I was so scared I was going to gain a lot of weight after I quit smoking, and I admit that food did taste better and I was eating and snacking quite a bit more for a few weeks after quitting. But I only ended up gaining 5 pounds! I was surprised but I also started jogging at the same time to help cope with the cravings so I'm sure that is part of the reason. Anyway 5 extra pounds sure is healthier than cigarettes! Did you gain or worry about it when quitting?
I do not smoke but my sister does. I know for sure when she started smoking, she started losing her weight and lost any cravings for food. She would go the entire day with only one meal or even less..which is just a piece of a biscuit...I was very worried for her. Then, after a year, she finally got to her senses and quit smoking...after some time, she started putting on some weight. She is a bit over conscious about her body so she worked out a lot but still, she gain some pounds. So yes, it is true because once you stop smoking, your cravings for food return, thus you eat more.
You need to be careful not to replace smoking with eating. nicotine can speed your metabolism up slightly so weight gain can sometimes occur after quitting because of this.
I think one of the biggest side effects of quitting smoking is that more often than not people do put on a lot of weight after. It's all about discipline though, and if you've got the willpower and motivation to quit smoking, I'm sure you can do the same when it comes to controlling your diet.
It's just a matter of discipline, honestly. If you quit smoking, you won't get fat unless you DECIDE to eat more. My best tip for you is to make a budget and prepare all your meals in advance (does the meal prep Sunday concept sound familiar?) and avoid food triggers at all costs.
Cigarettes are an appetite suppressant so it happens with some people when they quit. Well most actually. It would be a better habit to reach for something like water or fluids instead of the cigarette. It will help your body digest the larger amounts of food you are going for. The coffee and cigarette addiction I could not understand they both make you have this awful taste in your mouth. Its nasty. The best one I heard was the vegans talking about the rotting flesh of an animal causing bad breath because it is decaying in your digestive tract where it is stuck. Lol Add it all together and it just seems so discusting. Coffee, cigarettes and the rotting flesh. Lol This is one thing I really noticed going vegan is that you have fresher breath.
My mom stopped smoking almost two years ago and she gained a lot of weight because of that, the main reason is was the anxiety that made her eat very much and a lot of sweets. After like a year she reduced the quantity of sweets and some moths ago she got into a Gym. She gained weight because of all what she ate but she has lost like 10 kg after changing her eating habits and going regularly to the gym. Right now my mom has a very good health and feels better.
I did not gain any weight, or at least it was not visible. But that's also because I am a slim person and do not gain weight that easily, not to mention that I don't really like eating. You should limit the amount of food you eat and count nutriments and calories. That helps a lot to keep in shape.
Not smoking is a healthy choice. You can always loose that extra 5 pounds. You just have to find a way to speed up your metabolism. When I quit smoking I never gained weight. The weight you gained wasn't much any way, you can loose that with the right diet and exercise.
I know of several ladies who have nicotine addictions but refuse to quit. The reason being a fear of weight gain. One particular lady smokes boxes per day, smells like an ashtray wearing expensive perfume and sometimes has the most awful sounding cough. I know the possibility exists that weight could be gained but if you exercise and eat right that can be countered. What is the point of killing yourself to look good in fabulous clothes?
All of the people I know who quit have had significant weight gain and that is why my stepdad does not want to quit. It just kills his appetite and it keeps him slim. He is so vain and it will end up just killing him.
I definitely eat more now, especially candies because they help me to cope with cravings and anxiety, but I'm trying to control myself with that too, as you've said a pair of pounds are more healthy than a cigarette but I don't want to replace a thing for another.
You know, when I was young, I used to use cigarettes as a tool for controlling my weight gain. Like I would drink a cup of coffee and smoke a cigarette and that was my meal. As I've grown older, at this point in my life I really don't care how many pounds I gain in the process, as long as I could stop smoking for good.
I was very nervous about gaining weight when I quit smoking so I made sure to develop an exercise plan while I was weaning myself off of cigarettes. My plan worked well- not only did I prevent any weight gain, I actually lost weight and my determination to live a healthier lifestyle helped motivate me to stay away from cigarettes long-term.
You may add weight or not, considering what you will want to eat after quitting. Now that you have the appetite, be careful not to be addicted to specific food. Food addiction is also not good.
Most of the people I have known that smoked for a while and then decided to quit ended up gaining weight, of course some ended with more weight than others. One great example is a woman who used to be a friend of my mom, she gained a loooot weight and ended up looking like a totally different person. I'm actually aware of this and know there is a big chance my fiance might end up gaining a lot weight too once he stops smoking, b ut I don't care about it one bit. I just want him to be healthy!
Surely cigarettes speed up your metabolism and even more surely your metabolism slows down a bit after you quit smoking, but that doesn't actually mean anything. What's important and noteworthy here, is that most of the people have a better taste of food afterwards and tend to have a snack from time to time. In other words, the "couch potato" syndrome starts to appear, and that's how you gain weight more specifically. If you exercise and eat healthy, then you won't gain much. 1 kilogram in the worst case.
True that 5 pounds gain is so much better than smoking. Specially if you are not overweight or really needs some weight to be on your ideal weight. I think just continue jogging or doing some exercises to avoid stagnant lifestyle that would lead to weight gain.
I understand the worry about weight gain... and I hate that I ever worried about it. I still am body conscious, but you just have to remember how very silly it is to sacrifice your health in order to stay skinny. The thinking there is so backward. If you are worried about it, some people, like my dad, killed two birds with one stone by running a lot: this helps you quit smoking and also stay fit! Double whammy!
I actually lost weight...I had heard stories of people really substituting eating for cigarette use when they quit, and gaining quite a lot in the process. Since I tried to get out and walk or do something active every time that cigarette craving hit, it was a beneficial thing for me in more ways than one!