Quitting Smoking

lorigrocks

So...now that I am in a routine of exercising and losing weight (only 4 more pounds to go) I would like to quit smoking!! I have quit in the past and gaining weight was my worst enemy. But at the same time when I quit the last time I was not working out or watching my weight so...this time around I am hoping I can do it and not gain anything. Has anyone had a similar experience with quitting smoking, working out and staying within your calories, etc. if so, were you still able to maintain your weight or did you end up gaining anyways?

denverheather

Congratulations on a healthy decision to prolong your life! I have quit 3 times, this last time was it (each of the previous times had approximately 5 years of no cigarettes-this time 8 years and counting). There may be some weight gain if you are not careful, however if your hand to mouth cravings are replaced with lemon water, carrot sticks, Celery sticks, a quick walk, a piece of gum, etc. you will not see the weight gain to an extreme. Be careful about craving carbs in place of the cigs (especially yummy cupcakes, cookies, soda, etc) that will taste so much better with your smoke free taste buds. Good luck! hang in, it gets easier each day and for those real hard times...BRUSH your TEETH!

Becre8tive

Well...I can answer your question, but you won't like it :sad:

I gained a lot of weight and thought it was only me. I didn't understand what was happening. Giving up smoking is hard, it's a pain in the behind. Smoking is an addiction, it's not just a bad habit. It takes will power and discipline. You can't just have "one" you have to give it up for good; no questions asked.

I used an online support forum when I quit (not sure if I am allowed to mention it here, but you can find it my profile). I was relieved when I learned that it wasn't just me. Almost everybody gained weight. Quitting smoking was just more important!

Now, well now I feel like I have super powers and can do anything. Losing the weight that I gained will be a walk in the park :-) (sorry but that's how I feel)

janinelambiase

I have no advice, but it's my same goal. I quite before (with the help of e-cigarettes) and now where I am in my routine I like to try again. I know its not gonna be easy, but as further I am into my calorie/fitness plan as more confident I feel about it.

janinelambiase

I read somewhere that smoking can also block your weight loss and your metabolism will increase once you stop.

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sargessexyone

I started using an e-cig a month ago. It's going really well. No weight gain and every time I buy e-juice I get the next level down of nicotine so I can wean myself off.

ndrmom

I am the opposite. I quit smoking 8 months ago. It was SO hard, and I gained 14 pounds. BUT - I don't care. I am certain that if I cared about the weight gain at the time... I might not have been successful at my quit. I waited until NOW (this week) when I am 100% confident in my quit...to start to lose my 14lbs. Wish me luck :-)

PS. you CAN quit smoking. I do NOT recommend nic replacement..it just prolonges the inevitable - GOOD LUCK TO YOU - I've never felt better!

ChaplainHeavin

I've quit smoking many times. The last time I quit it has lasted over 31 years. I guess I was the exception to the rule when I quit because I didn't gain weight but actually lost weight and for two reasons:

1) My addiction was so strong that my body revolted against me and I threw up every day for two weeks when I quit.
2) I was so poor at the time all I could afford to buy for food was a bag of potatoes and carrots.

Quitting smoking was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but one of the greatest decisions I've made as well. One of the biggest shocks for me was when a young lady told me, "I'm glad you quit. You don't stink anymore." Now I actually start to get physically sick if I'm around smokers even if they are not smoking. I've heard others who quit say the same thing. And if I can do it, you can too.

StraubreyR

I've quit for four years, using e-cigs. I didn't gain anything at all during the first 2 years. The weight came along after, so I can't blame quitting smoking. But at least I can exercise much easier!

SnuggleSmacks

Yesterday made 4 weeks for me. I have not gained weight, but I haven't lost either. I've stayed conscious of what I'm putting in my mouth, and made sure to have lots of healthy snacks available to satisfy that oral craving. I pre-portioned things like cashews and cheese into little 100 calorie bags, I have baby carrots, black bean hummus, hard-boiled eggs, and I even tried kale chips.

Get lots of low-calorie snacks that you like. If you have the time and a scale, portion them in advance. When you have a craving, go for a walk or run if you can, and if you can't, go brush your teeth. If none of those are options (like sitting at work or whatever) then reach for those healthy snacks.

fowlerly

I quit smoking 3 months ago and I gained about 10 lbs with exercising and watching what I eat. Obviously I didn't watch good enough but I am now starting the journey of losing the weight! Not easy but worth it!

MomTo3Lovez

I am needing to quit smoking myself and worried about the weight gain. I have bought load of trident gum and I just need to get into a mindset and get a plan in my head. The only times I have stopped were the 3 times I was pregnant, as soon as I found out I stopped smoking and it was no problem because I knew my kids health was more important. I was doing so good this last time around and then major stress hit and I buckled and started up again, that was about 10 months ago. My big trigger is stress, most people go for food for comfort I go for a cigarette. And this time is a lot of stress for me (going through a divorce, fighting for custody with someone who hasn't called the kids since christmas eve (go figure) plus dealing withthe soon to be ex inlaws) Glad to know I am not the only one looking for a healthier lifestyle that includes quitting smoking...feel free to add me!

raggiemom

I too am in the process of quitting. I started off with Mar.15th as my quit date. I went for 9 days without a smoke Felt really good about it, and didn't find I was gaining weight because I was being diligent with what I was eating, and meeting my calorie goals. Then I caved and smoked for a couple of days,then quit again. And then a couple of weeks ago, dealing with some stress in my life, I was back smoking, just not as much as before Mar. 15th. I have a quit smoking coach through my health care system, and I get the nicotine patches and inhaler for free. I saw her 5 days ago, and felt really good when I left our meeting. We agreed that maybe I had tried to do too much at the same time....going cold turkey on the smokes and cutting back on comfort foods. So now I'm cutting back on the smokes gradually, limiting myself to 15 a day (down from 25-30). Next week, I will cut back to 10-12, and so on. And the big thing I'm going to do is remember to pat myself on the back for every day I only have 15. I've been good about not beating myself up for a slip up in my eating so I just have to learn to do the same thing with the smoking. I think I can do it now. Wishing you luck with your journey!

SnuggleSmacks

Just keep in mind that even if you do gain a bit, that is MUCH less important than quitting smoking. Smoking is such a huge health risk that quitting should be your very top priority, far above weight management. Any weight you gain can be temporary if you want it to be, it's much easier to lose it later than it is to grow new lungs.

kikityme

Good job! I'm not ready to quit yet, but I applaud anyone else that's doing it!

In Canada your doctor will provide the patch and gum for free. If you gain a few, you gain a few. The good thing is, can't smoke when you're working out!

Bun_Ya

The good thing is, can't smoke when you're working out!

Incorrect. I have smoked while doing chin ups before.

I_Will_End_You

I quit in October using an e-cig and didn't gain any weight.

Barfl86

I quit with Wellbutrin. Helped me a ton. It helped curb my appetite, helped with depression and with quitting to smoke.

janinelambiase

Just keep in mind that even if you do gain a bit, that is MUCH less important than quitting smoking. Smoking is such a huge health risk that quitting should be your very top priority, far above weight management. Any weight you gain can be temporary if you want it to be, it's much easier to lose it later than it is to grow new lungs.

I think we are all WELL aware of that fact!
However, we all decided ( or most of us) that we wanted to work on our weight loss first.
Little Steps, one at a time!

lorigrocks

Thank you so much for all of your responses...I really appreciate it. So I guess I can say that everyone is different some gain and some don't so I'll just have to find out which side I lay on. I am almost ready and will be prepared with lots of low calorie snacks and veggies available. To all of those who have quit smoking way to go...and to all of those who are trying or planning to quit...we can do it :-)

miissalexandria

I started using an e-cig a month ago. It's going really well. No weight gain and every time I buy e-juice I get the next level down of nicotine so I can wean myself off.

My husband is doing the same thing. He's finally down to 1mg. Hopefully he will be done very soon. I've smoked off and on since I was in 8th grade(that's what (can) happens when both your parents smoke I guess) - And I've always just been able to quit but not the same for him. I didn't care much for the E-Cigarettes.

Good luck to you! And stay motivated to quit! It is such a great decision!

SoosannahK

I quit smoking 8 weeks ago after numerous attempts over the past 20+ years. Last summer I quit for 7 weeks (but there was quite a bit of slippage) and my binge eating got out of control and I gained 25-30 lbs. I resumed the smoking because I couldn't handle the weight gain or constant daily binges.

This time around I got my eating under control for the most part before I quit. I tried a trial of Weight Watchers which is a little more lenient in logging food as far as counting calories. I found a medically supervised university study for smoking cessation that I could participate in. They provide my medications and patches and in return I go for visits every so often and submit to saliva nicotine samples, exhaled CO testing and fill out questionnaires about my cravings and such. I feel this made me more accountable because I knew if I slipped and lied it would show up on my test results. I gave myself a week to adjust then started logging everything I ate except for freebie days every so often.

I gained around 8lbs this time, but I quickly lost that when I really got serious with the logging and started a running program. Also in the beginning I was very bloated, had water retention and severe constipation for the first 4-6 weeks. After that started to subside, I felt much better and my clothes fit better. Sometimes it felt like I had gained 20 lbs because of the bloating, BUT THIS DOES GO AWAY!! Do not that scare you away from quitting.

Find something to keep your hands and mouth busy. I worked yarn crafts (knitting and crochet) until I had a knot in my hand. I have chewed my weight in gum and have drank enough water to fill a large lake. Find a hobby that really interest you and learn all you can about it. It is all about distraction and diversion when those cravings hit.

I am much happier now that I have quit. I didn't realize that I wasn't as happy as I could be until after I quit. I have more energy. I want to live a healthier life and do all that I can to get that. I still eat junk and not so great things. I have a sweet every day. It keeps me sane lol. Some days I go over. I am not going to beat myself up over unless it gets out of hand, then we have a problem.

I am now on the lowest dose patch and I am scheduled to come off those and the medication in 2 weeks. If worse comes to worse after I finish the study, I will go buy patches before I buy another cigarette. This time has been much easier, but I can't say it has been a walk in the park. I have had my bad days where I could have eaten a cigarette. Then I have had days I didn't think about it at all. I have had days I forgot to put on my patch and been okay and days where I had to wear two just to get through the day. I seldom think about smoking now, I think about being smoke free more. Sometimes I feel a little lost, kind of like I forgot something. My tech at the uni says this is just another withdrawal thing and that I haven't completely learned how to replace the smokes. But I swear I think at times it just makes me feel scattered brained.

Good luck to you. Trust me, you will be a whole lot happier being a nonsmoker even if those first few weeks/months are a little rough.

ginnybrock

I've just quit (actually I quit in march, took it up again in april and quit again two days ago, so I'm no expert but I'm definitely on the wagon)
I WAS worried about gaining weight, but I read somewhere (can't remember where, sorry, there was a lot of frantic googling leading up to the quit date) that smoking actually hinders your body's ability to gain muscle, so by quitting and working out, you might gain some weight, but the kind we like, juicy muscles! But then there's the other side, where we might be replacing cigarettes with a chocolate bar which, like cigarettes (for us smokers, anyhow), triggers those bits in our brain that make us feel pleasure and reward..we just need to change those things that give us pleasure and reward ourselves in different healthier ways.
Im not fussed about the weight gain thing anymore, much better in the long run to quit, keep exercising and eating well..We'll be able to exercise better and harder and that's gonna keep the weight in check. I think that if we keep saying no to ciggies, we could do nearly anything, because quitting is TOUGH!

Khatastrophic

I'm planning on quitting the next week, so far I've bought an ecig and am weening down from almost a pack a day..
Whenever I think about whether or not I'll gain weight, I try to remind myself that I'll be able to do cardio so much easier without a bunch of junk of in my lungs I'm planning on putting together little bags of veggies to snack on while I'm driving since that's mainly where I light up.. It'll be tough but we can do this!!

GreenIceFloes

I quit smoking about a year ago (had one slip on my birthday in September, but that was it). I had already gotten fat by the time I decided to quit, so quitting didn't make much of a difference in my weight. I replaced the cigarettes with nicotine gum, and got addicted to that instead, which isn't exactly a good thing but definitely better than smoking. I started with about six 4 mg pieces a day, but now I'm down to one 4 mg piece a day, and hope to be completely rid of them in a couple more months. If you do decide to take up nic gum, I advise you to quit that within 3 months or you might end up addicted to those too.
Good luck! :drinker:

Beckilovespizza

I quit in October using an e-cig and didn't gain any weight.

Me too! E-cigs are the way forward. I get some yummy flavours too like cherry and cola, they somehow satisfy sugar cravings... 2 birds with 1 stone

swheart4981

I have tried to quit, and failed MANY TIMES until I got a vape! I personally DO NOT like E-cigs (the kind you buy at gas stations. with cartomizers) I have tried to weening myself off smoking with it, and that is not as easy as spending the money for a vape and not giving yourself any other options. If you crave a cig, VAPE, and it will go away!!! I am LOSING WEIGHT NOT GAINING!!!