One of the biggest fears for any smoker is the scale. You might wonder if it’s possible to quit smoking without gaining weight, or if those extra pounds are an inevitable part of the journey. Today, my neighbor Lourdes explains the reality behind this myth…
You finally get home at sunset. Just as you’re opening the front door to your building, you see Marta’s mother—your neighbor—coming down the stairs. She’s a woman in her 70s, slightly obese, with light blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears rimless glasses that, combined with the constant smile on her face, make her look younger than she actually is.
“Hello! How are you? It’s been a while, how is everything going?”
“Hi, hi! Very well, actually. Well, I’ve been running around all day and I just want to get home and crash on the sofa.”
“Yes, it’s true, you look exhausted. Well, nothing a good rest won’t fix.”
“And you? What brings you here? I saw your daughter leaving with her boyfriend for the mountains this morning.” Being a natural conversationalist, she’s one of those people who lifts your spirits just by talking for a bit. You ask about her daughter because you know she lives for her and, as you suspect happened today, she runs over to help whenever she’s needed.
“She called me and asked if I could check if they’d turned off the gas… and well, I took the opportunity to leave them some mirrors I bought for the foyer.” Another thing you know: she’s always thinking of details for the apartment. “I already made the coat rack for them, but of course… a foyer without a mirror is incomplete.”
“Well, the place looks much better now. I saw it back when Antonio lived alone…”
“Oh, yes… boys’ apartments are so austere… he didn’t even have curtains!” she exclaims. “But tell me, what’s this exhaustion about? Too much work today?”
“No, not at all! It’s just that I haven’t stopped moving, and also…”
“And also what?” she asks.
“No, it’s nothing…” This woman gives you so much confidence that, even knowing her relatively little, you don’t mind sharing your worries. “It’s just that lately, people won’t stop pestering me to quit smoking, but I don’t want to…”
“You don’t want to, or you can’t?”
“Neither, both, or yes… what worries me is gaining weight if I quit smoking…”
Practical Tips to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight
“Ah! Now we get to the heart of the matter… I understand. I remember my daughter talking to me about this once, because she’s had more than one patient come to her to lose weight after quitting.”
“See? You’re proving me right. I’ll gain weight.”
“Yes, but…” she says, drawing out the last word for suspense, “you usually gain four or five pounds—well, according to my daughter, you regain them. She explained that smokers weigh those few pounds less because the body has to burn energy to eliminate the nicotine and the rest of the poisons in the cigarette; plus, it suppresses your appetite…”
“There we have it then. If I get my appetite back…”
“But it’s one thing for nicotine to take away your hunger, and another thing to be starving once you stop smoking. Let’s see, how did she put it?” she muses. “When people quit, many regain their sense of taste and smell, and of course, what used to be tasteless suddenly becomes a delicacy. And if you add to that the fact that you start snacking just to have something in your mouth to replace the cigarette…”
“So…”
“So, when you hear people say they gained twenty, thirty, or many more pounds when they quit, it wasn’t really because of that. It’s because they started eating much more, and that’s how everyone gets fat. Look at me—I’ve never smoked, and look what a round figure I have… I just love to eat!” she says, laughing.
“And what diet does your daughter recommend?”
“For those who gain a little weight or who ask before they quit, she doesn’t put them on a very strict diet. Just avoid snacking between meals, avoid too many fried foods, breaded things, high-fat foods… and avoid huge meals. You know, don’t go from leaving half a plate to eating two full servings.”
“And that’s it?”
“And exercise—preferably two weeks before you quit smoking.”
“Some people already exercise…” you counter.
“Well, for people who don’t exercise, they should start being more active, and for those who already do, they should increase the intensity.”
“I see…”
“And that’s it, like I said. Yes, you might gain two, three… maybe five pounds, not thirty. And you can always lose them.” She looks at her watch. “Oh! Look at the time, I have to go! We’ll talk another day.”
“Perfect… but one thing. What is your name? We always cross paths, but you’ve never told me.”
“Me? Lourdes Pijuan Salat.”
“Well, a pleasure, Lourdes. See you next time.”
“See you later! I’ve gotten hungry, I’m off to get a sandwich!” she says, laughing and imitating a little girl’s voice. And so, you watch her walk away with a smile on her face, happy to help and happy to talk about her daughter. As she leaves you alone, you think about what she said and decide…
Navigation Options
- If you want to quit smoking.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking because you enjoy it.
- If you think now is not the best time to quit smoking.
- If you think smoking doesn’t affect you and there’s no need to quit now.
- If you think it’s already too late to quit smoking.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking (general).
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If this is what’s holding you back, maybe you need to see the bigger picture first.