Quit Smoking Weight Gain

[MecklingMike]

I have been running/walking since 1976.  Over the years average about 1200 miles a year.  Now retired so have more time to run.  I had been smoking a couple packs a day for 10 years (this time).  I was doing about 30 miles a week and holding my weight at 176 or so.  I started the patch and quit smoking on 10/6/2017, continued my regular workouts, quit the patch on 12/4/2018.  During that time my weight increased from 176 to 194 and body fat increased from 25.9 to 32.4.  How can I take off that weight if my regular routine won't do it?  I am 72 but have no intention of giving up.

[Dominique]

Welcome to the community, @MecklingMike, and congrats for your decision! I can’t offer help as I’ve never smoked myself, but in case you haven’t noticed, a related topic started in 2014 got some recent activity:

Quitting Smoking and Not Losing Any Weight

[WavyDavey]

@MecklingMike, you obviously have a long history with exercise, but what about the other side of the coin--caloric intake?

It's pretty common for those quitting smoking to take up some extra eating as a transference. Could that be happening? Regardless, I would recommend you start logging your food intake in the Fitbit app. What you'll find is, if you are putting on weight, you are inevitably eating more calories than you're burning. And at some point it's easier to cut back calories than run more miles to lose weight.

The food logging, if done correctly, can be very enlightening, especially for catching extra meals and snacks. Best of luck.

[Esya]

Smoking increases your metabolism. So when you quit, your metabolism slows down a bit and you need less food to maintain the same weight. It can take 6 months for it to adjust back to normal. As @WavyDavey suggests, log your food and try to eat a bit less if you want to lose that weight. However, it is very normal to gain some weight after you quit smoking and it has way less negative impact on your health than smoking had. So I would say well done!

[WendyB]

I quit over 15 years ago. Gained weight. You are doing right in your walking just keep it up.

Its going to change direction once you body realizes that it quit smoking. Hang in there as it seems to take time

[emili]

I don't know if I am impressed or shocked that you ran while smoking that much. wow. I am impressed that you quit. It isn't easy and you should be proud of your accomplishment. When I was younger, I was a smoker and a heavier smoker when I needed to lose a few pounds. A cup of something and a cigarette and I didn't need to eat. Maybe it is the same for you.. you curbed some of your appetite through smoking and now you reach for a snack. That is additional calories that you didn't have before. If you want to lose weight, you will have to go into a caloric deficit. it will more than likely not take you long to lose it if you pay close attention and then you can maintain from there. keep up what you are doing and again a heartfelt congrats on doing what's best for your body.