Weight Gain

[Carenda]

Day 12 with a few cravings here and there. I looked in the mirror and noticed that I have gained weight. My stomach appears to be bloated. I did not count on that with my quit. I am not over eating, Actually, I feel like I am hungry the majority of the time. Any suggestions or solutions are welcomed.

[Sylvia_Deitz]

Well, Carenda, it's typical to gain a few pounds. We all have in the process of our quits, but you just have to look at it as temporary. When you get to where it's a lot easier to not smoke and you don't have to use all your will power for that purpose, then you can go on a diet and lose it. It's much more important to master the quit than gain weight. That always deterred me in the past, because I was so body conscious, but this time I made up my mind I'd rather live than be so slim. I gained about 10 lbs., but lost 8 of them recently.

[Carenda]

Thanks Sylvia, I will think of this as a temporary situation. I guess what scares me is usually when you reach a certain age, lossing weight can be difficult. 10 lbs. is not so bad.

[joy6]

I don't know how much I've gained but I'm in the same situation as you. My husband commented the other night that I look pregnant. How sweet of him to notice and to share it with me! I've been making it a point to walk almost every day for a minimum of 20 minutes. Sometimes I walk over an hour. I walk both for avoiding the weight gain and to keep myself from the cravings. The walking does help because I don't associate walking with smoking.

[Carenda]

Joy, you are right, the weight gain is right in the middle making you look pregnant.

[richard2]

Keep up the stop smoking,try to eat many fruits, and veggies,and drink as much ice water as you could handle,hard candies gum is always in my mouth when I am out of the house,keep busy,You have to be sure to burn more calories then your intake to lose some weight.

[sally3]

Ha! I gained 13 lbs. when I quit. Don't try to quit smoking and lose weight at the same time. That's silly!
In the last month I got really strict with my diet and have lost 11 of that!
Wooo Hooo!
If you just quit - Concentrate on not smoking, worry about the weight later. Any doctor will tell you that!

[debra-adams]

Hi Carinda!! Weight gain is probably gonna happen....we know that. But all I have tried to do is keep it to something manageable. I don't care about a few pounds, but if it got more than that I would worry. I have done ALOT of walking and it has helped more than I even thought it would. In fact, after 16 weeks I have gained less than 5 pounds. And trust me when I say I have been eating very well! haha! I also had bloating and digestive problems for awhile and it didn't have anything to do with how much I was eating. My digestive system was just plain out of wack for about the first 9 weeks. It finally settled down after I thought it never would. Consider your issue just another "symptom" of healing, ...embrace it as such, and be easy on yourself! You are beautiful and a couple of pounds one way or the other is not going to change that.

[Carenda]

Well, it seems like this weight around my middle is part of this journey. I am going to stop worrying about it and concentrate on my quit. I will attempt to do a little more exercising.

[Leenie]

I was laughing before, Carenda, but I do think the quit is the most important thing for now. But I do sympathize - I feel the same way.

[lorie]

Wow i feel like a real cow... lol A couple months before i quit, i had lost 30lbs over many months... in just over three months i have gained 18lbs... I am now doing both quitting and losing weight, cause i will not gain the rest of that weight back!!!!!! I tend to eat more... stress eating i think!