Quitting smoking

Jeniccm
Jeniccm Posts: 44 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious as I'm trying to quit

Did you gain weight when you stopped smoking?

Why? Did you reach for more food to compensate? Did your appetite go out of control? Were you tracking your calories?

I think my biggest fear about quitting is the weight gain and at the moment I'm trying to build a plan to avoid it when the time comes. Any tips or experiences are welcome!

Replies

  • rdmitch
    rdmitch Posts: 278 Member
    It's not a given thing to gain weight. You can keep your system metabolism up with a bit of exercise or walking
    Don't substitute eating for smoking. You have total control over the situation.
    The day I signed into MFP was the same day I quit smoking and it not impede my progress in any way.

    You can do both at the same time and I think it's the perfect opportunity to quit. Just think how cool it will
    be to make those life changes together.
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
    I've quit smoking a few times and noticed a few things about my personal habits.

    One of the struggles I had with quitting smoking was breaking the routine and the hand-to-mouth habit / oral fixation. Gum helps with the mouth thing. But the routine thing is a killer. If you stop and think about it... there are probably like, 3 smokes a day you look forward to the most. Mine was in the morning with coffee on the deck, after work on the deck, and a few hours before bedtime. I think it helps to identify the smokes you have that are habit and maybe change the habit a little. For example, I still like coffee on the deck in the morning... and I read the paper while I do it instead of smoking and drinking coffee.

    On the hand-to-mouth thing... I found things to do with my hands to compensate. When I quit and said I wasn't going to start again, my big problem is that I turned to food instead of cigarettes as a stress response where I normally would have smoked. Find a new way to cope with stress.

    I did notice a little bit of an appetite increase, but out of control? No.

    The one thing I really noticed in regard to weight gain and quitting is that I moved less. That sounds weird, right? I don't smoke in my house or know many people who do. It's illegal to smoke in bars/restaurants in my state. I also try to be a very considerate smoker by not standing in enclosed areas like doorways or entry ways to places. So... when I would smoke, I would have to go outside or leave and come back. Getting up and going outside 10-15 times a day surprisingly adds up depending on how large your place is, how far your desk is from the front door of the office or your car, or how far in the back of the restaurant your hostess seats you. Not to mention the fact that I never liked smelling like smoke so I liked to walk and smoke at the same time so the smoke wasn't lingering. When I quit, I didn't need to take those little walks anymore.
  • uglycrying
    uglycrying Posts: 28 Member
    I've quit before (started again though and about to quit again -_-) while losing weight. I quit for eight months cold turkey. I continued to calorie track and I did gain a little bit... maybe 3-5 lb. But quitting coincided with a lot of summer holidays/birthdays so I don't even necessarily blame quitting for the weight gain.

    After a few months, I was able to lose that again. Your weight is completely in your control. There are a lot of scary stories out there about gaining 50lb after quitting, but there's no reason it has to be that way. Just continue to track and maintain your healthy habits in diet and exercise. You may experience a slight increase in taste/smell and appetite, but it's a short adjustment period. You may need to adjust your habits, like I found I got hungry faster and couldn't really put off eating as well (whereas before I'd just smoke until the next mealtime), so it was important for me to have healthy and easily-prepared food on hand.

    First three days while the nicotine is getting out of your system are the worst. I would probably indulge during those days just to get through them. The nicotine-addicted part of your brain may throw some crazy reasoning at you to get you to smoke again... but recognize its craziness for what it is and realize its temporary. Poke holes in its terrible logic. Make a list of the reasons you want to quit and refer back to it as needed.

    I really recommend you read Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Quit Smoking"! This book helped me SO much. You can read it while you are still smoking, that's part of the book :) So even if you are not ready at this exact moment, you can still prepare. I recommend the app 'Smoke-Free' too-- it keeps track of how long you've been quit, tracks the money you have saved, and tells you the progress your body is making since you quit! It's very motivational. Good luck!
  • rdmitch
    rdmitch Posts: 278 Member
    All excellent advice.
  • Jeniccm
    Jeniccm Posts: 44 Member
    Awesome advice! Thank you all!
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    Good luck. I had my last one in 2000. Yes I gained a few pounds but I wasn't watching calories then.

    You will be amazed when you smell a smoker! They reek!
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