Quitting smoking and losing weight..

conniecal

If I quit smoking 10 weeks ago, and I am not losing weight, or gaining weight, am I ahead of the game?

Fairysoul

I would say your doing great!! I gained 25 pounds when I quit smoking.. and it has yet to come off, years later!

johnnya2

Impossible to answer that question, BUT smoking is more deadly than any other thing you can legally put in your body for most people. If you are 900 pounds and smoked one cigarette a month, you are not doing well. If you smoked 3 packs a day and are 10 pounds over weight, you are doing fantastic.

Hellbent_Heidi

No gaining is an accomplishment in itself...Way to Go! The losing will start once your body is adjusted again.

I'm hoping to join the "quitters club" again myself one of these days. Quit for 9 months in 2009, but my husband and I both started again after a friend's suicide and putting our dog down (within days of each other). Lame excuse, I know, but now we both want to lose weight before we quit again.....its embarrassing to be killing ourselves in the gym, then getting out and lighting up.

PlunderBunneh

I always just assumed it was a habit-replacement that caused people to gain weight when quitting smoking, you know, satisfying the nicotine craving with food, or lack of the appetite suppression that smoking gives some people.
Is there more to it than that?
I'd love to know...I've dramatically cut back my smoking (from 8-10 cigarettes a day to 2-3) since I started working out, and feel like I'm on the world's most preemptive plateau, with losing only a pound or two every four weeks.

tebumgarner

Yes! Every time I quit smoking, I would gain 5-10 lbs. I would start smoking again, and not lose anything (of course). Over the course of a few years, this looked like an extra 25 pounds! So, you are doing great! This last time, I started running right after quitting (about a year ago) and I didn't gain! Also, running has been the best thing to keep me off of them long term so far. Knowing that I have to run the next day, I know my lungs will kick my butt if I smoke!

Congrats on the quitting! That's a huge accomplishment! One of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, even harder than losing that 25 pounds again.

dogwhisperette

WONDERFUL JOB! Quitting smoking is tough, been there, done that and will be re-doing it! ugh. That is one of the reason I have joined MFP. Wanted to start focusing on health issues and fitness while preparing to quit. Everyone says they gained so much weight since quitting that it scares me. Your story confirms that it doesn't have to be that way. No weight gain after 10 weeks? AWESOME! You really motivated me, thank you! Keep up the great job and I hope I can.....no I WILL do as well as you!

floshideaway

You are ahead of the game because you quit smoking and you are on MFP. I quit myself August 4th of 2010, at that time I had about 20lbs to loose. Because of quitting I did not start dieting and figured everything would be OK I could maintain the weight till I feel absolutely sure my "no smoking" was under control. Well I was wrong, by June 3rd of this year my weight had plumetted to 198. Rude awakening, the Wii came out of hiding, and the decision of changing my eating habits was made. I did not know MFP last year otherwise I would have used it and probably not gain all that weight. It is amazing how calories add up when you are true to yourself and add everything single morsel going into your mouth.
Do not get discourage, your body needs to adjust to the healthy you (no smoking), it can take a few months but at least you can control what you eat and not overeat. Make sure you include some kind of exercise to boost your metabolism.
I have so far lost almost 40lbs and aiming to lose another 20. If I can do it, you can to. Good luck and congratulations on your decision to kick the smoking habit

ljloran

I'm in the exact same boat! Quit smoking 5 weeks ago this Thursday. I'd been gradually losing weight up until that time, but that stopped, which is part of the reason why I'm here also. Think it'll be a good place to get going again.

conniecal

Hang in there.....don't smoke! I have quit at least 10 times in the last 15 years, and being on MFP has helped me to not pack on the pounds.