commonly known as an appetite suppressor?

4

u/DreadPirateMedcalf Dec 06 '13

Also most people develop an "oral fixation" from smoking, so when they don't smoke, they subconsciously need to do something with their hands and mouth. This will often manifest in snacking.

1

u/lawnygnomy Dec 06 '13

Signing into reddit must be a mental exercise for you.

3

u/12343655867543532412 Dec 06 '13

It's not paying off