Please help...stopped smoking and zero weight loss :'(

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Replies

  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    So, in order to keep you living and breathing, again, body NOT caring about weight loss, the body will slow or stop some other systems (metabolism being the 1st it stops) and hang on to those 1200 calories b/c all it knows is that you are under-feeding it and so it must "hoard" that 1200, store it as fat and keep you alive.

    Well, not really. You can't 'hang on' to energy. And if your metabolism stops then you're well, errr... dead.

    Why do you think its medically recommended you do not eat below 1200 for a woman?

    OP isn't eating 1,200, though. She's eating over it. WAY over it. How do I know? Because she's 200lb+ and hasn't lost weight in 2 weeks.
  • SuperCrsa
    SuperCrsa Posts: 790 Member
    So, in order to keep you living and breathing, again, body NOT caring about weight loss, the body will slow or stop some other systems (metabolism being the 1st it stops) and hang on to those 1200 calories b/c all it knows is that you are under-feeding it and so it must "hoard" that 1200, store it as fat and keep you alive.

    Well, not really. You can't 'hang on' to energy. And if your metabolism stops then you're well, errr... dead.

    Why do you think its medically recommended you do not eat below 1200 for a woman?

    OP isn't eating 1,200, though. She's eating over it. WAY over it. How do I know? Because she's 200lb+ and hasn't lost weight in 2 weeks.

    I began dieting, eating around 1500 calories a day and exercising. Lost 7lbs. So I quit smoking, increased my workouts, and cut calories to 1200 a day. Two weeks later.....NOTHING! I track everything I eat and I am honestly not cheating.

    Then she's a liar and that's the end of the story.
    If she is eating 1200 calories a day and on her feet all day with 3 workouts then the none weight loss is from eating too little.
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
    OP: Hold on. Quitting smoking WILL stall your weight loss. I had the same issue last year when I quit. Just keep at it. You can eat more, eat less but likely your weight will remain unchanged for a little while. So what. Eat right. Exercise more. Be kind to yourself. Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for yourself.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    If you've upped your workout regime you might be turning fat into some muscle. you won't lose immediately, but will start seeing and feeling the results. also cut down on carbs, what you eat is way more important than how much...

    good luck!

    Fat doesn't turn into muscle, fat is absorbed by the body. its true you can see body changes but not on the scale, but at her weight on actual net 1200 she should be losing and fast.

    you don't need to cut down on carbs, just eat a healthy balanced diet.

    And third, from a weight loss perspective, how much you eat is 100% of the equation and what you eat is 0%.

    what you eat has nothing to do with it. calories are a unit of energy. if you eat less calories than you need you lose weight. more than you need gain weight. thats it. end of story.

    what you eat effects your health and wellbeing - not your weight.


    HOW MUCH IS EVERYTHING.

    game over man. game over.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    So, in order to keep you living and breathing, again, body NOT caring about weight loss, the body will slow or stop some other systems (metabolism being the 1st it stops) and hang on to those 1200 calories b/c all it knows is that you are under-feeding it and so it must "hoard" that 1200, store it as fat and keep you alive.

    Well, not really. You can't 'hang on' to energy. And if your metabolism stops then you're well, errr... dead.

    Why do you think its medically recommended you do not eat below 1200 for a woman?

    OP isn't eating 1,200, though. She's eating over it. WAY over it. How do I know? Because she's 200lb+ and hasn't lost weight in 2 weeks.

    I began dieting, eating around 1500 calories a day and exercising. Lost 7lbs. So I quit smoking, increased my workouts, and cut calories to 1200 a day. Two weeks later.....NOTHING! I track everything I eat and I am honestly not cheating.

    Then she's a liar and that's the end of the story.
    If she is eating 1200 calories a day and on her feet all day with 3 workouts then the none weight loss is from eating too little.

    Woah... I didn't call anyone anything! I'm just using a process of deduction.

    The OP's height, weight and activity level gives her a TDEE of 2,445 calories per day. So in two weeks she will have used 34,230 calories. She says she's only eating 1,200 per day - which only makes a total of 16,800.

    So we have 17,430 calories (or 5lbs of fat) unaccounted for. We know the extra energy hasn't come from her body, because she hasn't lost any fat, ie any weight. Therefore, it can only have come from 17,430 calories of food, glorious food. Unlogged.

    Elementary. *twiddles moustache*
  • dianeb613
    dianeb613 Posts: 121 Member
    Almost 7 years ago I gave up smoking cold turkey. I always was afraid that I would gain weight. So I joined WW and actually LOST 18 pounds which I have never gained back. It can be done. I didn't lose much every week but I just walked and eventually I lost a total of almost 30 lbs. I have never regained it back.
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
    When smokers quit, they may gain weight for a number of reasons. These include:

    Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes away after several weeks.

    Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks. Some people eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic beverages after they quit smoking.

    Burning calories at a normal rate again. Every cigarette you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer getting this temporary effect. Instead, you are burning slightly fewer calories on a daily basis.

    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/smoking.htm

    http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20213804,00.html
    (this one says it can take weeks/months for your metabolism to regulate after quitting.)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    When smokers quit, they may gain weight for a number of reasons. These include:

    Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes away after several weeks.

    Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks. Some people eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic beverages after they quit smoking.

    Burning calories at a normal rate again. Every cigarette you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer getting this temporary effect. Instead, you are burning slightly fewer calories on a daily basis.

    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/smoking.htm

    http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20213804,00.html
    (this one says it can take weeks/months for your metabolism to regulate after quitting.)

    High-Five-GIF-1.gif
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
    Two weeks?? Come back if you don't see any loss in a month and a half. Two weeks is too short.

    You didn't gain all that weight in two weeks. Stop expecting results in a week or two or three.

    And you are eating too little at 1200. Go back to 1700. The weight will drop.
  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
    Just wanted to say thanks so far for all the replies....I will try to eat more, it's just really hard when I am trying to lose weight to equate more food=weight loss.

    MFP says I should be eating 1370 calories as lightly active. Also people say weight loss is quicker when you don't eat back exercise calories. How much should I be eating? Thank you SO much again for all your replies your advice is really appreciated.

    This thread is infuriating (as are the 10,000+ JUST LIKE IT!!!)

    Go back to what works (1700) since it worked for you.

    Give it more than 2 weeks.

    You are NOT considered "lightly active"....seriously!?! Moderate at the very least, but I am thinking more than that even.

    You ARE eating too little - If you are even keeping track. The energy you feel in the evenings is a sugar rush, you are not a special snowflake. You admit to eating mini chocolate bars when you get home, feel "stuffed" (rolls eyes) then can't figure out why you have some energy.
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    Wow. Some of the stuff I've read on this thread...

    You stopped smoking. Well done. You have enlightened yourself.

    Fat will never "turn into muscle"... that's stupid. What the person who said that probably meant was that you're burning fat while building muscle - hence staying the same weight.. which btw I believe this to be BS unless you're lifting heavy and eating 1g of protein per lb of your body weight you ain't building no muscle. It's hard to build muscle. It takes dedication and you actually have to TRY to do it. It won't just happen like woops.

    You are eating a whole pile of junk. Ok so you say you only had 450 calories in a day but they're empty, crappy calories. You said you're full up but you're full up with CRAP. Get yourself some lean protein rich food, lots of fruit and veg and drink lots of water.

    Get a food scale. Log everything by its correct weight. You're halfway there with the quitting smoking. Now you just need to take your eating seriously and you'll be on your way to losing more weight.

    Simples.

    Good luck

    1200 calories is too low. Living healthily and losing weight isn't a race.
  • SuperCrsa
    SuperCrsa Posts: 790 Member
    ^^^^^ Faith in humanity restored!
  • I fidgeted with some of your numbers on http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    And from what I can see it looks like you should be eating much more!!

    I have to say I disagree with this... just because the scale is staying the same and she's not losing. To lose weight she needs to eat less calories, not more, surely? I imagine it's a logging issue, actually.

    Well she is a tall woman, and if you calculate her BMR shes eating below that.

    She was losing on a higher calorie allowance and since shes dropped it shes not losing anymore...

    Yeah but that doesn't add up, surely? Anyone who is 200lb+ and active would not have a 2-week weight-loss stall on 1,200 calories a day. Where's the extra energy coming from?


    I have nothing to gain by lying, at least not to myself. As a health professional I am used to tracking/recording every function of the human body, fluid balance charts for example have to be completely accurate. I am eating 1200 calories, some days I can feel tempted to cheat but I don't and when I still don't lose I could cry. When I was a smoker I could easily lose 8-10lbs in one week of dieting. It is only since stopping smoking I am not losing anything. And because I am not cheating I am seriously depressed.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    I fidgeted with some of your numbers on http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    And from what I can see it looks like you should be eating much more!!

    I have to say I disagree with this... just because the scale is staying the same and she's not losing. To lose weight she needs to eat less calories, not more, surely? I imagine it's a logging issue, actually.

    Well she is a tall woman, and if you calculate her BMR shes eating below that.

    She was losing on a higher calorie allowance and since shes dropped it shes not losing anymore...

    Yeah but that doesn't add up, surely? Anyone who is 200lb+ and active would not have a 2-week weight-loss stall on 1,200 calories a day. Where's the extra energy coming from?


    I have nothing to gain by lying, at least not to myself. As a health professional I am used to tracking/recording every function of the human body, fluid balance charts for example have to be completely accurate. I am eating 1200 calories, some days I can feel tempted to cheat but I don't and when I still don't lose I could cry. When I was a smoker I could easily lose 8-10lbs in one week of dieting. It is only since stopping smoking I am not losing anything. And because I am not cheating I am seriously depressed.

    I absolutely don't think you're lying! I think YOU think you're eating 1,200 a day! I also think you're eating more than you think - I am trying to help - really, I'm sorry if I'm being clumsy or rude about it. Really. Would you feel comfortable opening your diary - it really would help. If not that's fine, too. Noone's judging you, here - I am trying to be honest - I do try to be honest AND nice but I know I sometimes fail at that! :smile:

    It's often something really simple that you're overlooking - you look, and look, and look - and can't see it until someone else points it out.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member


    I have nothing to gain by lying, at least not to myself. As a health professional I am used to tracking/recording every function of the human body, fluid balance charts for example have to be completely accurate. I am eating 1200 calories, some days I can feel tempted to cheat but I don't and when I still don't lose I could cry. When I was a smoker I could easily lose 8-10lbs in one week of dieting. It is only since stopping smoking I am not losing anything. And because I am not cheating I am seriously depressed.

    That wasn't actual weight probably water. There are two reasons for not losing weight.

    Over estimating burns and/or underestimating intake (unless you have medical issues such as PCOS or Thyroid issues)

    If you are truely active and eating 1200 calories then get yourself checked out. otherwise stop kidding yourself and take a good hard look at reality only a medical condition would cause no weight loss on what you are doing if what you say is fact.

    /thread
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member


    I have nothing to gain by lying, at least not to myself. As a health professional I am used to tracking/recording every function of the human body, fluid balance charts for example have to be completely accurate. I am eating 1200 calories, some days I can feel tempted to cheat but I don't and when I still don't lose I could cry. When I was a smoker I could easily lose 8-10lbs in one week of dieting. It is only since stopping smoking I am not losing anything. And because I am not cheating I am seriously depressed.

    That wasn't actual weight probably water. There are two reasons for not losing weight.

    Over estimating burns and/or underestimating intake (unless you have medical issues such as PCOS or Thyroid issues)

    If you are truely active and eating 1200 calories then get yourself checked out. otherwise stop kidding yourself and take a good hard look at reality only a medical condition would cause no weight loss on what you are doing if what you say is fact.

    /thread
    I'm with this. And, if you truely are not hungry after a few bites (and don't have a history of anorexia), then that could be a symptom of a few different diseases. Perhaps just stop in with a doctor and explain your problems. I'm thinking they should run a few blood tests.

    And try to look at nutrient dense, high calorie foods:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080443-gaining-weight-with-the-least-amount-of-food?hl=addison's
  • Oh you mean you are eating at a deficit, on your feet 12 hours a day and NOT losing...Oh lord it cant BE.......ITS a magical unicorn.
  • Everyone is just going to say you are lying or not tracking right, it can't very well be that calories in calories out is NOT 100%........lol

  • I know a lot of larger people say they don't know why they are fat but I genuinely don't, I have never eaten that much and always been fat, literally since I was a baby. My younger sister however is a size 0 and she eats whatever she likes - in fact, she hates being a size zero and tries to eat a lot to pt on weight but it doesn't happen.

    please search up 'secret eaters' on youtube.

    Why are you guys in such denial about the fact that YES some people do eat whatever they want and stay a size zero?
  • Hi,

    Thanks for your reply, I know I should know better but it's partly being an RN that led to my problems....I can't smoke in uniform in the hospital so each break I would have to get changed out of my uniform, walk down 6 flights of stairs then walk for 10 mins to a secret hidey spot where all the smokers go to smoke (we have zero tolerance on smoking at my hospital). Then I'd smoke my ciggies, walk back and run up 6 flights of stairs, get change, and my break was over.

    I know a lot of larger people say they don't know why they are fat but I genuinely don't, I have never eaten that much and always been fat, literally since I was a baby. My younger sister however is a size 0 and she eats whatever she likes - in fact, she hates being a size zero and tries to eat a lot to pt on weight but it doesn't happen.

    I know a 110 pound girl that eats like a linebacker and cant gain. I dont know why people are so shocked by this. I also have had larger family members who work out, eat healthy and cant lose for ****. The module is flawed, it doesn't work for everyone, but instead of admitting that, they will just say you are lying or hiding food.
  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
    Hi,

    Thanks for your reply, I know I should know better but it's partly being an RN that led to my problems....I can't smoke in uniform in the hospital so each break I would have to get changed out of my uniform, walk down 6 flights of stairs then walk for 10 mins to a secret hidey spot where all the smokers go to smoke (we have zero tolerance on smoking at my hospital). Then I'd smoke my ciggies, walk back and run up 6 flights of stairs, get change, and my break was over.

    I know a lot of larger people say they don't know why they are fat but I genuinely don't, I have never eaten that much and always been fat, literally since I was a baby. My younger sister however is a size 0 and she eats whatever she likes - in fact, she hates being a size zero and tries to eat a lot to pt on weight but it doesn't happen.

    I know a 110 pound girl that eats like a linebacker and cant gain. I dont know why people are so shocked by this. I also have had larger family members who work out, eat healthy and cant lose for ****. The module is flawed, it doesn't work for everyone, but instead of admitting that, they will just say you are lying or hiding food.

    OR it's the fact that she doesn't log, eat enough, hasn't given it enough time, blah blah blah....

    The 110lb girl probably is quite active and your family members could be closet eaters (are you with them 24/7?).

    I acknowlege that things happen a bit quicker / slower / differently when you throw certain medical issues in the mix but as a general rule of thumb it is calories in vs calories out.
  • Hi,

    Thanks for your reply, I know I should know better but it's partly being an RN that led to my problems....I can't smoke in uniform in the hospital so each break I would have to get changed out of my uniform, walk down 6 flights of stairs then walk for 10 mins to a secret hidey spot where all the smokers go to smoke (we have zero tolerance on smoking at my hospital). Then I'd smoke my ciggies, walk back and run up 6 flights of stairs, get change, and my break was over.

    I know a lot of larger people say they don't know why they are fat but I genuinely don't, I have never eaten that much and always been fat, literally since I was a baby. My younger sister however is a size 0 and she eats whatever she likes - in fact, she hates being a size zero and tries to eat a lot to pt on weight but it doesn't happen.

    I know a 110 pound girl that eats like a linebacker and cant gain. I dont know why people are so shocked by this. I also have had larger family members who work out, eat healthy and cant lose for ****. The module is flawed, it doesn't work for everyone, but instead of admitting that, they will just say you are lying or hiding food.

    OR it's the fact that she doesn't log, eat enough, hasn't given it enough time, blah blah blah....

    The 110lb girl probably is quite active and your family members could be closet eaters (are you with them 24/7?).

    I acknowlege that things happen a bit quicker / slower / differently when you throw certain medical issues in the mix but as a general rule of thumb it is calories in vs calories out.

    no its literally none of those things
  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
    Hi,

    Thanks for your reply, I know I should know better but it's partly being an RN that led to my problems....I can't smoke in uniform in the hospital so each break I would have to get changed out of my uniform, walk down 6 flights of stairs then walk for 10 mins to a secret hidey spot where all the smokers go to smoke (we have zero tolerance on smoking at my hospital). Then I'd smoke my ciggies, walk back and run up 6 flights of stairs, get change, and my break was over.

    I know a lot of larger people say they don't know why they are fat but I genuinely don't, I have never eaten that much and always been fat, literally since I was a baby. My younger sister however is a size 0 and she eats whatever she likes - in fact, she hates being a size zero and tries to eat a lot to pt on weight but it doesn't happen.

    I know a 110 pound girl that eats like a linebacker and cant gain. I dont know why people are so shocked by this. I also have had larger family members who work out, eat healthy and cant lose for ****. The module is flawed, it doesn't work for everyone, but instead of admitting that, they will just say you are lying or hiding food.

    OR it's the fact that she doesn't log, eat enough, hasn't given it enough time, blah blah blah....

    The 110lb girl probably is quite active and your family members could be closet eaters (are you with them 24/7?).

    I acknowlege that things happen a bit quicker / slower / differently when you throw certain medical issues in the mix but as a general rule of thumb it is calories in vs calories out.

    no its literally none of those things

    Looking through your past posts (very few since you only joined last month) I personally think that you need to educate yourself a bit more before telling people what they should / should not be doing.

    And before you get defensive and nasty (which people in your frame of mind generally do) lets compare our track records to see who seems to be doing things that work.

    As already stated by several intelligent people in this thread - she needs to log accurately, she needs to eat an appropriate amount of food for her activity level (ideally TDEE - 20%), and she needs to give it time. I do not see how you can argue against that!?!
  • Hi,

    Thanks for your reply, I know I should know better but it's partly being an RN that led to my problems....I can't smoke in uniform in the hospital so each break I would have to get changed out of my uniform, walk down 6 flights of stairs then walk for 10 mins to a secret hidey spot where all the smokers go to smoke (we have zero tolerance on smoking at my hospital). Then I'd smoke my ciggies, walk back and run up 6 flights of stairs, get change, and my break was over.

    I know a lot of larger people say they don't know why they are fat but I genuinely don't, I have never eaten that much and always been fat, literally since I was a baby. My younger sister however is a size 0 and she eats whatever she likes - in fact, she hates being a size zero and tries to eat a lot to pt on weight but it doesn't happen.

    I know a 110 pound girl that eats like a linebacker and cant gain. I dont know why people are so shocked by this. I also have had larger family members who work out, eat healthy and cant lose for ****. The module is flawed, it doesn't work for everyone, but instead of admitting that, they will just say you are lying or hiding food.

    OR it's the fact that she doesn't log, eat enough, hasn't given it enough time, blah blah blah....

    The 110lb girl probably is quite active and your family members could be closet eaters (are you with them 24/7?).

    I acknowlege that things happen a bit quicker / slower / differently when you throw certain medical issues in the mix but as a general rule of thumb it is calories in vs calories out.

    no its literally none of those things

    Looking through your past posts (very few since you only joined last month) I personally think that you need to educate yourself a bit more before telling people what they should / should not be doing.

    And before you get defensive and nasty (which people in your frame of mind generally do) lets compare our track records to see who seems to be doing things that work.

    As already stated by several intelligent people in this thread - she needs to log accurately, she needs to eat an appropriate amount of food for her activity level (ideally TDEE - 20%), and she needs to give it time. I do not see how you can argue against that!?!
    She obviously does need to do all those things. But it is possible that after getting a food scale, eating a deficit and working out she still may not be losing. At that point probably see a doctor. Making suggestions isn't telling them what to do, its having an idea or opinion on a situation. Which is the point of a forum.
  • Barbonica
    Barbonica Posts: 337 Member
    I haven't read the entire thread, so this might have already been said. If so - sorry! Stay on track, eat at a deficit. It will take a little while to sort itself out, but as long as you are not gaining, you are doing extremely well!

    I quit smoking while losing weight in 2011, and had zero weight loss for a month. I cannot validate that I was eating at a deficit for that month because I wasn't tracking, but I hadn't changed anything from the month before or the month after, both of which I had significant losses. This was early on in my new eating and exercising lifestyle, and I was losing 1-2 pounds a week.

    "Research shows that nicotine from tobacco boosts the body's metabolic rate, increasing the number of calories it burns. Immediately after you smoke a cigarette, your heart rate increases by 10 to 20 beats a minute. The unnatural stimulant effect of nicotine is one reason smoking causes heart disease.

    When smokers quit, metabolic rate quickly returns to normal. That's a healthy change. But if ex-smokers keep getting the same number of calories as before, they put on pounds."


    http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/quit-without-weight-gain__
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    So, in order to keep you living and breathing, again, body NOT caring about weight loss, the body will slow or stop some other systems (metabolism being the 1st it stops) and hang on to those 1200 calories b/c all it knows is that you are under-feeding it and so it must "hoard" that 1200, store it as fat and keep you alive.

    Well, not really. You can't 'hang on' to energy. And if your metabolism stops then you're well, errr... dead.

    Why do you think its medically recommended you do not eat below 1200 for a woman?

    OP isn't eating 1,200, though. She's eating over it. WAY over it. How do I know? Because she's 200lb+ and hasn't lost weight in 2 weeks.

    I began dieting, eating around 1500 calories a day and exercising. Lost 7lbs. So I quit smoking, increased my workouts, and cut calories to 1200 a day. Two weeks later.....NOTHING! I track everything I eat and I am honestly not cheating.

    Then she's a liar and that's the end of the story.
    If she is eating 1200 calories a day and on her feet all day with 3 workouts then the none weight loss is from eating too little.

    Woah... I didn't call anyone anything! I'm just using a process of deduction.

    The OP's height, weight and activity level gives her a TDEE of 2,445 calories per day. So in two weeks she will have used 34,230 calories. She says she's only eating 1,200 per day - which only makes a total of 16,800.

    So we have 17,430 calories (or 5lbs of fat) unaccounted for. We know the extra energy hasn't come from her body, because she hasn't lost any fat, ie any weight. Therefore, it can only have come from 17,430 calories of food, glorious food. Unlogged.

    Elementary. *twiddles moustache*
    Your deductive skills are WAY off. She just quit smoking. Her body is repairing itself. As part of the repair process, water is retained. 5 pounds of fat loss is easily hidden by 5 pounds of water retention. This makes much more logical sense than her eating 1200 more calories per day than she thinks she is.