Quitting smoking and weight gain...

angelbaby52585
angelbaby52585 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to quit smoking. I do not want to gain any of my weight back. If I cut 200 calories from my limit everyday will that help keep the weight off?

Replies

  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
    I think the issue with gaining when you quit is that you might reach for food instead of the cigarette...so you eat more. So I would say just be really careful with tracking...and maybe have lots of veggies to snack on if you just need something in your mouth. Good luck!
  • MtnKat
    MtnKat Posts: 714
    No...probably not if you are eating too few calories (I don't know what your limit is).

    Many people tend to eat when they quit because they are used to having something to do with their hands or they have an oral fixation and need something to do with their mouth. For some, eating is the next best thing.

    When I first quit smoking (it's been almost 5 years now), I used exercise as a means for something to do. Some people chew gum. I knew one guy who would chew on toothpicks; another person ate peppermints (terrible idea if you are trying to lose weight unless you keep it under your calorie count). The point is, each person has their own way of dealing with it.

    When it comes down to it, it's not the smoking that makes a person fat...so quitting will not make someone fat either. Smoking has nothing to do with your calorie counts. It's all about the addiction and finding a better means for your craving than cigarettes (or food).

    Good luck to you and stick with it. I cannot begin to tell you how much better it is when you stop smoking. It is amazing. Trust me when I say the cravings pass in a few moments...some days it takes longer than others....but if you stick with it, they become less and less frequent as time goes by.
  • kazey901
    kazey901 Posts: 33
    It's not quitting that makes a person gain weight.

    Our mouths as smokers need something to keep busy. It's a habit you have to break.
    But most people replace smoking with weight gain.

    You can quit without gaining weight. Eat healthy snacks when the urge comes.

    I quit smoking with no weight gains or developing new habits to replace my smoking.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i quit smoking and traded my cigarettes for exercise. and gum. lots of (sugarfree) gum.

    don't change your diet (assuming you eat healthily), and you should be fine.
  • omgzchristie
    omgzchristie Posts: 3
    I gave up smoking a year ago, and ever since I find I have become obsessed with food! I am always thinking about what I'm going to eat next. When I smoked, I ate a healthy amount but never really concerned myself with food. I wish smoking wasn't bad for you because I really miss it.
  • ilikejam33
    ilikejam33 Posts: 252 Member
    Please read "The easy way to stop smoking" by allen carr. $15 from chapter or amaozn, this small read in a weekend booklet has helped so may people on this site (and around the world) quit smoking and and not gain weight. It is the exact opposite of anything anyone has ever told you and is not preachy, and this is coming from someone who took 5 years of addictions coucelling in school and knows that a book should not work at all, but it has worked for so many since the 80's, myslef included.

    Personally i smoked for over 15 years , and quit many, many times. After reading this book, i quit for good. Aug 10th will be 6 months!

    I also lent this book to 4 people so far who have also quit smoking! without gimmiks, without replacements, and in total honesty it was easy, and continues to be so, unlike any of the other times i quit int he past.

    You can do this :) Congrats on deciding to try.
  • almart007
    almart007 Posts: 71 Member
    1st track when you smoke is it due to stress boredom habit etc.
    2nd take a look at times when smoking is a habit like after eating or driving and begin to do something other thatn smoke or to delay the smoke ie after eating go brush your teeth and add time between eating and smoking.When driving get a little stress ball and use it to keep your hands busy but not both at the same time LOL
    3rd start to exercise i have started walking when i'm feeling stressed and doing some deep breathing exercises then later will have a smoke.
    I hope these hints help I was quit for over 6 months then feel off the wagon. i found that some of the above steps would have helped before i tried to quit I'm working on losing weight and developing healthier habits before i try again so that i will have some back up plans when everything goes to heck and i'm stressing out.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    buy an e-cig..i havent smoked for almost 15 weeks..it still has nicotine, but not all the chemicals..and you can wean off of that, as they have different mg of nicotine levels..i started @ 16 and now down to 8..i gained some back, but i think very little of it was from stopping..good luck
  • 3lisab3
    3lisab3 Posts: 6 Member
    You all are great motivaters!:flowerforyou: I am also trying to quit smoking. I heard that smoking increases your metabolism and when you quit, that slower metabolism is what can cause the weight gain. That being said, I am trying to cut back slowly. When 25% of my goal was loss, I cut back 5 cigarettes (from 1 pack a day to 15 cigarettes). Now that I am at 50% to goal, I am at only 10 cigarettes/day. I am only 10 lbs from dropping to 5 cigarettes/day. If I can do it faster I will but I am struggling with the habit of smoking while on the phone (I go outside..no smoking in the house).
  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
    Nicotine has appetite-suppressing effects; eliminate that, and combine it with your sudden conscious need to do something with your mouth and hands, and it's easy to see why weight gain after quitting smoking is so common.

    Every nicotine addict's experience with treating his or her addiction is different; some people can gradually cut back (or use nicotine gum/patches) and eventually wean themselves off of it, while others have to just stop cold-turkey or they never will. Whether you're presently aware of it or not, your body has become used to doing things a certain way, i.e., with a cigarette in your hand or mouth. Learning to go about your daily life without that ever-present accessory is like going back to an automatic-transmission car after driving stick for years, sometimes decades; at first you're fidgety, feel like there's something missing or that you're somehow forgetting a step even though you're doing everything right, but eventually you re-adjust.

    And you will re-adjust to life without your cigarettes, but it's going to take time, and you will probably gain a little weight in the process. This is just because the quickest and most obvious solution to the dual problems of "I'm hungry" and "I need something to put in my mouth" is "eat something." The shock of drug withdrawal is hard enough on your body without also eating on a caloric deficit. Either fill your home with healthful, low-calorie snacks, or just be prepared to deal with the weight gain.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Another vote for the Easy Way book, I quit cold turkey after reading it after smoking for 20 odd years.

    Regarding weight gain, I am going to be realistic and say that you probably will gain a bit in the short term. The appetitie suppression effects of nicotine and generally decreased heart rate will have an effect, it did with me anyway.

    I wouldn't combat it by restricting calories though, you need nutrients. I'd focus on eating whole, natural, filling foods and let your body adjust naturally rather than forcing it to do something it naturally does not want to (i.e. liberate fat in the face of an energy deficit).

    I would venture that starting to snack on moreish treats instead of smoking will be the biggest thing to be mindful of.

    Having said all that eventually the effects of smoking will be largely gone and you'll feel more active and keen for exercise so the weight will come off naturally coupled with eating well.

    Good luck!
  • Onederchic
    Onederchic Posts: 128 Member
    Please read "The easy way to stop smoking" by allen carr. $15 from chapter or amaozn, this small read in a weekend booklet has helped so may people on this site (and around the world) quit smoking and and not gain weight. It is the exact opposite of anything anyone has ever told you and is not preachy, and this is coming from someone who took 5 years of addictions coucelling in school and knows that a book should not work at all, but it has worked for so many since the 80's, myslef included.

    Personally i smoked for over 15 years , and quit many, many times. After reading this book, i quit for good. Aug 10th will be 6 months!

    I also lent this book to 4 people so far who have also quit smoking! without gimmiks, without replacements, and in total honesty it was easy, and continues to be so, unlike any of the other times i quit int he past.

    You can do this :) Congrats on deciding to try.


    Congrats!!! I too read this book and quit a nasty 21 year, 2 pack a day habit 4 years ago. Best thing I ever did :)
  • kazey901
    kazey901 Posts: 33
    This is how I quit smoking. It's been 3 years this past april since me and my husband both quit.
  • Stowguy2012
    Stowguy2012 Posts: 111
    I'm trying to quit smoking also
  • subcult
    subcult Posts: 262 Member
    Bump since I started again.
  • BlueMacaroniArt
    BlueMacaroniArt Posts: 122 Member
    I still have the app on my phone that tells me I quit smoking 104 days ago and that I have not smoked 2082 cigarettes and have saved $536.12. :) It makes me happy to see the current stats. (quit now app)

    Good luck! I did it at the same time as starting to log my food and it didn't seem to hinder my loss. You can do it!
  • takehimaway
    takehimaway Posts: 499 Member
    If I can do it faster I will but I am struggling with the habit of smoking while on the phone (I go outside..no smoking in the house).

    THIS IS ME!! Right here!! I want to talk to you, so I must have a cigarette in my mouth, because I'm incapable of holding a conversation otherwise!
  • zacksnana
    zacksnana Posts: 3,230 Member
    I quit a month ago and gained zero. I have lost probably 10 pounds since quitting. Just stick with tracking food and you will be fine!
  • pinballwyzard
    pinballwyzard Posts: 6 Member
    I definitely recommend the Alan Carr book. I quit cold turkey (after 10-11 years of smoking) and didn't gain any weight at all. I found the book helpful as it talks about eating and why you eat when you quit smoking. This helped me be really sure that when I ate - it was because I was hungry and not because I was craving a cigarette.
  • Renee2GetFit
    Renee2GetFit Posts: 162 Member
    I'm trying to quit smoking too. I quit last year for about 4 or 5 months and gained 40 lbs. I honestly don't see where I was eating more but I have read that smoking increases your metabolism. Not sure if that's true, but.. Now, i've pretty much dropped that weight and still trying to lose another 40 to get to my goal weight. I might check out that book spoken about earlier in this strand. Good luck to you!
  • flyingpurplemonkey
    flyingpurplemonkey Posts: 105 Member
    Personally, when I quit, I did not gain any weight. It was about the same time I started eating right and exercising, about 2 months ago. I just felt like it was time to become healthy, and time to tackle both issues (and I felt really ridiculous rewarding my exercise efforts with smoking. "The faster you run, the sooner you get home, the sooner you can smoke" is hard to justify even to yourself).

    But the weight seemed to come off fairly quickly, leading me to think that quitting smoking didn't really slow down or prevent weight loss. Just be careful of the habits that you will start to form as you look for new ways to replace it.

    Best of luck, but with the quitting and with weight loss! You're body is definitely going to thank you!
  • joanne51971
    joanne51971 Posts: 22
    hello, im glad i have found this topic! i havent had a cigarette for 6 days now!! i have been using an e-cig which is working ok for me so far! i am still finding it hard but i feel determined to quit for good this time! im staying away from the kitchen cupboards as i dont want to start a habit of picking at food to replace the cigs!! i have worked very hard to lose the weight that i have lost so far and i really dont want to gain any back!! i feel better already when im exercising which is good as it is early days, i really do reccommend the electric cigarette, its really helping me, i have tried so many different things, i have done the gum,patches, the tablets but failed every time!! this time I AM GOING TO DO IT!!! im hoping to get as much support as i can and anyone in the same boat as me then feel free to add me and we can support each other!! :flowerforyou:
  • theMightyAnt
    theMightyAnt Posts: 75
    Another vote for Allen Carr's Easyway (though i did the 1 day course) 15 years of smoking and I stopped just like that.

    Further to what a few people have mentioned above, quitting smoking DOES NOT make you put on weight. (ie: cigarettes don't miraculously make you thin) What can happen is that people replace nicotine cravings with eating.

    EDIT: i thought I would add that while there are some older 'studies' have shown that smoking can increase your metabolic rate this is inconsistent and later larger studies have proved less conclusive.
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/396796-how-much-does-smoking-affect-your-metabolism/

    let us know how you go and if you need any support just shout.
  • Nyranee
    Nyranee Posts: 57
    I quit and gained but mainly because I started eating more and wrong in substitution to the former cigarettes. But you know what, I don't mind it any second. I took my time to stop and gain and now I take the time to finalise the way to a healthier me (non-smoking, active, balanced eating).

    Everything has it's time and I allow that time.

    However I am convinced if you monitor your food intake and do sport you shouldn't gain too much.

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