Good Morning, I am on day 25 ( should have been close to 4 months but I had a couple of slips) and I am hungry all the time. I used to start my day with coffee and a smoke, maybe some breakfast a little later, if I was home, no lunch, just a smoke. I would have some lunch at work but than had a smoke. So of course I have gained 10lbs and am currently on a low carb, high protein diet to get it off but for those of us over 60 know how hard that is. I do a least 17 to 20 flights of stairs a day and about 6,000 steps, hard to get that 10,000 when I sit at a desk all day. I do realize that the extra 10lbs is a small trade off for the health of my body, I just don't want to put on anymore as diabetes runs in my family and I already have an extra 20 lbs. on me. Anyone else struggle with the weight gain after quitting?
Community
Most everyone gains weight when they quit. I have read that we have to eat 200 LESS calories a day when we quit to maintain our weight. Smoking DOES decrease appetite and increase metabolism, and the munchies are part of the quit process - a double whammy! Try to substitute things like carrot sticks and frozen grapes in between the less healthy stuff, and reduce the size of your meals. Eat smaller meals more often throughout the day. Try to get those 10,000 steps in - even marching in place counts (I used to do that when I washed my face and brushed my teeth, and while doing the dishes or on the phone). Take a walk at work at break time, maybe use the stairs all the time instead of the elevator. Exercising will have the added bonus of increasing levels of dopamine - what you are missing from smoking.
A few extra pounds won't kill you; smoking WILL! And - you will have extra money to join a gym and time and energy to exercise more when you are further along in your quit.
Nancy