Gaining on a deficit for 3 weeks after quitting smoking

Phoenix_Angel

i understand I probably have a little water gain but really it can't all be water. When I quit smoking I was about 114 lbs. 3 weeks later I am 117.4. I have steadily gained weight. It's getting ridiculous. I should be around 111 lbs by now but no, I'm up 6.4 lbs. I thought it wasn't possible for your metabolism to slow that badly. According to all this I am burning a mere 500 calories a day without exercise!!! So my metabolic rate dropped 66%?!? I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I'm getting so frustrated. I've been eating healthy and working out over 2 hours a day, sometimes 3 or 4!! Nothing is working . I don't want to have to lower my net calories to 500, but what am I supposed to do? I wait and wait for the scales to start dropping again but they only get bigger and sometimes I feel like I'm starving myself for nothing. Please don't preach about starvation mode. I already know allll about that and if u know something more about carrying 8% additional water weight please go in detail cause I know about that too. I just don't understand how it's possible to carry that much extra water. I don't even feel bloated so I'm even more confused. I am the same weight I was when I started MFP about 1.5 months ago.

Helloitsdan

Do you lift weights?
How much sodium have you had the past few days?
Are you under any stress?
Do you sleep 6-9 hours a night?

ginamarieclark126

muscle gain?

Phoenix_Angel

Do you lift weights?
How much sodium have you had the past few days?
Are you under any stress?
Do you sleep 6-9 hours a night?

I lift about 3 times a week heavy, usually takes about 30 min each. My sodium hasn't changed. I occasionally go slightly over but usually stay in the green. I am under a great deal of stress. And I sleep an average of 2 hours a day longer than I did before I quit. (from 6 hrs to 8 hrs)

Phoenix_Angel

muscle gain?

Haha if it's just muscle I could live with that but I don't think girls can gain more than 1/2 lb in a week unless ur a superfreak. But thats just a hypothesis. They kinda need to do more studies on how much muscle we can gain a week drug free.

motherbetty

I never had a weight issue until I quit smoking. That being said, it is possible to reset your metabolism and retrain your body - you just have to keep on keeping on. Hang in there, keep eating right and exercising. It will pay off but you will have to be patient. Good luck.

smartin9912

Same thing happed to me....have you had your thyroid checked I went through the same thing and I have hypothyroid issues. Have you read how nicotene affects your body its kind of like caffine, Your body may still be withdrawing from nicotine as well.

mmarin81

First time I quit I gained alot of weight as well. Here is a small article that can explain why.

http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/weightgain/a/weightgainquit.htm

BlueMacaroniArt

Did you quit smoking all at once or are you using a supplement of some sort (patch or drug) - Just wondering if it was all at once if it maybe shocked your body a bit and it may even back out once it recovers??? Just a thought.

DterMined2012

I gained about 5-6 lbs when I quit smoking...started dieting, MFP, took me at least 2 months to kick in to losing mode....it was tough....had to give up diet soda, cut way back on the sodium...your metabolism slows down (known fact), just don't give up....be sure to drink PLENTY of water! good luck

CaseRat

Sounds like you're not eating enough.
And it's not muscle gain. Even pro muscle builders couldn't put on 6.4lbs of muscle in 3 weeks. Nobody could. It's physically impossible. 2-3 months, maybe. But that's if you're eating well above your maintenance calories and lifting heavy.

You may need to consume more calories if:
1. You exercise regularly (4+ times per week), strength train 2-3 times per week, and are on a calorie-restricted diet, but you do not consume the minimum calories plus most or all of the calories you burn through exercise
2. You consume less than 1200 at least once a week
3. You consume less than 1500 calories most days of the week
4. You regularly consume fewer calories than your BMR (basal metabolic rate)
5. You have headaches, lethargy, aches, and/or lack of concentration

Phoenix_Angel

Same thing happed to me....have you had your thyroid checked?

No I havent but that's a great thing to look into. I personally don't see doctors but I'll check out the symptoms online and see how people deal with it if they have thyroid issues.

bobie1978

I have quit also (7 months). Give your body time to get use to the changes from not smoking. I gained about 10 pounds back and haven't been able to get off the extra weight yet. Great job on quitting!

smartin9912

great article!

Smoking increases metabolism slightly:•Smoking burns up to 200 calories a day in a heavy smoker
•Because smoking burns calories, metabolism is boosted (increased) slightly
•Nicotine is an appetite suppressant
When you quit smoking, a gain of between 5 and 10 pounds during the first few months of cessation is normal. If your eating habits have remained the same as they were when you smoked, you can easily shed this small gain with a brisk, 30 minute walk daily.

Why do I want to eat more?
Smoking cessation throws our bodies into shock initially. Increased appetite is a side effect of quitting tobacco for most people. One or more of the following reasons may be at play:•Cigarettes as an appetite suppressant
Smokers often avoid between meal snacking by lighting up. Nicotine is a stimulant, and may also interfere with the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin controls glucose levels in the blood. When this function is blocked, a person will become slightly hyperglycemic, and as a result, the body and brain may slow down the hormones and other signals that trigger feelings of hunger.
•Food as a replacement for smoking
Early on in a person's quit, the urge to smoke is frequent and uncomfortable. It's natural to look for something to ease the discomfort, and food is often used as a replacement. Not only does it fill the void left by the cigarette, food can be an emotional comfort, easing the pain of withdrawal.
Studies have shown that women are at greater risk than men for returning to smoking as a way to avoid weight gain. Understanding what happens to our bodies when we quit smoking, and what we can do to alleviate discomforts in constructive ways that do not involve weight gain will help you stay on track.

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.

Healthy Snacks
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 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 Challenge at a Time
People who quit smoking often 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 points 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

fmbomzo

Don't fret it. I've "gained" 3 lbs overnight and then lost it the next day. From what you posted, you estimated you should weigh 111 right now considering your caloric intake and burn, but if that wasn't your actual weight at some point since you started monitoring, then you're not actually 6lbs up. Either way, 3-6 lbs gain can still be reasonably attributed to cortisol from sleep deprivation or other stresses. It takes the body a while to recover. Or hormones or metabolic adjustment. I gain 3 lbs during my time of the month easily. I can gain 3 lbs from eating sodium in the Chinese food from the night before. I can gain 3 lbs from a strenuous strength training session. If my muscles feel sore, then I can guarantee I'm holding a few lbs of water.

You're good. Let your body adjust to the changes you're making. Find ways to relieve your stress. Do you incorporate yoga into your workouts? Try that a few days a week. Stress kills and stress can add pounds.

You'll be fine. Congratulations on your decision to stop smoking. That will help tremendously in your overall health.

FlaxMilk

Your body releases toxins for quite a while after you quit smoking. I got a sore on my gums a good seven months later. I'm not sure if that could be contributing. I would try boosting your good sources of potassium foods for a few days and see if that helps.

The O2 Diet has a four day cleanse you can find on google that does a really good job of flushing excess water.

dhakiyya

Well done on quitting smoking that's great

Healthy bones and muscles are heavier than unhealthy ones. Gains in muscle weight is not necessarily muscle tissue (you're right women can't grow new muscle tissue quickly or easily) but it could be gains in muscle glycogen. Also you may have gained bone mass, i.e. stronger, denser bones. Best way to check if you're gaining fat is to measure your waist, although even that could be bloating or water weight rather than fat. The main reason why people put on weight after quitting smoking is because of uncontrolled snacking (i.e. replacing one habit with another) but if you're sticking to your calorie limits then it's not that.

Quitting smoking is going to be making your body healthier, that means you'll be absorbing nutrients better, that's why I'm wondering about bone mass and muscle glycogen. Also your blood will be carrying more oxygen and less carbon monoxide, which means all your cells will be getting a better oxygen supply. Your whole body will be functioning better now, and as I said, healthier means heavier for everything except body fat. IMO the best goal for health is to try to be as heavy as you can at a particular dress size. If you're putting on fat you will get bigger as the fat is stored under your skin, or between your abdominal organs (visceral fat, the worst kind for health) - if you're gaining weight and staying the same size then it's not fat you're gaining. Even if you get a bit bigger it could be water retention or intestinal bloating (which you'd fix by checking what you're eating, e.g. not too much sodium, checking you're not intolerant to any food (intolerance leads to bloating amongst other problems).

If you're absolutely sure it's fat gain, then keep your calories the same and do a little more exercise/activity each day.

Rocbola

Are you under any stress?

I am under a great deal of stress.

First off, GREAT JOB for quitting smoking!!!!

About the stress, that will make you gain. Find a way to relax, find something fun to do, find something to laugh at, even a funny movie, etc. If the stress if from your recent decision to quit smoking, than roll with the punches. That stress will turn into pride soon enough, and the weight will come right back off.

Phoenix_Angel

Did you quit smoking all at once or are you using a supplement of some sort (patch or drug) - Just wondering if it was all at once if it maybe shocked your body a bit and it may even back out once it recovers??? Just a thought.

Yeah I used the patch for 2 weeks then went cold turkey

princessage117

I don't really have advice for you, sorry, but I wanted to say congrats on quitting smoking!!

Aes37850

Try getting a multivitamin. Something like one-a-day women's active metabolism. Maybe there are some nutrients you need to help kick start your metabolism. Or maybe try a cleanse to try and get some of those toxins out of you! Don't give up. Great job on quitting!