I quit smoking. Now what's going on with my metabolism?

Question

I always heard that most people gain around 5 to 10 pounds when they quit smoking. This happened to me and I'm wondering why this is? I've been eating salads and cutting back on bread and pop and so forth ... but I still gained weight.
I have much more energy now since I've quit smoking and I seem to exercise more. But my weight stays in the same range and fluctuates 5 pounds up and down. Is this normal? What's going on?

And if any more details are needed, I'll be glad to respond to your answers as they are posted.

Answer 1

Good for you that you quit smoking. Heres something I found for you.

Most people experience a small amount of weight gain when they quit smoking. This is due to metabolic changes our bodies go through when we quit. A gain of 5 to 10 pounds is normal.

Nicotine affects our bodies in a variety of ways, one of which is to elevate metabolism, so when we quit smoking, metabolism slows and a slight gain is usually the result. If the scales go higher than a 10 pound gain though, chances are your eating habits have changed.

Combat excessive weight gain by following these tips:

Eat a Well-Balanced Diet:

Give your body the fuel it needs by eating plenty of the right foods. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables; leans meats; low-fat dairy products and whole grains are important. Avoid the empty calories in junk foods.

Drink Water

Not only is it a great craving-buster, water will help to flush residual toxins from cigarettes out of your body more quickly. Metabolism slows when the body is dehydrated, so drinking water will offset weight gain by giving your metabolism a boost. Good hydration also helps you feel better in general, which will make a difference in how you weather nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Exercise Daily

Pick a form of movement that appeals to you and do it every day. Walking is a great low-impact cardiovascular choice, especially for those who haven't been doing much exercise. Start out with a 15 minute walk, and increase the frequency and amount of time as you are able.

Get More Rest

Most of us don't get enough rest and it can adversely affect weight loss efforts. Make sure you get enough sleep and take power naps now and then if you can do it.
Be sure to practice a little patience! A small weight gain isn't the end of the world. You're working hard to rid yourself of a tough addiction, so don't fret if you put on a few pounds in the process. Take good care of yourself overall, and you'll be much less likely to over-indulge.

Weight can always be lost, but lungs cannot!

Good luck and I hope I helped!!

Answer 2

Nicotine is a stimulant which is the same kind of drug that is given to overweight people to help them lose weight, so it's not a big surprise that quitting helps you gain weight.

If it's not happening to you, maybe you substituted your smoking with another stimulant like more caffeine or another type of medicine. Hopefully you know that if you're still taking nicotine in the form like a patch or gum then your body's still using the nicotine and has yet to feel the effects of quitting.

You say you're going up and down in weight but in the same range. Another thing about stimulants is it causes you to retain less water. Most people can easily lose and gain 5 pounds of water weight at any given time. Going on a strict diet for a day or two can make you lose that much because it's just water.

Answer 3

Every time you smoke a cigarette your heart beats faster. The smoke in each puff replaces the oxygen you'd be breathing in, if you weren't smoking. The cells of your body need oxygen to function, so the heart has to pump faster to bring what little it gets to all your cells Your heart is a muscle. When it beats faster, during smoking, it burns calories. When you stop smoking, your heart doesn't need to beat as fast anymore. This results in a slowing of one's metabolism. This is the reason why gaining a few pounds is almost impossible when a person quits. On the plus side, the weight gain is temporary. Most people who quit find the weight drops off within a years without any additional exercise or dieting. Think of the weight as a part of the healing process.

Congratulations on quitting. The health benefits you gain in the long run will be well worth gaining a few temporary pounds.

Answer 4

Hey I quit smoking 30 years ago. If I had continued smoking I would be dead now - no joy! Eating sometimes is a replacement for the addictiveness of smoking. so you have to pay more attention to your food intake. If you can increase your activity level that will help. Stay at it. I was a Repiratory Therapist. A smoker's death is a horrible thing. The last years are slow suffocation.

Answer 5

smoking is a natural metabolism booster, not to mention it's an appetite suppressant, your body is in shock and doesn't know what to do right now. Just keep doing what you are doing, and in one month it will stable out.

Answer 6

if you are a woman your weight will always fluctuate because one week out of the month we tend to retain more water