Trying to quit smoking..fear of gaining
kschwab0203
Posts: 610 Member
I've decided to try to quit smoking.
I quit for 10 years, but started up again about 4 years ago. I was pregnant when I quit the first time so a little weight gain, if I had any ( I can't recall), wasn't a big deal.
I'm so nervous that this is going to cause me to gain weight, even if watching my calorie intake.
My fiance even mentioned something about possible weight gain,even though i know he is more than supportive of me quitting. It kinda made me feel like he's just waiting for me to expand.
Anyone else gain while quitting?
Any ideas on how to stop it from happening?
I quit for 10 years, but started up again about 4 years ago. I was pregnant when I quit the first time so a little weight gain, if I had any ( I can't recall), wasn't a big deal.
I'm so nervous that this is going to cause me to gain weight, even if watching my calorie intake.
My fiance even mentioned something about possible weight gain,even though i know he is more than supportive of me quitting. It kinda made me feel like he's just waiting for me to expand.
Anyone else gain while quitting?
Any ideas on how to stop it from happening?
1
Replies
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Weight gain will be entirely linked to calorie consumption. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. That's why people gain when quitting, no other reason.6
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I quit for 8 months i was to determined to gain i continued to lose, I started again from stress and this time around im right there with you terrified of gaining.
I put it down to a change in attitude. Im happy with my body now so losing isnt as much a priority to me. Do some soul searching find your priorities. Dont be "trying" to quit. You CAN quit. If you find its your priority.
Stock up on low cal drinks/snacks like strawberries baby tomatoes cucumbers pickles hard candy coffee/tea etc etc if needed. Keep busy- Clean your house, Long walks to counteract any extra eating. When cravings come on get your butt outside and avoid all variety stores that sell smokes on the way lol.
Worst case, You gain weight. So? Your heart and lungs will be so much better equiped now to lose it healthier. You will be just fine. Live longer not smell like an ash tray and food tastes so much better.
Just prioritize it and decide thats what you want, And do it. Let the pieces fall wherever, You can handle them once your smoke free. Just try to minimize damage/Maximize success in meantime by keeping busy and youll be okay.
Ill be quitting again in 2 weeks xD Had decided i wasnt quite ready so set a future date. This times the last time.3 -
The two are totally unrelated. You gain weight by eating more, not by stopping smoking. I lost weight while I stopped smoking.2
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I read that nicotine increases your metabolism and that when you quit it obviously slows down leading to weight gain. I'm not sure if this is actually true, but this is more of what I am concerned about.
I can do the work as far as exercise and eating within my calories. It's the idea of something I can't control causing me to gain weight.0 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Weight gain will be entirely linked to calorie consumption. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. That's why people gain when quitting, no other reason.
This0 -
The health benefits of quitting smoking FAR outweighs potentially a few pounds of weight gain. Instead of replacing a cigarette with eating or drinking, do something else instead - take a walk, go to the gym, chew sugar free gum. Don't let your fear of gaining weight (because in all reality, it would realistically only be a few pounds at best) be a deterrent in quitting.2
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kschwab0203 wrote: »I read that nicotine increases your metabolism and that when you quit it obviously slows down leading to weight gain. I'm not sure if this is actually true, but this is more of what I am concerned about.
I can do the work as far as exercise and eating within my calories. It's the idea of something I can't control causing me to gain weight.
Stopping smoking may or may not decrease your metabolism, but by how much? Enough to make any difference? How can people who have never smoked, have a normal weight or lose weight? You'll have to eat less/move more to lose weight no matter what. And if it's something you can't do anything about, why worry about it?
If you worry about this too much, a few things can happen: You get paralyzed and don't take the necessary action. You use this as a convenient excuse to not take action. The whole thing depresses you so much that you start smoking again.0 -
OK I'm going to give you some tough love here. Smoking is really disgusting to everyone around you. Your friends who don't smoke will smile and say "sure it's ok" but it's not. Being near someone who is smoking is hell for non smokers. Having smoke drift over into our space and having to deal with second hand smoke is repellent as well as having to constantly smell smoke on your clothes, hair, hands. I'm not trying to be mean to you, I'm just telling you what your friends won't. As soon as you quit they will all thank you. So do it not only for your self which is SO important, but do it for others.
I smoked when I was younger, and quit over 25 years ago. Best decision I ever made. You quit before, so you can do it again. Keep some sugarless candies in your pocket or purse. When you feel the urge to smoke, suck on one. Good luck!!0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »I read that nicotine increases your metabolism and that when you quit it obviously slows down leading to weight gain. I'm not sure if this is actually true, but this is more of what I am concerned about.
I can do the work as far as exercise and eating within my calories. It's the idea of something I can't control causing me to gain weight.
Stopping smoking may or may not decrease your metabolism, but by how much? Enough to make any difference? How can people who have never smoked, have a normal weight or lose weight? You'll have to eat less/move more to lose weight no matter what. And if it's something you can't do anything about, why worry about it?
If you worry about this too much, a few things can happen: You get paralyzed and don't take the necessary action. You use this as a convenient excuse to not take action. The whole thing depresses you so much that you start smoking again.
You are right! I'm not going to let this bother me anymore. I want to quit to be a healthier person for me and a my kids. The more I over-analyze this, the more of an excuse it will become.
I've been doing well. I made it 3 days, cold turkey, but slipped up last night. Today, none. No excuses anymore!
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You don't gain weight from quitting smoking...people who quit smoking and gain weight are eating more to satisfy their oral fixation...stopping smoking in and of itself doesn't cause you to gain weight.3
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Don't be afraid to try nicotine lozenges, gum or even e-cigs if you're having trouble. And sugarless gum is your friend! I did gain weight when I quit, but quitting was my first priority. Once I felt I had the smoking issues beat, I moved on to tackling the weight issues. I've been smoke free over 3 years and maintained a healthy BMI for two now and feel better than I've felt in years!0
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Good luck on stopping smoking - that's a great thing to do for your health and your wallet. You'll only gain weight if you eat more - which might happen if you snack as a replacement for smoking. If you're aware of this and don't eat more than usual, you won't gain weight.
I'd recommend not reaching for a snack or gum instead of a cig - find some other way to keep your hands busy instead. When I was quitting I made myself a fake cigarette - basically a pen tube that I taped some paper around, and would carry that around in my hand like it was a cig and also practised deep breathing at the same time. I felt a bit silly at times but it helped me a lot in the first couple weeks of quitting.
You can do this!
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Start running. Or pick a fitness goal and focus on that. When I finally quit for good that's what I did. I hacked my way through couch to 5k, lost weight and actually found a love of fitness. I used it as an opportunity to do all of the things that were difficult when I smoked. I was a heavy smoker and struggled to quit many times. With this approach quitting was actually really easy.
Also, if you haven't already, clean everything! You don't realize when you're a smoker, but you stink! All of your stuff stinks! Clean it all, soak in the lovely smell of "not smoke". Tell yourself that you are NOT a smoker, and rid your entire existence of everything smoke related. It's super helpful. Drink lots of water, chew gum and just find something to do. If you have the will for it, you will find a way.0 -
Start running. Or pick a fitness goal and focus on that. When I finally quit for good that's what I did. I hacked my way through couch to 5k, lost weight and actually found a love of fitness. I used it as an opportunity to do all of the things that were difficult when I smoked. I was a heavy smoker and struggled to quit many times. With this approach quitting was actually really easy.
Also, if you haven't already, clean everything! You don't realize when you're a smoker, but you stink! All of your stuff stinks! Clean it all, soak in the lovely smell of "not smoke". Tell yourself that you are NOT a smoker, and rid your entire existence of everything smoke related. It's super helpful. Drink lots of water, chew gum and just find something to do. If you have the will for it, you will find a way.
This time around im going to make another gross jar of old smokes/ashes/water and smell it whenever im craving, Its actually an amazingly powerful tool lol. So disgusting the smell/look
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JaydedMiss wrote: »Start running. Or pick a fitness goal and focus on that. When I finally quit for good that's what I did. I hacked my way through couch to 5k, lost weight and actually found a love of fitness. I used it as an opportunity to do all of the things that were difficult when I smoked. I was a heavy smoker and struggled to quit many times. With this approach quitting was actually really easy.
Also, if you haven't already, clean everything! You don't realize when you're a smoker, but you stink! All of your stuff stinks! Clean it all, soak in the lovely smell of "not smoke". Tell yourself that you are NOT a smoker, and rid your entire existence of everything smoke related. It's super helpful. Drink lots of water, chew gum and just find something to do. If you have the will for it, you will find a way.
This time around im going to make another gross jar of old smokes/ashes/water and smell it whenever im craving, Its actually an amazingly powerful tool lol. So disgusting the smell/look
Who knew, right? I sure didn't. It was a shock as time went on and I realized how offensive the odor was.0 -
Have you considered vaping? You can slowly wean off of nicotine and dramatically reduce the harmful effects of smoking. While there is much controversy around vaping most british docs recommend it to quit smoking. I'm sure it isn't healthy but smoking has far more carcinogens in it.3
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If you are serious about quitting, make an appointment with your doctor and get a prescription for Chantix. It works.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »You don't gain weight from quitting smoking...people who quit smoking and gain weight are eating more to satisfy their oral fixation...stopping smoking in and of itself doesn't cause you to gain weight.
You have as much of a chance of gaining weight as becoming a sex addict. A vise isn't totally given up, its just replaced by another one.0 -
I took up vaping and slowly lowered the nicotine levels until I didn't need it anymore. That helped and allowed me to avoid any crazy cravings.3
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JaydedMiss wrote: »Start running. Or pick a fitness goal and focus on that. When I finally quit for good that's what I did. I hacked my way through couch to 5k, lost weight and actually found a love of fitness. I used it as an opportunity to do all of the things that were difficult when I smoked. I was a heavy smoker and struggled to quit many times. With this approach quitting was actually really easy.
Also, if you haven't already, clean everything! You don't realize when you're a smoker, but you stink! All of your stuff stinks! Clean it all, soak in the lovely smell of "not smoke". Tell yourself that you are NOT a smoker, and rid your entire existence of everything smoke related. It's super helpful. Drink lots of water, chew gum and just find something to do. If you have the will for it, you will find a way.
This time around im going to make another gross jar of old smokes/ashes/water and smell it whenever im craving, Its actually an amazingly powerful tool lol. So disgusting the smell/look
Who knew, right? I sure didn't. It was a shock as time went on and I realized how offensive the odor was.
My mom is a heavy smoker, and I fight this battle all the time. It smells so bad - it causes so many arguments
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As a former smoker (quit almost 7 years ago), there is no better thing you can do for your health, wallet, and social standing than to quit smoking. Anything is better than active drug addiction--call it what it is. Good luck and God bless, you can do it!
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It's not just about appetite.
Nicotine increases your metabolism. Everything in your body works harder and faster when you smoke (heart rate etc). So when you stop smoking, your metabolism and body functions return to their normal pace.
You will need to trick your body into staying 'active'. Take 5 minute brisk walks every hour or so. Or run up a couple of flights of stairs every now and then. Have meals more often (in smaller quantities).
I quit smoking and started my weight loss in Jan of last year. I am - 40 lbs now, instead of gaining around 10 +.
YMMV.1 -
You've received some wise comments. Stopping smoking is number one for you. You've done it before so you can do it this time and it will be forever. Follow some of the good tips above and good luck. (former smoker)0
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I haven't had a smoke in 3 weeks and 1 day.
in the last 3 weeks I've gained 10 lbs.
Up from 139 to 149 lbs
I quit at a super stressful time in my life.
The first 2 weeks I ate everything.
this 3rd week I've regained some control. Sitting at 144 today.
The key is recognizing you are over eating and making a decision to not do it.
chew gum, drink water, knit, do some pushups, clean, breathe deeply for the length of time it would take to smoke.
Being cigarette free is more important than weight maintenance.3 -
dudasd1973 wrote: »I took up vaping and slowly lowered the nicotine levels until I didn't need it anymore. That helped and allowed me to avoid any crazy cravings.
this is the route I'm taking. I started at 3% and am now at1%. I hope to be free of this in 9 weeks. I gave mtself a 3 month timeline.0 -
It's not just about appetite.
Nicotine increases your metabolism. Everything in your body works harder and faster when you smoke (heart rate etc). So when you stop smoking, your metabolism and body functions return to their normal pace.
You will need to trick your body into staying 'active'. Take 5 minute brisk walks every hour or so. Or run up a couple of flights of stairs every now and then. Have meals more often (in smaller quantities).
I quit smoking and started my weight loss in Jan of last year. I am - 40 lbs now, instead of gaining around 10 +.
YMMV.
Indeed smoking increases your metabolism. I read that if a person lowered their daily calorie intake by about 100-150, it should offset that. The recommendation of short bursts of exercise seems reasonable in offsetting any potential metabolism loss. I also read that a person would have to gain over 50 lbs to equal the harm done by smoking. I'm not throwing any stones here. After many, many attempts I understand how difficult it is to quit. I'm an X-smoker of 6 years (also a vapor.)1 -
I turned quit smoking and I weigh less than ever before. Turn your negative addiction of nicotine into a healthy addiction and the weight will stay off.1
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Quitting smoking should be priority number ONE.
Smoking will kill you faster than weight.
I quit 2 years ago after 20 years of heavy smoking. Gained a bit (I realised I was eating more but not smoking was a top priority) and 6 months later, when I no longer had cravings to curb with food, I started counting calories and started losing. I've lost 30lbs since. 10lbs to goal.2 -
Hey, OP!
I quit almost three weeks ago! I upped my activity levels to compensate for the metabolism drop, and began a body weight routine this week. I'm maintaining the same calorie deficit. I lost a pound last week! This week, with the added water retention from starting the strength routine (and that lady time), I'm not even going to sweat what the scale tells me.
I feel GREAT! I smell great! Food tastes AMAZING!!! Cigarette smoke smells so rancid to me at this point, I'll not return. This is my fifth go at being a non smoker. Enough is ENOUGH!
YOU CAN DO THIS.
I believe in you.1
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