Confused and Discouraged.....

Evilmuffin666

So I joined MFP the first week of July (3 weeks ago). I logged everything I ate.... except coffee... which I drink with Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. I figured that I would make sure I always had a bunch of calories left over to account for the calories in the creamer. I did the July 100 Mile Challenge and was done by 17 Jul. I lost 5 PDS.... Then the heat hit during this past week and I could take my Dogs out in the heat. My walks went from 10.5 km a day to only 4 km. But I kept up with being below my calorie intake. Because I wasnt getting as much exercise, I decided I should measure how much creamer I actually use in a Cup of coffee. It was an eye opener. I use almost 3 tbsp of creamer in each Cup... and I drink approx 8 Cups a day..... so that is like 840 calories a day. I also hardly drank any water. And i smoke but I only smoke when I have coffee..... and I only drank coffee when I smoke. The two went Hand in Hand, so I knew if one went, the other had to go.

So I quit Smoking. Had my last cigarette on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday as a non-smoker. I cut out almost all the coffee.... I have maybe one a day and with less creamer. I dont want the coffee to taste too good and then I will want the smoke with it.

I have been diligent with my Food diary...... havent blown the calories.... in fact, stayed below..... and I have been drinking so much water...... water water water..... like I have been told to do.....

And the results....... in the past week, I not only gained all the weight back, but plus two PDS. And I checked my measurements this morning..... the inches I lost.... completely back.

It was working better when I was Smoking.... drinking a ton of coffee with creamer and not logging it.

Is this normal?

melaniecheeks

Congratulations on stopping smoking! That's the single best thing you can do for your body. And wow, what an eye-opener on the coffee creamer.

You're doing the right things - give your body a week or 2 to catch up with these changes.

PippiNe

Don't give up, you have done the right thing by quitting smoking. Coffee, I believe, is a diuretic because of the caffeine. Previous poster is right, give your body a little time to overcome the shock of the changes you have made. You are moving in the right direction. Great job!!

jaecamp1

First congrats on the quitting smoking

Next I have read that smoking actually boosts metabolism and burns up to 200 calories a day. So basically if the fewer calories you're taking in by the coffee creamer versus the fewer calories from the decreased exercise evens out you're still behind the game.

Plus make sure you are logging everything now including anything you are sticking in your mouth instead of a cigarette. You already know how quickly those "insignificant" things can add up.

mahanaibu

You know....YOU QUIT SMOKING. That's huge, and I'd suggest giving yourself a little time and space, not trying to do everything perfectly. It' a lot to try to juggle a huge number of new behaviors. Just try to eat very nutritiously so you can feel as good as possibly physically while your body settles into this wonderful new reality. Obesity is sure not good for us....but smoking, even though only 19% of adult do it in this country, is still the top cause of preventable death.

The rest is going to come, one change at a time, one day at a time. But this--the biggest health change a person can make. and it can be done.You deserve so much credit, and you can really stay with this! I know because I quit smoking 23 years and 9 months ago. Please be proud instead of getting down on yourself.

mari3city

Keep it up! Don't give up! You will see the results that you are looking for

toutmonpossible

So I joined MFP the first week of July (3 weeks ago). I logged everything I ate.... except coffee... which I drink with Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. I figured that I would make sure I always had a bunch of calories left over to account for the calories in the creamer. I did the July 100 Mile Challenge and was done by 17 Jul. I lost 5 PDS.... Then the heat hit during this past week and I could take my Dogs out in the heat. My walks went from 10.5 km a day to only 4 km. But I kept up with being below my calorie intake. Because I wasnt getting as much exercise, I decided I should measure how much creamer I actually use in a Cup of coffee. It was an eye opener. I use almost 3 tbsp of creamer in each Cup... and I drink approx 8 Cups a day..... so that is like 840 calories a day. I also hardly drank any water. And i smoke but I only smoke when I have coffee..... and I only drank coffee when I smoke. The two went Hand in Hand, so I knew if one went, the other had to go.

So I quit Smoking. Had my last cigarette on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday as a non-smoker. I cut out almost all the coffee.... I have maybe one a day and with less creamer. I dont want the coffee to taste too good and then I will want the smoke with it.

I have been diligent with my Food diary...... havent blown the calories.... in fact, stayed below..... and I have been drinking so much water...... water water water..... like I have been told to do.....

And the results....... in the past week, I not only gained all the weight back, but plus two PDS. And I checked my measurements this morning..... the inches I lost.... completely back.

It was working better when I was Smoking.... drinking a ton of coffee with creamer and not logging it.

Is this normal?

It's a little amazing to me that people could say they're logging everything except something that's adding almost 1,000 calories a day, but the point is to learn,. Although it's commendable that you're stopping smoking and you SHOULD stop, stopping the creamer and the smoking at the same time sounds like it was too much stress.

If I were you I'd resume smoking temporarily, while working on reducing the creamer. If you can't quit it cold turkey, start adding nonfat milk to it every day until in a month you're drinking all nonfat milk and no creamer. If you can drink coffee with nonfat milk for three months and are sticking to your plan and losing weight I would then try to stop smoking. But remember, smoking cessation often causes people to gain weight so you have to be prepared.

There's no point in making yourself miserable; it will only backfire.

Evilmuffin666

First congrats on the quitting smoking

Next I have read that smoking actually boosts metabolism and burns up to 200 calories a day. So basically if the fewer calories you're taking in by the coffee creamer versus the fewer calories from the decreased exercise evens out you're still behind the game.

Plus make sure you are logging everything now including anything you are sticking in your mouth instead of a cigarette. You already know how quickly those "insignificant" things can add up.

Coffee and the creamer was the ONLY Thing I didnt log. The only other time that I didnt log something was once I had ONE M&M Peanut. Even calculated it out..... 15 Calories for one.... and Never had another one. LOL......

I know that alot of ppl gain weight by replacing cigarettes with Food...... but the difference is I am not putting any else in my mouth to replace the cigarette because I dont want to gain weight. No gum... no candies.... nothing. I am also doing this cold Turkey..... no patches, drugs or whatever else is available. I drink water.

Evilmuffin666

So I joined MFP the first week of July (3 weeks ago). I logged everything I ate.... except coffee... which I drink with Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. I figured that I would make sure I always had a bunch of calories left over to account for the calories in the creamer. I did the July 100 Mile Challenge and was done by 17 Jul. I lost 5 PDS.... Then the heat hit during this past week and I could take my Dogs out in the heat. My walks went from 10.5 km a day to only 4 km. But I kept up with being below my calorie intake. Because I wasnt getting as much exercise, I decided I should measure how much creamer I actually use in a Cup of coffee. It was an eye opener. I use almost 3 tbsp of creamer in each Cup... and I drink approx 8 Cups a day..... so that is like 840 calories a day. I also hardly drank any water. And i smoke but I only smoke when I have coffee..... and I only drank coffee when I smoke. The two went Hand in Hand, so I knew if one went, the other had to go.

So I quit Smoking. Had my last cigarette on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday as a non-smoker. I cut out almost all the coffee.... I have maybe one a day and with less creamer. I dont want the coffee to taste too good and then I will want the smoke with it.

I have been diligent with my Food diary...... havent blown the calories.... in fact, stayed below..... and I have been drinking so much water...... water water water..... like I have been told to do.....

And the results....... in the past week, I not only gained all the weight back, but plus two PDS. And I checked my measurements this morning..... the inches I lost.... completely back.

It was working better when I was Smoking.... drinking a ton of coffee with creamer and not logging it.

Is this normal?

It's a little amazing to me that people could say they're logging everything except something that's adding almost 1,000 calories a day, but the point is to learn,. Although it's commendable that you're stopping smoking and you SHOULD stop, stopping the creamer and the smoking at the same time sounds like it was too much stress.

If I were you I'd resume smoking temporarily, while working on reducing the creamer. If you can't quit it cold turkey, start adding nonfat milk to it every day until in a month you're drinking all nonfat milk and no creamer. If you can drink coffee with nonfat milk for three months and are sticking to your plan and losing weight I would then try to stop smoking. But remember, smoking cessation often causes people to gain weight so you have to be prepared.

There's no point in making yourself miserable; it will only backfire.

Are you serious? Resume Smoking? Temporarily? Sorry but that is just NOT gonna happen. I am on day 5....... a pack and a half a day to Zero. I feel much better already..... and if I have to have a choice between being a fat non-smoker or a skinny smoker, I will take the fat Option. LOL

If anything, I have been more viligent on what I am eating, and specifically finding something else to do when I want to smoke, other than filling my face. No gum, no candies..... I drink WATER...... from the tap.... no expensive flavoured water..... just plain old water.

I have been Managing quite well.... especially since my husband is still Smoking up to 2 pks a day..... Drinks Coke all evening (between beers and Whiskey) Long while on the Computer, with a bowl of M&M Peanuts beside him that he Snacks on. Both of which I do not indulge in. And worse part, he is not overweight and never exercises.

knucklesammie

great job!! i also don't measure my creamer, will do that in the morning - thanks for sharing your eye opener! right now i feel like i over estimate what i log to be safe, but i'm interested to see now. and i agree with the first commenter to give your body some time to adjust. to keep up your motivation with quitting the cigarettes and the over abundance of creamer, just remember to tell yourself you are doing the best thing to make your body the greatest it can be. you will be the healthiest version of you, you can be!

Sonj1973

Hi there....Having been a smoker previously and aware of the battle and downfalls of quiting I'd like to say well done and agree that this is a positive life change without a doubt.....

My only concerns are....I think you may be taking to much on with the dieting, stopping smoking and eliminating things you enjoy all at the same time. If you fall down in one area you may tumble all together if you get what I mean.

When I stopped smoking I was conscious of eating healthy and also tried to avoid stuffing my face with anything and everything and to be fair was diligent with that. However I still put on weight!! The fact is the chemicals we put into our bodies affect our whole metabolic rate, digestive system, the chemical reactions and imbalances etc, therefore to be honest I think it's part of the process of stopping smoking and simply the body adjusting...after a year of quitting then I focused on trying to lose the extra 2 stone I gained via dieting and exercise....

By all means don't give up, but at the same time being to hard on yourself will make it more difficult... Good Luck

Sonj1973

Maybe find an alternative healthy drink you like which you could replace the coffee with to ....every bit helps .At least then it eliminates the triggers...

Nicolee_2014

Well done on quitting the smoking. I hope you find out what the is causing the lack of results.

Evilmuffin666

Thanks for the Support. The funny Thing is that I am not dieting to lose weight..... I am changing my Lifestyle to lose weight. I would two days without eating...... When I did eat, it was one meal.... usually at the end of the day.

I dont drink Soda or Pop...... alcohol, less that once a month... and usually only a glass of wine or a cosmos with dinner.

I lived on coffee and smokes.......

Started to make the Change..... eating and tracking my Food........ exercising....doing at least 10.5 KM per day......

Was making excellent Progress and decided to stop Smoking and the creamer.

I have yet to meet my calorie intake..... before I ditched the coffee creamer. I was always almost 900 under.

Evilmuffin666

Maybe find an alternative healthy drink you like which you could replace the coffee with to ....every bit helps .At least then it eliminates the triggers...

I am drinking water.... Is that not healthy?

CarolynB38

I agree with the others that say to give your body a chance to catch up. Keep doing the good things and you should start to lose weight.

If, after a few weeks, you are still not losing weight and you are confident that you are eating well you might want to consider getting your thyroid checked. For some people who are predisposed to hypothyroidism, stopping smoking can be the trigger to it developing (although it would likely have developed anyway at some point with another trigger such as a stressful event). Starting smoking again, no matter how temporarily, will not reverse this. Stopping smoking is a fantastic thing you have done for your health. Hopefully when your body settles down you will start to lose the weight again :flowerforyou:

AnnaPixie

So I joined MFP the first week of July (3 weeks ago). I logged everything I ate.... except coffee... which I drink with Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. I figured that I would make sure I always had a bunch of calories left over to account for the calories in the creamer. I did the July 100 Mile Challenge and was done by 17 Jul. I lost 5 PDS.... Then the heat hit during this past week and I could take my Dogs out in the heat. My walks went from 10.5 km a day to only 4 km. But I kept up with being below my calorie intake. Because I wasnt getting as much exercise, I decided I should measure how much creamer I actually use in a Cup of coffee. It was an eye opener. I use almost 3 tbsp of creamer in each Cup... and I drink approx 8 Cups a day..... so that is like 840 calories a day. I also hardly drank any water. And i smoke but I only smoke when I have coffee..... and I only drank coffee when I smoke. The two went Hand in Hand, so I knew if one went, the other had to go.

So I quit Smoking. Had my last cigarette on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday as a non-smoker. I cut out almost all the coffee.... I have maybe one a day and with less creamer. I dont want the coffee to taste too good and then I will want the smoke with it.

I have been diligent with my Food diary...... havent blown the calories.... in fact, stayed below..... and I have been drinking so much water...... water water water..... like I have been told to do.....

And the results....... in the past week, I not only gained all the weight back, but plus two PDS. And I checked my measurements this morning..... the inches I lost.... completely back.

It was working better when I was Smoking.... drinking a ton of coffee with creamer and not logging it.

Is this normal?

It's a little amazing to me that people could say they're logging everything except something that's adding almost 1,000 calories a day, but the point is to learn,. Although it's commendable that you're stopping smoking and you SHOULD stop, stopping the creamer and the smoking at the same time sounds like it was too much stress.

If I were you I'd resume smoking temporarily, while working on reducing the creamer. If you can't quit it cold turkey, start adding nonfat milk to it every day until in a month you're drinking all nonfat milk and no creamer. If you can drink coffee with nonfat milk for three months and are sticking to your plan and losing weight I would then try to stop smoking. But remember, smoking cessation often causes people to gain weight so you have to be prepared.

There's no point in making yourself miserable; it will only backfire.

That's got to be the worst advice I've ever read!!! Jeez!! :noway:

Quitting smoking is the single BEST thing you can do for your body!!

You're doing great OP. With determination like yours, you're going to win!!

When you quit smoking your metabolism does slow down a bit. Nicotine is a stimulant. So is coffee!! Give your body time to adjust whilst stimulating your body with exercise, eating regularly and drinking lots of water, like you're doing. Add some lemon juice to the water as that is great for cravings too!

As an ex smoker I can guarantee that you'll feel amazing and never look back when you quit. I'm now in my 9th year having smoked 40 per day for 20 years!

Good luck, you will be happy and healthy by the end of the year! Stick with it. :flowerforyou:

annakow

You are not logging in the killer coffee still 5 lbs a month is good result

Bearbrat

So I joined MFP the first week of July (3 weeks ago). I logged everything I ate.... except coffee... which I drink with Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. I figured that I would make sure I always had a bunch of calories left over to account for the calories in the creamer. I did the July 100 Mile Challenge and was done by 17 Jul. I lost 5 PDS.... Then the heat hit during this past week and I could take my Dogs out in the heat. My walks went from 10.5 km a day to only 4 km. But I kept up with being below my calorie intake. Because I wasnt getting as much exercise, I decided I should measure how much creamer I actually use in a Cup of coffee. It was an eye opener. I use almost 3 tbsp of creamer in each Cup... and I drink approx 8 Cups a day..... so that is like 840 calories a day. I also hardly drank any water. And i smoke but I only smoke when I have coffee..... and I only drank coffee when I smoke. The two went Hand in Hand, so I knew if one went, the other had to go.

So I quit Smoking. Had my last cigarette on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday as a non-smoker. I cut out almost all the coffee.... I have maybe one a day and with less creamer. I dont want the coffee to taste too good and then I will want the smoke with it.

I have been diligent with my Food diary...... havent blown the calories.... in fact, stayed below..... and I have been drinking so much water...... water water water..... like I have been told to do.....

And the results....... in the past week, I not only gained all the weight back, but plus two PDS. And I checked my measurements this morning..... the inches I lost.... completely back.

It was working better when I was Smoking.... drinking a ton of coffee with creamer and not logging it.

Is this normal?

It's a little amazing to me that people could say they're logging everything except something that's adding almost 1,000 calories a day, but the point is to learn,. Although it's commendable that you're stopping smoking and you SHOULD stop, stopping the creamer and the smoking at the same time sounds like it was too much stress.

If I were you I'd resume smoking temporarily, while working on reducing the creamer. If you can't quit it cold turkey, start adding nonfat milk to it every day until in a month you're drinking all nonfat milk and no creamer. If you can drink coffee with nonfat milk for three months and are sticking to your plan and losing weight I would then try to stop smoking. But remember, smoking cessation often causes people to gain weight so you have to be prepared.

There's no point in making yourself miserable; it will only backfire.

You actually just recommended some body resume smoking???? Seriously? I just about fell out of my chair reading that. OP seems to be doing just fine without the cigarettes. Just needs to give his/her body time to adjust to the changes, caffeine is a diuretic and it's just been replaced with a great deal of water which I'm betting his/her body needed a lot of (sorry, I didn't catch your gender). Keep doing what you're doing now, only log the creamer when you use it or find something to replace it with if you decide to continue drinking the occasional coffee. Congrats on the quitting smoking!!!!!!! That's a tough thing to do, good luck and maybe let us know how you're doing? :flowerforyou:

dianesheart88

I quit smoking 2 years ago and gained weight. I will tell you that over and over... it's the best thing I've done; even with the gain. I hated being held captive by cigarettes, not being able to breath and smelling like a cigarette. They controlled me and what I did. The worst part is the health impacts it has. You just took a huge step toward being a healthier person and taking control of your life. Take the few pounds with a grain of salt and don't worry. What goes on will come off. Congrats on quitting! I know it's hard to see it now, but you just made a huge difference in your life for you and those around you!

Evilmuffin666

Well, I just weighed myself and I have lost 2 PDS in the past 5 hrs. I stopped drinking all that water........ water Retention perhaps. I hope so..........

rborkows

I'd suggest learning to like straight black coffee. No sugar, no creamer. Takes a couple days, but after that you get your caffeine for zero calories. Congrats on the smoking!

delicious_cocktail

Discouraged?! This is a success story!!! You should be immensely proud of yourself. Don't worry about the pounds - that will work itself out in a week or so. Want to gain five pounds overnight? Eat a whole bunch of salt, your body will retain a ton of water, and it will look like you've gained weight.

As an earlier poster noted, caffeine is a diuretic; this increases the body's production of urine. This means that without the coffee, your body IS adapting, producing less urine, retaining more water, and will need a little time to adapt.

Congratulations on quitting smoking! You will find that you have substantially more energy and feel better and more able to work out.

You may find yourself in the virtuous cycle now :-)

Evilmuffin666

I'd suggest learning to like straight black coffee. No sugar, no creamer. Takes a couple days, but after that you get your caffeine for zero calories. Congrats on the smoking!

I am limiting my self to two Cups of coffee a day. And I am reducing the amount of creamer in it.

seliinac

Well, I just weighed myself and I have lost 2 PDS in the past 5 hrs. I stopped drinking all that water........ water Retention perhaps. I hope so..........

That was my guess. But don't stop drinking water because of that. Likely part of it was due to your walking regime going from over 10k a day to 4k a day as well.

Congratulations on quitting smoking! I'm a Respiratory Therapist and I've seen end stage COPD. It's a slow and tortuous death and I don't wish it on anyone!

Be patient! And don't worry too much about the scale if your goal is getting healthy, you're on your way!

jardin12

Quit smoking 7 years ago - the best thing ever. So nice to get that monkey off my back. Best thing now for you is to make sure you stay a non-smoker. I think that should be your top priority. You may gain weight, you may not. I didn't but it took five years to get healthy. I mean it took me five years to be eating healthy every day and get fit. Still working on it too. Best wishes to you and to all here xxx

Mainebikerchick

I realized when I was first trying to lose weight before my wedding in 2010 that I was putting too much stuff in my coffee. In January of that year, my coffee was a med French Vanilla Dunkin Donuts coffee with 3 sugars and 6 creams. My goal at first was just to use less of both and by May, I was down to 1 sugar and 3 creams.

I liked this mix so I kept making my coffee this way until January of this year. I could tell by my food diaries that I was still getting too much sugar and the coffee was to blame. So, I decided to eliminate the sugar completely and try to use a little less cream. Now I have 2 creams only and I find my waistline is finally starting to shrink a little more. It's sad how much calories are in sugar and cream when coffee itself as so little calories.

trisH_7183

Congrats to you!! Haven't seen this mentioned,but you can be more prepared than I was when I quit smoking.

Maybe it was just me,but I found diet to be much harder than quitting cigs.Also quit cold turkey & after 3 wks or so,it got easier. Sweets caused me to crave a smoke for a while.

With smoking,you can quit,BOOM,but not so with food.You still have food in the house,you buy food,cook food & get offered food at so many places. Took me several tries to get this healthier eating down,you notice I don't say healthy,cause I still have a goodie or two most days.:bigsmile:

Good luck,you are doing great!:flowerforyou:

action_figure

[quote

If I were you I'd resume smoking temporarily, while working on reducing the creamer. If you can't quit it cold turkey, start adding nonfat milk to it every day until in a month you're drinking all nonfat milk and no creamer. If you can drink coffee with nonfat milk for three months and are sticking to your plan and losing weight I would then try to stop smoking. But remember, smoking cessation often causes people to gain weight so you have to be prepared.

There's no point in making yourself miserable; it will only backfire.

Are you serious? Resume Smoking? Temporarily? Sorry but that is just NOT gonna happen. I am on day 5....... a pack and a half a day to Zero. I feel much better already..... and if I have to have a choice between being a fat non-smoker or a skinny smoker, I will take the fat Option. LOL

Good for you on recognizing this for complete BS. You know what they say, if you can tell the difference between good advice and bad advice, you don't need advice. Not entirely true, but funny. Anyway, I agree with others. Let your metabolism shake itself out. You've reviewed your plan. If it's a good plan, and you are sticking to it, trust your plan. Everyone has a few weeks where nothing moves for seemingly no reason. Could be sodium, could be glycogen rearranging itself, could be lots of things. Weight loss isn't linear. It goes in whooshes and stalls. The whooshes are fun. The stalls suck. Trust your plan and trust yourself. Don't lie to yourself, like with the creamer, but if you know you're accounting for things, weighing, measuring, tracking, etc. then trust yourself and trust your plan.

action_figure

Thanks for the Support. The funny Thing is that I am not dieting to lose weight..... I am changing my Lifestyle to lose weight. I would two days without eating...... When I did eat, it was one meal.... usually at the end of the day.

I dont drink Soda or Pop...... alcohol, less that once a month... and usually only a glass of wine or a cosmos with dinner.

I lived on coffee and smokes.......

Started to make the Change..... eating and tracking my Food........ exercising....doing at least 10.5 KM per day......

Was making excellent Progress and decided to stop Smoking and the creamer.

I have yet to meet my calorie intake..... before I ditched the coffee creamer. I was always almost 900 under.

Dude, you may need to rethink your relationship with food.

wilsoje74

Well, I just weighed myself and I have lost 2 PDS in the past 5 hrs. I stopped drinking all that water........ water Retention perhaps. I hope so..........

I'd suggest not weighing so often. It will fluctuate, try once every couple weeks not multiple times a day.