what are the effects of smoking on weight loss?

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SannaBourne
SannaBourne Posts: 33
in Health and Weight Loss
I smoke whenever I want to binge, its my hunger suprressant.. but a lot of people on here have been cutting out smoking in order to lose weight, just wondering why

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  • jocraw66
    jocraw66 Posts: 52
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    I've not smoked in a little over ten years and the reason I quit was because my overall goal was to get healthy, not just lose weight. My DR even told me that he'd rather me weigh more than smoke. Both are bad for you, both can be deadly but even 10 pounds overweight if I'm in good health is much better than smoking.

    I also read a study that said that smokers carry more weight in their abdomen than nonsmokers....

    I hope you quit. Smoking is not a good thing.
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    It's always better to loose healthy weight. Usually when you quit smoking you want to eat a lot, and here on mfp it's a good place to quit because your keeping track of what you eat in return no binge eating can replace the smoke. I personally quit because I have watched two people die from lung cancer and I never want to be in that position ever! Plus it makes it pretty hard to run when you smoke, and a lot of people take up running to lose weight!
  • kristen11joy
    kristen11joy Posts: 114 Member
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    If you are losing weight to be healthy, not smoking is just part of the deal.
  • Brandi_Lee
    Brandi_Lee Posts: 46
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    I’m the opposite, eating fuels my fire to smoke. After a meal I don’t feel like it’s done until I have my tea a smoke afterwards. I’ve have found with the small portions I’ve been eating during my weight loss that I can go longer without needed that cigarette.

    Example, after a meal before I started on here I would head outside for my smoke as soon and I put my dishes in the sink. Now I can wait, clear the table do up the dinner dishes and I’ll find something short in time to do like check my emails or throw a load of laundry in the washer before I my craving starts.

    I'm trying to quit and lose weight at the same time. If a craving for a smoke starts I'll tell myself I'll tidy my livingroom and then go out, or I'll go upstairs and make my bd and go out. I just try and find something to put it off even for a couple minutes. I'm down from about 20 cigarettes a day to about 12 a day, just from doing these few things.

    Hope this helps and good luck! As smokers we all need it!
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    If you are losing weight to be healthy, not smoking is just part of the deal.

    It also makes, for someone people, the already hard act of losing weight even harder, and far more likely to stop trying both.

    For me, it's one thing at a time. I'd rather be a 13 st smoker than a 20 st non smoker. Once i get to my goal weight, and maintain for a few months, then I'll look into the smoking part :)
  • az82
    az82 Posts: 152
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    I quit smoking almost six weeks ago (cold turkey!). I am not quitting to lose weight but instead to be healthier. I figure that no matter how much weight I lose, if I still smoke then I will never be healthy. While I can't say what the effects of smoking are on weight loss, I can say what the effects of not smoking having been.

    The first few days were hard - and I did fall off the wagon in terms of snacking on the wrong types of food. As I munched my way through a bag of chips or ate a candy bar, I figured it was better than smoking. I went through a whole bag of jolly rancher suckers too. I probably gained about three pounds in a week. But since that first week, I have felt so much better. I can exercise longer and when I really push myself, I no longer hack up a lung at the end.

    As far as suppressing hunger, I used to tell myself that too - that smoking would keep me from eating and that's why I shouldn't quit. But now that I have, I realize that I was lying to myself. People don't gain weight after quitting because they have no way of controlling their appetite - they gain weight because they replace cigarettes with food. And there are so many better ways of replacing the bad habit like eating healthy foods (like edamame, celery sticks, etc.), chewing sugar free gum, and exercising. And since I've quit, I've lost 10 pounds!

    So yeah, effects of smoking on weight loss - nothing. Effects of not smoking on weight loss = awesome.
  • tinamina78
    tinamina78 Posts: 241 Member
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    First, I want to say that everyone is different and you have to do what works for you. Any effort to be healthy is admirable and good.

    Second, however, I want to tell you my story (short version of course). I was a 14 year smoker who wanted to become healthy, lose weight and finally quit smoking. It was hard, but it CAN BE DONE.

    When I wanted to binge, I ate vegetables, seasoned with herbs & salsa for flavor. I ate a LOT of vegetables. I also did a lot of snacking on beans & fish. The idea was to nibble on healthy stuff all day (I planned out what I would eat at the beginning of each day).

    When I wanted to smoke, I went for a walk and eventually started running. Any time I felt that terrible urge for a smoke, I did cardio and the endorphins (and physical pain) that resulted really made me forget the urge to smoke. It was hard, but it was the only way I successfully quit smoking and I actually LOST 20 pounds. Not only that, but I felt SO MUCH better about myself and SO proud that I had done it on my own.

    Not saying you have to do anything like this, but I did want you to know it's possible. Smoking is deadly. Being overweight is unhealthy. You have to find a balance that works for you. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Just be healthy as best you can :)
  • Alice230
    Alice230 Posts: 66
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    I don't know what the effects are but,I have heard that the French use cigarettes to not eat as much.
    Either way I know two things
    1). When you quit you gain weight
    and
    2). Smoking is just not good for you.
  • SannaBourne
    SannaBourne Posts: 33
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    thank you everyone for answering...fortunately im not hooked on cigs yet..
    i just use them so i dont eat so much.. but now that i've read all this, im throwing my pack away and stopping today :)
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    thank you everyone for answering...fortunately im not hooked on cigs yet..
    i just use them so i dont eat so much..

    I did this too! Worst thing I ever did.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
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    The reason smoking has helped me lose weight is because I used to struggle more with exercise because I would be out of breath sooner. I can now exercise for longer and exercise harder because I haven't smoked in over a year.

    Best thing I ever did :) But totally up to the individual in my opinion.
  • sueb0817
    sueb0817 Posts: 2
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    Thanks for all your posts. I smoke also - for many years. There is not a day that goes by I want to quit. Yet I do not. I will continue to work towards that goal.
  • oswaldbowser
    oswaldbowser Posts: 164 Member
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    I stopped smoking and joined MFP nearly 6 weeks ago.....the reason was because I also started going down the gym and smoking would have stopped me exercising due to not be able to catch my breath
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
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    I replaced smoking with healthy eating... Almost obsessive I was about the food I was eating I managed to stop quitting smoking with no other help. I'm glad I did and I feel so much better for it!
    If you keep on track with your eating you shouldn't gain weight after quitting smoking. People say you do but I've done nothing but lose since the day I put down cigarettes because I refused to let myself put on more weight.
    Good luck with quitting! :)
  • jennyrider
    jennyrider Posts: 45
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    Not good!
  • cowlover22
    cowlover22 Posts: 309 Member
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    smaoking increases your metabolism. you can burn up to 300 a day. I am not saying you should smake..this is what I read. Many people here are trying to get healthy and that is part of getting healthy.
  • jocraw66
    jocraw66 Posts: 52
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    smaoking increases your metabolism. you can burn up to 300 a day. I am not saying you should smake..this is what I read. Many people here are trying to get healthy and that is part of getting healthy.

    I sincerely hope that this was response was sarcasam that I am missing. If not then this is the most ridiculous answer I've read lately to any discussion thread.

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