Quit Smoking

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I have been trying to lose the 20 lb. I gained when I quit smoking for 2 years now. Nothing seems to work. Is anyone else having this problem?

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,058 Member
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    It's difficult in general to lose weight at a certain age.....especially when you don't have very much to lose. Keep plugging away.

    The smoking quitting - BIG congrats.
  • Hogie55
    Hogie55 Posts: 8 Member
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    Now I'm MORE frustrated than ever. Since quitting smoking 2.5 years ago (after 37 years), I can't lose an ounce no matter how much I workout, follow Weight Watchers, drink water, run the Boston Marathon, suck lemons, eat twigs & berries...whatever!

    In April I retired and went on a trip for 35 days. I ate all the wrong foods, drank gallons of beer and didn't exercise once! I was a slug on the beach. My weight remained exactly the same!!! Even my doctor was baffled.

    Please don't tell me that my body has found it's 'comfort zone'! I am 5' 2" and weighed 128 the day I quit smoking - now I'm 148 - HELP! I have been watching my weight my entire adult life - losing weight is not this complicated.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,058 Member
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    Since you only have 20ish pounds to lose, you should have your wieght loss goal here set to "Lose 1/2 lb per week." Any more aggressive calorie cutting will work against you for losing weight. It's more about fuel and nutrition.

    Go back to the set-up page here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Set your Goals honestly and realistically. Just because you are retired doesn't necessarily mean you are Sedentary, so don't pick the most aggressive weight loss goal just because it is an option.

    I'm about your age and also about 10 lbs from goal...but it is slow going, and if I ate too little it would make things worse. At 5'7", I'm eating between 1500-2000 calories every day. I'm still losing. It is slow going. For exercise all I really do is walk 3-5 times a week. Be patient and don't try to rush the system, you will stall your weight loss. The month of over-eating and not gaining sounds like my pattern too. it usually takes my body a good month in a particular pattern before any changes happen.

    Be patient.