Stopped smoking, gained weight and ready to start again!!
sarahdangar
Posts: 43 Member
I stopped smoking about 8 1/2 months ago. My biggest fear and the thing stopping me for many years was gaining weight. I stopped smoking and started here to manage my weight. I was doing ok, I had gained about 2 Kg but was coping with it and loving the fact I can now run and am healthier. Now, suddenly, I have gained ANOTHER 2kg, my eating habits haven't really changed, nor my ex regime. I am trying hard to get it off without becoming too obsessional (which I can be, and can get dangerous), but nothing is moving just more gains. I hate the way I look and feel - nothing fits. People say it only 4kg/8lbs ish etc but to me it is horrendous, I feel terrible and awful for it. All I want to do is start smoking again to get this weight off, but the thought of actually smoking is awful too!! I really feel at a bit of a crossroads and feel myself spiralling emotionally. Has anyone else been here??
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Replies
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Umm, don't smoke to lose weight. Smoking has many negative effects. You may need to change other aspects of your life (eating habits, exercise, strength training) but smoking is not a good idea.0
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I know that, I stopped smoking for a reason. I'm looking for some positive input from people who have been a similar position and have come out of the other side.0
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Hi Sarah! I've been gaining weight over the past 2 years after moving from an active freelance life to a desk job, AND I quit smoking about 5 months ago, so I feel your pain! An extra 8lbs is definitely better for you than smoking but gaining weight is definitely no fun. I have started to drink a lot of green tea, I find this really helps control my appetite a bit as well as helping me cope with stress. Also you can definitely push harder in your workouts than you could as a smoker, hopefully this will help you burn off some of those pounds.
No matter what though, congrats!! You have really saved yourself the past year and you should be proud! Don't stop celebrating the success of quitting smoking, that is a MAJOR achievement! For me the only way I could do it was to buy myself lots of presents, stuff like perfume to celebrate that I had my sense of smell back again.
Good luck! 0 -
Oh My dear friend please don't start smoking again.I know how frustrating it is to put that weight on from quitting. But you have quit for over 8 months! Don't throw that all away for 8lbs. You are my inspiration to not smoke, you are one of my first friends I made on MFP when I first started and posted my smoking topic. I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS, WITHOUT CIGARETTES!!!! you don't need to start smoking again to lose that weight just keep trying and never give up. Maybe go for a run every time you think of smoking. Stop and think back of how hard it was to quit the first time around, do you want to go through that again?
You have accomplished something that so many smokers try to do and never accomplish. Remember that when you think of starting again, be proud that you can say you have quit. I know you can lose the weight and not smoke, I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!:bigsmile:
STAY STRONG YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!0 -
The nicotine monster in your head is trying to convince you that it is the only solution to your problems. Believe it and give in to it and it will be laughing at you. Giving up smoking and staying off cigarettes for ever is one of the best decisions a person can make. It's just below the decision to never start smoking. I always found it diffcult to stop smoking until 2 years ago when I had a heart attack. Never smoked since, never craved a cigarette since. However, thatt's an aid to quitting I don't recommend.
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Been there and have the t-shirt (only it doesn't fit anymore..) , this was a good few years ago now but I'd lost a load of weight then a bit further down the line stopped smoking as well... And piled half the weight back on, started smoking again and for a while the weight gain stopped.. Then it started creeping on again, but I really wanted to kick the cigs, so stopped again. Put the rest of what I'd lost back on (and some more).. Crawled bak with my tail between my legs to the ciggies once more and there I stayed until recently..
There isn't an easy answer, but I do think you need to find something/anything to take the place of the ciggies but it can't be anything deep fried :-| - at the moment I'm on one of those rechargeable e-cigs , not ideal but "better" than the real thing..
As someone who's told themselves in the past that it's the smokes that stop me putting on weight, and to some extent it might have some truth behind it, please don't start again, it's too easy, and once it's got you again it's twice as hard to stop.. (Saying no to a doughnut is much easier than saying no to one of those little glowing sticks of pleasure)0 -
I took up knitting to keep my hands busy. It didn't help.
Basically it sucks big time.
But after 2 years and better healthier gums it's worth it.
It was either smoking or keeping my teeth.
I chose my teeth.
And I'm working on the food thing.0 -
I quit smoking right around the same time you did, in Feb '12. I was already very overweight and when I quit another 20lbs jumped on pretty quick, putting me at the highest weight I'd ever been. Believe me, I had considered smoking again to get that 20lbs off. I know though, that it wouldn't help. I started an improved diet and excercize 2 months ago and have so far lost that 20lbs plus a few more. At his point, if I smoked again, my lung fuction would decrease so much so fast I would loose all my gains. I am currently almost finished with c25k and have a 5k scheduled in 2 weeks. As a smoker, I wouldn't have been able to WALK the darned thing, never mind run it.
If we stick it out, it will get better. Promise. I had quit once for 5 years and fell off the wagon (dumbest thing I ever did) so I know for a fact it gets better.0 -
Thank you all for your posts - sometimes just knowing you're not alone makes everything that bit more manageable. I WILL NOT smoke again and I WILL lose the weight. I just have to accept it might not be a quick as I think!! Huge thank you to your all - means a lot to have support xx0
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I hear you. I just quit smoking 6 weeks ago and already I have gained 10 lbs. I am freaking out, its back to calorie counting for me.0
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Hi, I have stopped smoking and i'm at the end of my 4th week. I wish i could be in your position now at 8mths. I have been trying to lose weight since the beginning of the year after putting on lots of weight the last time i stopped smoking! Here i am again trying to give up and lose the weight from the last time and trying not to put on weight this time round. Please don't go back to smoking as you will end up right back at the start like me!
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Hi, I have stopped smoking and i'm at the end of my 4th week. I wish i could be in your position now at 8mths. I have been trying to lose weight since the beginning of the year after putting on lots of weight the last time i stopped smoking! Here i am again trying to give up and lose the weight from the last time and trying not to put on weight this time round. Please don't go back to smoking as you will end up right back at the start like me!
Good luck Kate, I know I should be grateful - I am trying to just be proud of the now nearly 9 months not smoking. Always here for support if you need it. Even today, after nearly 9 months, I had a massive craving that nearly made me cry, But, we cannot give in!!0 -
Nothing tastes as good as not giving a sht feels.0
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I quit smoking cold turkey in February of this year. I don't even remember the exact date because I just decided to do it and then I did it. Same with getting ridiculously fit. I decided to do it. Then I did it.
The point is this. Decide what you're going to do, then go do it.
End of story.0 -
Starting smoking again will not make you lose the weight you've gained since quitting. I tried.
Smoke free for 2+ years and at my lowest weight in 6+ years thanks to diet and exercise.0 -
I smoked for 22-23yrs (not sure really) and have been trying to lose weight since January 2012 with NO results at ALL. I was scared to quit smoking b/c I feared not losing weight but FINALLY in the first week of October 2012 I was fed up with NOT LOSING weight and figured if I CAN'T lose while smoking - I will just quit smoking FINALLY and THEN worry about losing weight b/c if I waited til I lost all of the weight before quitting like I originally planned I might NEVER quit. :grumble:
Sorry I start rambling - :blushing: but to end this ramble - I quit smoking the first week of October and I have now started losing - Weird? Yes, but for me that is how it happened...I am definitely happier now. Smoke free for almost 4wks and have lost 3.6lbs during that time.:drinker:
It's mind over matter - I still crave a cigarette at times b/c of the habit but it passes very quickly and I keep myself busier than before b/c I am NOT sitting around smoking anymore which may be what has helped me start to lose.
For me the HARDEST addiction to get over is SMOKING - so if you can get over that then you can definitely lose weight b/c for some that is an addiction as well. Good luck to you!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!:flowerforyou:
Friend me if you like!!:flowerforyou:0 -
I don't know what you need to tweak in your routine, but I can tell you this. My daughter re-started smoking (upsetting!) partially for the same reason: gaining weight. She said she never got that heavy when she was a smoker. Now she's a smoker again, and guess what? She gained a little more weight, too.0
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my 2 cents...
one demon at a time... work on the quitting smoking,... if that means that you have to eat anything that's not nailed down for 30 days or so, have at it. once your confident that you've tackled that nicotine demon... turn around and kick the weight thing..
in moderation of course, eat carrots, fruit, hell if candy helps you out some from not smoking then go for it (within reason) but tackle one at a time, and smoking is the biggie on the front line, that one will keep you from doing anything else. LUCK!!!
my 1 year of quitting is Oct 31, and I've lost 70+ lbs since I've started 10 months ago... keep fighting, it does get easier.0 -
//double post//0
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Being overweight isn't exactly healthy - but it's less damaging, and easier to reverse, than smoking. Smoking a cigarette is putting over 2,000 chemicals into your body, which attack every part of your body - not just your lungs, etc. Tar build up takes longer to get rid of than fat! Eat healthy, get moving, and don't let weight gain be an excuse to start smoking again. Hope it'll all work out!0
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Oh yes, I am there too. I quit smoking (after smoking for 20 years) eight months ago, and I gained about the same as you...6-8 lbs. I've always been a good exerciser, but an overeater. I cannot tell you how much this site has helped me. Just writing down what I eat really helped me to look at what I was eating, and the mindless snacking has come to a halt. I can't say that I'm doing great, but I'm doing MUCH better, and the weight is slowly coming off. I really have no desire to ever smoke again since both my parents died of lung cancer, but I do want to drop some of this weight. I'm in no hurry, and I'm hoping slow and steady wins this race.
Hang in there, and do your best, and you will get there. I know it's tempting to start smoking again, but trust me, lung cancer is an awful death...I watched it twice and it broke my heart . 0 -
The idea that smoking will help you in any way is only an illusion and will only hinder your progress in the long run.
In 2006, I had lost some weight and gained a little back. After 6 months of dieting, I was feeling a little burned out and had the brilliant idea to start smoking again, even though I hadn't smoked in about 5 years. And yes, I lost weight. Fast-forward to 2011. I had regained the weight and was smoking about a pack a day. So I quit smoking last July, gained 10 pounds and joined MFP in December. I have since lost 22 pounds through diet and exercise. I still crave cigarettes from time to time (don't know if that ever goes away completely), but it will be a cold day in hell before I start smoking again.0 -
I could sure use some motivation, suggestions or maybe a 'kick in the pants'. I quit smoking in August 2012. I smoked a pack a day for 30 years. I am still not smoking...but I REALLY WANT TO....
I have gone from size 6 to size 16, I have gone from 120 to 154 pounds. I am binge eating and I am so disgusted at myself--especially since I joined MFP on Jan 2011 at 154 and went to 120 - by August 2011.
Why am I having such a diffiicult time, this time, starting my diet, exercise and healthy eating.0 -
I could sure use some motivation, suggestions or maybe a 'kick in the pants'. I quit smoking in August 2012. I smoked a pack a day for 30 years. I am still not smoking...but I REALLY WANT TO....
I have gone from size 6 to size 16, I have gone from 120 to 154 pounds. I am binge eating and I am so disgusted at myself--especially since I joined MFP on Jan 2011 at 154 and went to 120 - by August 2011.
Why am I having such a diffiicult time, this time, starting my diet, exercise and healthy eating.0 -
The first time I quit smoking, I lost weight. I replaced smoking with daily morning walks and healthier foods. It was great.
However, after a year, I started smoking again. Ugh.
So, three years later, I have quit again. I already log my calories and exercise and all that good stuff.
Nothing could have prepared me for the uncontrollable sugar cravings.
I think I have it under control now, but I've gained a few pounds. I'm trying not to stress too much, because I know I'll lose it again and I'm better off in the long run, but it still sucks!0 -
i quit smoking on dec 15th.. its been 6 weeks.. i have gained 10 lbs... i know how you feel.. i have battled eating disorders most of my life.. i started doing weight watchers today and excercising... a client of mine told me about this site so i am trying it... dont start smoking... it is too hard to quit.. hang in there u can do it..!!!0
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Carrots.
I buy a kilo or two at a time, peel and cut them up into batons which I keep in the fridge. I didn't really like them to start with, either!
They are my go to when I want to smoke/eat something - satisfyingly crunchy, take a while to get through, low calorie and also quite sweet which helps with sugar cravings.
Also drinking a lot of water and herbal tea.0 -
Hi there! I feel your pain!!! Almost a month and going strong.... But you can do this!! Just think about how amazing eating clean is and how much better a lovely fruit salad tastes then a mouth full of tobacco 0
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Thanks to everyone for their support and words of encouragement. I am not smoking, and I have curbed my bing eating a bit.
Now, just trying to get motivated to a healthier lifestyle of exercise and eating right. Late night snacking is a problem.
Thanks, everyone.:drinker:0 -
I just want to say thanks for the post. I do smoke and have for over twenty years. I have tried to quit and have failed over and over. I wish I was in your spot, I would take the 8 pounds (not happily) and try to constantly remind myself how I don't have to avoid the movies because I can't smoke there. How I wouldn't avoid places that my children want to go because I can't smoke there. How I wouldn't avoid going to certain friends houses because they look down on smoking and I'm the only one who does it. Remind yourself of all the positives. You smell good, your smile looks better, you have the freedom to go wherever without the stigma of being a smoker, if your in the car you get to feel the warm heat (if you live in a cold climate) instead of freezing with the window down. Good luck0
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