Help! 35 yrs old. Quit smoking + gained 30 lbs. need support

I first signed up to MFP a few years ago to help lose a few extra lbs for my 10 year wedding anniversary. This website helped so much, I lost the weight and stayed on track with my fitness for a long time afterwards. I was able to maintain my ideal weight with an alternate day diet. (One day I ate whatever I wanted, the other day only healthy low-calorie meals) My metabolism felt like it was on track and I was the ideal weight.

I was a smoker then. I had been smoking cigarettes for 16 years. 7 months ago I quit smoking and everything changed.

My friend who had quit smoking a year before me warned me that I would probably gain some weight. She gained a great deal of weight when she quit. She told me that her diet had not changed but I secretly didn’t believe her. I thought she was substituting food for cigarettes. Maybe sneaking in some cake and brownies here and there late at night. Maybe she was ashamed to admit it and it wasn’t my business to pry.

I was determined to NOT to gain weight like she did when I quit. I quit cold turkey and didn’t use any nicotine replacement tools (no Gum, patch or inhalers) The first month was so hard. Fatigue, congestion, stomach issues, and mood swings. I avoided the temptation to eat junk food. I snacked on celery sticks and carrots with fat free ranch sauce. I worked out at least 3 times a week and walked home from work every afternoon. I was proud of my healthy eating.

Despite that, my pants kept getting tighter. I had to pull out the pants with elastic bands. Eventually I had to start buying some work pants that were a size larger and stretchy fabric. My form fitting tops were moved to the back of the closet and I could only wear my flowing shirts. I knew I was gaining weight, but I didn’t want to look at the scale. I started working out more. I cut out all sodas and refined sugars. I switched from drinking beers to drinking Vodka with Club soda. It didn’t make a difference. I felt bloated and uncomfortable in my own skin. I hated the way my stomach was hanging over my belt and how hard it was to button my pants. My thighs were jiggling when I walked, my belly looked like it was filled with water. I started feeling depressed and I was always crying in the evenings. I just kept gaining weight!

I stepped on the scale 3 months after I quit and was surprised to see I was heavier than I’ve ever been in my life!! I had gained 30 lbs!!! It seemed so cruel that I do something so good for myself like quitting smoking cold turkey and I’m punished with this extreme weight gain.

The worst part was the teasing from my friends, especially those that are still smoking and still thin. They joked about how I’ve been digging into the junk food and I have to lay off the late night cupcakes. I insisted that I haven’t changed my diet at all! I told them I didn’t even eat junk food! I knew they didn’t believe me. A co-worker actually asked me if I was pregnant. “Oh I see now. You quit smoking because your pregnant!” and poked my stomach. It was horrible. This was the first time I felt like I really had no control over my weight. It’s a scary and frustrating feeling. I starved myself for 2 days, but all that resulted with is me coming down with the flu. I stopped going out with my smoking friends because I was embarrassed about my weight gain and I felt a lot of temptation to start smoking again when I was around them. I kept thinking that nicotine would make me thin again.

Your metabolism slows down and intestinal flora changes when you quit smoking. Even if you eat exactly the same, you’re going to inevitably gain some weight when you quit. This is something a lot of people don’t understand. They just assume people stuff their face with junk when they quit smoking because cigarettes surpresses your appetite. I didn’t experience an increase in appetite when I quit. I just started gaining weight. It’s all collected in my stomach and thighs. I have cellulite now.

I’ve been moping around for months feeling like I no longer had control over my body and feeling resigned to this new weight. Not anymore. I’m determined to lose this extra weight and get back on track. I realized I have to push myself harder than I did before with my previous weight loss because it’s harder now. What worked before isn’t working this time. My metabolism isn’t the same, so now I have to kick it into overdrive.

Now I’m on a low carb/low calorie diet – every day I eat between 900-1,200 calories and try to keep my carbs down to 50 grams on most days. I work out 3 days a week. So far I’ve lost 4 lbs. This is encouraging me to go on. This diet isn’t easy but I’m not going to give up until I achieve my goals. I don’t have to accept being overweight as my every day reality. I believe I can lose this excess weight and go back to the weight I used to be WITHOUT going back nicotine addiction. I can be healthy AND slim.

Is there any other ex-smokers out there that gained weight when they quit smoking? If so, lets cheer each other on. For those that quit and lost the extra weight, I would love to hear your success stories! If you quit smoking and didn’t gain weight, can you tell me how you achieved that? Even if you never smoked, I could use some fitness buddies and we can support eachother. If anyone has advice on speeding up my metabolism, I’m open to suggestions

Thanks guys!
-Daisy