quit smoking gaining weight :-(

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  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    Watch the carbs. Sugar can be a sort of replacement-addiction, and the less you feed it, the better it will get. Make sure you're getting lots of protein, fiber, and fats.

    Also GOOD FOR YOU!!!! Giving up smoking is one of the hardest and most important things you can do for your health, and even if you gain a little weight at first, you will be way healthier. You'll probably even look better as your skin gets more oxygen. Soon you'll feel so much more energized and able to do more exercise.

    You can do it!
  • jadlpc222
    jadlpc222 Posts: 15
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    I just quit smoking on 2/3/13, and i have already gained about 7 lbs in that short period of time. I also started to count calories again and have also gotten back to the gym (my bf has been a BIG motivator, since he has been going to the gym with me and is already a very fit and healthy guy). Quitting smoking has been difficult, but not as hard as I thought it would be! Losing weight has always been harder for me, but everyone is different. Don't go back to the cigarettes and don't get discouraged! You got this!
  • DaniH826
    DaniH826 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    I've quit smoking before, and would always substitute eating. So this time ... not so much. I'm lifting heavy 3x weekly and I'm watching those darn calores like a hawk. I set myself to an attainable goal with a slow and steady loss progression. If it takes me a year to get to goal weight, who cares? I don't.

    Having said that, I did switch to e-cigs with a super low nicotine content, and that gives my fidgety hands something to do when I'm sitting around doing nothing in particular. It's a weaning process. So if you gotta take intermediate steps and wean yourself, do it. There are enough tools out there to make it happen for you. I do plan on weaning myself to nicotine-free juice and then hopefully kick even the e-cigs altogether. But, one step at a time.

    My underlying issue has always been the food though, so now that I'm tackling it the way I've been supposed to all along, I've no desire to ever go back to smoking. 200 cals a day isn't much. Just a 30-minute walk around the block. I burn that lifting weights alone, and am building muscle to boot, which in turn will help to keep losing fat, and etc. Lifting is where it's at IMO. GREAT stress reliever and it's fun watching oneself progress from wimp to strong. :smile:

    Any of you guys in the tobacco/food struggle, feel free to add me. I'll be more than happy to be supportive and share what I've learned (which isn't much, but every little bit helps, right?). :flowerforyou:
  • ashmarie822
    ashmarie822 Posts: 4
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    wow thankyou everyone!!! im trying really hard to replace the smoking with exercise. i am hoping that works since i do really enjoy how i am feeling using the eliptical. i dont know how to do the quotes (i am using a phone) but thanks for all the support, ideas, and inspiration!!! and also to the people trying to quit and about to..... the first 3-4 days are the roughest for withdrawl and my food cravings do seem like they decreased this weekend im not sure if its from the exercise or just over time?
  • marciebrian
    marciebrian Posts: 853 Member
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    hi everyone! im new. i quit smoking last year in April and by July i had gained 30lbs. well that was really hard for me because i have always struggled with my weight and before that had got down to 193. i am always stuck around 220. well anyway i started back smoking July 4th (i was drinking) i got back down to 210. now in 4 weeks of quitting again i am at 223 and eating out of control. i feel so helpless. i really feel like i can't stop. its to the point i am extremely depressed and for 2 days was in give up mode. i am ready to get back on track though. i need help!!! how do i continue not smoking and control my eating and lose weight???

    Its hard but you can do this. I quite almost 4 years ago and gained about 15-18 lbs. just getting off the last 10 but PLEASE dont go back to smoking its just a vicious circle and you quit, gain weight, start smoking, quit.... well you get the circle no need to go on. Its easy to say stay busy but you have to and you are probably like me, very oral person. I used cinnamon sticks, etc. just to have something in my mouth other than a potato chip. Good luck and friend me if I can ever help
  • cesctheman
    cesctheman Posts: 139 Member
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    I quit smoking on 11.11 2012 and am I using a e-cig. I have been cutting down the nicotine strengths, in about a month and a half I will be down to zero nicotine. Then I'm trying to give up the ecigs. Add me anyone so we can help each other....
    I have put on about 1 stone and a half since november
  • pinchincents
    pinchincents Posts: 15
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    Awesome job at quitting! That is an amazing accomplishment. My husband gave up 5 years ago and never looked back. I have never been a smoker, but think about how great you will feel! It took my husband a few years to gain his lungs back, but now he can workout like he never smoked before.

    My suggestion would be to choose healthier snacks, fruits, and veggies. We just bought a mandoline slicer and it is awesome for making sure you have some cut up fresh veggies to eat and snack on. My husband and children love the fresh cut cucumbers, and we love snacking on fresh cut carrots, celery, etc. We now make a lot of homemade french fries too that are oven baked - so delicious! It all comes down to healthy food choices. If you are drinking anything but water, I would cut those calories and eat more whole grain, fruits, and veggies. You will save a ton of calories by drinking your water too. It also helps to fill you up if you are drinking enough.

    I was eating 1,200 calories and felt very full eating that way. I did notice I quit losing weight though as I believe I slowed down my metabolism, so now I am eating between my BMR and TDEE and have began losing again. I hope this helps!
  • scrumhalf7
    scrumhalf7 Posts: 175 Member
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    I gave up smoking after watching my Dad fight a losing battle with Lung Cancer. Up till that point I used to say childish things like i would rather smoke and be slim than a fat non smoker (Jerk!!!).
    Stopping smoking is the best single thing you can do for your health so stick at it, weight gain seems to be one of the hazards unfortunately but I am sure you will start to turn things round. Take advantage of the fact that lots of physical things will get easier and enjoy it. Good luck on your journey!!
  • buckeye328
    buckeye328 Posts: 13 Member
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    My husband and I quit Feb 1 but still use e-cigs. The plan is to gradually reduce the amount of nicotine in them until there is none. The e-cigs have made quitting seem almost like a non-event. It's not the same thing but it is close enough. During that time we have also started diet and exercise changes so we have been losing weight since then as well.
  • mklassy123
    mklassy123 Posts: 153
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    I quit smoking two years ago and I gained weight, period! I had a friend who quit one month after I did and he also gained weight. He lives in California and I live in New York. We saw each other eight months after I quit, seven months after he quit and yes, the weight gain was noticeable. We both talked about how much we LOVE being non-smokers. He made a comment to me that stuck, he said "We can always lose weight but we can never grow a new lung". Well since then he got on a serious exercise routine and is in better shape than he's been in years - since he first joined the military (he's retired military). He was so motivating to me that now I am watching my eating and exercising and have dropped 10 pounds. I almost NEVER think about smoking anymore. I love the freedom of not being a slave to it. I travel a lot, I love not obsessing about having to leave the airport to smoke or obsessing about landing and OMG, WHEN CAN I SMOKE?!?!?!?!?!? I love that I can run up subway stairs and not be out of breath. I love that I don't stink, that my home doesn't stink!

    One warning I will give you is that food tastes much better when you stop smoking.

    That being said, pat yourself on the back for quitting and don't worry if you put on a few pounds. In time your metabolism will go back to where it should be and you can work on losing those pounds, but you will never be able to grow a new lung!

    My one major piece of advice is to make sure you drink a lot of water, flush out the toxins. Green tea is good too.

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