What are some things I can do to avoid gaining weight if I quit smoking?
Apr.06, 2008 in
Quit Smoking FAQ's
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I need to stop smoking, and I know this will seem lame, but I don’t want to put on weight as a result of quitting smoking. What can I do to prevent this and also, for those of you who have quit smoking, can you offer any suggestions on how to get started? What worked for you?
Thanks a lot!
Peace.
photo credit: StephenMitchell
Tags: Gaining Weight, quit smoking
April 7th, 2008 at 12:53 am
theres a commercial on tv for a drug that is suppose to help with this i forget what it is called though
April 12th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Just eat healthier, do more exercise, drink lots of water, all the things you would do while trying to lose weight/be healthy.
April 12th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Whoa good luck …those stupid little cheese and cracker things drink lots of water chew gum & mints …and even more exersise.
everytime u feel like a **** brush your teeth it really does help. after meals when u want one the most get up go for a walk cram some gum in your mouth.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Read some useful weight loss tips on this site to help you
April 15th, 2008 at 12:28 am
every time you get the inkling to eat….chew gum or chew on a pen, keep somethin in the mouth
April 16th, 2008 at 6:15 am
drink water. Eat more frequently but fewer meals.
Get some willpower.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:16 am
I have quit smoking but after 6 months started again. Stupid, I know. Anyway, you will want to eat more to satisfy your lack of cigarettes, but that should stabilize in a week or two. The good thing is that you will be more active. You will want to do anything to get your mind off having a cigarette, so I think that in the long run you will actually be more fit and not gain weight because you will be more active, even though you will enjoy food more. Ride a bike, jog, hike, just be active. It will help you get over cigarettes and it will help you burn off the extra calories you’re consuming.
Hope you make it. I will try again soon. Not looking forward to it, though.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:02 am
do the lasar surgery where they lasar you behind your ear.
midamericalasar.com i think
April 25th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Don’t dilude yourself. Quit cold turkey. The whole “I’ll only smoke one…..” never works. If you don’t have any, you have none to fall back on when you get stressed. Also, chew gum or go for a walk, make pottery, anything you want. You just have to exchange your bad habit for a healthy one! Good luck and good for you taking a positive step in your health!
April 28th, 2008 at 4:20 am
get a nico patch
May 1st, 2008 at 5:19 am
The reason why people gain weight after smoking is because of the whole hand to mouth thing. Instead of reaching for a ciggy to put into their mouth they put food instead. So they are eating more food than they were.
My stepfather quit cold turkey. Everytime he got a craving he just pop in a cinnamon jolly rancher. He carried a bunch with him at all times. So find a hard candy that you enjoy that is not high in fat, sugar, or carbs. Anytime you get that craving just pop the candy in and **** on that.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 am
when i quit cold turkey, i felt no desire to replace my cigarettes with food. i didnt start eating more,and i didnt gain any weight.
it’s different from person to person. see, i never had problems fighting my cravings, though i smoked a pack a day for years. i’m pretty good with self control, so i just told myself, “there is no such thing as ‘quitting.’ either you already quit, or you didn’t. you have quit smoking. you are a non-smoker. you dont smoke.” and that worked.
if you’re the kind of person who takes frequent cigarette breaks, or needs something to replace smoking, then do your best to carry HEALTHY snacks, like carrot sticks, or low-calorie gum. also consider carrying a large bottle of water, as this will help keep you feeling full, and not hungry.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:18 am
My husband nibbled on toothpicks.
My best friend nibbled on ice. She was careful to let it sit in a glass of water first so it softened a bit and was careful how she bit into it because of the possible damage to teeth. She actually lost weight!
When my sister quit every time she craved a cig she did a house project. She was a lousy housekeeper before but by the time she quit smoking her house was (and still is) immaculate. Our best friend’s daughter got pregnant. The baby is 8 mo. old and she never went back to smoking. That may be a bit drastic though!
I’ve never smoked but I’ve got other bad habits I am trying to quit. I know that smoking is THE worst to quit, though. Good luck! It’s for your health!
May 9th, 2008 at 5:56 am
If you really want to quit smoking, concentrate on that. It’s hard enough quitting smoking without thinking about losing weight also.
Smoking burns approximately 200 calories per day, so look for ways to eliminate those calories (it’s a couple pops, a candy bar, those extra fries, etc…). Grab something healthy to chew on instead of sweets or junk food. Carrots, cucumbers, and celery help.
Lastly, start exercising. It’s a great way to get rid of the stress from quitting smoking and it’s a good way to burn those extra calories.
Again, if you concentrate on both, you’re likely going to fail quitting smoking. Tackle that first.
May 10th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
You will need something that will fit your schedule (ie. doesn’t involve calorie counting, menu planning, etc… ) I turned to two products. First Limu Plus… taken daily. Second, was the appetizer diet. Just mix a shake and open a cookie… it is that simple! My wife and I have lost several pounds and are believers. For more information, please visit:
Thanks for reading…
May 13th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Two ways to succeed in quiting. First how serious are you about stopping? Can you just plain out cease the habit? Understand that it is ONLY a habit and stop. Version two slow down the amount of smokes you smoke by half daily, or weekly. When you get to under five a day stop.
Benefits to enhance your odds:
1 The amount of money you will save
2 Find something else to occupy the Time that you would have been smoking, read, write, study, swim, bike, shop, whatever
3 The less you think about it the easier it will be
After the dreaded three days (all 72 hours) you have broken the spell and it will become less and less concern or thought
Yes, I have quit for several years….but found myself weak to old habits and decided that I wasn’t a quit-er. With the price getting so high I will have to reconsider this.
Good luck and keep me posted when you start your program.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Stay away from the food. Not everyone gains weight but those who do tend to overeat after they stop smoking. The foods to avoid are any candy, pastry or or gum with alot of sugar. Smoking is a habit and eating takes its place. Everytime you want to nibble, ask youself if you would have eaten this when you were smoking. If not, don’t eat it.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
The health effects of gaining 5-6 lbs are no where near as dangerous as smoking! Think about it.
May 18th, 2008 at 3:59 am
Congratulations on deciding to quit smoking. I quit on Aug 30, 2005. You will gain a little weight but what helps me is I focus my attentions on working out instead of smoking. I would also walk when I had a craving. I heard some where a craving last about 10 mins. so if you can out last it you will be fine. I do step classes and weight training 3X a week. Find something that works for you and focus on that instead of smoking. Good Luck!!