quitting smoking/weight gain??

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susansmith2011
susansmith2011 Posts: 10
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Hi all i am quitting smoking (for good) :) tommorow but everyone is negative saying oh you will put on lots of weight when you quit has any one been in this situation as in trying to loose some weight and quit this nasty habbit at the same time ?? any tips/advice would be gladly took :) thanks...

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  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Not me, but I know a few people who did. There are studies showing a temporary slowdown of the metabolism as a result of quitting, but you can counteract that with diet and exercise.

    One friend who gained went from a size 2 to a size 4, so while she did gain (and didn't like it), it's not like she ballooned up. And she ate horribly and never worked out.
  • glw1001
    glw1001 Posts: 2
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    I quit over 2 years ago now and found that just drinking plenty water helped me from gaining to much weight, good luck
  • auticus
    auticus Posts: 1,051 Member
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    The biggest part of weight gain in smokers who quit from what I have read is that they substitute the cigarette going into their mouth with food.

    Be conscious of what you put in your mouth and make sure that you are working out and eating the proper foods to fuel yourself correctly.

    Best of luck to you.
  • surabhit
    surabhit Posts: 94 Member
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    Hi all i am quitting smoking (for good) :) tommorow but everyone is negative saying oh you will put on lots of weight when you quit has any one been in this situation as in trying to loose some weight and quit this nasty habbit at the same time ?? any tips/advice would be gladly took :) thanks...

    Not true at all!!! I stopped smoking more than a month back. I've LOST a kilo since then - mind you I was on an exercise regime already.

    The reasons people say you'll put on weight is a myth - according to most, when you stop smoking you have to munch/snack to keep your hands busy - gum, sweets etc. Not true. If you don't eat extra, you won't put on weight!! I didn't eat ANYTHING to substitute the cigs - I had water. And I didn't NEED to eat anything extra (because I quit with the most awesome tool :)).

    In fact, as your body gets off the drug addiction, your metabolism and circulation will improve (over months, not quick) and this will mean you'll lose MORE, not put on.

    Hope this helps :) happy non-smoking!!! It's a wonderful life :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    The biggest part of weight gain in smokers who quit from what I have read is that they substitute the cigarette going into their mouth with food.

    Be conscious of what you put in your mouth and make sure that you are working out and eating the proper foods to fuel yourself correctly.

    Best of luck to you.

    Adding to that, a former coworker quit and got REALLY super skinny because he replaced his usual cigarrette with a walk. Any time he would have had one, he went for a walk instead.
  • g1ujpp
    g1ujpp Posts: 2
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    I quit, and I gained weight!!!! The problem wasn't the quitting smoking, It was all of the junk I was putting into my mouth for comfort of not having a cigerette. The law of the Universe doesn't change because you quit smoking. Watch the calories that you consume and get exercise you will win. Also !!CONGRATULATIONS!! on quitting.

    To Quote Newt Gingrich: I have good news and bad news. First the good news 'Diet and exercise work'. Now the bad news 'Diet and exercise work.
  • eboley637
    eboley637 Posts: 18
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    I think it depends on the person. When I quit smoking I didn't see a difference but my husband put on weight. His was weird though bc he had hypnosis and it was almost as if his smoking addiction switched from that to food... I would assume that logging into MFP and continuing to keep track of your diet would help against the weight gain. Good luck with quitting! Your body will definitely thank you for it. It's been about a year and a half and I've never felt better! :drinker:
  • Mateo1985
    Mateo1985 Posts: 153
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    I did it just fine.

    there are always going to be doubters around you who will come up with stuff like that. Just be determined to do both things and you'll be ok.
  • JC1459
    JC1459 Posts: 33 Member
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    My 1 year cigarette free anniversary was Sept 4th 2011 - I started working out as a way to fight the cravings (I won that battle) and found that initially I lost weight. Once my cravings were under control I stopped working out and I put on an extra 20 lbs. WOW - food suddenly tasted SO GOOD! I'm back on track now and have lost 9 lbs in the last 2 weeks!!

    Quitting smoking does not automatically mean you will gain weight - but even if you do in the short term - would you rather fight to lose the weight or continue a lifestlye which has such a negative impact on your health and life?

    As a smoker for 35 years I didn't beleive that I could give up the cigs - I DID IT AND SO CAN YOU!! Don't let weight gain be the excuse that keeps you from living cigarette free!!!

    I'm wishing you great success!!
  • jgic2009
    jgic2009 Posts: 531 Member
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    I gained for the first 2 weeks, but that's because I completely abandoned tracking and ate whatever I felt like.

    I have been smoke-free for a month now, and now that I'm tracking and working out again, the scale is moving back in the right direction.

    You can do this!
  • lrichardson2360
    lrichardson2360 Posts: 225 Member
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    The biggest part of weight gain in smokers who quit from what I have read is that they substitute the cigarette going into their mouth with food.

    Be conscious of what you put in your mouth and make sure that you are working out and eating the proper foods to fuel yourself correctly.

    Best of luck to you.

    Exactly!
  • susansmith2011
    susansmith2011 Posts: 10
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    Hi thankyou to all of you :0 some really good tips for me to try and hopefully be smoke free and not put on the weight :) oh and well done to those that have quit it makes me see that maybe i can do this too after 20 years :) xx
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
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    I did gain after I quit smoking. I attribute part of it to the fact that food tasted so much better. I overate because everything tasted so good! You'll be surprised at how food tastes when you quit!
  • paper_doll_
    paper_doll_ Posts: 64
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    The biggest part of weight gain in smokers who quit from what I have read is that they substitute the cigarette going into their mouth with food.

    Be conscious of what you put in your mouth and make sure that you are working out and eating the proper foods to fuel yourself correctly.

    Best of luck to you.

    Auticus is absolutely correct! The biggest reason people gain weight when quitting is because they need to fulfill the oral sensation of smoking.. so they eat. The oral fix and not knowing what to do with your hands when normally you would be smoking, are two fo the biggest hurdles to overcome, and are easily satisfied by eating. Try something else.. sugar free lollies/gum, fruit, a glass of water.. and for the restless hands.. get yourself a stressball that you can keep with you in your bag or pocket..
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    Not me, but I know a few people who did. There are studies showing a temporary slowdown of the metabolism as a result of quitting, but you can counteract that with diet and exercise.

    I agree with this one. I'm currently in this difficult process of quitting & so far I haven't gained any. The only reason why most people gain when they quit is because they keep on stuffing their mouth with food for it to keep busy. In my case, I buy candies (sugar free gum is the best) so in case I crave to smoke, I just pop it in my mouth. Just stay within your calorie goal & make sure you burn more than you take in. Its that simple.
  • Gritsgirl513
    Gritsgirl513 Posts: 8
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    I started week ago with the same goal and I have gotten no where but have lost 2 lbs but havent quit smoking yet i wanted to get use to eatting healthly then quit a month in or so I was being told over and over that trying to lose weight and quit smoking was going to be too much.
  • surabhit
    surabhit Posts: 94 Member
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    I started week ago with the same goal and I have gotten no where but have lost 2 lbs but havent quit smoking yet i wanted to get use to eatting healthly then quit a month in or so I was being told over and over that trying to lose weight and quit smoking was going to be too much.

    There's no better time to stop than now :). It's not hard at all. Personal experience - it's easier to stop smoking than to diet! Try Allan Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking - it's a miracle waiting to be discovered. Best of luck.
  • gavini
    gavini Posts: 248 Member
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    another voice here adding to what everyone else has said, quiting doesnt have to lead to weight gain at all but when you want a smoke it feels like hunger - which it is, your body is hungry for nicotine because it thinks it needs it and you have trained it to "think" that- so you eat more and you gain weight.

    i quit for 6 weeks and lost 9 pounds over the same 6 weeks. unforutnately, that was two weeks ago and i am smoking half a pack a day again and need to find some motivation to quit again but the weight loss and smoking didnt have anything to do with each other in my case.
  • Sazzles14
    Sazzles14 Posts: 16
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    Good for you! Don't let others put you off, quitiing is worth it and some do/some don't experience weight gain, it comes down to how you deal with quitting. I quit nearly 12 months ago and put on a bit of weight, but I reckon that's only because everything tastes so much better!! Use the Easyway method and you can't go far wrong xx
  • wannabesexymama
    wannabesexymama Posts: 367 Member
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    I have been smoke free for more then a year and yes I gained but I also got pregnant shortly after quiting so I kinda had to but since having the baby I lost alot even with out my smokes and I have to say its great to walk or even Run without getting winded from smokers lung!:wink:

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