Gained weight after quitting?

I quit about 8 years ago. In the first 2 or 3 years I gained about 30 pounds. It has stayed at that level.
Not good. But don't let that keep you from quitting.

I quit over 6 years ago. I gained about 15 pounds within the first 6 months and another 15 after the second year. The good news is I started exercising and got rid of the extra weight.

I don't believe anyone that says they didn't gain weight when they quit smoking.

I quit 30 years ago and put on so much weight I hated the look of myself, but dont let that put you off stopping smoking, it literally is the number one stupidest thing ever invented by mankind.

At 21 I couldn't run 20 yards for a bus, now at 55 I can do the "three peaks walk" in the yorkshire dales without breaking sweat.

Don't let ANYTHING put you off quitting the most distructive habit in the world.

MOst of the weight gain is due to extra food intake as a result of oral fixation. Increase your exercise as well and you should be OK.

When I first quit smoking, it seemed like I was always hungry, and it was hard pulling myself away from the table. I found brushing my teeth after I ate, tended to shut off the food and smoking cravings for awhile.

Don't let gaining weight scare you from quitting...it will be one of the best choices you'll ever make in your life.

Oh, i've always heard what everyone else has... Chew gum.. Drink Juices (haven't actually known what thats for..) Get a intresting hobby.. and quit on the weekends when theres no one around u can snap at.. well not as many.. I can only say what i've heard... I haven't quit yet myself... but plan to one day. hehe. but go for it!! yay! good luck and live longer.

Oh, but i quess that really doesn't go with what you were asking...
My dad quit smoking about 2 years ago know... He had also went on diet.. and Kindof went to the extreme of what he was doing to himself..He went ALL THE WAY with getting healthy.. and lost weight.. he actually did. You don't have to believe it.. but it's the truth.. and I couldn't be happier for him. --- Still just going from what i've seen and heard not actually from personal experience.. maybe it varies???--- good luck still on it though if you do decide too.

Gaining weight is the least of your worries ... however, I do believe that is a myth. It all depends on what you do with yourself when you quit.

To quit smoking is to seek a better physical lifestyle, no? So, you've already done that, now concentrate on eating food that is conducive to a healthier lifestyle, and exercise too!

you've got it made pal!

I quit smoking several years ago and I've never considered my smoking habit to be the result of "oral fixation". It was merely an addiction to nicotine ( which I miss dearly to this very day!).

The overeating is the result of oral fixation, replacing the cigarettes that you're used to putting in your mouth. The smoking habit is the result of addiction to nicotine (not that I"m suggesting you didn't know that).

This explanation sounds interesting:

http://abrannen.home.mindspring.com/alag/stoptrim.htm



It might be useful to read the entire article. My quote is only part of the discussion.

What I remember reading when I quit was that quitting smoking messes with your blood sugar levels and that juice and other sweets help fix some of the cravings. I was working at a bar when I quit and I chewed on the plastic stirrers and took little shots of gigerale, 7-up, cranberry juice, etc. I was under my usual weight when I quit, and think I've gained about 10-15 pounds since then (7-8 years ago)

I used to drink beer every non working waking hour of the day. I also smoked. I quit smoking and drinking at very nearly the same time. For about six months after I ate a mostly vegetarian diet. I lost about 60 pounds. Since (over 11 years) I've gained back about ten of those pounds.

Another thing that helped me through quitting was running. I don't usually do regular excersize, and didn't really then. But, when I'd feel a craving for a smoke I'd take my dog to the park and do sprints. I'd run as long as I comfortably could, and then I'd walk.

I quit two years ago and gained 25 lbs. I also began working from home at about the same time so the normal amount of excercise I'd been getting at a 9-to-5 was eliminated. It's hard getting rid of extra weight, especially if you've never had a problem with your weight in the past.

Er, yes, but around the same time I also replaced much of the alcohol in my diet with food and got a job where I sat behind a desk all day. Definitely a combination of factors.

But it's great. I can take a really deep breath without coughing these days.

(For what it's worth, I still buy a pack every two or three months, and smoke in spurts, one or two or three a day. October/November was the most recent, I think. Each restart is more odious than the last, and I generally find that I only want half the cigarette unless I'm drunk. My advice is to hash out a way of quitting that works for you, and if that means accepting the occasional relapse, so be it. -- I never feel the need to go and buy another pack when I finish one anymore.)

I actually quit only a month ago. I quit once before for 5 months then starting smoking gain even heavier then the last. I don't remember gaining weight the first time, but this time i feel i am already gaining. I won't let it stop me from quitting. I don't miss smoking at all. Thanks for all the comments, keep'em comin!

P.S What did you use to help you quit smoking?
Both times for me have been cold turkey.

Sheer, stubborn willpower, no cigarettes in the house, no cigarette smoking IN my home, and the absolute refusal to put another cigarette between my lips.

I smoked for 25 years and tried many times over the years to quit. I just kept going back to smoking. I decided to give Nicorette gum a try, which finally worked for me.