I quit smoking 11 days ago — when should I expect weight gain?
Hi. 
I quit smoking 11 days ago. I've always expected that I would gain a few pounds after quitting --- and honestly I've been eating like there is no tomorrow. I've always been a good eater but now it's like face stuffing fest 2008.
In all honesty I was *hoping* I'd gain some weight because I've always been too thin. Please don't murder me in my sleep for saying this --- but it is true. I'm tall-ish and even staying at a 3 digit number has always been a challenge with my metabolism.
The stuff I've read says to expect a weight gain of 5-10 pounds. When does this typically occur? I'm sure it's partly gradual but I haven't gained an ounce and I've been like a stoned person except that nothing is all that funny. 
(Everything tastes SO GOOD now!)
Does it take time for your metabolism to slow down after quitting? Or am I just doomed to be Olive Oyl for the rest of my life? (I'm 33)
Help?
Congratulations!!
It seems to creep up on you.
I was looking at pictures of myself last year Before I quit and it seems I have put on at least 20 pounds since quitting ( I refuse to get on a scale…lol)
I didn’t think I was gaining anything as a result of stopping, but, Bam!!, it snuck right up on me…..
I would suggest being really aware of what you are eating and of course exercises.
The last time my husband I quit smoking, we went for about 6 months and then fell. The good thing is, if you fall, you can get right back up and try again!
Be careful because satin will throw things at you to try and get you to fall. Prayer is so important….asking God for strength and protection! Rebuking the temptation and the spirit of addiction in Jesus name.
We had our Pastors wife, who has the gift of discernment, tell us that she saw the demon breathing disease on us every time we smoked, that we both were "marked" with emphysema.
That alone got my attention!
God bless you for stopping! What a great accomplishment!
in fourteen more days approx
in
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4
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1
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dont expect it dont worry about it just thank God you quit
You’ll start gaining weight when you start eating more
Why do you write sooo much??! Anyways, I didn’t read what you wrote but yea you might gain weight.
you will only gain weight if you start eating alot and don’t exercise. If you do gain don’t sweat it just try to lose it if you notice. If you have it in your mind that you are absolutely going to gain weight then you will gain weight. Just think positive.
Hi, Olive Oyl! Congrats on the quit! I quit a year and two months ago and feel great! I didn’t gain weight from quitting, though I made a conscious effort not to. I’m guessing if you’re meant to gain some weight, your pants will be getting tighter in a week or so.
First of all, well done!
And you might be one of the lucky ones who does not put on weight. I know people who have gained weight, but I know an equal number of people who haven’t. Just keep an eye on it and eat sensibly. If you do start to put on weight just do a bit of exercise to counter-act it. Exercise will also become easier now that you have given up.
Congratulations x
Hehe don’t worry I’m too thin too and want to gain some pounds
I’d expect proberley 2 - 3 weeks
and Congrats on quitting
Your lungs will be a healthy pink colour in 2 weeks
Good luck with weight gaining!
I know how you feel!
If you haven’t started the munchies now to kill the oral fixation, you probably won’t start at all. I noticed the eating starts as soon as you quit if you are gonna start.
LOL! The Olive Oil thing was pretty funny! I quit smoking on the 31st of July, last year. When I quit I weighed 216lbs. I’m at 238lbs now! It comes on slowly but it does come on! I’m still eating everything in sight.
My understanding is that the metabolism doesn,t change. Most weight gain is due to the oral fixation associated with smoking. Your so used to putting things in your mouth all the time, you just keep doing it. Excercise and invrease your caloric intake with healthy foods. Carbs and proteins work good, not fats. Deal with the oral fixation with a therapist who is experienced in addictive behavior.
you probably will gain some weight, but not much. A little known fact, one of the best and most effective *natural* appetite suppressants are cumin seeds. If you do not find taste objectionable, chew on a few a couple of times a day. Roman legions which travelled on foot were expected to cover so much distance a day. They could not afford to stop for a snack every couple of hours, or they would never arrive at their destination on time. Foot soldiers were issued cumin seeds and they chewed them while marching. It worked amazingly well.
You should expect some weight gain after a few weeks. You probably will gain little or no weight though. Smoking, for people with low metabolisms has been a way to subonciously distract them from eating, but since you have sucha fast metabolism you probably won’t gain too much. If you want to gain weight though, I suggest you don’t eat all that crap in the junk food isle. Try some peanuts or peanut butter sandwiches because that will help you gain without clogging your arteries. Also, try sprinkling some peanut oil in your food. If you are alergic, coconut oil is very good too, and it is supposed to give you clear skin, help your metabolism adjust to new diets among other things. It also helps you gain weight healthily. Also, edible Cocounut butter tastes good and is a good addition to your hot cocoa or your homeade recipes. Good Luck and Congrats for quitting!
The reason you would gain weight is because generally ciggies suppress your appetite AND you tend to eat more when you first quit to replace the act of smoking (choclate bars, crisps etc)
Good luck with the non-smoking ( I quit for new years myself) - And if you want to put on weight eat more ! (simple really, eh?)
You just might have a fast metabolisim and it may be hard for you to gain weight. Smoking and weight gain don’t necessarily go hand in hand. I actually lost weight the first time I quite smoking (yeah, I know..but I keep trying
Also, be careful what you wish for. It’s a whole lot easier to gain weight than it is to take it off. (And yes…I do hate people who CAN’T gain weight!!! just kidding).
Just make sure you are eating healthy and if you’ve gotten along at your current weight all these years without medical problems don’t worry about it.
At 60 I can eat one chocolate kiss and expect 1# of weight gain the next day unless I do 2 hours of exercise!! (OK, that is a slight exaggeration…but not by much!)
Good luck and congrats on the smoking thing.
OMG!! I quit smoking in March of 07. I was 123. Now I just weighed yesterday and I was 144. It is sickening. I am sick over it. I have never had any weight problems in my life, I have always been the skinny girl. I would almost start smoking again just to lose it. But, don’t do that. I do feel much better. Good luck.
well if you are trying to gain weight by quiting smoking i doubt that this will achievable due to your high metabolism rate…..u may gain a few pounds …but for short term as u will burn it off in the long run
Hi, Ki:
I, too, was underweight when I quit in 2003. The bad news is that the weight gain continued over a couple of years. The good news is that, for me, it wasn’t horrific. My metabolism slowed (and yours may not) and that’s the worst of it. And, yes, it slowed over a long period of time. So I jumped a size, big deal.
Am I happy with my new shape? No, but I am happy that the pulmonary disease I’m stuck with for the rest of my life won’t be getting worse.
I really rejoice when I see someone quit, especially before they do permanent damage. God bless your efforts to keep the weight off. Walk, walk, walk. The treadmill is your best friend!
Love and best of luck,
cmw
EDIT: I was reading some of the answers and some misinformation. You need to know that smoking actually burns calories, so even if you did not eat more food, you’d gain weight. And that’s other than the metabolism slowing part. Only 10% of people gain over as long as 5 years, so your odds are good. It does not have to be a nightmare. Stay positive.
theres nothing more unattractive than to see an attractive woman with a cigarette hangin out of her mouth… good for you and your decision to quit. as for the weight gain, people typically replace smoking with eating, along with a slight decrease in metabolism. this is where the weight gain occurs. it tends to sneak up on you over the course of time, and even though you are skinny,the weight you gain from it will all be fat weight, so be careful. again, i want to say congrats on your decision to quit. keep busy, enjoy a new hobby, perhaps take up exercise to help reinforce a decision to not start back up, and get past that first month 1 day at a time, after that it gets a bit easier.
it will happen faster then you think and most likely ALL at Once
So please watch your diet and your intake
cause it will come on you
then you will say your gaining to much and be tempted to smoke again
Just allow your body to do its business on its own
and dont help it along by gorging yourself to help it
lol
seriously….just pace yourself and get into a healthy routine that fits you…..and your body..it will show you and tell you…
its limits and its abilities….the nicotine will leave soon enough and the metobolism will take over fast enough…….Let your body get used to its newness with out the habit of its cravings..and it will be Alright…..Pace yourself…..and allow it to Heal !!!
i also experience this "out of mind" feeling when i quit smoking. i don’t like it but it will go away. you will gain weight in a few weeks. don’t over eat because you will put your health in jeopardy by gaining weight too fast just as much as loosing too quickly. your sugar levels will be effected most of all. when trying to gain weight i found the most effective for me was adding one glazed donut a day to my diet. i gained three pounds a month for a few months and when i got to the weight i wanted i cut the donuts to every other day in order to keep the weight and not loose or gain. i still use the "donut diet" today and it has worked for me for nine years now.i know how you feel being too thin and can’t help it. winters are very very cold for me. my sister actually does look like olive oil - i have called her that since we were kids.
Firstly you’ve made a gold medal decision! Well done. It’s the single most important thing you could have done for you good health! You will put on weight, but it make take you longer if you’ve got a high metabolism and burn energy faster. Try to increase your protein intake, do light weight traning and healthy eating. Remenber EVERYTHING in moderation. But most importantly focus on your good points! ps I stopped somking 6 years ago! Am I glad? You bet!
Well, congrats on day 11!
Before I read the details, I was going to say that it will begin when you start reaching for food instead of smokes. If you smoked a pack and half a day, and are reaching for food every time you would’ve smoked a cigarette, then you might gain faster. But if you don’t reach for food 30 extra times a day, then it might not be so fast. Plus, if you already have a high metabolism, you might not have to expect as much weight gain as I would.
I quit when I found out I was pregnant with my first kid, and never went back. And I gained alot, but I was also pregnant! LOL. I will pray for you that God gives you the strength to stick to it! And even if you have a slip up, I pray that you try to keep quitting.
BTW–my sister in law also quit with me that 3 ish years ago. And she says, " I quit smoking 40 pounds ago!"
I also pray thats not your counter. Good luck! And keep up the good work!
Congratulations on your progress. Keep eating and not smoking and you’ll get those pounds…unless, of course you are indeed destined to be Olive Oyl.
To be on the safe side, eat healthy choices rather than anything. It is not good to gain fat weight.
Congrats on quitting smoking! Nothing but good stuff dropping that habit.
I’d suggest keeping your snacks on the healthy side - no sweets.
Doomed isn’t being Olive Oyl, in my opinion - except for her hair.
I was just thinking about you yesterday. I am glad to see you posting a question. That is great that you quit smoking. I think if your metabolism is fast you probably won’t gain that much weight. You may be thin (I was) for a long time, but just wait til menopause hits (it has for me) and then you may blow up just like a balloon. lol
First off, congratulations. Secondly, you’ve got a lot of good answers here focusing on the oral fixation thing. Whether they’re correct or not I don’t know, but IF they are, just chew a lot of gum
Pack of gum: 99 cents
Pack of smokes: $3.50 (or so)
Pink lungs: Priceless