Quitting Smoking

Hello

 My smoking quit date is this Friday. I am already trying to lose 20lbs and I am concerned about possible weight gain after I quit. Any suggestions to avoid gaining weight?

 

I quit 3 years ago (already overweight) but decided I could deal with the weight problem later.  Well, it's later, alright, and now I have even more to lose but at least I'm done with the smoking problem.  I used quitnet.com to help me, and they have forums on there as well--one of which is themed on weight associated with quitting.

To help keep from gaining more during your quit, I suggest drinking a lot of water, which will also help your body expel some of the toxins in addition to helping prevent you from snacking to fulfill the smoking craving.  Also, keep your environment stocked with things that fill the craving without doing a lot of damage to your weight... sugarless chewing gum, fruits/veggies with high water content (low calorie), etc.

Good luck!  You can do this!

I stopped smoking and went on a diet about 3 weeks ago. So for I haven't touched a cig and have lost about 6 pounds. I know if I can quite smoking anyone can. What I did is I went on the patch for 1 week and then went with no patch. I feel better then ever.

The best way to not gain weight is just to avoid high calorie things. Say you are really needing a smoke. Grab a few carrot sticks and munch on them instead of candy or other sugary things...they actually will make your craving worse.

Good luck with everything.

Thank you and congratulations on the three weeks. This gives me hope :)

Reply to wendywoo99

3 years is so great! I hope to be there myself. My goal to lose the weight and quit smoking is so I can seriously start trying to get pregnant. I figure I should get to my "dream" weight before I get pregnant since after that I know I will struggle to lose the weight I gain :) Also, I want to be done with smoking before I have children!

Thank you  

 

 

You can do this. I recently quit smoking (23 days today) and can tell you the advice given is perfect. I have had TONS of water, chewed so much gum (sugarless) my jar hurts, and taken up reading my favorite books again. The hardest times for me were in the car and at work with other smokers. We live in a state that has banned smoking, so bars, etc., weren't too hard to get used to. I also have vowed to LOSE weight and not gain weight. I found that working out really REALLY hard those first few days and weeks helped me realize how much damage I had been doing to my heart and lungs. Now when I go to the gym, I can take a good breath. I smell amazing too! My hair smells soooo good! Good luck. If I CAN DO IT, ANYONE can. :)

Thank you!! I am planning things to keep myself occupied for the first few weeks. I kn ow if I am just sitting around it will be more difficult

 

 Domicole,

I am 49 and have smoked since I was a teenager.  I quit last November and the reason that I am using the tools from this site is so that I dont gain weight.  I tried three times before to quit without success.  This time I am determined.

One of the biggest reasons people gain weight is that they replace the cig's with food.  Also your metabolism changes and you can gain weight even without eating more. 

I have started doing other things at the times when I still want to smoke.  After dinner is the worst time.  I go outside and walk around the yard, thats what I would be doing if I was smoking.  Sometimes I get in the bathtub and read a book. 

There are a couple of medications out that can help.  I have been taking one of them and it has made it easier.

I have not gained any weight, but also havent lost any.

The thing that I tell myself is that I am better than the nicotine and it will not suck me in again.  I deserve to be without nicotine and if a gain a little weight I will take it off after I kick the habit.

Good luck

You can do it!! I must say that it's parialy a myth that you gain weight when you quit smokeing because you eat more and bad choices..alot of people eat the same....but when you quit smokeing your body's metabolism actually slow's down a little....it will come back up but if you are dieting don't be surprised to not see a loss or to have a small gain in the first few weeks after.....then your metabolism should even back out to normal and you should start loseing again.

Thank you everyone! I am taking the medication Chantix. My doctor, friends and pharmacist have all said good things about the success rate. My metabolism is my big concern. I know I can be careful about the food but I have no control over what my Metabolism does. I have increased my workouts and will increase even more after my quit date, TOMORROW!!! Hoping that by working out more I can balance out my metabolism so it stays normal. But who knows!!! Ultimately, quiting is more important than my weight so if I gain I will deal with that later :)

Everyone is different and kudos to you!  However since I don't have the greatest will power I would be afraid to tackle two major issues at once (dieting AND quitting smoking).  I'm going to tackle the weight (97 more pounds) and by that time I should be good enough with my diet management and calories that when I tackle smoking the experience I have from dieting will prevent me from gaining all that weight. 

Wow - I just quit smoking 2 days ago (including today) using the patch.  I had always been afraid of gaining weight if I quit.  Still am afraid of that "side effect of quitting" which is why I'm tracking everything I eat through this site, trying to lose weight (already needed to take off 10-15) while quitting the smokes.  This site actually gives me something to do besides want to smoke since I'm researching calories, planning meals, logging my food, keeping my mind busy. 

One of my downfalls is butter.  There are butter sprays on the market, Parkay and "I don't believe it's not butter" brands.  ZERO calories and it makes all of the veggies taste better.  So far, I'm pretty stoked about my lack of cravings for smokes and know through this site that I can kill both birds with one stone.

Good luck to you!

Thank you and congrats on the 2 days. I hope tomorrow goes well. I am stocked up on gum, sugar free hard candies and a list of things to do when I get a craving (sit-ups, chew gum, crossword, cleaning). Keep your fingers crossed

I quit using Chantrix on 9/10/07.  It was by far the easiest quit I've ever done, even when I wqs pregnant.  I don't think I'll ever go back, for the first time I don't miss it.  I did gain about 4 lbs but I made a concious decision to allow the excess calories.  Quitting smoking was more important to me.  Just monitor your calories, if your really worried.  Even when I went over I knew I was doing so. 

Best of luck!

Watch out for the sugar-free candy.  They're good and keep my mouth busy, and I don't know how they're affecting you, but they give me GAS.

I quit using Chantrix and have to agree it's been much easier.  I've only been cigarette free for a few weeks, but I feel great and have no urge to go back.  Good Luck.

I quit smoking on 1/2/08 and started watching my weight on same day.  I figured if I just maintained the first few weeks that would be fine. So far, I have maintained but now its been 3 weeks and am looking to lose some pounds - not just maintain.

 I am so glad that BBRAIN wrote about the sugar free candy. I was eating a ton of it and I had such bad gas that I thought I had a stomach virus and totally went off my diet and gained the 3 pounds back that I lost during the first few days. I had a suspicion it was the sugar free candy but wasn't sure. Anyway, back on my diet now and back on track.

 I am using the patch. Still miss smoking but am so proud that I'm not running out of office every hour to stand in the freezing cold to puff on a butt. How pathetic we look standing outside shivering to inhale a bit of nicotene! Plus, I've saved over $170 so far in just 3 1/2 weeks!

Good luck!

 

So great to hear such positive things about Chantix and people who have been successful. So far today has gone well. It is only 10:45 AM but the cravings have not been too bad. So far only one sugar free candy. Thanks for the heads up on the candy leading to Gas, I am sure my husband appreciates it as well.

I too quit this year and am on day 23... i'm using Champix (slightly different name here in Canada) So far, so good. I took the drastic approach as I knew my metabolism would likely slow down as a result of not smoking so I decided to cut out ALL junk food, including coffee & tea, eat properly, AND start an exercise regime.

To date, I'm down 5 lbs - I'm sleeping so much better - I don't smell like cigarettes - AND I'm growing muscle! I'm so excited to actually be able to see my leg muscles that used to be hidden under a layer of cellulite. And in just 3 weeks my endurance and lung capacity has improved drastically.

I smoked for more than 30 years... I'm proud of myself. Congrats to all the other new non-smokers!

Congrats to everyone who has quit. I have the hardest time not smoking right after meals. Im down from a pack a day to 5 cigs a day. I know its still bad, but 5/day has to be better on the heart and lungs than 20/day.

So, how did DAY 1 of "breathing free" go?  I'm at the end of Day 3 and it really hasn't been bad.  I'm REALLY keeping close track of what I eat, knowing that my mouth always want something to do in place of the ciggy.  I sure don't miss smelling like cigarettes !!