I want to quit smoking but afraid of weight gain rumors

Hi there,

I've never personally been a smoker, but I have had relatives who have been (and quit). With weight gain, it seems to be that people replace smoking with eating so as to have something to do with their mouths. So that's why gum, even of the regular non-nicotine variety, can help. But if you don't want to go down that road, maybe focus on trying to eat your meals more slowly. Or have a cup of herbal tea every time you feel like a cigarette. Try to train yourself to do something else when the urge hits instead.

I don't know too much about handling the craving side of things, but are there any situations in particular that make you smoke? My uncle used to have a cigarette whenever he would drink, and when he reduced his alcohol consumption his smoking dropped dramatically. Are there certain people you smoke with in social situations? I'm not saying to stop seeing them, but maybe if you find other things to do with them in sneakily-chosen smoke free environments, that could help. Getting them on board and having them not smoke around you could also help.

Best of luck to you, and stay strong! :flowerforyou:

I gained 2 stone in 18 months after quitting but that is because my attitude was completely wrong. I used champex tablets to stop and they worked well enough for me but I replaced the cigarettes with wine and food!

Part of this was because I could suddenly taste things and wanted to try everything, each different style of red wine had subtle flavours and I craved the new taste experiences

My doctor told me that I would need to weigh 30 stone to have the same health risks as smoking my 30-40 a day and I used that as an excuse to allow myself to feed my food and drink habit and so the weight gain

One day I looked in a mirror and was horrified by what I had become, I realised the real reason I covered up on holiday was no longer that I burn easily it was shame

The good news is, 60 days into MFP and I am close to losing the 2 stone I gained but I want to lose so much more and to be a healthy weight for the first time in 20 years.

Log your food and any drink here, eat healthy snacks and drink lots of water and maybe even try and keep to the recommended maintenance calories until you are over the smoking......its what I wish that I had done

Yes the driving force behind me getting into better shape is the desire to give up smoking and being healthy all round. Having seen others pile on the pounds when stopping it made me think about improving my fitness levels beforehand

however, I am likely to look into patches to help wean myself off the cigs, at least at the start

definitely not a stupid thought or question good luck

@AllyCatXandi
Mostly when I smoke its because I'm nervous or stressed out about something or simply because I'm bored. Sometimes I even chain smoke if I'm really upset. I do also like to smoke when I drink but since I've started my weight loss journey I've cut back dramatically on alcohol and only allow myself a glass of wine or light beer every so often because that was a major reason I gained weight in the first place, college partying.

You know why you smoke so now you can stop smoking. You need to deal with the nerves, stress and anxiety or else you run the risk of reaching for something else to comfort you through those feelings. I stopped smoking on December 11th 2010 and I wish I had sat and thought about why I was smoking in the first place, it was anxiety. I comforted myself with food and gained weight. As soon as I got my anxiety under control I was able to stop the comfort eating and start living healthier.

PS: I should add that I was obese to begin with, 5'2/250lbs+, didn't exercise and didn't eat healthy. My weight gain was from the time I quit until mid April when I decided I'd had enough. I'm still glad I quit smoking. I used to need help tying my own shoes. Yesterday I sprinted.

TL;DR: Solve the issues of why you smoke first and then stop smoking.

Giving up smoking does not make you gain weight. People tend to put on weight when they give up because they substitute the habit with something else - normally food.

Find something else to occupy your mind when you give up and you will be fine. I very recently gave up - 10 days ago to be precise - and I have not overate.

this. same with giving up anything, if you replace it with something just a destructive it is not gonna have a major effect, tho health and money wise you are better off giving up smoking regardless of any weight gain

My friend had the same problem and she didn’t put the weight on as she very consciously chosen not to grab a snack as a replacement for having a smoke. I think majority of weight gain after quitting smoking is purely down to people turning to food for the release that having a cigarette gave them. If you manage your cravings and not get tempted by sugar to replace the cigarette, reduce the stress and continue exercising and eating balanced meals, you should be fine. I’m sure you will do amazing – quitting smoking is the best decision you could make so good luck and be proud of yourself as you are making the right decision!

I've not been a smoker but as others have said its about doing something else - for me part of reducing calories was finding something other to do than snacking. Knitting is good if you can do it, or cross stich, rug making - anything which keeps you hands busy, as you can't exercise 24/7!

Yoga or tai chi is also very good.

My hubby this year gave up smoking after 30 years and what little weight gain he got it did not take long to remove so dont let that worry you.


He did suggest you read Allen CarrThe - Easy Way To Stop Smoking if you really wont to give up it opened his eyes to all the myths about giving up. You will see what you are saying now is just an excuse to stay smoking but really the fear is not real and its just the Demon ( thats what my hubby calls it) putting things in your head to make sure you light up again.

Good luck

Another plug for the Allen Carr book, it does address the myths and 'it calms my nerves' is a prime one.

Smoking just perpetuates one of the most anxious conditions it is possible to have ... I.e. the need for another cigarette.

I agree with others when they suggest addressing the core issues first. Forget the possible slight initial weight gain while you adjust, just quit first and worry about that later is my best advice.

I don't want to use shock tactics but I've seen a lung cancer patient die close up and while they certainly had a thigh gap it wasn't pretty.

Just read the Allen Carr book and good luck.

In some other thread about quitting smoking a lot of people recommended a book by Allen Carr. Not sure if these books are different or just different editions as I haven't got around to reading it yet.

http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/459433/74fa87-2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829-pdf.html
http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/459435/The-only-way-to-stop-smoking-permanently---Allen-Carr-pdf.html

Good luck anyway!

Perhaps fight one fire at a time. Quite smoking and don't worry about weight for a month or so. Then you can change your focus.

Good luck!

Giving up the ciggies is easy btw - I've done it hundreds of times.

Haha quitting smoking is hard as hell! Pure torture for the first three days. But if you can get through that, you feel like you can get through almost anything. It has been 5 months foe me now, and it is SO worth it.

Focus on the positive health benefits of quitting smoking. Focus on where you want to be. You're on MFP, so log your food.

I've never smoked, but if I did it would be for the same reasons as you. In fact when I'm excessively stressed and have anxiety I have dreams of smoking.

You know why you smoke. Now work on what makes you stressed, what causes you to become anxious. Once you realize what your triggers are, work with those triggers to try make you less stressed/anxious, so that you have less of a desire to reach for a smoke or food. It may take some time to figure out what stresses you out and makes you anxious, but taking the time to figure these out will be invaluable. It may require some hard decisions especially if it's home/work related, but figure them out. Now that being said, if your stress and anxiety is body chemistry related (lack of serotonin etc.) and uncontrollable, you may need to look into seeing a psych if you are not already in the care of a psych. I know it's tough, but if you talk with your PCP they should be able to recommend you to a doctor.

Find outlets for your stress and anxiety. Since you are looking to get fit and lose weight, can you go to the gym if you get stressed/anxious? I realize that that won't work for school/work hours. At school/work, I've found that if I'm getting bad going for a short 5 minute walk, even if it's just around the building can help. Yoga and meditation can be very good for stress and anxiety. Somebody else has mentioned knitting. If handicrafts are not your cup of tea, find another hobby that you can throw your attention into that's going to give you enjoyment and help you relax/ease your anxiety.