weight gain after stopping smoking

[wendywoo66]

I am just coming up to my one year anniversary for quitting smoking. I feel so much healthier but I am miserable about my weight gain. I have put on about 28 pounds and hate myself so much I keep thinking about how slim I was when I smoked. I know this is not the answer to my weight gain but I have lost motivation to lose weight. I used to be so good at it and could stick to a diet for weeks on end and achieve my goal. Since I gave up smoking I just can't do it. I can go all day with little food then it gets to the night time and I want to eat everything in sight. I have never been a big day time eater and I struggle to find low calorie tasty snacks. I have tried slimming world on line but again just wasted my money and didn't stick to it. Where has my motivation gone????

[SlimmerSue62]

Hi congratulations on giving up smoking not an easy feat you have found the right place the forum is great loads of advice etc daily challenges. Someone from admin will welcome you soon. I wish you good luck with your weight loss.

[YellowRose55]

Morning wendywoo66

Welcome to the weight loss forum.

Well done on giving up smoking you have done fantastic. Why not join in with today weigh in and Daily Diary to get some extra support and motivation to help you get started.

Take a look at the Welcome Newbie post in the Pinned post section at the right hand side or at the bottom if your on a mobile. Have a look at the nhs 12 week plan, many members have had success following this plan. Use the BMI checker to work out your daily calorie allowance.

Have a look at the Daily Diary which you can find on the Home page in Events. It is where all the members are sharing their daily plans on what they are eating and any exercise they are doing. This thread will give you some ideas on how to start.

Below the Pinned posts are the Topics where members share a range of weight related subjects.

Take your measurements at the start together with a photo so you can see the changes on the days the scales don't move.

We have daily weigh ins so why not come along and join us today. You can find the weigh ins on the Home page in the Events section on the right. Just click on the post in Events and record your start weight and any loss/gain or maintain for the week.

To get the most of the forum be active, share tips, recipes and experiences. Read some of the posts they are very motivating.

Have a good first week.

Rose

[Stevo5585 7lbs]

Hi wendywoo66, first off as an ex-smoker myself well done on quitting the habit, I know how tough it can be. It's pretty common to gain weight after stopping smoking, it's a known appetite suppressant, without the cigarettes we tend to eat more.

What you need to do is channel your considerable determination and commitment (you already know you've got what it takes as you've quit smoking right) into eating healthier and losing the weight you've gained.

If you haven't done so already go here and check your BMI details and recommended daily calories nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss...

If you're just starting you may want to aim for the higher range figure, then bring it down to the lower range as you get used to it. This plan is all about eating healthier and reducing weight slowly and steadily, it's more a lifestyle change than a crash course pre-holiday weight loss and the benefits extend well beyond your clothes fitting better.

The aim is to fall just short of the calories required for your body to run through the day. To meet the shortfall it will start burning energy reserves, fat, which leads to the weight reduction. The trick is in how much lower you can go, too much and your body can go into starvation mode and it will then try to cling onto all the energy it can, converting it into fat and that leads to weight gain, too little and you stay the same, too much and you will gain weight. If you hit the sweet spot you will steadily burn off fat and reduce your weight, approx. 1 to 2 lb a week is a good figure.

You may have already supplied a clue in your original post, eating little through the day and losing control in the evening. Everyone is different but what works best for me is if I use up my main calories in the morning and evening with a light snack for lunch. Perhaps if you tried to adjust when you take in your energy you may find you're not so hungry/snacky later on. Have a bigger breakfast or lunch, experiment a little with the calories you have available.

Also look to slow release foods like oats, I didn't like them much, my wife is a big fan but I just couldn't get on with them until I discovered overnight oats. They turned out to be pretty tasty depending on the fruit you can pile on and it kept me full for hours.

Lastly make sure you drink enough water, I increased my water intake by a large amount and found I was getting less hunger pangs, turns out I was thirsty rather than hungry, and water's calorie free, instant win!

Welcome to the site and good luck.

[peterd1065]

Hi wendy, i'm into week 3 of the nhs weight loss plan. Lost 9 1/2 Lbs. Stick with it & get some exercise in too. I feel great after being a lazy slob for the past ten years since my ticker started playing up, & the recent diagnosis of diabetes. Good luck.