My husband, through calorie counting, has gone from 285 pounds to 220 pounds over the past year. Yay for him, right? Then 12 weeks ago he decided to quit smoking using the nicotine patch. He did great at first, then all of a sudden, on the lowest level patch after weeks and weeks of good work, BAM - started substituting food for cigarettes.
And the doctor he saw a week ago told him he'd rather that he went back to smoking than gain weight. Seriously? Obesity is bad for you, but so is smoking. And the doctor would rather he smoke. He doesn't want to smoke, but he is going to gain back all the weight then some at the rate he's going. He was at or over his calorie total today before 6 am, after having cereal, a pack of donuts and a deep fried breakfast burrito. He still has lunch and dinner.
The snacking was bad before, but not nearly as bad as it's been since he "received the doctor's blessing" to smoke again. And he's smoking today now, because "he doesn't want to gain weight." He hates the taste of cigarettes and hates the way they make him smell and feel. But he's using them now as a tool to maintain his weight.
Just ranting...it's not my decision in any way, shape or form. My mom died from complications of smoking, and I HATE to see him smoke. I hate smelling him as a smoker, and rarely even kiss him. It's been SO nice not having ashes all over the place and the smell of smoke in his pickup or my car, or on his clothes. But before he stopped smoking, after the weight loss, he was just a happier person all around. And mentally, he's determined now to be fat and be a non-smoker, or be a smoker and be thinner and more healthy for now.
I'm at a loss.