Comments on: How Smoking Affects Metabolism http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=smoking-affects-metabolism Metabolism, weight loss, diabetes, thyroid and more. Join the experts! Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:12:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Debbi http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13278 Debbi Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:51:23 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13278 My opinion is to rid your body of nicotine if you truly want to stay off cigarettes. I am positive it is what has caused my weight gain, but on the other hand, I have very few cravings. The laser therapy totally helped with the depression I was falling into. I also was at a point where I didn't care about anything or anybody. There was nothing right with the world. It quickly passed after a few laser session. I smoked for over a pack a day for 37 years - I was a true addict. My opinion is to rid your body of nicotine if you truly want to stay off cigarettes. I am positive it is what has caused my weight gain, but on the other hand, I have very few cravings. The laser therapy totally helped with the depression I was falling into. I also was at a point where I didn’t care about anything or anybody. There was nothing right with the world. It quickly passed after a few laser session. I smoked for over a pack a day for 37 years – I was a true addict.

]]> By: Rick http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13274 Rick Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:58:24 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13274 I started smoking in July (big mistake..I thought I wouldn't become hooked) and that escalated to half a pack per day. I quit cold turkey in September but that only lasted 4 days.. I realized the addictive power of nicotine at that time. I would tense up every 30 minutes and felt like I would just implode from the barrage of tension and I actually cried in my wife's lap (she was very supportive, but my smoking neighbors didn't care to hear about my quit attempt.. they just shrugged me off.. probably they thought I wouldn't make it). The food cravings kicked in really hard but the depression began on the 4th day... I felt so detached from everyone else.. like an empty soul and was also easy to lose my temper (I wasn't like that before) and become frustrated over small things. Nothing was interesting to me anymore.. I couldn't find pleasure in the things that used to make me happy.. felt like a dysphoric zombie even after the nicotine cravings were gone. Stupid me, I forgot that there are electronic cigarettes available and that lots of smokers have kicked the cigarette addiction by using those. However, I have heard they are not FDA-approved or regulated. I even thought I read a story that you could theoretically get nicotine poisoning if the electronic cigarette is shoddy or malfunctions, giving you too much nicotine. Has anyone here used the electronic cigarette, and if so, do you think it is a safe option in your opinion? If it is safe, I'd rather use that than to keep poisoning my body with toxins. That would help keep the weight off and suppress the appetite without all the chemicals in tobacco I guess. More importantly, I hope it would keep depression from coming back. Antidepressants don't work for me and I have heard they can cause weight gain and zap libido. (SSRIs) I started smoking in July (big mistake..I thought I wouldn’t become hooked) and that escalated to half a pack per day. I quit cold turkey in September but that only lasted 4 days.. I realized the addictive power of nicotine at that time. I would tense up every 30 minutes and felt like I would just implode from the barrage of tension and I actually cried in my wife’s lap (she was very supportive, but my smoking neighbors didn’t care to hear about my quit attempt.. they just shrugged me off.. probably they thought I wouldn’t make it).

The food cravings kicked in really hard but the depression began on the 4th day… I felt so detached from everyone else.. like an empty soul and was also easy to lose my temper (I wasn’t like that before) and become frustrated over small things. Nothing was interesting to me anymore.. I couldn’t find pleasure in the things that used to make me happy.. felt like a dysphoric zombie even after the nicotine cravings were gone.

Stupid me, I forgot that there are electronic cigarettes available and that lots of smokers have kicked the cigarette addiction by using those.

However, I have heard they are not FDA-approved or regulated. I even thought I read a story that you could theoretically get nicotine poisoning if the electronic cigarette is shoddy or malfunctions, giving you too much nicotine.

Has anyone here used the electronic cigarette, and if so, do you think it is a safe option in your opinion? If it is safe, I’d rather use that than to keep poisoning my body with toxins. That would help keep the weight off and suppress the appetite without all the chemicals in tobacco I guess. More importantly, I hope it would keep depression from coming back.

Antidepressants don’t work for me and I have heard they can cause weight gain and zap libido. (SSRIs)

]]> By: Lizzy http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13273 Lizzy Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:50:01 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13273 I shall Debbie. I have never in my life exceeded 155 pounds, was size 8 to 10 if I wanted baggy pants. I am not pre-menopausal either, everythings right as rain. I would love just 20 , im at 50 pounds over, its spare tire around my belly. They say the walking is great for the belly fat too, so far I have to say they are liars. So my neighbros girl is up i'd say 35 pounds and dam shes not even let the patch off, been 6 months, but she is still gaining, whats that about but she is also maybe 32.....I am 5'7" too I shall Debbie. I have never in my life exceeded 155 pounds, was size 8 to 10 if I wanted baggy pants. I am not pre-menopausal either, everythings right as rain. I would love just 20 , im at 50 pounds over, its spare tire around my belly. They say the walking is great for the belly fat too, so far I have to say they are liars. So my neighbros girl is up i’d say 35 pounds and dam shes not even let the patch off, been 6 months, but she is still gaining, whats that about but she is also maybe 32…..I am 5’7″ too

]]> By: Debbi http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13272 Debbi Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:42:54 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13272 @ Lizzy. Please tell me what your doctor says. I'm in the same boat as you and it's getting ridiculous. Exercising and eating 1000 or less calories but not losing an ounce. I keep trying and failing. Some say it's my age (56) so does that mean that ALL 56 year olds gain 20 lb. and can't lose it? I highly doubt it. @ Lizzy. Please tell me what your doctor says. I’m in the same boat as you and it’s getting ridiculous. Exercising and eating 1000 or less calories but not losing an ounce. I keep trying and failing. Some say it’s my age (56) so does that mean that ALL 56 year olds gain 20 lb. and can’t lose it? I highly doubt it.

]]> By: Debbi http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13271 Debbi Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:39:08 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13271 I quit smoking using laser therapy and it definitly curbed the depression. Give it a try instead of drugs. It worked for me and I'm almost 2.5 years smoke free. I quit smoking using laser therapy and it definitly curbed the depression. Give it a try instead of drugs. It worked for me and I’m almost 2.5 years smoke free.

]]> By: Lizzy http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13270 Lizzy Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:19:50 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13270 Hi Rick, sorry you went back to smoking, how long had you smoked before you quit? Depression is a terrible thing. I sadly wasn't attracted to eating or having a ravenous appetite, in fact I was super sick for weeks and did not eat anything, but the weight began climbing instantly. I do believe and Ive seen it, that men drop weight much faster then woman, you guys don't have the same hormones coursing through your veins that we do. Since winter set in, i have not been able to walk outside as often as I'd like. Rick why not go over to a herbal store and talk to an herbalist and ask them if they have anything herbal that will counter act the depression with out drugging you up. i know those pills very often make you feel worse. I talked to my husband last night and he told me, I dont see you eating badly, just the opposite you eat better foods, you never exercised before, now your walking 10 miles a clip, yet your gaining, not losing an ounce, it has to be the cigarettes unless your binge eating in the middle of the night and I don't hear you. We work together so we see each other all day. I'm seeing my doctor next month, lets see what she says. Lets keep smoke free, my lungs are so happy. My ass and gut just aren't ...lol Hi Rick, sorry you went back to smoking, how long had you smoked before you quit? Depression is a terrible thing. I sadly wasn’t attracted to eating or having a ravenous appetite, in fact I was super sick for weeks and did not eat anything, but the weight began climbing instantly. I do believe and Ive seen it, that men drop weight much faster then woman, you guys don’t have the same hormones coursing through your veins that we do. Since winter set in, i have not been able to walk outside as often as I’d like. Rick why not go over to a herbal store and talk to an herbalist and ask them if they have anything herbal that will counter act the depression with out drugging you up. i know those pills very often make you feel worse.
I talked to my husband last night and he told me, I dont see you eating badly, just the opposite you eat better foods, you never exercised before, now your walking 10 miles a clip, yet your gaining, not losing an ounce, it has to be the cigarettes unless your binge eating in the middle of the night and I don’t hear you. We work together so we see each other all day. I’m seeing my doctor next month, lets see what she says. Lets keep smoke free, my lungs are so happy. My ass and gut just aren’t …lol

]]> By: Rick http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13267 Rick Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:47:33 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13267 I've been smoking for 6 months (I'm 40) due to extreme stress/depression. Anyway, I quit cold turkey a few times and I can tell you that my appetite shot up like a rocket. I went to McDonald's and binged on burgers and fries but 3 hours later I was hungry _yet again_ and ate a whole bag of cassava chips (960 calories). Three hours later I couldn't resist eating yet more junk food and drinking Coca-Cola. Funny thing is that I eat healthy food when I smoke (lots of cruciferous vegetables, rice, extra virgin olive oil, green tea, vitamins and coffee), but when I _quit_ I felt like total crap and binged on junk food. I had no craving for healthy food when I quit smoking. What made me go back to smoking wasn't the weight gain or out-of-control appetite, but rather the depression that set in after the nicotine cravings were gone. That was horrid and antidepressants don't work for me. It was severe depression... melancholy, but yet no nicotine cravings. So, I smoked 3 to 5 cigarettes in a row and the depression lifted and the crazy appetite disappeared. I hope I can quit smoking again but in the meantime I'm back to eating healthy whole foods, green tea, etc. I'm just so terrified of the depression when quitting and what that could do to my marriage. I also don't want to end up raiding the fridge for unhealthy junk food or McDonald's. I know smoking is bad, but my doctor also says that McDonald's and junk food "will kill you". That's exactly what he said in addition to "smoking kills". I just can't control the food cravings when I quit as I said before... that's scary and I could easily gain a lot of weight at my age. Sorry for the long rant. I've really tried to quit and saw nothing but horrible results. Sure, I had more energy but that was the only good thing I noticed. Severe depression + junk food binging + massive weight gain is probably not any healthier than being smoke-free. Everyone dies someday anyway. I’ve been smoking for 6 months (I’m 40) due to extreme stress/depression. Anyway, I quit cold turkey a few times and I can tell you that my appetite shot up like a rocket. I went to McDonald’s and binged on burgers and fries but 3 hours later I was hungry _yet again_ and ate a whole bag of cassava chips (960 calories). Three hours later I couldn’t resist eating yet more junk food and drinking Coca-Cola. Funny thing is that I eat healthy food when I smoke (lots of cruciferous vegetables, rice, extra virgin olive oil, green tea, vitamins and coffee), but when I _quit_ I felt like total crap and binged on junk food. I had no craving for healthy food when I quit smoking. What made me go back to smoking wasn’t the weight gain or out-of-control appetite, but rather the depression that set in after the nicotine cravings were gone. That was horrid and antidepressants don’t work for me. It was severe depression… melancholy, but yet no nicotine cravings. So, I smoked 3 to 5 cigarettes in a row and the depression lifted and the crazy appetite disappeared.

I hope I can quit smoking again but in the meantime I’m back to eating healthy whole foods, green tea, etc.

I’m just so terrified of the depression when quitting and what that could do to my marriage. I also don’t want to end up raiding the fridge for unhealthy junk food or McDonald’s. I know smoking is bad, but my doctor also says that McDonald’s and junk food “will kill you”. That’s exactly what he said in addition to “smoking kills”. I just can’t control the food cravings when I quit as I said before… that’s scary and I could easily gain a lot of weight at my age.

Sorry for the long rant. I’ve really tried to quit and saw nothing but horrible results. Sure, I had more energy but that was the only good thing I noticed. Severe depression + junk food binging + massive weight gain is probably not any healthier than being smoke-free.

Everyone dies someday anyway.

]]> By: Tara http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13198 Tara Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:56:50 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13198 Hi everybody, so it has been about 3 weeks since I started focusing on my weight. I have lost 2 lbs only out of the 15 that need to go away lol, with a 3rd lb in limbo ( goes away,comes back ) . I was getting a little upset over the slow results ( slow for my history ) until I realized I'm no longer 25 for one, and secondally i wasnt really excercising more than 2 hours a week lol. I have joined a sight called www.myfitnesspal.com only 3 days ago, but it is wonderful. It makes the calorie,fat ect. Counting so simple and easier to maintain when it's in front of your face. It's also motivating me to exercise more because it tells you you're now allowed however more calories of food for the day because you burned some. Again, it's only been 3 days on the sight, but I feel ready to find my figure again. Hopefully I'll have better results next check in. Wishing everyone health and success!!! Tara Hi everybody, so it has been about 3 weeks since I started focusing on my weight. I have lost 2 lbs only out of the 15 that need to go away lol, with a 3rd lb in limbo ( goes away,comes back ) . I was getting a little upset over the slow results ( slow for my history ) until I realized I’m no longer 25 for one, and secondally i wasnt really excercising more than 2 hours a week lol. I have joined a sight called http://www.myfitnesspal.com only 3 days ago, but it is wonderful. It makes the calorie,fat ect. Counting so simple and easier to maintain when it’s in front of your face. It’s also motivating me to exercise more because it tells you you’re now allowed however more calories of food for the day because you burned some. Again, it’s only been 3 days on the sight, but I feel ready to find my figure again. Hopefully I’ll have better results next check in.
Wishing everyone health and success!!!
Tara

]]> By: Debbi http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13074 Debbi Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:01:24 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13074 I went thru menopause 6 years before quitting and never had an issue with weight. Cigarettes, nicotine, tar...SOMETHING is doing this to us! I went thru menopause 6 years before quitting and never had an issue with weight. Cigarettes, nicotine, tar…SOMETHING is doing this to us!

]]> By: cats http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/smoking-affects-metabolism#comment-13072 cats Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:17:05 +0000 http://metabolism.defaultroute.net/?p=190#comment-13072 @ Debbi - I know you all are not serious about taking up nicotine again in relation to thyroid problems! Just wanted to add something. I am in my 4th month of a relapse and close to quitting again. I had gained 25 lbs after I quit Feb 2011, had some injuries, etc. BUT have not lost 1 lb since I started smoking again, recovered from injuries - have stayed the same weight since August 2011 (since before my relapse). So it may be that nicotine messes up our thyroid, adrenal glands and other hormones, but seems like if it was some necessary component that I would have LOST some of the weight when I slipped and started smoking full time again! I am believing that menopause is making my body cling to the fat no matter what amount I eat or exercise! I'm glad you're still all here and I've been reading the comments since last fall. I look forward to being a non smoker again. All of these comments are valuable and there has got to be some answer for the weight not budging! I appreciate everyone's ideas. @ Debbi – I know you all are not serious about taking up nicotine again in relation to thyroid problems! Just wanted to add something. I am in my 4th month of a relapse and close to quitting again. I had gained 25 lbs after I quit Feb 2011, had some injuries, etc. BUT have not lost 1 lb since I started smoking again, recovered from injuries – have stayed the same weight since August 2011 (since before my relapse). So it may be that nicotine messes up our thyroid, adrenal glands and other hormones, but seems like if it was some necessary component that I would have LOST some of the weight when I slipped and started smoking full time again! I am believing that menopause is making my body cling to the fat no matter what amount I eat or exercise!

I’m glad you’re still all here and I’ve been reading the comments since last fall. I look forward to being a non smoker again. All of these comments are valuable and there has got to be some answer for the weight not budging! I appreciate everyone’s ideas.

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