NicFirth10 Years Smoke Free

Eat less and move more

For me exercise was the more tolerable route than starvation.

nsd_user663_58909

May help

As a very, very new member, I hope that the following will help.

I was very weighty as a schoolgirl (nearly 18 stone and 5'6" so I don't need to draw pics I hope) and having dieted with the aid of my doc, I needed desparately to keep the weight off permanently as I am sure you can imagine.

It took a few years to get down to just over 9 stone and have managed to keep round about that area for the past 40 years so I can, in all honesty, say that info and advice I give has been tried and tested and hopefully will work for you as well.

Firstly, don't deprive yourself of anything!! Even chocolate or whatever may be your downfall.

Eat in moderation - if you used to have 6 new potatoes then cut it down to 3 and have extra veg.

Eat at regular times - nothing worse than going for 6 hours without food as the tendency is that you are so hungry you eat actually more than you need.

Drink hot water - my trick is to slice a lemon and/or lime into boiling water and add a small amount of sugar (not too much) and then once it's cooled it is not only very refreshing but also very thirst quenching. Any left over an be popped in the fridge and I can assure you it tastes heavenly cold especially with the weather we are having (and according to forecast we are to continue to have for a while) at this moment. Hot, hot and hotter. :cool:

Drinking hot water also has the added benefit of 'washing' out your system.

Look at what you eat and remember, in the main, it is the fat content of food that is the cause of weight gain not necessarily sugar content. Strange but true.

Measure your cereal out - you'd be surprised at how much you are actually eating when you just pour into a bowl. I have cereal or porridge in a morning and then have an apple/banana/other piece of fruit mid morning.

Try to limit your bread intake - not saying don't eat bread but I have at the most 2 small slices a day. Tend to eat ryvita as they are available in so many variations but anything similar is fine it does solely depend on what you personally like.

Exercise nothing too strenuous and a brisk walk is sufficient but try to do this after food rather than before as I do think that before makes you THINK that you are hungrier than you actually are hence the tendency to eat more than you actually need.

Buy natural yoghurt as opposed to the fruit ones as you can add your own fruit - as much or as little as you like - healthier for you.

Check out the contents on all that you buy - a good guide is 5g or less of both saturated fat and sugar per 100 g is brilliant but as I say don't deprive yourself if something has more than that bear it in mind if you can and try to balance out the 'extra' with something that has 'less' e.g. veg or fruit instead of a couple of pieces of chocolate.

Don't wish to go on too long and become a pain but one piece of advice that my doc gave me back then has always remained with me. Avoid if at all possible chewing gum as the action of your jaw causes a message to be sent to your brain that the jaw is moving so food is being consumed. This in turn means that your brain then sends a message to your stomach to expect food but when none arrives, this causes stomach rumblings and that hungry feeling.

At this moment in time, having quit back in March I did put on half a stone but have managed to reduce that (albeit by only a small amount at the mo) by following my own advice although sometimes it ain't easy.

Hope the above is useful and of some help.

One other thing to remember is that it takes a while to put the weight on so it will take a while longer to take it off!!!

Good luck and remember - balancing is permissable when it comes to eating!

nsd_user663_58909

Thank you

Glad you found it helpful.

When it comes to eating I love my food (sometimes a touch too much :D) but unlike smoking we have to eat to live and so why not indulge oneself occassionally and then balance it out with 'good for you but not quite as nice' later!!

Thanks for reading - I do sometimes get carried away and don't know when to stop but if it's helpful that makes it worthwhile.

nsd_user663_58909

Forgot to mention

When checking out the contents labels on food must stress that the 5 g refers to SATURATED fat not TOTAL :eek: fat content. We all need certain types of fat for a (healthy) balanced way of eating.

One other quick tip, do not tell yourself or other people that you are dieting as this implies that you are depriving yourself of something which you aren't. Depriving = I want but can't have which is not true as you can have but in moderation. As with quitting, the mind can and does play tricks. You aren't dieting, you are cutting down or cutting out certain things because it's better for you and if that helps you loose a few pounds then bring it on!!!

hellerscatch

Thanks all for the advice, Max I would love some sort of diet club, that would be great!

Buttons, what a fab post, really helpful, my first thought would have been to pop some chewing gum in! Not any more!

Am not going to diet as such, think I will start by cutting out the chocolate and sweets, have gone through lots of midget gems Kat, as well as sports mixtures, chocolate chocolate, oh and chocolate!

xxx

nsd_user663_54938

hi all

just to say i haven't forgot the lovely people on this forum, and yes am still a ex smoker , and ****** good job i am going tho bad time with my heath, i.e. got myxoeclema thats under active thyroid gland on meds for it and having to have blood test every 7week until we can get the right dose for my body, so please keep the good work up and don't give up on getting rid of that little devil , wising you all well x got to be 7mts for me now 29 dec 2012 last cig X

nsd_user663_58909

Remember

The old saying of 'a little of what you fancy does you good' well it's very true - don't deny yourself all your pleasures as if you do it stops being fun and you can then start hating doing it which really defeats the object.

I still occasionally have a little chocolate (it is one of my many weaknesses) but I don't have a specific day or time for having it, just when the fancy takes me however I do try not to have some every single day although it is sometimes very tempting! and hard to resist :o!

Moderation is the key - as with everything in life. To treat oneself is like a little reward for the times when you haven't and believe me, you will enjoy them so much because they are a treat and different from the norm.

Thank you for letting me know that my post was helpful - that has made my day.

Have a lovely evening.

nsd_user663_19503

Having lost 6 stone last year, I was worried about weight gain too. I put on a few pounds over the last 5 months of not smoking and am now in the process of taking it off. I do not say dieting, as that immediately makes my mind think "hunger" portion control is the key to my success in the past, less bread, potatoes and other starchy foods like rice and pasta, l eat lean meats, fish and chicken with loads of veg or salad. I use a smaller plate which makes my meals appear larger than they are. I am diabetic so cannot eat vast amounts of fruit, 2 pieces a day is my limit, my average weight loss was between 1 to 2 pound a week. I do not do masses amount of exercise, but try to walk every day, and during the summer I use my pool every day and swim for half an hour. Putting on weight stopping smoking is inevitable for most of us ex smokers, a small price to pay for giving up the evil weed, as long as those extra pounds are dealt with when the worst is over. I no longer feel the need to nibble now, so I knew it was time to get those extra pounds off, and am well on my way to being slim again.

nsd_user663_54849

I have easily put on half a stone since I quit if not more and have a right paunch!! I can't stop grazing tho... I think that's prob the key. No

Denying it I eat more than I did!!

Am up for a diet club!!

nsd_user663_4991

As a very, very new member, I hope that the following will help.

one piece of advice that my doc gave me back then has always remained with me. Avoid if at all possible chewing gum as the action of your jaw causes a message to be sent to your brain that the jaw is moving so food is being consumed. This in turn means that your brain then sends a message to your stomach to expect food but when none arrives, this causes stomach rumblings and that hungry feeling.

hmmmmmmmmmmm I am sat chewing at work and am ******* starving :eek:

clarey33

I have easily put on half a stone since I quit if not more and have a right paunch!! I can't stop grazing tho... I think that's prob the key. No

Denying it I eat more than I did!!

Am up for a diet club!!

This is me! I'm waiting for a gallbladder removal and not really eating much at all and still gaining weight. I am hoping that after the op and feeling better will give me the motivation to lose some weight! Xx