Does smoking really helps in weight loss?

ferdhavebeenback

I actually heard over and over that smoking is a habit that can make you lose weight, Admittedly I'm a real time smoker and the result of lose weight is really obviously true when the first months I started to smoke even thought I'm not in a calorie deficit I do eat so much and drink so much that time right now I'm trying my best to quit this habit but I'm afraid to gain weight over time. My question is is it weight loss because of smoking is true and if you quit smoking you'll gain weight? Need your answers and opinions pals thanks

eccentricplaza

I believe that's because nicotine is an appetite suppressant, but if it's not acting as such (since you stated you currently eat and drink just fine) you should be fine.

fyree39

I quit smoking back in the late '80s. I gain a few pounds, but lost them later. Quitting smoking and dieting don't work too well together. On the other hand, smoking itself has long-term problems that make the weight gain from quitting the habit worth it.

lowcarbmale

This kind of thread is dangerous as it might give someone desperate enough the idea to start smoking to lose weight.

Smoking destroys your lungs. Everything after that fact should not matter. Would you rather have a couple pounds more or completely destroyed lungs (100% chance when you smoke) and possibly cancer (greatly increased chance when you smoke)?

pinuplove

In addition to the appetite suppression from nicotine, many people replace one oral habit with another (hard candy, sunflower seeds, etc.) The increased calories cause the weight gain, not quitting smoking per se. That said, the benefits of quitting smoking far outweigh the risks of temporarily gaining a few pounds (or even more) that you can lose later.

MikePTY

Quit smoking first, worry about other things later. Millions and millions of non-smokers lose weight every year. We also save money, smell better, and live longer. Please do it for your health. Your weight loss journey will be fine without smoking.

pinuplove

MikePTY wrote: »

Quit smoking first, worry about other things later. Millions and millions of non-smokers lose weight every year. We also save money, smell better, and live longer. Please do it for your health. Your weight loss journey will be fine without smoking.

That reminds me, former smokers I know all say food just plain tastes better to them now, which might also explain some of the weight gain! Worth it, in my opinion

lililomo2

ferdhavebeenback wrote: »

I actually heard over and over that smoking is a habit that can make you lose weight, Admittedly I'm a real time smoker and the result of lose weight is really obviously true when the first months I started to smoke even thought I'm not in a calorie deficit I do eat so much and drink so much that time right now I'm trying my best to quit this habit but I'm afraid to gain weight over time. My question is is it weight loss because of smoking is true and if you quit smoking you'll gain weight? Need your answers and opinions pals thanks

please quit smoking. i have stage four cancer and smoked for years socially. it was the best decision i ever made to quit after i was diagnosed. after a time i lost the weight i wanted to lose *20 lbs* be patient as the weight loss will come . give yourself some time to get used to living smoke free, and the rest will fall into place... best of luck on your journey

ferdhavebeenback

lowcarbmale wrote: »

This kind of thread is dangerous as it might give someone desperate enough the idea to start smoking to lose weight.

Smoking destroys your lungs. Everything after that fact should not matter. Would you rather have a couple pounds more or completely destroyed lungs (100% chance when you smoke) and possibly cancer (greatly increased chance when you smoke)?

no sir actually I don't encouraged others here to smoke just to lose weight it pops out of my mind that I'll ask some experts here to have some supports, but that was my experienced before I've started smoking.

Jruzer

Unknown

This content has been removed.

sijomial

I would ask my sister but she died morbidly obese while smoking heavily. Cigarettes didn't suppress her appetite but instead curtailed physical activity due to emphysema/COPD and heart disease which contributed to her weight gain and death at just 61 after living as a virtual invalid for a decade.

In reality some people (just some) eat and drink more when they give up smoking to keep their hands and mouth occupied - hence weight gain. If you are tracking your food and counting calories then that shouldn't be an issue.

MelanieCN77

Quit smoking because it's going to mess up your health eventually in big, inconvenient and unglamorous ways, and because it smells bad and makes you smell bad, and because you're choosing to pay money to achieve those things.

lporter229

This thread makes me want to cry. My father was a heavy smoker who literally could not quit to save his life. Our family helplessly watched him smoke while on oxygen, after several strokes, heart surgeries, emphysema/COPD, and a whole array of other health issues. He was finally able to quit smoking after a blockage in his carotid artery left him with severe brain and nerve damage, but only beacuse he really wasn't capable of smoking at that point. He spent the final years of his life on dialysis, unable to speak in full sentences, and unable to walk on his own. My dad was 116 pounds when he died.

Please do not think that it is a wise decision to continue smoking for fear of weight gain. Smoking will cause chronic health issues far beyond those of obesity. The sooner you are able to quit smoking, the healthier you will be.

robthephotog

Its got nothing to do w making you lose weight. Instead of snacking many smoke instead. And when most stop smoking food replaces the habit. I have nothing personal against anyone who smokes, but there are ZERO health benefits to smoking. You are more than welcome to search side effects of long term smoke inhalation. It goes way beyond even lung damage or dieing a slow painful death from cancer.

bigbandjohn

lililomo2 wrote: »

please quit smoking. i have stage four cancer and smoked for years socially. it was the best decision i ever made to quit after i was diagnosed. after a time i lost the weight i wanted to lose *20 lbs* be patient as the weight loss will come . give yourself some time to get used to living smoke free, and the rest will fall into place... best of luck on your journey

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I lost an aunt from her smoking, and I lost my father last year to stage 4 pancreatic. My mom is stage 3b melanoma.

And to the person who asked the original question.... Gum is a good substitute, but not nicotine gum. Avoid the nicotine. It's more the habit of putting something in your mouth that causes extra eating after you stop, based on experiences of people I have known (honestly, I never smoked).

Johnd2000

The “benefit”, such as it is, only comes from the nicotine. The disbenefits of smoking are well known, and lethal.

There are, of course, other sources of nicotine that don’t come with poisonous smoke.

I know several people who vape to suppress their cravings for sweets.

apullum

You sound like you’re looking for an excuse to not quit smoking. You can lose weight far more easily than you can treat the many serious health problems that are caused by smoking. Stop trying to find reasons not to quit.

nutmegoreo

The first time I quit, I lost weight. The second time, I gained. The difference? Activity level and how much food I shoved in my face. You have the choice, but I wouldn't keep smoking for fear of gaining.

zyxst

Smoking is what I did when stressed or bored. I don't smoke now, so I eat when stressed or bored. If you control how much food you eat, you can lose weight without smoking.

Basically, you're trading one vice for another.

cwolfman13

ferdhavebeenback wrote: »

I actually heard over and over that smoking is a habit that can make you lose weight, Admittedly I'm a real time smoker and the result of lose weight is really obviously true when the first months I started to smoke even thought I'm not in a calorie deficit I do eat so much and drink so much that time right now I'm trying my best to quit this habit but I'm afraid to gain weight over time. My question is is it weight loss because of smoking is true and if you quit smoking you'll gain weight? Need your answers and opinions pals thanks

I used to smoke 2-3 PAD and quit in 2012. Quitting smoking in and of itself doesn't cause one to gain weight. By and large people gain weight when they quit smoking because they replace the hand to mouth habit with food. There is also an element of decreased general activity...when I smoked I got up every hour or so to walk to my smoking zone at work...this meant I got up and walked down three flights of stairs and then went outside to my far flung corner of the parking lot and back. I didn't have a FitBit back then, but I've replicated it, and it's a significant number of steps that I was no longer taking when I quit smoking.

FWIW, I quit smoking about a month before I started dieting...so I quit smoking and lost 40 Lbs all at the same time. Also, if you lost weight in the first couple of months of smoking, you were in a calorie deficit...because that's the only way you lose weight. You were probably eating less and moving more for your smoke breaks.

Mr_Healthy_Habits

So what if it does...

Starving yourself will help you lose weight.. Doesn't mean you should do it

pinuplove

Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »

So what if it does...

Starving yourself will help you lose weight.. Doesn't mean you should do it

So does E. Coli if we're comparing bad ideas for losing weight...

COGypsy

I'd also add, for whatever it's worth, I'd date someone overweight LOOOOOOONG before I'd date a smoker. Not sure I'd even hang around to finish a coffee date once that stench hit my nose....

lililomo2

bigbandjohn wrote: »

lililomo2 wrote: »

please quit smoking. i have stage four cancer and smoked for years socially. it was the best decision i ever made to quit after i was diagnosed. after a time i lost the weight i wanted to lose *20 lbs* be patient as the weight loss will come . give yourself some time to get used to living smoke free, and the rest will fall into place... best of luck on your journey

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I lost an aunt from her smoking, and I lost my father last year to stage 4 pancreatic. My mom is stage 3b melanoma.

And to the person who asked the original question.... Gum is a good substitute, but not nicotine gum. Avoid the nicotine. It's more the habit of putting something in your mouth that causes extra eating after you stop, based on experiences of people I have known (honestly, I never smoked).

thanks for your kindness - and my condolences for your losses and with your mom's current condition.~

Danp

I suppose smoking would be a way to keep your mouth and hands occupied leading to less mindless eating and drinking. And smoking kills your sense of taste and smell which would make food less appetising and tempting. And I would guess the nicotine would have a minor impact on your metabolism much like caffeine. All that combined might result in a fractional increase in weight loss.

In the end the biggest weight loss effect smoking will have is the drastic amount of weight you lose during chemotherapy or when you have to have a gangrenous limb amputated.

JaxxieKat

No. I smoked 2 packs a day and was morbidly obese. Smoking kills. It makes exercising difficult. I would not be able to exercise like I do now had I not quit.

Keto_Vampire

From a dose form perspective, nicotine gum is the recommendation for those wanting to quit with fears/concerns of weight gain. Nicotine does suppress appetite...not recommending someone to start smoking as a means to lose weight (...><...)

*Note: this is not weight loss; more so rebound weight gain from withdrawing from smoking/nicotine

SpyLuna

I was a smoker and yes the more I smoked the less hungry I was. Once your body is use to the up stick of nicotine then it doesn't do that anymore. Now, less hungry doesn't equal lose weight because you could be eating too much when you are hungry. I quit a year and a half ago (since I started smoking a pack a day and was scared to death I'd never quit). I did gain about 10 pounds. I've found that HIIT actually makes me less hungry than cigarettes ever did and guess what? HIIT doesn't cause cancer! Or cost me thousands a year like cigarettes. I have more money for investing and for vacations. I'm going to Florida for christmas this year.

Adam__20000

I heard that it makes you feel ‘full’ somehow which discourages eating but I wouldn’t reccomend it, expensive habit and of course very unhealthy

staleysj487

People often gain weight after quitting smoking because the nicotine cravings are interpreted by the brain in a similar manner to how hunger is interpreted. This means that often times, people who have just quit smoking are tricked into thinking they are hungry when in reality it is just their body craving nicotine, and the brain misunderstanding this signal. This is in addition to people often trying to replace smoking with another oral stimulant such as popsicles, chewing gum, sunflower seeds, etc. which is replacing a 0 calorie intake (cigs) with a caloric intake. So yes, people do often gain weight after smoking but it is because of a higher food/calorie intake and not because of less cigarettes. My advice as a former smoker who did not gain weight after quitting is to be conscious of this in the days and weeks after quitting. You will notice that certain triggers during the day where you would normally smoke (getting in a car, for example), you may suddenly feel a hunger pang. Just know that this is actually a nicotine craving, and to be safe don't have food readily available in these environments. The nicotine cravings will pass within a few minutes each time.

As for losing weight while smoking, I can only imagine this is due to the fact that cigarettes increase your resting heart rate being that they are a stimulant, which may have some indirect correlation to your BMR and TDEE. It also acts as a hunger suppressant for the same reason as stated above. Since the brain processes food cravings and nicotine cravings similarly, often times smokers will feel a sense of hunger but instead of having a snack, they will smoke a cigarette and that craving may then be considered satisfied by the brain temporarily.

Regardless, just quit smoking.