Quit Smoking and Gaining Weight

I recently did a great thing - I quit smoking on the 1st of January.  I smoked for 13 years...so not smoking was very hard... I have now gained about 15 pounds since i quit smoking.  I got on the scale today and wanted to cry.  I am turning over a new leaf today... i need to lose weight and not smoke... Any suggestions from anyone that has quit smoking in the past....

and to think i was even so desperate to lose weight at one point i thought about taking up smoking because i also hear it helped to lose weight. i see its definetly not worth it. good luck though.

When you feel like the withdrawl pangs are too much, don't eat. Exercise instead. I know it's simplistic and I know that it's going to be repeated again, but it's the truth. Not only will it increase your health, but if you're doing cardio work you can actually feel yourself becoming healthier within the first week... you're obviously past the first week but you get my point.

You will feel your lungs cleaning themselves. It will feel good. You will feel accomplished even moreso because you've not only quit smoking but you've taken up a life-style habit to take smoking's place that's second to none.

$0.02 in the bucket. 

EDIT: CONGRATULATIONS! - Sometimes I forget to say this because I'm so passionate about not smoking and about exercising.

I also just recently quit smoking. I tried a few things. A combination between replacement habit and exercise works best.

I found what worked best for me instead of munching was using sunflower seeds. The packaged ones have way too much sodium, so I get natural ones in bulk and bake them myself. This also gave me something to do other than smoke :) Make sure any replacement snacking is low low in calorie since you may be doing this as a 'habit' rather than 'hunger'

Exercise was by far the best thing though. I now jog almost every day. This helps me feel the new strength in my lungs, making me more proud to have quit, while buringing off calories. I also do more intense workouts at night (bikram yoga) and that also helps tremendously.

Bottom line though, it's going to be harder for you to lose/maintain because you have a temporarily slower metabolism without smoking. I have worked at this for 2 months and lost 4 lbs. It's getting faster now, and it will for you. Don't get discouraged!! Quitting smoking is the best thing, and it is worth the extra work to stay in shape!

so wait....quitting smoking lowers your metabolism?

i want to quit smoking but fear gaining wait. i know its better to quit cigs for my llungs and everything else..... but im wondering if people gain wait cuz they eat to replace the cigs they arnt having....or if you gain weight due to lowered metabolism?

I quit smoking on 2nd January after 14 years (with a year's break in there somewhere). So far I'm +11lbs - incredible isn't it? Given that I've gained as much as you more or less I can't obviously offer any suggestions, but maybe we could form a support group of sorts? I've seen other people have recently quit smoking on these forums, anyone else out there struggling with post-cigarette weight-gain?

I have started going to the gym more regularly now and staying longer; it's amazing how much less frightening the place is now that I don't pant just by walking to the treadmill.

I quit smoking at xmas time after 8 yrs and at the same time have been trying to lose weight. Replaced my smoking addiction with calorie counting obsession, I think more about what food I'm eating than cigarettes.

Smoke free and losing weight here. One thing that helps is starting an exercise plan. Exercise makes you feel better (increases endorphines) while also reducing the desire to smoke. My last cigarette was on Dec. 26, 2006 and what helps me in all of this is focusing on my health...nothing feels better then making it up a flight of stairs that was once almost impossible to do as a smoker/couch potatoe.

Take it one day at a time and you will be fine.

Smoking raises your heart rate (at rest heart rate)  and when one stops smoking their rate decreases (this is  VERY VERY good thing people) so at first the metabolism does slow down, but this is only temporarily. Most people gain weight after quitting because they replace food for a cigarette. Exercising and eating well will surely negate any slower metabolism.

Today is my 19month anniversary of quitting smoking.  I wish I could report I lost my "quit lbs" but I haven't but I have lost sizes so its ok - but my goal is to have my quit lbs gone by my 2 year anniversary.

Yes your metabolism will take a nose dive after quitting and if you are female in your 40s like I was that doesn't help LOL!!!  I smoked for over 30 years a pack and sometimes more a day.  I quit cold turkey and the welbutrin because nicotine replacements I used while smoking when I was in places I couldn't smoke.  I replaced cigs with pumpklin seeds for many weeks and that was probably the biggest contributor to my weight gain.

I still have to chew gum in my car - but I don't get that "I got to have a smoke" crave anymore.  There is the occasional a cigarette would be nice now but the pull my hair out craves are gone.  I also sometimes have dreams I smoke in and then wake up feeling guilty like I slipped and have to start all over!!!

Quitting smoking is the best thing I ever did for myself - even losing 55 lbs before I quit was easy compared to the not smoking.  It is very hard to find "non food" substitutes. 

The health reports I've seen say you would have to gain over 75 lbs for your weight to be as detrimental to  your health as smoking is so I wouldn't worry too much about 15 lbs.  I gained that in the first 2 weeks - alot of it due to water weight and the body adjusting to the loss of chemicals it used to depend on to function.  Drink lots of cold water.  get some celery sticks carrots and other veggies to munch on.  Concentrate on the quit keep the quit the priority and then after a few months work on the weight concerns.

Visit http:www/quitnet.com for great support

When I quit smoking in May of 2005, I knew that I was going to gain weight and I made up my mind not to worry about it.  I figured I'd become a non-smoker first, and then lose the weight.  In retrospect, I did it the hard way.  If you go for a brisk walk every day - and I do mean brisk, and I do mean every day, you'll feel the difference not smoking makes to your body.  Within a couple of weeks, you'll notice that you're not as out of breath, and that it's taking you less time to walk the same distance.  To actually feel healthier is the best motivation there is - and you can triple the effects of feeling healthier by quitting smoking, eating healthier foods and exercising on a regular basis.   Good on you for tackling it - you're already over the worst part of quitting smoking, that 15 pounds will be gone in no time - and you're gonna feel so good about yourself!

Split

PS - completely smoke-free now, and haven't had so much as a twinge of a craving in well over a year.

water, water, water, water, I can't say it enough. Not only did it help with the cravings, it helped flush my body of the sodium from my replacement snacks.  I did gain weight, BUT, I feel better today almost 11 months later than I did when I smoked. I can play softball again without begging for oxygen and I can exercise regularly now.   Great Job on the quiting, keep it up, it is so worth it.

Jul

A friend of mine quit smoking, and to kill the oral habit that comes with it (after smoking for 20 years or so) she bought a big box of coffee stirrers (the tiny plastic straws) and chewed them to death.

She still isn't smoking, and she quit even chewing the straws after a few weeks.  Never even used all the straws. :)

Forgot to mention that I took up knitting too, which has really helped keep my hands occupied (and not reaching either for a cigarette or the cookie jar) when I'm in front of the TV. Not the sexiest image one could wish to project, though ;-).

i quit smoking, and i also gained. but remember the benefits to quitting far outweigh the gaining of weight. this site will give you tips that i didn't have when i quit. but now i am at a lighter weight than when i did smoke.

smoking is deadly, my dad is figuring that out himself. he just found out that he has lung cancer. this is after he beat throat cancer, and a heart attack. these are big reasons to quit.

i am sure someone is looking up to you, so keep on quitting and don't worry about the gain, it is short term. the long term benefits of quitting are much better.

good luck and congrats

I smoked for 7 yrs. I quit smoking about a yr ago now. It was hard at first, but I just chew gum a LOT. Never used nicorette or the patch or anything. I found that the gum kept my mouth fresh so I didn't want to ruin it by eating, and the chewing factor was also satisfying ;)

I had a 30 year habit.  I quit 2 and half years ago.  I gained about 5lbs when I quit.  I started working out before I quit.  I don't even crave them any more.  I smoked less than a pack a day.  I'm still glad I quit.  I recently had back surgery and they make you quit because smoking makes healing difficult.  I am only a week out of surgery but sitting around and eating isn't helping me.  I've put on about 6 extra pounds.   Lucky for me I can start walking again this week.  Good luck with quitting.

I quit smoking on January 1 also.  I knew it was going to be a hard road - especially for someone like me that loves to eat.  I also work in an office that loves food - donuts are a normality - ladies bring them in at least 2 times a week...so I knew, if and when I quit, it was going to be very hard to say no to other things.

I have since - instead of gaining, have lost 10 lbs since January 1.  This is what I did:

I wanted to make sure that I filled this area with a new activity.  I signed up to complete a triathlon with Team in Training.  I raised $3400 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, met and trained every weekend and every tuesday with an awesome bunch of healthnuts and lost weight!  I cannot say enough about it.  However, my event was last month - and I did great, but now I fear that since it is over, I am going to gain the weight back.  I order to stay on track, I am trying to find a group of people that want to work on this together!

Great post.  Thank you Marcocci!..  I quit smoking March 2007 and have been nicotine free since April 25th but it feels like forever ago.  I have actually lost 4 lbs since April, which had nothing to do with the pneumonia I developped one month after quitting. I've been drinking a ton of water and eating nutrient rich foods to meet my low caloric allowance.  I wonder if I'm past the point of gaining, or if I still need to beware.  I definitely replaced my cigarette addiction with a counting calories addiction.  I'm not concerned about this just yet, but eventually I'd like to stop obsessing over food/counting and perfection.  I guess I was self medicating all those years.  Instead of being anxious or frustrated, I used to just go and have a cigarette.  I'm still trying to figure out what I can do to quell the anxiety and frustrations.  I know people say exercise helps.....but I'm seriously too anxious and frustrated to do anything beyond working and eating....and even those two are becoming more stressful than they ever were as a smoker.  Needless to say, I know it's the best thing for me and that it will get better...but for the most part, quitting has been hazardous to my physical and emotional health.  Any one know when I should be seeing a light peering back at me? 

My dr. put me on Chantix about 3 weeks ago. I was able to cut my cigs down to 2-3 per day within a week and yesterday was my first full day without one! I have also been walking more and eating healthier (and keeping a food journal - that helps). I tend to pass up the junk when I know I have to record it, as well, I tend to exercise more when I am recording it.

Good luck to us all... I have to go back to my nutritionist in July and hope to have lost 10 lbs by then.

I was told that when quitting smoking you should quit smoking and do a lifestyle modification of diet and exercise at the same time to avoid the excess weight gain which may throw you into a depressed mood which will make it more likely for you to pick up that cig again...But for those of you who have quite first and are now wanting to diet...DON'T GET DISCOURAGED! We can do it!!!

Also just quit.  It actually was 2 months on Sunday.  I definitely would rather be a non-smoker who is overweight than a skinny smoker.  I smoked for 13 years. 

I gained 20 lbs since I quit, but I knew that would happen.  I was also on Chantix and now am ready to work on my weight since I do not crave cigarettes at all anymore.

I am right here with you I quit using chantix in October gained 20 pounds and am now REally serious about loosing 60 lbs. Counting calories and working out, I will not cave, I will not cave, I will not cave, I won't let being fat be an excuse to start again!!!!!!