Weight Gain and Advice

[katherineu]

I have exercised all my life so when I quit smoking back in January I just trucked along with my regular routine at the gym.  Before I quit smoking I was always roughly ten pounds overweight because I never got back down to my real weight after having kids, give or take ten pounds I could stand to lose.  As of today I am 17 pounds fatter and life cannot suck anymore as a 40 year old fat woman.  This means I am about 30 pounds fat and entering the obesity stage!   I really thought I was fat back in January but this takes the cake, my clothes are tight, fat is sticking out everywhere, I cannot even look in a mirror without getting repulsed.  I never weighed this much during two of my pregnancies and maybe that is what is killing me is that I am fatter than I was pregnant, really?  Is this really happening?  I am considering my options, which is going back to smoking so I can go back to being 20 pounds lighter because I have DONE everything, drink water all day, eat real food, and exercise.  Is there any woman out here 40 and over struggling with weight, please give me advice because I cannot and I refuse to live my life as a fat person I cannot do it.  I have never been overweight and I am not even going to start at 40.

[llehrer222]

You ate helping more than one person. Your post opened MY EYES !

[elvan]

llehrer222  I am so glad that you got something from my post, I see no reason to hide anything and I hope that whatever I share DOES help people.  Sooooo, I have a twin sister?  I AM left handed and they used to say that left handed people are twins whether they actually have a twin or not.  So good to "meet" you and I look forward to getting to know my twin sister.

Ellen

[YoungAtHeart]

You do not sound like an immature fool - not at all.  A LOT of us (me included) worried about the weight gain, but talking about it may just help someone else who ISN'T talking about it and who might just have chosen to smoke over it!

I am glad you had the courage to speak out.

There ARE clothes out there that are attractive and hide the bulges and plumps.  I worked really hard to remain a Size 8 ---- but the vascular surgery and resulting 2nd surgery for scar tissue from it have left me with a six-month pregnant-looking incisional hernia.  BOTH caused by smoking.  There are far worse things than chubby!!!!

Get thee shopping!

Nancy

[Thomas3.20.2010]

OK. Let's keep it real!

"The average smoker gains between 6 to 10 pounds after quitting. But, with this gain, most ex-smokers return to the weight that they would have been if they had never smoked. This weight gain is small compared to the health benefits of quitting. Smoking does much more harm to your health and to your looks than does the added weight. The stress on your heart of smoking one pack of cigarettes per day is equal to being 90 pounds overweight!

And remember that quitting smoking decreases your risks of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and lung problems. For most people, smoking is far more dangerous to your health than is extra weight."

Source:  smokefree.gov

Lung cancer will make you lose weight! This is REAL!

[Sootie]

We understand your concerns and do not mean to be harsh. We don't think you are immature.......but your logic is not what it should be. We've all struggled with weight. But that is nothing compared to what you can be struggling with. If Ellen's post does not convince you......I don't think anything will. I am crying my eyes out and I have heard it before! I cry every time I hear it.

Eat less, step up your exercise, ask your doctor for a sensible diet and stick to it........do what ever you want to lose the weight. Just don't smoke. It simply isn't worth it........not in any way.

STAY STRONG.

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Great conversation.  Weight gain was an excuse for me also.  The bottom line is to focus on the quit first.  The weight will eventually balance itself out. Move a little more, eat a little less and breath fresh air while you are doing it. Quitting smoking is a process that takes time and it will all work itself out, if you don't smoke. You will see.  Don't quit on your quit.

[gardenancy8]

Yep, I gained about 10lbs this last month!( Nicotine was a food suppressant)  I kinda laugh at it really, because I also am in my forties and have always worked out.  And I am short too, so any extra weight seems to show itself real fast. But dang, I have noticed how much EASIER it is to WORKOUT now that I don't smoke!  I can workout twice as hard now.  My family said be careful on what you eat during your craves, and I was like ' I don't mind the extra few lbs during the beginning of my quit, if it gets me through the day well then that is my goal.  So now that things are getting soooo much easier, I have cut the sweets out to almost nothing and have doubled my workouts, and the weight is starting to come back off!   To help with weight loss, just remember that 80 percent is your diet, 20 percent is your workout!    Oh and this why I also chose this time of the year for my quit, I knew the weather would be perfect to get out and do lots of walking too.   So just see this extra weight as temporary and keep moving forward! 

[YoungAtHeart]

I thought this recent blog might be of interest and didn't want you to miss it:  /blogs/Smokefreelifestyle333-blog/2017/04/21/milestones.

Nancy

[gregp136]

I hope a male responding won't throw things off.  It is my belief that age is also playing a role here.  Our bodies do different things as we get older.  Generally, all my life I have had to eat whenever I could and as much as possible to keep from losing weight.  When I had my 2 year quit in my late 30's it was the same.  I have always been thin.  Now, I have a basketball.  I look about 6 months pregnant (Or as we Wisconsinites say, I have a Milwaukee Goiter).   So I understand how you do not want to look at yourself in the mirror.  But I will stay quit (As my wife jokes about my belly). I know, for me it is age and Nicotine related!

[gardenancy8]

I noticed after the age of 40 it was much harder to lose those few lbs I would put on in the winter!  But heck, I figure as we get older, a little extra weight don't hurt anything!