OMG! Weight Gain After Quitting Smoking!

[Kristine..]

Well, Hello Happy Cohenites!

Yes, I know you thought I'd died, but I just got busy and the weight was under control, and hey! has it really been this long since I was on the Forum?

So there I was, cruising along, minding my own business, and one day I went to a Workshop and stopped smoking.

Never had any intention of not smoking. Just happened to hear about Allen Carr's program (just like people hear about Dr Cohen's program), clicked through, booked in, and left the Workshop a non-smoker.

Packet a day for 46 years. Stopped cold. 19th March, 2011

And so far have put on 8 kilos above what I weighed on day (which was already at the upper end of the comfort zone) and it ain't going to go down all by itself!

I went to the Workshop wearing size 10 jeans, and am now sitting here in daggy old tracky daks. I bought one pair of size 14 jeans from Millers while I was still in the Roaring Fourties weeks - I reckon I was putting on 140 grams per day, and couldn't even see what it was that I was eating, it was as if all the appetite and all the weight gain had been lying dormant. Not being distracted by smoking meant that food tasted a lot sweeter and as I wasn't rushing off outside to have a smoke, but sitting inside on the couch eating, well what did I expect?

So:

My Cohen's Goal Weight is between 61 and 64 kilos.

This morning I weighed in at 79.9 kilos. Too close to that dreaded red zone of being 80 kilos or more. I am now obese again, with the bulging diaphragm again, the belly bag on the knees again - all those things again but I can start again, again, now that I think that the post-smoking feeding frenzy is over.

So knock! knock!

Please, Asy and Koh, may I come in - again?!?

I promise to behave, and not be rude to anyone. I promise to haul out my Cohen's program and to commit to my target weight and to set up my ticker.

Let's see: 80 kilos (yes, I admit it) with a personal goal of 65 kilos.

I lost 28 kilos in 25 weeks back in 2006 when I did the program the first time. I dropped from size 18 to size 8. I looked, and felt, terrific.

I will get out my excel spreadsheet from 2006 and 2008 and plot a course for 2011.

Nothing tastes as good as being slim feels. I don't like bulging like a sack of potatoes. It's much more fun wearing size 10.

OK, High Ho, Silver!

Watch out blubber and blumps! Begone, foul spot!

Lotsa love
Kristine!

[Kohinoor]

Hi Kristine,

A big welcome back to a Cohen LEGEND !! When all is said and done, your path was the catalyst for MANY who graced the SS board (and probably indirectly led to the formation of "NewYou").

Please, Asy and Koh, may I come in - again?!?

Goes without saying, really !!

I promise to behave, and not be rude to anyone.

Well, since we have it IN WRITING......

Who knows, this new path of yours will likely inspire a bunch of others who might ALSO have faced (or are facing) the demon nicotine !!!

Go get it, young lady - shine that torch once more.... and create more "gems" for others who follow, as you do,
Hugs,
Koh

[Kristine..]

G’Day Koh

Thank you for your kind words.

It has actually been quite interesting, watching the weight go back on.

I stopped smoking on 19th March, and from that day onwards, I seemed to sort of swell up.

Not water retention, but I simply couldn’t stop eating. I decided to just let myself ‘go for it’ as one of the most important aspects of Cohen’s success is:

Focus on One Thing At A Time.

Cohen’s is about losing body fat. It is not about exercise, or weight lifting, or being a nicer person.

Cohen’s is about one thing, and it does that very well.

So I figured that the ‘Easy Way to Stop Smoking’ – which really was quite amazing – a very interesting 5 hour workshop and not a cigarette since! – deserved to be at the top of the list for a while.

Now, nearly 5 months later, although I must admit I continue to think about smoking in a memory sort of way – just like I would say ‘Oh, I used to have a child care centre’, I now say ‘yes, I used to smoke’, I also know that I am now past any point of smoking again

So while the tracky daks and 1 x pair of jeans are sufficient, I can confidently focus on shedding the weight gained since March. If I let it go any longer, I shall have to buy more clothes and that would mean that the weight is here to stay.

This morning I weighed in at 78.5kg. I will officially start on Monday. Previously, I found that just knowing I had set myself a start date meant that I had already lost some weight by the start.

I have a lunch date at Heidi in the coming week. At least, they post their menus online, so I can decide before hand what the Meal #2 will be, and plan Meal #1 and Meal #3 accordingly. And it goes without saying I can do without the pommes frites!

OK, off to drink some water. Aiming for at least 2 litres each day. May warm it up a bit, it’s cold here in Melbourne today.



And, you know, it's actually a relief to have made the decision. My natural fighting weight is 63 kilos. That sits well on my frame. Well, 65 kilos I can work with. In March I was bumping around 68.5 - 70 kilos, a bit uncomfortable, a bit self conscious, overweight but Hey, nothing to sweat about.

Suddenly finding myself obese again means I have to do something about it

So what I shall do is 'resume positions' at 63 kilos.

Lotsa love
Kristine

[mikimoo2]

Well done,

I think if you have successfully done Cohens before AND given up smoking, you are going to be successfull in whatever you put your mind too!

Mikimoo

[goodlucktummy]

Will follow your journey... I'm a smoker too and I promised myself that once I finish the diet, I'll seriously quit smoking. Best of luck to you, Kristine!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Kristine! Welcome back, but it's sad that it's not just for a chat! However, as you are retracing earlier steps, you know what it's like and how effective it is. I quite smoking in Dec 2004 - just laid them done one Sunday afternoon and never had another. I had a pipe (inhaled), cigar & cigarette habit that went from as high as 4 packs (not Aus 25's but Yank 20's) a day to as low as 1/2 pack. I was smoking around a pack a day when I quit. within 2 months I had gained 10 kg as well. I went on a seefood diet during that time. After that it tapered off but still I managed to add another 10kg in the next 4 years till I hit 94kg (That's when I started Cohen's (Jan '0. I've never gone back to smoking and don't even feel like it even when half crocked in the local. I smoked for 37 years. I can imagine what you felt like watching yourself bloom after all the work of losing it. Fortunately you know it going to come off again. Go get 'em gal!

sms

[lil_doll]

Hey Kristine!

Welcome back!! And well done on stopping the cigs!!!

[Kristine..]

Hello Everyone

And thanks to SMS, mikimoo2, goodlucktummy and lil_doll for looking in.

As mentioned, I had no intention of not smoking, it just happened.

I was already a few kilos up on where I was most comfortable so now that I am seriously up on my own ideal weight I know that I need the program to shift this, not just avoiding bread or wine for a few days.

So in some perverse way, it is a relief to have to face reality and to knuckle down.

For those of you who have got the Cohen's program under control and are cruising, and if you intend to 'one day' stop smoking, it may be worth considering doing that now. Seriously, the first 3 days of Cohen's takes more concentration than the 'Easy Way' program. I walked out of the Easy Way workshop and haven't smoked since.

There is also an Easy Way book which is apparently just as effective and considerably cheaper than attending the workshop.

OK: This morning I weighed 78.5 kilos
My Goal is 65 kilos although I will probably drop to 63 just 'cos I can and at 63 kilos I can fit into the size 8 jeans and the size 10 Ida Jayne tailored pants

In 2006 it took 86 days (156 grams per day) to lose 13.5 kilos - and this was during the run of the program, not from a starting weight ie no 'bonus' first week loss included in this period.

If I have the same pattern now, this will take me through to 5th October to drop back to 65 kilos.

So it's Blast Off and I must admit to a slight headache.

These 'First 3 Days' insulin headaches make no sense, but there you are. I wonder if the headaches are in any way related to not having milk?

Considering that breakfast is often delayed for me as I can't resist turning on the computer and once I start attending to emails it can be early afternoon before I realise that I haven't yet eaten -

But this morning, yoghurt & kiwi fruit, plenty of water, and I rummaged about and found the coffee filter thingy (I will get out the little espresso thingy later) and have even had a reasonable amount of coffee but still, the headache has appeared!

Anyway, just polished off an apple and 2 x vita weat. Can't remember the last time I ate an apple - can't remember the last time I ate an orange, but an orange will be my 3rd fruit sometime after dinner as a bit of a sweetener.

Will do beef & celery for dinner, if I remember that always scrubbed up quite well, goes well with Salada

***

SMS I notice in your signature that you weigh less now than you have for the past three years. Well done! Looking back at my own somewhat roller coaster ride over the past five years - and I never would have thought that 'this would happen to me' as I do so enjoy being slim, I do think that although everyone's life has stress I do tend to take on the uber stressful things and then wonder why I am not coping, and why the weight has found me again.

Although, having said that, the pre-March weight was not a real issue, but the post-March sudden and significant increase wasn't due to stress, it was due to me ravenously eating everything that wasn't nailed down!


I look forward to tomorrow morning's weigh in - yes, I am a Daily Weigher (oh, guilty pleasure that it is!) - so until then

Cheers!
Kristine

[AilsaQ]

Hi Kristine,
I too am a lucky non smoker who went to one of the Allen Carr clinics, best thing I ever did. over a pack a day for 23 years I think.... long time. and the benefits of stopping are unbelievable. I gained some weight I think.. but wasnt thinkin about food at that time. This was pre Cohens and to be honest I was a greedy gannet. When I was trying to "diet" before I certainly smoked more as cigarettes are an appetitie suppressant. And I know Allen Carr also has a book about losing weight which i would like to read sometime. I think its the same thing as the non smokimg. Lets try and see the food as a slim person does type of thing...! Not an overweight person that focuses on food or eats emotionally etc...
anyhoo congrats on becoming a non smoker! excellent! and I too am back after some weight gain... new challenge for me now... its all good from here on in!
good luck!

[Kristine..]

Hello Ailsa

Thanks for your comments, Interesting to read about Allen Carr, his own desperation to stop smoking and attempts over many years to do so.

I am quite glad to not smoke, it was time to make the change. And it was really just as simple as walking away. I appreciate some people may find it very difficult, but listening to some of the stories of the other people at the workshop, some people do try many different things over the years.

Bit like weight loss. It seems that few people come to Cohen’s as the first diet – but I did. I had never been on a diet before and just decided in November, 2005 that it was time to be different, went to the Mitcham clinic (as was) information session, signed up and lost weight

What is that old saying – When the Student is ready, the Teacher appears? I suppose when we are ready to change, the way to change will appear to us

I am using the original program from way back then. Yes, I am sure that I should get a new program but at this stage I am not relying on a clinic (Mitcham closed in 2006) and so far, the program is working and I feel fine. If the weight loss stalls I may consider starting a new program with Nunawading clinic.

Cheers
Kristine

[Kristine..]

Posted over at my Diary http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthr...986#post339986 02/08/2011


Hey beijingpal

Thanks for the comments

Yep, www.allencarr.com.au really is a walk in, walk out stop smoking method.

However, it didn't bother me that I suddenly developed a voracious appetite and couldn't stop eating. I knew that if I let the sudden desire to eat just run it's course, that I could go back on Cohen's and get rid of any gain.

Of course, the gain turned out to be more than ten kilos, but as I had already nudged up a few kilos above my preferred weight, this was the perfect opportunity to shed not one or two, but fifteen kilos

And I must admit, I am feeling pretty clever! I have the pink cheeks and skin glow of someone 'in the pink' and although I didn't have a problem with smoking, I must admit that not smoking is a whole lot better.

So far, since 19th March, (136 days) I have now not smoked 136 packets of cigarettes. I was paying AUD$15 per packet (Melbourne), so that's also $2,040 not spent on cigarettes.

Wow! That means when I am back at my preferred weight of 63 kilos, I will be able to afford to buy some nice new clothes, just in time for Summer!

Cheers
Kristine