Monday, 16 November 2009
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My Mom Stopped Smoking - But Now She Won't Eat, Either
I think it's a pretty rare that children get the chance or situation where they feel like they have to educate their parents on something. However, now is one of those times for me.
My mother has been smoking for as long as I can remember. She never smoked while she was pregnant - not with me or my older sister - but I can almost bet that she had a cigarette as my umbilical cord was being cut. I've never seen her go a holiday or a family party without finding her lighter and having a smoke. Until now.
I think this is the first time that my mother has gone more than a month without finishing a pack a week. She still smokes if she's having a cocktail and she'd probably buy a pack if she lost her job or wrecked her car, but I can't tell you the sense of pride I have for her right now. I know quitting smoking is no easy feat, but she seems to be headed in the right direction. Sort of.
Since my mom has stopped (see also: cut back) smoking, she's also cut back on eating as well. I know that weight gain is a common side effect of quitting smoking, so I understand her desire to diet. But there have been days where all I've seen her eat was an egg breakfast and a sandwich for supper - and this I KNOW is not healthy.
I want to try and help her get over this hurdle where she feels like she's putting on an enormous amount of weight. I want to help her find a way to eat healthy without feeling empty. I'd even be okay with helping her to find an eating-vice instead of smoking a cigarette. Feel like having a cigarette, mom? Have an Oreo instead.
Whatever the solution may be, I want her to realize that not eating well can be as unhealthy and dangerous as smoking a pack a day. My hope is for her to learn to eat well, keep off any post-smoking-weight, and to keep the smoking habit kicked.
So how do you help someone who is afraid of gaining weight after quitting smoking? Have you - or anyone you know - faced this problem? What are some helpful tips I can share with her?
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- From: msenergydrink
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Comments (13)
i chewed nicorettes. they helped a lot/ as far as not eating is concerned--i had the same tendency . i don't have time to read the entire post but i would suggest exercising. this way she can eat and not gain weight. now that she has more lung capacity, she can be more physically active?
My mother gained a lot of weight when she quit, and it caused even more health problems than the cigarettes probably would have. She said what she missed the most was the action of smoking. So I guess she began putting other things in her mouth to replace it.
I've heard chewing on gum can help with that, but as far as getting into healthy eating habits, I can only suggest regularly portioned meals. It shouldn't become a problem is your mother can regularly exercise as well. And if she feels as though she is mighty hungry and has eaten a lot, have her drink a large quantity of water.
The trick here is routine. It takes practice and determination, but is completely possible, especially since she's already had the strength to kick the smoking habit. She can plan out her meals and have water if she is hungry at a time other than meal-time.
I thin people tend to eat more when they quit because they miss having their hands be busy, cant smoke? well i will put food in my mouth instead. If she eats the same as before she should not gain any weight. I would recommend her keeping a bottle of water on her at all times, and swig that instead of munching, or if she is absolutely terrified of putting on weight because of quitting, cutting drinks other then water out of her diet. Also keeping carrots or celery sticks around, that way at least if she wants to munch its very low calorie.
I think what you really need to tell her though is quitting smoking does not doom her to weight gain if she continues to eat how she has in the past.
I chew a lot of gum and drink a lot of water. It helps.
I wish I knew what to tell you!
But it's just one of those things you may have to deal with as best as you can. Maybe get your mom into some type of counseling or have her eat healthy foods instead of junk food.
maybe just cut up fresh fruits and veges for her... always keep up colorful and well stocked in the fridge... than she'll see she can have those too and it wont have an affect on her weightline
she just needs to know food isn't bad
My dad didn't gain any weight when he quit smoking because he didn't change his eating habits. The people that gain weight do so because they start eating more than they did when they were smoking.
Very soon this can become anorexia. Talk to her and tell her that you are worried and why.
If she does not eating "normally" soon, then you need to get her to counseling.
Even with counseling, she may still resist eating. Many times, even after many years of treatment, ppl still do not recover from their eating disorders.
You might think i sound silly now but trust me....
I think u should talk to a doctor about this.
Replace the cigarettes with working out. It works!!
I always thought that the reason that a lot of people gain so much weight after/during quitting smoking was because they would get nicotine cravings and instead of having a cigarette they'd eat food.
Monitoring what you eat is good, but just making healthier choices in what to eat is probably something your mom could benefit from. There's nothing wrong with cereal for breakfast, for example. Something that didn't have a sugar shaker lost in it would be preferable, of course. :p And an apple or some other kind of fruit for a snack. You can even add fruit to cereal for breakfast!
Just little, simple things are a good place to start. Eating healthy doesn't have to be complicated. :)
Thats one thing I'm afraid of when I quit. I already gained alot of weight from Polycystic ovary syndrome. I know me attempting to quit right now would be impossible because I have two more weeks of college left and have no time for working out if I'm cramming all the time. I've set a specific date for me to quit so that I know I'll have time to work out to make up for not smoking.
Perhaps your could just sit your mom down and tell her your worries. Maybe motivate her and work out with her. I know having someone to work out with is very motivating.
Smoking is bad.
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