Any reformed smokers?

AskTracyAnnK28
AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I quit today. Just had it and decided I don't want to be a smoker anymore.

I keep hearing about weight gain assoicated with quitting. Was curious about what other's experieces were...did you gain? how much? how quickly did it happen (like - will I gain 5 pounds by Saturday?)? Was the gain so bad that you wanted to start smoking again?

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Replies

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    edited January 2015
    Don't replace your cigarettes with food and you'll be ok. I quit cold turkey eons ago, a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. Never picked it up again. Congrats! You can do it!

    I gained weight because I was pregnant and I overate, not because I quit smoking.
  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
    Congrats on taking the first step. Your lungs and bank account will thank you first and you'll notice other benefits from quitting as time goes on.

    Tomorrow will be 6 years 7 months for me. I don't remember if I gained weight or not, if I did it wasn't a significant amount. You can always lose a few pounds and you're at the right place for help with that.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    I reached my goal weight before Christmas and I promised myself I'd quit but I really didn't think I'd be able to...but now I know I can. Cold turkey :)

    I'm just wigging out because I don't want to put all that weight back on. I'm hoping if my eating habits don't change at all I shouldn't gain too much - if at all.
  • So_Much_Fab
    So_Much_Fab Posts: 1,146 Member
    To be determined. I'm only on day 7 but I'm closely keeping track of my calories.
  • JenNicole11
    JenNicole11 Posts: 1,834 Member
    edited January 2015
    I quit cold turkey! Just like @Laurend224‌ said, if you don't replace smoking with eating you'll be just fine! One thing that helped me not want to smoke or replace it with food was cardio. It hurt my lungs, so I never wanted to smoke afterwards, and I never want to eat after working out. Congratulations! It's a huge step!
  • waterwaif
    waterwaif Posts: 31 Member
    edited January 2015
    I quit 18 months ago after smoking for 20 years. Tried to replace smoking with exercise and ended up on the injured list for a couple of months because I did way too much way too fast. I have put on 25 pounds since I quit smoking even though I am now a runner. I just ignore the scale because I am in the best shape of my life and much healthier than I have ever been. To answer your question, though, yes, I wanted to start smoking again just to lose the weight but that's because I've long suffered from eating disorders. Those are junkie thoughts, by the way- the thoughts that will try to get you back to smoking. Be strong and ignore them.
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
    stopped in November 2013 , gained a bit but after 30 years it was to be expected. Never regretted it , upped my cardio to compensate for wanting to scoff more and during the last year , am about 2 lbs higher.

    It's hard to quit anything, even something that is bad for you , but the ciggie companies are in the nicotine delivery business and don't want to make it easy for you to quit

    keep at it , keep trying if you fall down and don't quit quitting

    :)
  • MalineVD
    MalineVD Posts: 649 Member
    I'm quitting in February (tooooo many parties in january and I don't want to tempt myself too much in the beginning, even though I know it's a *kitten* excuse)
    Let me know how you do!
  • ToniaH75
    ToniaH75 Posts: 73
    28 days smoke free here and i eat the same..it doesn't bother me but now i am trying to lose weight but i put it all on while i smoked. Good luck to you! You can do it!!
  • FrozenTundra511
    FrozenTundra511 Posts: 206 Member
    I used Chantix for 2 1/2 weeks and haven't had a cig in almost 8 years. Gained some weight from a desk job as well as 'using food' to replace the smokes. Hence, my presence here. :D
    It takes 3 days to get the nicotine out of your system. After that, it's all will power. Good luck! You'll thank yourself as time moves on.
  • devriesers
    devriesers Posts: 8 Member
    Congrats! That's a huge step to better health.

    I quit smoking cold turkey a year and a half ago; unfortunately I made the mistake of replacing cigarettes with food, and gained 25 lbs. A trend I'm working to reverse now. Even with the extra weight, I feel tons better than I did as a smoker, and will never go back.

    Best of luck! Hang in there!
  • klkarlen
    klkarlen Posts: 4,366 Member
    Congrats! I quit cold turkey almost 3 years ago, and didn't replace the butts with food. The extra weight came on (20 pounds) when I started my new job in a very "food friendly" office.

    I had to avoid the habit triggers for a few weeks, and motivated myself by keeping track of how much money I saved every day by not smoking. Whenever I got the urge I would look at the calendar and see how much money I would save by the end of the year.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    yeah - I figured as long as I stay out of the kitchen I'll be ok. I'm replacing smoking with knitting and other projects to keep my hands busy and I'm hoping as the weeks go by it will get easier.
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
    I quit almost 5 years ago by reading the Allen Carrs easy way to quit smoking book. I then went on to lose about 40lbs.

    Stayed the same for about 2-3 yrs though, so back on the weight loss wagon again.
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  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
    Congratulations to you and all the others quitting! I quit about 12 years ago and gained about 10 lbs. Replacing food for cigarettes is not the only reason people gain weight...smoking speeds up your metabolism. I did not replace food for cigarettes but my husband did and gained about 25. Don't worry about the weight gain (if you do gain), it's definitely worth it! Keep doing what you're doing and the weight will come off.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    phinners wrote: »
    I quit almost 5 years ago by reading the Allen Carrs easy way to quit smoking book. I then went on to lose about 40lbs.

    Stayed the same for about 2-3 yrs though, so back on the weight loss wagon again.

    A friend of mine told me about that book! I'm going to get it this weekend. She said it was boring but effective ;)
  • MisterZ33
    MisterZ33 Posts: 567 Member
    one of my friends here recently quit smoking. he has done pretty good and i am sure you will too. you might gain a couple of pounds, but in the long scheme of things, would that not be worth it to you?

    you already know how to lose weight, so you youre one step ahead. good luck.
  • lborsato1
    lborsato1 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I quit so many years ago, sometimes I forget I ever smoked....
    Good for you for taking on the very difficult challenge of quitting a bad habit.....
    Your body will thank you for it !
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    yeah - I figured as long as I stay out of the kitchen I'll be ok. I'm replacing smoking with knitting and other projects to keep my hands busy and I'm hoping as the weeks go by it will get easier.

    Congrats - I love hearing your determination on this.

    It will get easier. Keep in mind that you may get sudden intense urges to smoke, even many months after you stop and there is no longer a chemical dependence. Do not give into any seemingly harmless thought to "just have one," that you get from a friend or from an old pack you happen find in the back of a drawer or in a long unused coat pocket. Just smash them. Trust me on this :) Part of you brain is trying to deviously get you hooked again.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    Archon2 wrote: »
    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    yeah - I figured as long as I stay out of the kitchen I'll be ok. I'm replacing smoking with knitting and other projects to keep my hands busy and I'm hoping as the weeks go by it will get easier.

    Congrats - I love hearing your determination on this.

    It will get easier. Keep in mind that you may get sudden intense urges to smoke, even many months after you stop and there is no longer a chemical dependence. Do not give into any seemingly harmless thought to "just have one," that you get from a friend or from an old pack you happen find in the back of a drawer or in a long unused coat pocket. Just smash them. Trust me on this :)Part of you brain is trying to deviously get you hooked again.

    whoa!!! That's a great way to think about it!

  • reemslaw
    reemslaw Posts: 33 Member
    I quit in July 2011. At the same time I changed jobs from working on my feet all day to one sitting on my *kitten* all day. I started going to the gym in month 3 to use the extra cals (from quitting and less exercise) to build muscle and put on 2 stone over the next 2 years. I was quite underweight thought at 9 stone 5ft 10 28 year old male, lol.
  • ToniaH75
    ToniaH75 Posts: 73
    tracyannk28 wrote: »
    phinners wrote: »
    I quit almost 5 years ago by reading the Allen Carrs easy way to quit smoking book. I then went on to lose about 40lbs.

    Stayed the same for about 2-3 yrs though, so back on the weight loss wagon again.

    A friend of mine told me about that book! I'm going to get it this weekend. She said it was boring but effective ;)

    I also read this book but i read it as a PDF on the computer. I wish i still had it and i would give it to you so you wouldn't have to buy it but unfortunately i didn't need anymore so i deleted the link. Some parts were very boring but he was dead on about the way you feel smoking and it really helped me.
  • malk2651
    malk2651 Posts: 55 Member
    I replaced cigarettes with food. Hence why I am here. Smoke free for 5 years now though.
  • Sundance321
    Sundance321 Posts: 3 Member
    If you do gain weight....it will look awesome...and you will look healthy and not so drawn in your face.
  • ToniaH75
    ToniaH75 Posts: 73
    I found it if your interested...media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
    I quit 5.5 years ago. At the time I didn't gain weight, but I was also keeping within my calories and working out daily to lose weight for my wedding. I gained weight after the wedding, but that was because I relaxed my diet and exercise regime WAY too much!
    Ever since then though, I have struggled more to lose weight. When I smoked, it would curb my appetite for an hour or more. That made it easier. But regardless, I'm still extremely happy I quit, and very proud of myself.
  • dieuwket
    dieuwket Posts: 5
    i quit almost a year ago, and i definitely put weight on...but that's because i started eating everything that went past my face :)

    as long as you keep tracking you will be fine....quitting smoking in and of itself does not cause weight gain. Good for you!
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    ToniaH75 wrote: »
    I found it if your interested...media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

    OMG! Thank you so much! I'm going to start reading right now while my boss thinks I'm sitting here working hard :)

  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    I quit 18 months ago, cold turkey. I did put on a few pounds, but since I could afford to gain at the time, I really wasn't trying to maintain. I found tons of good advice and information at whyquit.com, in the education section, and I think it's what helped me make it stick this time.
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