When people stop smoking..
 

Do they gain weight just from not smoking...Or from picking up food to fulfill those cravings?

I want to quit, but I don't want to gain back any weight right now...I know that seems stupid, but I would rather make it to goal weight and then work on the smoking problem. But... I think if the main reason people gain weight after quiting is eating to compensate, since I am already monitering my food I could keep that under control.

Just wondering if anyone knew th medical facts.

When people gain weight while quitting smoking, it's mainly due to replacing one bad habit with another. Some studies have shown a slight change in metabolism, but from what I understand, it's minor. As long as you are dieting and exercising anyway, you shouldn't suffer a gain. You'll soon feel better because you'll be able to breath better, and food will taste better. It's worth it to go for it now :)

When I quit, 20 years ago, I did it by taking a ladder approach. I checked the tar and nicotine content of the brand I was smoking and found one with a little less, then did it a few more times until I was smoking those cigs that hardly have anything in them at all. At the same time, I was resisting more so I could smoke fewer per day. This helped me wean myself off of the nicotine so when I did smoke my last one it was much easier than when I had tried to quit all the times before. My approach may not work for everyone though. Plus these days there are so many products designed to help either by prescription or OTC, and it's supposed to be easier than ever.

Good luck :)

I'm not a smoker, but from what I've read about it, it indeed seems it's much more a matter of replacing a bad habit with another, like Suzanne said. After all, when smoking, you have something in your mouth and between your fingers, so probably a lot of people who're trying to stop are sort of unconsciously 'compensating' for the sudden loss of that 'comfort' with food. And since it's comfort foods, it sure won't be a salad or a branch of celeri.

Suzanne that's a really smart idea. I had never thought to check the nicotine content. I thought about trying the gum, but a pack of Nicorette is more than twice as much as a pack of cigarettes!

I have been able to go three and four days without cigarettes while trying to quit, but something always triggers me (stress) and I always give in.

I had read somewhere about the change in metabolism but I didn't know if it was true..I read that smoking burns 200 cals/day?? And for me that would be a substantial blow to my weightloss.

I do believe the gain would be more from going to one bad habit (smoking) to another (eating for comfort).
Kery, you are correct..I usually reach for my fried chicken and fries for comfort..not celery :p

I am going to work on cutting back..and see if I can research the nicotine in different brands and take that approach possibly.

well when my mates dad quit he gained weight but it was probably because he got his taste back and he just loved the food so much he wanted to eat everything!

Hey! Yeah, FlabbyHarry has a good point--your taste does come back, along with smell, so food does taste better.

Suzanne's strategy sounds helpful. I quit cold turkey, and I won't try to gloss it over, it was terribly hard. But I got through it, and others have done it this way, too. If you can get through four days, you can quit forever! You just have to NOT give in, no matter what. Eat three bunches of celery if you have to! :lol:

I have never seen anything about smoking burning 200 calories. But hey--once you quit, you'll be able to exercise to burn 200 cals without having a coughing fit!

Quitting smoking is a good thing to do. You're almost quit now. I'd say--GO FOR IT! :cb: :cb: :cb:

Jay

Mary, I was never a smoker. So, I don't have much to add here. Just my support for you.

You have been making such postive strides towards a better and healthier life with your weight loss. I would love for you to take it one step further and get rid of the cigarettes. The less time cigarettes are in your life, the better. The sooner you stop, the better off you will be. So, yes, do it now. Don't put it off. It's just too important. Get it out of the way. You will be sooo happy when this transition period is OVER and cigarettes are out of your life and you can say that you are a former smoker.

Just think how much extra money you will have. And how much better you will smell, yes smell. How much cleaner your hair will be. How much whiter your teeth will remain. And how much stronger and healthier your lungs will be. And how you will be able to do more physically because of it.

Whatever method you go with, (I like that idea of 3 bunches of celery to distract yourself if need be), I wish you tons of good luck.

I quit cold turkey too -- October 28, 1986, to be exact -- for me (going from about 40 to 50 cigarettes a day to nothing) the first couple of weeks were the hardest. The memory of that :devil: time and the sheer horror of ever having to repeat it, is what kept me honest over the next couple of years. After that the cravings finally disappeared.

I agree with what most others have said; the weight gain comes from finding something else to stick in your mouth whenever you really, really want a cigarette. Some people chew gum . . . I chewed on plastic stir sticks . . . pretty gross and stupid looking, but it helped . . . no calories and the simple act of chewing burns a few.

Good Luck . . . I know you can do it. . . :hug:

I quit May 2007. Yes, 5 months ago. It was time. I was starting to take control of my life, which included diet and exercise and smoking was holding me back. I quit cold turkey, but you have to really want to quit to do that. I have pretended to quit many times before that. So, I bought sugarless gum in bulk, and bottles of water. The first month I chewed gum like crazy to keep my mind off it. I would drink a bottle of water when a craving hit, or go out for a walk, or just get busy with something to keep my mind off it. It was semi-hard, but doable. I was a smoker for 10 years and I started to freak out that I was going to die of lung cancer and my kids weren't going to be raised by me, etc. It helped to see their faces every day to keep me determined.

I think if you gain a small amount of weight due to quitting, it's worth it overall. But if you create a plan for how to combat the urges to smoke, you can stay the same weight no problem. Nothing like 20 jumping jacks to boost your heart rate and stave off a nic fix. Do that 12 times a day and I think your 200 calories will be burned off.

Good Luck Sweetie,
I quit 6 yrs. ago and although I did gain some weight it was far better than smoking.Drink lots of water that seems to help and
i used cough drops too.i dont why but they seemed to help.Its a hard thing to do and I wish you the best.:hug:

I quit 20 months ago, using Zyban and Nicorette, as well as a well-thought-out plan. It was not hard for me at all, despite having been a smoker for 9 1/2 years (I was 24 when I quit) at almost a pack a day.

I gained 5 pounds in the first year and chewed a LOT of gum for over a year. BUT, I didn't start my commitment to weight loss until January of this year - I didn't even think about it until then. So the effects definitely can be prevented. Plus, if you're afraid that smoking burns 200 calories a day, well, just exercise more so that you're burning an extra 200 calories that way. You'll get your lungs back in shape quicker that way, too!

I quit two years ago next month(Halloween) after smoking for 20 years. I used an herbal detox the first few days. I used straws with almost everything I drank (it seemed to help with with some of the cravings). Also, when I found out that nicotine affects your blood sugar and I started eating smaller meals more often and tried to keep more level. My cravings were not so bad. I did gain a few pounds, mainly because of what I choose to snack on. I still snack as much, I just grab for healther choices and I am losing the extra weight now. No matter what it will so be so worth it. Think of the extra money you will have to spend on yourself, the extra time, because you aren't stopping for a smoke break, and the extra energy you will have because you feel so much better!

Smoking and comfort
 

The chemical/physiological effects of smoking are part of the problems of trying to quit. Each time the smoke enters your bloodstream and brain a chemical comfort is supplied. This is what is so addicting for some people. Studies have shown that nicotine is easily as addictive as heroin.

I don't think that anyone who has not been a long time addict can understand just how difficult it is to break the mental and physical addiction.

I have been a smoker since I was 12 years old. Yes 12!!! There have been times that I have quit for a year or two and swore I would never start again. But like other people turn to alcohol during times of stress I turn back to nicotine.

For me, I am not afraid of replacing cigarettes with food. Food does not supply the same comfort. I could see though how this would be a problem for people who do use food as a source of well being.

I do know how horrible and dangerous smoking is. I am a well educated person who lives in a culture where smoking is akin to crime. It is not allowed anywhere in the city in which I live. Not even in many outdoor areas!

But I am also a long time addict. Quiting smoking just plain scares me. I am afraid I won't be able to cope. I truly understand your struggle. It is not worth continuing in order to potentially save on calories. If there is any way you are able to give up smoking the few pounds you might initially gain will vanish if you are able to stay with your healthy life program.

:hug: MARY :hug:

This is very hard for me right now to post this. You see, my mother is dying as we speak, the doctor is giving her something to make her comfortable and says he really doubts she will make it through the day. I am really :(

She was a lifetime smoker....until about a year ago when they hooked her up to the oxygen. She is 71 and her heart is failing fast, her lungs have been shot for years. Every breath she has taken for the last few years could have easily been her last.

My dad was a smoker, he passed away 20 years ago from pancreas cancer, smoking is attributed to that type of cancer.

I was a smoker from the time I was 16 until I was 43. I quit 10 years ago last August.

I know what it can do to a person. I feel very healthy now, I just finished a 3.5 mile walk with my wife and golden retrievers down to Starbucks.It is such a beautiful day here, the sun is shining, the air is cool. It is a sad day for me for sure, but I was able to experience wonderful things out in the world this morning. If I had continued smoking I may still be alive but there is NO WAY I would have been able to go enjoy this wonderful day my Lord has made.

I will not lecture you, if you ever want to know some helpful tips on quitting smoking I will be glad to share with you, just PM me anytime. I learned a lot of hints from Smoke-enders programs. I am sure tips are out there on the internet. I failed many times until I succeded.

I pray you will be successful ~ Gary

MERMOM...I will add you to that list of prayers.

EZMONEY :cry: :hug:

Jay

Gary, I am so sorry to hear of this. :hug:

I quit cold turkey in 1994. I had quit seriously three previous times. I am not going to say that I will never smoke again, but I think there is a good chance for me at this point.

I gained weight each time I quit, but at the time, I didn't even think about not gaining weight. If I had been reading 3fc, it would have occured to me that I could at least limit the weight gain.

I am a former drinker and smoker. In my case, the addiction to nicotine and alcohol transferred only weakly to food. I overeat to soothe myself sometimes, but it just isn't the same as alcohol and ciggies. The cigs are harder than the booze, IMHO.

Thank you all for the encouragment and support. In my heart, I don't feel I am ready for this. But I want to be ready. It's kind of like with this weight loss thing. I wasn't really ready for a long time. I tried dieting so many times. Never worked. Then something just changed in me..my attitude. And I need to feel the same way towards smoking. I am scared changing my momentum to getting rid of tobacco will cause me to fail at both quiting smoking and dieting. I am using my smoking now as a crutch to get me over snacking unhealthily at times. I want a candybar, I grab a cig instead. Even though I KNOW I need to stop. I KNOW the dangers. I don't WANT to die of lung cancer of heart disease. I am scared to death of finding out at my next physical that something is wrong with me. (I've haven't smoked steadily but 2.5 years..socially for 8)

Gary I am SO sorry :hug:, and you can lecture me anytime. I need it. I need something. I really am striving to quit before I start being a nurse. That gives me two more years of school, but I don't want to wait that long.

Here are my delusions of why I can keep smoking and be ok: My grandmother and great aunt both died very young of ovarian and breast cancers respectively..Both were healthy, non drinkers and non smokers with no drug habits. Their other sister had drank and smoked 2 packs a day since she was 16. She's 80 and still kicking.

I just feel like I might as well smoke, because I could just as easily get hit by a car tomorrow as get lung cancer in 10 years..I am a stupid girl :p

I tend to feel the same way, Mary. I'm a 2 pack a day smoker, and while I know intellectually that I'm slowly and painfully killing myself, part of me just doesn't believe it. On the other hand, I have VERY ugly lungs. I can feel them. I've had a persistent smoker's cough for a couple of years now, I have lots of yucky phlegm in the mornings and I cough lots up when I start exercising (ugh!); I also know that I can't make much more improvement with my fitness activities until I give up the cigarettes. The thing is that I really love them. They are a complete crutch for me; I feel like they bring joy to my universe. It's stupid.

I too am trying to want to quit. I think I want to go on Zyban and cold turkey it. Bf is thinking about hypnosis. Apparently it worked for his dad, but I'm dubious.

sockmonkey, if I the choice to die of lung cancer or get hit by a car, but only between those two, then I'd go for the car. I've had friends die of lung cancer and it is not pretty and takes a long time.

baffled111, I'm sorry. One's drug of choice often feels that way. :(

I quit for five years and then started again, and I knew the whole time it was stupid. I quit again, but it took me three more years to do it. I haven't smoked for 18 years now.

Jay

My uncle died of lung cancer. He was a long time smoker. Although I wish he couldv'e been a LONGER time smoker. He didn't have the opportunity though to. He died quite young, because of the cigarettes. He suffered terribly.

Sockmonkey, this is the quote from your last post that really stuck out for me. You said "I wasn't really ready for a long time. I tried dieting so many times. Never worked." I can't help but think how thankful you are that you finally decided, when you did, to change you attitude, get ready, and make it happen re weightloss. And you have done so wonderfully. Just think where you would be had you not committed to this weight loss effort...you would be at 224. BUT YOU'RE NOT at 224, now you are at a much healthier 184, and aren't you much happier? Smoking is the same, it is a battle, it will be hard, but you have to start to quit, make that effort, before it happens. And if you start now, who knows, in a few months you may have quit. Or try now and you may hit some bumps and you may still be smoking, but none the less you will be no worse off than had you just kept smoking (and I think you are stronger than you think, if you do truly decide to kick it I think you will). If you want to quit, I say give it a shot ASAP. It may take a couple of tries, but if there is one thing this weight loss thing has taught me it's that waiting to change our lives gets us nowhere. Give it a go, you may surprise yourself. A healthy weight, healthy lungs, a healthy heart, it will be great (but incredibly hard, don't get me wrong). Sorry this was so long, I got to rambling.

Pretty much all the advice I would have given has already been said - I just wanted to send a big :hug: to EZMONEY and to say quitting sux but it can be done. I quit cold turkey in 1997 (from 2 packs a day for almost 15 years)....it's funny but now I see someone smoking and I think..smoking? So last millenium... :P

IMHO - quitting smoking is more important than losing more weight at 184. If you had to choose...which you don't really. You can DO IT!!! We are all rooting for ya.

You just never know, but I will say that the quality of life you live as a non-smoker will be worth it!

Thank you JAY and ROBIN.


So did my favorite uncle Robin.

My mom passed away last night. She is now with our Lord and breating easy for the first time in at least 15 years....for this I am truly happy.

I am doing ok........

continued prayers for you MARY and all the other smokers to succeed in your plans to stop.

Gary

Blessings, Gary. She is free of suffering. :hug:

Jay

I am so sorry Gary. May she rest in peace.

How I wish there was something we could do for you here at 3FC to help you and your family through this difficult time. Robin :hug:

Mary, as of the 19th of this month, I will be smoke free for two years. I smoked for 23 years. I now have these lovely smoker's wrinkles all around my mouth. I will always have to get periodic cat scans of my lungs to make sure I don't develop lung cancer. Although quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of getting lung cancer, we still have a much greater risk than people who have never smoked or been exposed to second hand smoke.

I won't lie to you...quitting was tough. I remember walking the floors and crying because I just didn't know how to relax. But, after the first two weeks, it got easier and easier each day. Now, I rarely think of a cigarette. I only think of one maybe once every 3 or 4 months. In the past, I had tried many many times to slowly reduce the number of cigarettes I smoked, with the goal of eventually smoking none. This just did not work for me. I would start to slow down, but, the next thing I knew, I was up to 1 1/2 packs a day again. I had to quit by going cold turkey and by playing mind games with myself. Each time I thought about a cigarette, I would not allow myself to dwell on the fact that I couldnt smoke one. I would tell myself "you are not a smoker" and then make myself think of something else. I had to repeat this process over and over and over again. Also, I think it is very important to find a replacement for whatever reason it is that you smoke. Mine was to relieve stress. At the time, I did turn to food to relax and I gained an additional 44 pounds in one year, however, I was also going through surgical menopause. Now, I post on 3FC, I take a bubble bath with a good book, I watch TV, I play a free game on Pogo.

I always used the need to lose weight as a reason not to quit smoking. The reality is that many of the reasons why we smoke are the same reasons why we overeat. It just makes much more sense to create alternate ways of handling both issues at one time.

PS. Gary, I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your Mom.

I quit cold turkey 6/16/01. And I always wanted something in my mouth after that. Yes, your tastebuds do come back...helps to reduce your sodium too since you don't need so much salt once you quit. ;) But I think it has more to do with the need to have something in your mouth, or to be putting something in your mouth...using your hands. So you start reaching for chips, or whatever and you have the old ciggie hand to mouth again, but this time it's not a ciggie.

I watched my aunt balloon up huge after she quit, then she lost it again once she started up again. The cigs replaced the food again. So when I quit, I stocked up on sugar free hard candy and gum. If it wasn't mealtime, I would stave off the feeling of wanting something to eat with those. And I kept my weight the same.

I too hadheard the 200 cals per day for a pack a day smoker story but I've no idea if it's true. I piled on 20lbs in the 6 months after I stopped smoking nearly 4 years ago BUT i took to eating 3 chocolate bars a day that I didn't have previously which if you do the maths kind of explains it. However, I'm 3 lbs lighter now than I was when I stopped smoking and a **** of a lot fitter, richer and calmer. Smoking stressed me out no end even though I thought it helped. I too used it as a food replacement but, as I've said, I'm lighter now - go figure.

I won't lecture you either. You know you're playing Russian roulette with your life. I would just say that the younger you are when you quit the better your chances and I really wish I'd quit sooner. It's easier than you'd think.

Gary my heart goes out for you. I know she will be greatly missed. And thank you for the prayers :) I NEED THEM. I don't want to cause my family to hurt bcause of my mistakes.

I started a second job today as the design editor for our college yearbook..the last girl quit, having done nothing, and now I have two weeks to come up with brilliant layouts for 40+ pages! STRESS=BAD things. I want to quit :( But I can always find a million excuses not to.

Mary, there is ALWAYS going to be some sort of stress in our lives, unfortunately. That's just the way it is. We have got to look to non-destructive means to cope with it. We just must.

That's a fantastic job. You must be extremely talented to have landed it. I'm sure it will keep you busy - and preoccupied. Perhaps you can use that busy-ness to take your mind OFF of the cigarettes. Here's hoping. :crossed:

I don't think there's any truth to smoking actually burning calories, perhaps they meant that a smoker eats an average of 200 calories less per day. Nicotine is a known appetite suppresant, which is partially where the weight gain comes when someone quits but I agree with the other posters that it's mostly due to keeping one's hands and mouth occupied with food instead of cigarettes that causes the gain.

I don't have the long time experience that some others here have, I only quit smoking 3 weeks ago....but so far I'm still losing weight. I smoked for 6 years, and the past couple of years it was a pack a day. I quit cold turkey and I feel a little guilty saying that so far it has been really easy, I haven't had any cravings and rarely even think about a cigarette, and in that case it's usually just a fleeting thought. I feel a little guilty saying it because I know how difficult it is for many people. Maybe it was easier for me because I didn't smoke for 10 or 20 years. So take heart, maybe it will be easier than you think!

Yeah, it's different for everyone. Hubby smoked for about 30 years, and I smoked for 18. He smoked less than 1 pack a day, but I smoked about 2.5 packs a day! He couldn't quit. Ultimately, he started back up. But I stuck with it. No, it wasn't easy for me, at all. He had to not smoke in the house for the longest time, because the smoke would get me craving a cigarette. I had to avoid them completely. Now, I can be around them. I haven't noticed a craving for awhile now. Don't know exactly how many years it was before that kinda went away. Though there've been times at night that I've dreamed I was smoking. That's a bit weird. :dizzy:

Not to keep harping on it MARY...but i found out from the programs i went to to try and quit that ~

I smoked when I was STRESSED OUT and NOT

When I was Hungry and NOT

When I woke up or was tired

Before I exercised and AFTER

When I was Happy or sad

When I was .........................................

I figured out I was ALWAYS smoking.

Right on, EZ, right on!

Jay

LOL. I'm the same way. I was chatting about the possibility of quitting with some friends last night, and they were saying that they always smoke when they drink, can't imagine not smoking while drinking, but that if they smoke alot one night, they'll sometimes not smoke for the whole next day. I sat there, amazed. I smoke when I wake up, when I pour a cup of coffee, after I eat, when I get in the car, when I leave a building, when I'm tired and stressed, when I'm happy and relaxed, when I'm hungry, when I'm full, when I'm bored, when I'm busy. I just ALWAYS smoke, no matter what. It's not something I think about. I just do it. All the time.

Bf is pushing for us to quit in January, over the school holidays. I definitely don't want to subject my students to my incoherent withdrawal rage, so the break sounds like as good a time as any. But god, it really is a terrifying prospect. Just thinking about it gets my pulse racing. This is why I need the Zyban/Wellbutrin.

Ugh.

Good luck with it Mary. Let me know if you find an excellent quit-smoking message board that does for smoking what 3FC does for weight loss. :)

For years I didn't think my truck would start without a cigarette.

For years, I didn't think I could digest a meal without a cigarette.