metabolism question

dawn66

Can anyone help me with a metabolism question?
In September I quit smoking, I was prepared to gain some weight, which I did. 13 pounds. In December , after maintaining that weight for about a month, I joined this web site. Well it has been five months now, and I have only lost 1 pound. I am watching my intake of food, working out at the gym 1 - 3 times per week, bike riding once a week, using a bosu ball 1-2 times per week. And then throw in a walk here and there and also using my treadmill. After doing some reading today , I read that when you quit smoking you metabolism goes back to normal instead of too high. So now Im a little worried, is mine that slow that I am just not ever going to be able to loose any weight. I am frustrated but in no way ready to give up. Does anyone have any suggestions or gone through this? Any help would be so greatly appreciated. I have been at the gym for just over a month. My last weigh in there, I had gained no muscle weight and had actually gained .1 of fat weight. And no my clothes do not feel any looser....
Thanks
Dawn

dawn66

Can anyone help me with a metabolism question?
In September I quit smoking, I was prepared to gain some weight, which I did. 13 pounds. In December , after maintaining that weight for about a month, I joined this web site. Well it has been five months now, and I have only lost 1 pound. I am watching my intake of food, working out at the gym 1 - 3 times per week, bike riding once a week, using a bosu ball 1-2 times per week. And then throw in a walk here and there and also using my treadmill. After doing some reading today , I read that when you quit smoking you metabolism goes back to normal instead of too high. So now Im a little worried, is mine that slow that I am just not ever going to be able to loose any weight. I am frustrated but in no way ready to give up. Does anyone have any suggestions or gone through this? Any help would be so greatly appreciated. I have been at the gym for just over a month. My last weigh in there, I had gained no muscle weight and had actually gained .1 of fat weight. And no my clothes do not feel any looser....
Thanks
Dawn

beep

I got this from About.com. I know it's a chunk to read, but it may answer your questions. Stopping smoking definitely slows your metabolism....... Read on.... and good luck.


What can I do to avoid gaining weight when I quit smoking?
There are a number of choices you can make to minimize weight gain:

Exercise
Because quitting smoking slows the metabolism, getting some form of daily exercise is very important. To combat excess weight, shoot for at least a half hour of exercise, 5 days a week. It doesn't have to be a high intensity aerobic workout - a brisk 30 minute walk around your neighborhood will work wonders. Exercise is also a great way to beat cravings to smoke. If you're having a bad day, get out for a walk. It'll clear your mind and improve your attitude.

Have healthy snacks on hand!
Put snacks together ahead of time so that when the munchies hit, you've got good food choices within easy reach:
vegetable sticks - celery, carrot
94% fat free popcorn
sunflower seeds in the shell
Water - drink lots of it!
hard candies to suck on
fresh fruit
fat free yogurt
herbal teas
hot cocoa made with nonfat milk
frozen grapes
fat free fudgecicles
If you're concerned about weight gain, do yourself a favor and remove tempting, high fat foods from your home. Don't have a chocolate cake on the counter begging you to cut a slice! If you have an intense craving for a hot fudge sundae, it's better to go out and have one at a restaurant than it is to keep all of the ingredients to make it on hand in the house.

Avoid drinking alcohol
Not only is alcohol high in calories, it can be a huge trigger to smoke. For many people, smoking and drinking go together like a hand in a glove. Avoid the empty calories in alcohol, but more importantly, don't put yourself at risk of relapse by drinking early in your quit.

One thing at a time
Many people quit smoking and decide it's time to clean their lives up in other areas as well. That's great, but be careful. If you try to do too many self-improvement projects at once, you run the risk of failing at all of them.

Keep these things in mind:
Be good to yourself. Quitting tobacco is a huge accomplishment, and you should reward yourself for your progress often. Don't underestimate the magnitude of what you are doing!
Be patient. Quitting smoking is a process over time. It doesn't happen overnight, but in comparison to the number of years most of us smoked, recovery from this addiction is short. Give yourself the time you need to heal.
Accept yourself. You are a wonderful person just as you are right now!
If you gain a few pounds while going through the process of quitting tobacco, so be it. The benefits will affect your life as well as those who love you in more ways than you can imagine. You can quit smoking without gaining a lot of weight. Don't let the fear of weight gain keep you chained to an addiction that will kill you, given the chance.
Weight can be lost, lungs cannot.