Weight Loss

I've decided to quit smoking. I was told, by a doctor, not to worry about losing weight while I'm in the process of quitting. I'm afraid that I'll gain it all back though. I've lost 12 pounds which doesn't sound like much, but it was hard to get off! I don't want to have to start all over again. However, I've been smoking for 18 years...very heavily too. I have a feeling I'll need to permit myself to indulge with food a little while until I can get past the smoking withdraws.

 Any advice or helpful comments would be highly appreciated.

let yourself indulge in food; just make sure its the right food. If everytime you get a craving for a cigarette,you eat some celery(or carrots,lettuce,etc.) you're NOT going to gain any weight, because the calorie intake is so small. So you can eat carrots everytime, and if you eat a total of one cup of carrots(chopped) throughout the whole day, you'll only have taken in 52 extra calories. If you start indulging with cookies and chocolate, that's when you'll have a weight gain problem. I hope i helped, and goodluck quitting!:)

Original Post by jackeetbs:

let yourself indulge in food; just make sure its the right food. If everytime you get a craving for a cigarette,you eat some celery(or carrots,lettuce,etc.) you're NOT going to gain any weight, because the calorie intake is so small. So you can eat carrots everytime, and if you eat a total of one cup of carrots(chopped) throughout the whole day, you'll only have taken in 52 extra calories. If you start indulging with cookies and chocolate, that's when you'll have a weight gain problem. I hope i helped, and goodluck quitting!:)

What jackeetbs said!!!

i'm going to have to agree with the dr , dont worry about any weight gain, the benefits of quitting smoking are far greater

having been quit now for 2 1/2 yrs , i gained weight and have not been able to lose it at all in spite of exercising like a madwoman which by the way exercising is now wayyyyyyy easier as a non-smoker

i can now run ( despite the weight )  i have not been sick since i quit smoking, i smell wonderful now, a lot of food i thought tasted good as a smoker tastes terrible as a non smoker

just take it one day at a time, if you can make it thru the first few weeks, thats the hardest part ( note i said hardest, its still hard after that)

after a month or two , tell yourself i dont ever want to go thru that early quitting stuff again, so you make it another week, next thing you know its 6 months , then a year, then 1000 days

good luck and dont worry about any weight gain when you quit, just keep exercising and eating right

I quit smoking after smoking for 4 years.  It took a lot to quit.  I believe to be successful you must be ready.  Just be aware of the want to put something in your mouth.  You have been so used to cigarettes so your hand wants to direct something to your mouth out of habit.  I chew gum to stop the craving for food or a cig.  Just normal gum, not nicorette.  Even if you do gain a couple lbs, you will start feeling so much better that you will want to run around and play with your kids, which helps burn off extra calories!  I feel great and I am happy to be able to play with my daughter.  You can do it to and trust me, you will feel awesome!

I agree with the others. The benefits of quitting far outweigh (no pun intended) the weight issue.

I quit smoking after smoking for 30 years. I didn;t want to quit, but I knew I couldn't go on like that forever without it affecting me in some negative way.

Since I didn't want to chew gums with artificial sweeteners, regular gum would have had too much sugar, so I bought something called a Lifesucker. I used the patch to wean myself off the nicotine.

Whenever I wanted a cigarette, I took a walk or did some form of exercise.

I gained over twenty pounds, but that was a concern I was willing to set aside until I'd successfully quit. It's almost all off now.

You will be surprised how good food is going to taste, how much more energy you are going to have, and how good you are going to feel. It's definitely worth it.

I quit smoking successfully. I started when I was 12 and quit about 10 years later. I agree that you shouldn't stress over weight while you are in the process of getting used to being without cigarettes because that, in itself, is stressful enough without having to worry about pounds.

It's possible that you won't gain weight after stopping but based on most people's experience, you probably will. Some people think smoking is worth it because it makes you skinnier; many actresses smoke (big surprise). But I guess you have to ask yourself if it's worth it to you. After you get used to your new non-smoking lifestyle, then you can go back to your fitness/ weight management program. I think it may take up to a year for you because you said you smoked a lot. 

Don't despair, in the long run, won't you be glad when this is all over? You'll probably look back and be thankful you suffered through the nicotine withdrawal and extra pounds. Being a non-smoker will make it easier for you to exercise too.  

i quit last monday using the patch and i dont even wanna step on the scale. iv been eating the worst things for me like chocolate, pastries, etc =/ at least im still kinda going to the gym lol.

withdrawel symptoms havnt seemed that bad. well, the part where i get really angry at people for no reason kinda sucks but hey...whatever.

Do not 'induldge in food'  quitting smoking is not an excuse for unhealthy eating.  Dont change anything, keep counting your calories, keep going to the gym.  I quit 12 weeks ago and lost 10lbs doing it.  Dont trade one unhealthy habit for another.

Its ok to snack instead of smoke, but make it healthy.

Thanks for all the helpful advice and positive support. You have no idea how hard that is to find and it is definately appreciated.

I'm with you, nursemeow.  If you trade one bad habit for another, then you'll have to break the other bad habit later, anyway.  Of course, if you feel like you MUST either have a cig or a piece of chocolate cake, weigh the evils of both and have a piece of dove choc. instead.  Just don't use quitting smoking as a rationalization.  For the oral fixation, some ppl chew on toothpicks, if you don't like gum.  Also, it's good to keep your hands busy when you're otherwise unoccupied by doing your nails, sorting laundry ... I like to cross-stitch, some like to knit.

I quit and lost 15 pounds over the 4 months following (I plateaued and left it there for a few months after that).  I did find that if I worked out in the morning, with something as simple as a long, vigorous walk, that my cravings were tolerable.  The first 2 weeks or so are a beeeeeeeeeach (insert other word there <---), and then after that, I would be fine for a few days/weeks and bam, out of the blue the thought crossed my mind.  That happened for about 2 months before eventually tapering off to nothing.

Now I smell other people in stores and such and am very thankful that *I'M* not smelling like that anymore! 

Eat sensible and don't let yourself get hungry.  That way you can definitely tell that it's a ciggy craving and not true "feed me" hunger.  If you get one (a craving) that won't go away though, 1 square of dark chocolate may do the trick to help you past it.  Or a walk ;-)

Good luck!

Hi, Mom!

Way to go on quitting!  After smoking 2.5 packs a day for 25 years, I quit two years ago using the patch.  And I will never, ever smoke again!

The hardest thing for me was that smokes were like "punctuation marks" that broke up my day:

Wake up, smoke
Have tea, smoke
Get dressed, smoke, smoke, smoke
Do some work, smoke
Work, smoke
Work, smoke
Lunch, smoke, smoke, smoke
And so on.

Without smoking, suddenly my day was like one HUGE blur that never ended.  I literally sat on a recliner all day one of my first few days -- I didn't know how to "live life" without smoking!

But it was strange -- my neighbors were going about THEIR days and they weren't smoking. My husband was going about his day, and he wasn't smoking.  My children -- they were going through their days without smoking!  And there was a time when I went through MY days without smoking!

So I had to learn to do that again.  When I felt the need for that "smoke break," I gave it to myself. But instead of smoking, I went outside and breathed fresh air or had a hot cup of tea.

I also kept in my head the mantra: "The only way OUT is THROUGH this."  I knew I would have to endure whatever cravings that would come.  It was either that, or give in to the craving and be back where I started -- hating myself and hating that I smoked!

I highly recommend the QuitNet Web site (I am not affiliated with this place so this is not an advertisement :)  I used it REGULARLY during my first three - six months, but daily--even HOURLY--during the first week or so.  The support you'll find there is amazing!

Best wishes to you!  I know quitting smoking was the hardest thing I've ever done.  But take it from many of us on the other side ... it DOES get easier.  And it CAN be done!

Renae :)

momof2kt-

I quit in March of this year so I have been smoke-free for almost 9 months and I will admit, I have gained 20 lbs since quitting, HOWEVER, I do not blame that all on not smoking.

I started eating unhealthy before I even quit AND I cannot use it as an excuse because I didn't put forth much effort into quitting.

I smoked for 13 years.  7 of that being a pack a day and the other 6 years smoking 2 packs a day.  I decided to try Chantix.  It worked like a charm.   I didnt have to try at all.  I highly recommend that pill, but just like any other prescription, it is not for everyone. 

I was on it for 6 weeks.  I was supposed to be on it for 6 months or more, however, I was so confident that I would never smoke again that I stopped.  It does have a few side effects and I promised myself that if I had a craving, I would start taking it again.  BUT, no cravings, not a single one. 

So, like I said, I have gained weight, but I will excuse maybe 5-10 lbs on quitting smoking.  Why??  Because scientifically it has been proven because of the adrenaline that smoking gives you, it does in fact slow your metabolism down.  I imagine men wouldn't have as much of a struggle, but us women have a slower metabolism by nature.  So, I do blame part of it on that, but not much.

In either case, I have posted this once before.  I would rather be at my current weight and not smoke than to be skinny and smoke and stink and be out of breath and sick all the time. 

I could go on for days regarding this, but I won't.  Just know that there are many things available to help you quit.  Personally, I recommend this pill only because it does NOT contain nicotine, therefore, the pressure to NOT smoke is not there, which makes you less stressed and the beauty of it all is, you can smoke while taking it.  So, thats why it was so easy for me to quit.  You should try to stop smoking on your 7th day, but if you don't, just keep trying.  Well, after about a month on it, cigarettes started tasting absolutely horrible and I didn't WANT to do it anymore.  That's the problem with things that have nicotine in them, they do not make you not like cigarettes anymore, you have to fight with yourself to not smoke, and if you do quit, you remember smoking as being a pleasurable thing.  I do not, I remember it being HORRIBLE.  Disgusting.  Less than 9 months later, I cannot even remember what it feels like to smoke.  I felt I have never done it.  Picking one up is foreign to me and I cannot stand it. 

I love being a non-smoker and would much rather never be able to lose another pound and be a non-smoker than to go back to that. 

OK, I think I am done now, LOL.  If anyone wants to know anything about this medication from a consumer stand-point, I would be more than happy to chat with anyone about it, just message me  =)

Good luck and it is VERY worth it to quit!

Original Post by demila1983:

momof2kt-

I quit in March of this year so I have been smoke-free for almost 9 months and I will admit, I have gained 20 lbs since quitting, HOWEVER, I do not blame that all on not smoking.

I started eating unhealthy before I even quit AND I cannot use it as an excuse because I didn't put forth much effort into quitting.

I smoked for 13 years.  7 of that being a pack a day and the other 6 years smoking 2 packs a day.  I decided to try Chantix.  It worked like a charm.   I didnt have to try at all.  I highly recommend that pill, but just like any other prescription, it is not for everyone. 

I was on it for 6 weeks.  I was supposed to be on it for 6 months or more, however, I was so confident that I would never smoke again that I stopped.  It does have a few side effects and I promised myself that if I had a craving, I would start taking it again.  BUT, no cravings, not a single one. 

So, like I said, I have gained weight, but I will excuse maybe 5-10 lbs on quitting smoking.  Why??  Because scientifically it has been proven because of the adrenaline that smoking gives you, it does in fact slow your metabolism down.  I imagine men wouldn't have as much of a struggle, but us women have a slower metabolism by nature.  So, I do blame part of it on that, but not much.

In either case, I have posted this once before.  I would rather be at my current weight and not smoke than to be skinny and smoke and stink and be out of breath and sick all the time. 

I could go on for days regarding this, but I won't.  Just know that there are many things available to help you quit.  Personally, I recommend this pill only because it does NOT contain nicotine, therefore, the pressure to NOT smoke is not there, which makes you less stressed and the beauty of it all is, you can smoke while taking it.  So, thats why it was so easy for me to quit.  You should try to stop smoking on your 7th day, but if you don't, just keep trying.  Well, after about a month on it, cigarettes started tasting absolutely horrible and I didn't WANT to do it anymore.  That's the problem with things that have nicotine in them, they do not make you not like cigarettes anymore, you have to fight with yourself to not smoke, and if you do quit, you remember smoking as being a pleasurable thing.  I do not, I remember it being HORRIBLE.  Disgusting.  Less than 9 months later, I cannot even remember what it feels like to smoke.  I felt I have never done it.  Picking one up is foreign to me and I cannot stand it. 

I love being a non-smoker and would much rather never be able to lose another pound and be a non-smoker than to go back to that. 

OK, I think I am done now, LOL.  If anyone wants to know anything about this medication from a consumer stand-point, I would be more than happy to chat with anyone about it, just message me  =)

Good luck and it is VERY worth it to quit!

 

Hmm, that certainly does sound much better than going cold turkey. I tried to quit like that a few years ago and failed. I just called and made an appointment with my Dr. for the 19th to see if I can give that a try. I also had a neighbor tell me that it works wonders. She said it makes cigarettes taste horrible and ultimately makes you not even want to smoke. Talk about a quitter's dream. Thank you very much for the helpful information and good job on your own quit!

As I said before, there are a few side effects.  Some bother a lot of people, some don't.  But in my opinion, the side effects did not bother me to the point of wanting to keep smoking instead of dealing with them.  Plus, you can take it short term, you don't need to be on it for years.  Good luck and keep us updated.  If you have any questions, feel free to message me anytime!

At long last, something I know about!

I quit smoking 6 years ago, almost to the day. I used the nicotine patch and a fantastic web site called QuitNet.com. Really, go visit that place and ask for help and advice. They're awesome folks there and I could never have quit without them. Best advice I ever got was cigarettes are NOT your friends!

I did not gain weight during my quit. I chewed A LOT of sugarfree gum and plastic straws. You just need to be vigilant and not allow yourself to substitute food for cigs. That said, you'd have to gain 75 lbs, I've read, to come close to doing the damage from smoking.

I'd be glad to talk with you about the quit process...it was an amazing journey and one I'm so glad I made. I can honestly tell you now that I'll never smoke again. Ever.

My advice is to start something that is just not possible while you were smoking on the 5th day of abstinence.  For example, a more vigorous form of cardio that requires a lot of lungpower.  The improvement in your breathing ability will increase as time goes by in which you do not smoke.  If you have this type of activity where it absolutely requires abstinence to keep it up, it will deter you from smoking.  The subsequent calorie burining can either eliminate the additional food you might eat or motivate you even more to stay away from junkfood and cigs.

I don't have any more advice to add, other than to say that YOU CAN DO THIS! (And I am so proud of you for taking the first step!)

((( hug ))))

=^..^= MOLLY

I'm another Chantix advocate - I'm on it currently.  Smoked for 10+ years, chewed before that.  Tried the patch semi-successfully, was not smoking for 2-3 months, then started back up as a social smoker (yeah, right) that quickly matured back into physical addiction.  This happened twice.  Got fed up, talked to my doctor.  Completed the 3 month recommended regimen with ZERO cravings, and am actually staying on it another couple months just due to a little fear about not having the crutch.  It's not addictive, I'm just that committed to making sure it sticks this time.

Side effects for me are a brief bout of nausea about 10 minutes after I take it, which is significantly pronounced if it's on an empty stomach.  The doctor had warned me about potentially having some "vivid dreams", but I never got those.

 Well, well, worth it - this is as close to I've seen as a wonder drug. 

I'm so sorry to sound like a bad guy, i'm not i just think you need the truth. I quit smoking 12 weeks ago, and hence the reason why i put on 2 stone and i am having to be on a website like this in the first place. What i would suggest is, you stop smoking concentrating on that. And then after about 10 weeks or whenever you feel that you no longer crave a cigarette concentrate on the weight loss. If you try and indulge on "healthy foods" and stopping smoking at the same time, believe me it doesn't work! You need to be happy in one area at least when you are stopping smoking otherwise you won't stop because it will get you down.

 A little trick i did is i kept a pack of cigarettes in the house at all time, i knew then that they were there however i was choosing not to have one, i was in control not the cigarettes. I used the strongest patches, however i did feel a little nauseous at first but i would rather feel nauseous than pulling my hair out because i needed/wanted a cigarette.

 

Though, this was advice given to me at the time. Do not try and do both because in the end you won't suceed in either quitting smoking or weight loss. One at a time will get you better results and make you happier than ever.

 Good luck btw, and honestly when you get your tastebuds back food never tasted so delicious!!

 Leanne