Gaining weight after quitting smoking

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  • AnnBassham
    AnnBassham Posts: 31 Member
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    I found the hand to mouth habit was hard to break. I only gained 20 pounds by quitting smoking. I chewed on anything I could get my hands on just like a two year old. I chewed drinking straws while driving, ate sunflower seeds (as another poster suggested) while I sat watching tv or sliced cucumbers. I have been a nonsmoker for 8 years now and have so much more energy and less wrinkles. So be creative and find something low calorie to satisfy the habit you have done the best thing possible for your health and skin.


    I clicked on your profile and it says you deleted your account?
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    The first time I quit smoking, I didn't gain any weight, but I did increase my activity levels. Eat less, move more. You should be able to do it without gaining, however, if you do gain you are better off quitting smoking and then losing the weight. Just don't let it be an excuse for going all out on eating. Great job quitting! :flowerforyou:
  • tgraves9875
    tgraves9875 Posts: 16 Member
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    I just quit again on May 13th. I find jogging reduces that twitchy feeling and of course it helps keep the weight down.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    Invest in cinnamon sticks.

    If you gain weight...so what? Isn't breathing and not catching every cold worth it? I was a 32 year smoker, btw. Been quit for over two years.
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I've gained about 5 lbs in 6 months.

    But I haven't smoked in 6 months. Well worth a couple extra pounds. Because it was so hard to quit smoking and I'd tried so many times before it worked.
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    I quit 8 years ago after smoking for over 20 years. Yes I gained weight. I would not trade quitting for ANYTHING - not even losing weight. It was more critical for me to quit. I was NOT a causal smoker - a true nicotine addict through and through. I can never go back and I know it. I would rather spend my life at my current weight than ever go back to smoking.
    Congrats and keep the quit! Lots of good advice in this thread - all the best for staying quit and not gaining - it can be done.
  • liftingandlipstick
    liftingandlipstick Posts: 1,857 Member
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    OP has since deactivated, but for some of the more recent posters: I JUST quit. I'm on day 8 so far, so I feel like I'm still fresh off the press! My appetite hasn't really increased any, but I was also on vacation and cheated a few days, so I may have gained a pound or two from that :) I'm doing NRT (work insurance pays for it, so why not?) and it's been very helpful for me- the only time I've actually craved a smoke was this past weekend at an event where 3 people at the table I was at all lit up at once. I walked away and was fine after a few minutes. Someone upthread mentioned using suckers, and I've done that. I bought some DumDums (20 cals each, last about 15 minutes) and some Original Gourmet lollipops (120 cals each, last upwards of an hour) that I use during my "normal" smoke times- breaks at work, etc. I'm a knitter (and crafter in general) so keeping my hands busy has helped also. I'd love help/support with this as well as weight loss, feel free to add me if you want a quit AND lose buddy!
  • sklebar
    sklebar Posts: 117 Member
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    I quit one month ago and even though I was active a few days out of the week, I decided to prepare by lowering my calories by 100 less than I usually eat and started to do cardio every day. I still gained weight and had to cut my calories by another 100, so I'm eating 200 calories less than what I was eating as a smoker and still gained 2 kg. or 5 lbs. I think it's natural and many other smokers say that your body has to adjust for two months and then you just lose it.

    Despite the fact I still miss smoking, it was an emotional crutch after a terrible divorce and four friends' passing away. I thought I could drink a lot or I could become a smoker, so I can keep my job.. So I smoked. It was emotional for me to quit, like losing an old friend I depended on. I'm a foster kid with three good friends as my family, so things hit me a bit harder and I usually had to cope alone for most of my life.

    Anyway, hang in there. I found I feel a heck of a lot better anyway. I drink Actimel every day and lots of vitamins, etc. to help regulate things. I also drink loads of water and I found that the every day exercise gets rid of the emotional dip that you get the first week or two for quitting. The best thing to do is just know that you'll gain the weight, but you'll just end up losing it eventually and looking better.

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