smoking and weight loss

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I quit smoking for 3 yrs and then after the death of my stepdad I picked it up again. I know it is terrible. I'm planning on quitting again soon but the last time I quit I gained weight, and I chewed gum like there was no tomorrow which lead to erosion of my teeth and gums. Smoking does it over time but, chewing sugar free gum is worse! I can't wait to get back to exercising again!!Any tips?

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  • Juliste
    Juliste Posts: 298 Member
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    Very difficult to lose weight and quit smoking at the same time`. Best gift you can give yourself is to quit smoking FIRST. Your metabolism changes after you quit smoking and for most people it's completely normal to gain a couple of pounds. With proper nutrition and exercise you can control your weight gain and slowly shed excess weight. You need a plan and just follow through the best you can, it will take time to change your body composition but so well worth it!
    But it all begins with you wanting to quit; that's half the battle. Good luck|
  • radicalroad
    radicalroad Posts: 2 Member
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    I agree. Tackle one thing at a time and when you are ready decide to quit smoking first. I quit 3.5 yrs ago and I know that if I ever have a cigarette I will be hooked again. I was overweight then and continue to be overweight now. Smoking never helped me to keep my weight down. I did gain weight after I quit smoking but I also gained weight while smoking to a point where I weigh more than a hundred pounds too much. So the ten pounds that i gained after quitting doesn't seem like a big deal especially when I do the breathe into the tube test thing for my doctor and he tells me that I quit on time. You'll have to think of something to replace the gum chewing - of course you want to keep as many teeth as you can for as long as you can, lol (don't we all), but remember that smoking has a lot of side effects and it most likely affects your gums and teeth as well. It's not easy to quit but do it to be nice to you...(I'm trying to look for words of encouragement). I remember when I was talking about quitting and people were commenting - oh, do it for your kids....I got a lot of those, lol, and don't get me wrong - I love my kids but I really want to live long enough to collect my pension that I pay into and recoup my moola. Best wishes for success. You go girl!!!!