I can't lose weigh no matter how hard I try

suggagina

Im not a smoker either but Im gonna echo the others. Portion control is very important, eat plenty of raw and/or steamed vegetables, drink your water requirment and eat 4-5 small meals per day... How that helps. You can do it!!

SLaw4215

I quit smoking in 2005 and even thought I thougth I was really in tuned with my eating {BECAUSE I wanted to make sure I didn't gain weight} but no matter what I did I still gained weight. I don't know if it's a nicotine thing or that I was in some state of denial...I really don't think that I was...but I could not lose weight and continued to gain about 45 pounds. I started MFP in January 2011 and took off 20 pounds in the first 2 months. I've mostly maintained that 20 but not because of the site...because of my own lack of committment and discipline. Keep working at it. Keep adjusting and learning whate works for you. Don't give up. Even if you don't lose pounds...your overall health is improving with every day you don't smoke and every day you exercise and eat right. Sometimes a small change is all that it takes.

Serenifly

Smoking suppresses hunger.. That's why homeless people would rather buy a pack of cigarettes than a burger.

It's 80% diet, 20% exercise. Portion size plays a huge factor, and definitely cutting out processed foods helps too. Processed foods always seem like it's a small portion, but it's always packed with other nasty buggers like high sodium content and lack of real nutritional value. But it sounds like you're pretty much there with the natural and organic.. Are you drinking enough water? Ex-nay the coffee if possible. Coffee will actually make you dehydrated.

Are you feeling hungry ? It could be lack of protein. ...Maybe vitamin deficiencies?

Hope that helps.. Somewhat.

^^ This. I hate to say it but quitting smoking does not make you gain weight. The stuff you put into your mouth instead of cigarettes is what does it.

Quitting smoking does make you gain weight, maybe not everyone, but there are different factors other than food intake that attribute to weight gain post-smoking.

Metabolism crawl, low seratonin levels, depression (and inactivity due to depression), You're a lot more tired, therefor lathargic sometimes. A lot of factors not food related contribute to a lot of quitters weight gain

akarmiloff

WOW, I didn't expect such a warm quick response, I opened my diary up so you guys can get an idea.

julzmm

I stopped smoking june 11th and i have put on 14lb since then. For the last 3 weeks i have been tracking what i have been eating daily and exercising 6 days a week. I have NOT lost any weight yet either.

BUT I have noticed that the top tyre around my belly is going down and i feel a lot healthier!

Yes, I do think it is because you have stopped smoking, but DO NOT give in!

Believe in yourself that you will lose this weight, because if you can manage to stop smoking, then you can do anything! It may take some time, but just think of all the benefits, even with slightly changing your diet or doing some more exercise, you will gain.

Good luck!

Serenifly

^ thank you, for some common sense! *having a nic fit now!* haha

TourThePast

If you aren't controlling your portions, it's just as easy to put on weight when you're eating extremely healthy food.

If your goal is to lose weight, you absolutely need to measure your portions. Fresh fruit, nuts, lean meat, organic cheese and whole grains can contain just as many calories as junk food.

CharlieBarleyMom

Excerpts from Livestrong article:

Smoking and Metabolism
If you smoke, the nicotine in cigarettes increases your metabolic rate. When you smoke a cigarette, your heart beats 10 to 20 times per minute more than the average nonsmoker's. You burn 70 percent of the calories you burn each day while at rest. When you quit smoking, your heartbeat slows, and your metabolism lowers to a more normal rate. So, yes, your metabolism slows when you quit smoking, but it only lowers to a normal rate from an elevated rate.

Avoid Weight Gain
Most weight gain associated with smoking cessation occurs within the first six months. You may lose any weight gained without extra effort -- your metabolism will adjust to the new smoke-free you. But if you want to avoid putting on extra pounds, you can exercise more and eat less during the transition period. You could burn off about 200 calories by walking 40 minutes at a 2 mph pace. You could shave about 200 calories off your daily total by skipping the mayonnaise on a sandwich and pairing it with a piece of fruit instead of a bag of chips.

Edit: Um, ex-smoker here... May 2, 2009 was my first day nicotine free... Yes, I put on weight - about 15 pounds - but didn't start gaining until after the first 6 months (depression!). So, yes, you can lose it again!

aliciarenee79

I quit smoking 7/9 of this year and have lost 18 lbs since then. Instead of replacing cigs with food I have replaced them with exercise. In the beginning I probably exercised 3 hours a day sometimes lol.

You can do this! I put off quitting for years for fear of gaining.

akarmiloff

Excerpts from Livestrong article:

Smoking and Metabolism
If you smoke, the nicotine in cigarettes increases your metabolic rate. When you smoke a cigarette, your heart beats 10 to 20 times per minute more than the average nonsmoker's. You burn 70 percent of the calories you burn each day while at rest. When you quit smoking, your heartbeat slows, and your metabolism lowers to a more normal rate. So, yes, your metabolism slows when you quit smoking, but it only lowers to a normal rate from an elevated rate.

Avoid Weight Gain
Most weight gain associated with smoking cessation occurs within the first six months. You may lose any weight gained without extra effort -- your metabolism will adjust to the new smoke-free you. But if you want to avoid putting on extra pounds, you can exercise more and eat less during the transition period. You could burn off about 200 calories by walking 40 minutes at a 2 mph pace. You could shave about 200 calories off your daily total by skipping the mayonnaise on a sandwich and pairing it with a piece of fruit instead of a bag of chips.

Edit: Um, ex-smoker here... May 2, 2009 was my first day nicotine free... Yes, I put on weight - about 15 pounds - but didn't start gaining until after the first 6 months (depression!). So, yes, you can lose it again!

Thank you for that, that is pretty much what I had been looking for. I had heard from various sources that quitting smoking actually messes with your endocrine system.
I really can't say that I'm eating more, in fact I eat less now, and move much more, because I have more energy. If anything I used to eat more when I smoked, and the food was definitely less healthy, because when you're putting nasty cigarettes in your mouth you don't care about the purity of your food.
I appreciate your input