Advice:Smokers/Former Smokers

I am a smoker, i went from a pack a day to about 1/3 a day now. I would really like to quit completely but I've been told that can pack on pounds...not many, but i can't afford to gain any more. I don't know if its an old wives tale, but if there are any former smokers here that have lost weight during the quitting process, have any helpful tips? I'm pretty sure i can combat the oral fixation part of quitting....

Well, this isn't really advice, but I would have to say it's not an old wives' tale. People typically do gain some weight when they quit smoking, with women gaining a bit more than men. Contrary to what a lot of people think, it's not just from substituting smoking with eating either. Nicotine raises your metabolism, so quitting would naturally lower your metabolism. I would have to guess that you would be at a lower risk of gaining weight than someone who smokes a pack a day. Did you gain any weight when you cut back? If you exercise and eat healthy, any weight gain should be minimal, if you even gain any weight at all. If you're currently trying to lose weight though, quitting could stall your weight loss temporarily due to a decrease in your metabolism. Some people don't gain any weight when they quit smoking. I've quit quite a few times, and the only time I remember gaining a significant amount of weight is when I was inactive and started eating more after I quit. Other times when I was exercising and watching what I ate, I may have gained 5 pounds at the most. I do smoke now though, and I'm afraid to quit because of potential weight gain, even though I know it's unlikely since I also smoke about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pack a day.

Anyway, that's what I know, so if anyone does have any additional input, I'm sure we'd both be very interested.

Congratulations on reducing your intake so much already and wanting to take it further. You won't regret it!!

Here is some info from the Mayo Clinic website which I hope you find useful, explore the website a bit as they have tons of smoking information:

• Quit smoking, gain weight: Is it inevitable?
• Quit smoking: Practical strategies for success

Hello there!  I am a "quiter" lol, since last October.  I have to say I haven't really gain any weight but I haven't loose either.  I wanted to quit for long time too and the weight gain was what was stopping me but I was stronger than that and my body appreciates it.  I can work out longer, I smell better, my nails are coming out cleaner, and I am going to whiten my teeth cause I know now is worth doing it.  My point is whether you'll gain weight or not is up to you and your activities but that shouldn't be the reason not to quit smoking since you really want too.  Is a good thing believe me and your body will LOVE you!  But on the other hand it does depents on your life style.  You have to find out if you're smoking because of boredom or just used to with some activities like driving.  I used to smoke from the time I was sitting in the drivers or passangers seat all the way to my destination.  I make sure I don't have food in my car, I get a gum and a bottle of water and I am fine now.  But the worst for me was after work sitting on the couch and watching TV with my husband...  forget it! I was smoking a lot without even realizing it but now I try to spend most of my afternoon at the gym or walking at the park (when I don't feel like working out...) etc.  Good luck and remember:  Always have gum with you!  You could definetely succeed!

i think its different for everyone because i managed to lose weight even after quitting cigs. but not as fast as i did while smoking. but it will get back on track with time dont worry. If you control your diet you will not gain weight according to my knowledge.

Original Post by amonaco:

I am a smoker, i went from a pack a day to about 1/3 a day now. I would really like to quit completely but I've been told that can pack on pounds...not many, but i can't afford to gain any more. I don't know if its an old wives tale, but if there are any former smokers here that have lost weight during the quitting process, have any helpful tips? I'm pretty sure i can combat the oral fixation part of quitting....

Hold that thought, I really want to help you. I quit smoking exactly a year and a half ago (New Years day 2007) after 13 years of smoking everyday.  I did not gain any weight. I quit cold turkey and since then have not had a single puff. I have some really good advice but I want to put it together nicely for you so I am going to take some time now and I'll be back.

I quit smoking on June 13. It was a natural progression from eating right and exercising for the five previous months. I beleive I am fortunate because I have adopted a 6 or so eating events per day method which means I did not get the light-headed low blood sugar symptoms.

I am not using an nicotine replacement. My theory (borrowed from Freedom from Tobacco - who are like single minded anti-smoking nazis) is that this will only prolong the physical withdrawals as nicotine will be almost entirely metabolized in 3 days, and 99% of cigarette bi-products will be gone in 3 weeks.

Basically the first 3 days are the physical withdrawal days. Stay busy. Drink water. Breathe deeply. They are not kick up your heels fun days. But there was no reason to substitute eating.

The part I am in right now is identifying and dispelling triggers. Like if I have a craving, I allow myself to feel the craving, but let it go away on its own. They all eventually have (though one seemed to take forever, but was more like five minutes). I am not getting so many cravings.

If you never smoke any cigarettes once you stop, you would be an ex-smoker. If you do, you would be likely to get up to your old consumption level. So pick your day, and stop.

I'm so glad that you posted this topic!  I have been an on-again-off-again smoker for two years (I have smoked for almost 10 years though).  I quit for the last time about a month ago.  When I quit, I decided to be the only person I know to lose weight while quitting.  I get so sick of people saying, "It's great that you quit, but you're going to gain weight."  It drives me insane!!!!!!!!  Everyone does not gain weight, and how dare someone deter me from saving my own life! 

I did my research and learned that you do burn more calories when smoking because your body has to work harder to get rid of the toxins etc. etc.  It depends on how much you smoke, but if you drink one less soda a day or become a little more active, you will probably make up for the difference.  My husband had a great idea for me.  He suggested that every time I have an intense craving, I should do 5-10 push ups (or some kind of movement).  If you're at work, tighten your stomach muscles and hold for 30 seconds.  This worked well for me!  I got over the cravings in only two weeks and I have been eating better and jogging 3-4 days a week.  I feel great!  I didn't just want to quit smoking, I wanted to live an overall healthier lifestyle.

Best of luck to you.  I have slipped up a few times, but it's important to forgive yourself and move forward towards your goal.  Don't listen to anyone's negative input.  You will be adding years to your life!  Congratulations in advance because I know you can do it!

Thanks for all the support and tips. Its definitely going to be hard considering the majority of my friends are smokers, but hopefully me quitting can be of some motivation for them. I have 3 cigarettes left and I'm making today the last day of smoking!

I cut down, just like you did starting last June.  But I decided that my New Year's goal would be to officially QUIT.  I had my last cigarette January 8 of this year.  I was down to smoking maybe 5 cigarettes a week at that point.

I did not gain any weight during this time.  But I did have a very supportive boyfriend who did not smoke and was willing to help me when my willpower was low.  I also avoided bars like the plague, as that was where I always wanted a cigarette.

Since I was not drinking as much, that cut back on my calorie intake and (in my opinion) probably balanced out any extra eating that I may have been doing.  I also chewed a lot of gum (in my car especially -- another spot where I always used to smoke) and took walks when I was craving a cigarette.

Good luck!  And remember to implement the help of family or friends who want you to quit.  Turn to them when your willpower is low!

Saturday I will be exactly 7 months tobacco free.  I did gain weight...quite a lot.  I gained 30 pounds to be exact.  I believe it did decreast my metabolism, bu I am exercising every day recently and according to my doctor,  that serves to increase it.  I am now doing well on my program.  I quit all at once using Chantix but perhaps since you are doing it gradually, your metabolism will have a chance to recover at the same time.  Either way, regular exercise is supposed to counter-act the slowed metabolism.  I think quitting smoking is the important part and the rest can be dealt with afterward.  Good Luck!

www.whyquit.com

this website is the single most valuable resource on the internet for understanding the cycle of nicotine addiction and what the body goes through when quitting. IMHO it is a must for the quitter.

Here is a link to one article in particular you may find helpful.

http://www.whyquit.com/joel/Joel_01_13_gradua l_withdrawal.html

edited to say to take the sapce out between the "a" and "l" in gradual for the link to work. I am not sure why that space is there and I can't remove it.

I quit in September 2006 and gained 15 lbs in Jan/Feb/March 2007--didn't change my eating habits, either, so I attribute it to the quitting smoking. BUT it was the FIRST step in getting much healthier for me, and I lost that 15 pretty easily (before even starting CC or actually doing anything but a bit more exercise). If I wanted to be able to build endurance, I had to quit smoking--and distance running is what I love, what will also help me lose weight, and so I had to stop smoking to make any progress. I had tried to do it without quitting but couldn't. Now that I'm not smoking, I'm so much healthier and more fit, even if I am still well overweight. CC is helping me with the rest, so I thank God daily that I was able to take that first step.

Do NOT worry about whether or not you gain weight. Smoking  is so much worse for your health that even if you DO gain, it is ok. You are better off without the cigarettes AND more able to develop and stick with an exercise program as a non-smoker.

You may have to quit hanging out as much with your smoking friends, however. I don't know what I'd do if I was surrounded by smokers. Talk to them on the phone or meet with them in places where they cannot smoke--and don't be afraid to be upfront about what you are doing and why, and make sure they know you need the smoke free places for YOU, that you are not trying to control THEIR smoking. If they are REAL friends, they'll support you. If not, well . . . Use the gym or a nice park as a place to spend YOUR time for exercise/not smoking. You will make new friends, too, if you take up a sport or other activity.

I quit March 2007 due to a hospitalization.  I didn't cut back, I just got rid of the cigarettes and started using the patch.  My husband did the same, so we quit together.  That really helped!!!

As for weight gain, yes I did gain a few pounds -- maybe 5-10, but I also started exercising and eating better at the same time because I was concerned about my health.  I would probably have put on more weight if not for that.  I didn't start here until February of this year, because even though I felt tons better, I just wasn't getting the weight off.  Counting calories has really helped and I lost the "quit-smoking weight" and more. 

I weigh less now than in the last 10 years, and feel 150% better. 

You can do it!!! 

I am in the same situation. I have been smoking for 3 years and everytime i try to quit I find myself gaing weight and then quickly starting back up again. I wish i had the will power to quit and stay on my diet at the same time.

First of all do not worry about weight gain. There are ways to get around that which I will cover for you.  First is that you need to prepare yourself to quit. You should do as much research as you possibly can. This includes statistics, success stories, advice, and anything else that can motivate you and send you in the right direction.

Then, make a couple of lists. First, a list of the reasons you want to quit smoking, but separate into categories: health reasons and non health reasons. The reason for this is that ppl are sometimes more successful quitters when they quit for non health reasons. Here's why: Yes, smoking leads to lung cancer, emphezema, heart attack, stroke, and a bunch of other nasty conditions that can lead to death. But those things are not GUARANTEED. Not everyone who smokes will suffer through those things. And, ppl do not take these risks seriously because they seem so far away. You may feel perfectly healthy right now.  Here are some of the things you are dealing with RIGHT NOW, and these are GUARANTEED: (you should come up with more on your own as well) you spend too much money on them, your breath stinks, your hair stinks, your teeth and hands are yellow, you are a SLAVE to them because you cannot go more than ___ amount of time without one (if you run out or if you dont have a lighter, that becomes your #1 mission above anything else at the time and you cannot be normal until you complete your mission).

After that, it might help to reflect back to other times in your life where you've had to exercise your willpower. Times you were successful - recollect how you did it, the level of difficulty, how you felt after. Then reflect on when your willpower sucked, and you gave in to whatever it was - remember what you did wrong and how you felt afterward. Then imagine yourself six months and a year after you quit, just imagine the feeling you will have.  I am telling you right now, it is QUITE a pleasant thought that I have not had a cigarrette in a year and a half exactly, today.  I am so proud of myself.

This is the hard part: while youre sitting around smoking doing your research, come up with a list of things that trigger you to smoke: ex. driving in your car, taking a walk, talking on the phone, being hungry, eating, being stressed at home or work, etc.  THEN come up with a list of things you will do in EACH one of those situations instead of smoking.  These things only need to take about ten min.  Examples - you can appoint a couple of friends to take your phone call so you can take your frustrations out on them for ten min, or do a quick ten min exercise, or do your nails, or whatever else you can think of. Cold crunchy vegetables work! TEN MINUTES is all you need to get over a cigarrette craving, so all of the activities you list do not need to take any longer than that.

Next, come up with a quit date. Any date you want. Its up to you whether you want to tell anyone or not. I did, in order to prevent myself from backing out.   Tell any of your family or friends who smoke that you are going to have to take a break from them for at least 2 weeks but I recommend a month. Hopefully you don't live with any smokers.  

The day before your quit, go grocery shopping and stock up on every fruit and vegetable you can find - you will be glad you did.  Go back home and get rid of all ashtrays and lighters and cigarrettes before you go to bed that night- just toss em.   Wake up in the morning on your quit day with 0 cigarrettes in your posession.  Take your lists with you everywhere so you always have a reference. Talk to people about it if you need to. STOP talking about it when you need to. Play the rest by ear. Take it ONE day at a time. Each day until it gets easier you should be thinking 'I just have to get through today without any cigarrettes'.

Alright I will post more if I think of more advice. I know you can do this. I wish you the best of luck and if you need anything feel free to private msg me.

10/10/2003 .. 9:00 pm to be exact I smoked my last cigarette after 15 years of a pack a day. To be exact that's 1725 days, 19 hours, 52 minutes and 34 seconds smoke free and 34517 cigarettes not smoked.  Over the first 6 months about 5 pounds crept on - when I quit I vowed I would not replace smokes with food and that was pretty easy once I had made that decision. I still however was about 10 pounds lighter than my heaviest self as a smoker. I did feel my metabolism slow (nicotine increases your metobolic rate very slightly) and it took a little over a year before I felt like my body was 'normal' again. I quit a year after getting divorced and realizing that I was much more appealing to the men I dated 5 pounds heavier than a smoker. Today I ran my first 15K race ... something I never could have done as a smoker . It's tough to get here, but boy the grass is definitely greener as a nonsmoker! Congrats on your decision to quit! If you're really worried about it just continue to count calories just like you are now and add in an extra work out a week and you'll be good.

Check out www.quitnet.com - it's a great resource and distraction :)

I quit smoking in February this year. Also quit drinking my wine. All it did was make me stay busier which turned out to be a double win cause I burn lots of calories and forgot to smoke...Best to you and know you can do it!

Congratulations on trying to quit smoking!  I smoked 3 packs a day for 33 years and I quit on January 4, 2007.  It was the best decision of my life!  It will be your best decision as well.  You will be so much healthier after you quit smoking, even if you do gain a few pounds.  I did gain about 30 lbs, but am working now on losing that. The reason I gained weight was not because I quit smoking, but because I also had some major health problems, related to smoking (heart disease and emphysema). 

I have to agree with Lippygal, substituting fresh raw veggies and fruits works great!  And you will find that food tastes so much better after you quit smoking. One other strategy I used was to cut straws to the length of a cigarette.  I kept one on my desk at home and one in the car. It really helped with the "hand to mouth" motion that is so hard to break.  Another great idea is to reward yourself every week that you don't smoke by using the money you would have spent on cigarettes to buy yourself something or put it in a savings account and plan a dream vacation.  I bought myself little rewards for the first few weeks, then started that vacation savings account.  My sister and I are going to Ireland next summer with the money we saved.

I wish you the best of luck with quitting.  It is well worth it!  Your body will thank you!  Good luck!  :-)

OMG kkiss10, THANK YOU for mentioning the rewards! That is so important. When I quit, I bought myself a laptop right off the bat. I had some money saved, plus I figured that my internet bill is now what I'm spending that ciggarette money on and that if I dare go back, I can't afford the bill. I LOVE my laptop, it also provided me with something to do and a great distraction while I was in the early stages of quitting!  Then, every week I had little rewards, it could be anything really.