6/14/2008

Does Smoking Make You Thin?

By Laura Moncur @ 5:00 am — Filed under:

Does Smoking Make You ThinThe advertisement for Lucky Strike cigarettes says:

To keep a slender figure
No one can deny…
Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet.

Is it true? Does smoking make you thin?

Almost a year ago, there was news of a study that researched that:

Researchers conducted the study on mice over seven weeks. Half the mice were exposed to smoke from four cigarettes a day for six days a week, while the other half were smoke free.

The study found smokers lost muscle mass, which gave them the appearance of being thinner, but the fat instead was stored around their vital organs.

I don’t know about clinical research, but I can tell you that when I was in college, I decided to try smoking to lose weight. I didn’t lose weight. I got bronchitis and I realized that if I kept smoking, I would feel like that ALL the time. So I quit. While I was quitting, I gained ten pounds.

Smoking made me GAIN ten pounds.

What about you? I remember my girlfriends telling me that if I just smoked, I would lose weight. Is it just me? Does ANYONE lose weight by taking up smoking?

Photo via: Found in Mom’s Basement: 1930s Luck Strike cigarette ad promises you’ll “keep a slender figure”

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59 Responses to “Does Smoking Make You Thin?”

  1. iportion Says:

    I don’t smoke it just kills your your taste buds but many smokers still over eat. It also ages you.

  2. Amanda Says:

    The reason people say that smoking helps people stay thin is because it acts as an appetite depressant. When you quit smoking you still have the oral addiction of putting something in your mouth and most of us will put food there instead of a cigarette. My suggestion would be to replace the habit with something less harmful. When you get the fixation, pop a piece of gum in your mouth instead of food.

    It worked for me and everyone I have suggested this too 🙂

  3. Kenton Says:

    Well I might be the exception to the rule, but I have to throw this in. I picked up smoking again 4 months ago(quit 6 years ago). I went from 223 pounds to 190 in 4 months. No increased exercise It did however make my urge for alcohol a lot less, so I went down to drinking 2-4 beers a week from about 20. So I’m not sure that smoking makes you loose weight, but if smoking curbs your appetite for alcohol, and causes you to eat less as well then the side effects of smoking would cause you to loose weight. As for the long term health risks are they greater for a smoker or an obese person? My guess is probably the latter

  4. Sandra Says:

    The reason smoking helps people lose weight is because:

    1.) Nicotine represses hunger

    2.) Food tastes like crap when your taste buds are burned

    3.) Nicotine keeps food in your stomach longer

    4.) Keeps your hands and mouth busy

    5.) Makes it harder to breath so your body has to use more energy to perform this simple function

  5. Adrian Rama Says:

    yea.. NO! I assume that being in the fitness biz you are talking a bit tongue in cheek in asking the question. Besides all the obvious health issues with taking up smoking, the mere fact that you are going to kill yourself with cigs might be one way to consider at least the eventual weight loss advantage of smoking.

  6. CHRIS Says:

    We are all going to die one way or the other 😀

  7. xbabiyx Says:

    well smoking does make me hungry but i would only eat a little then i’ll get bored of the food and just sleep(sleeping burns a little calories)i only consume a bag of chips and i would get full already and smoking makes my desire for drinking soda decrease.

  8. kylie Says:

    smoking kills dont do it.

  9. Jarro Says:

    Talk about double standards! Americans are so god damned focused on smoking, how unhealthy it is etc. however, consuming the fried flesh of animals being brought up in the smallest spaces eating hormone treated, WRONG dry foods, THAT is OK. Tsk.. I’d smoke a cigarette any day before I’d eat a meat from the US!

  10. Jarro Says:

    Oh, and to Amanda:

    Smoking is an ADDICTION, not a mere habit. Sure, you adopt habitual rituals that make it harder to quite, but the reason people keep smoking is that nicotine is an ADDICTIVE DRUG.

  11. J Says:

    It’s funny…do a search for “smoking to lose weight”. The question is always asked, like it is here, “Does/can smoking help you lose weight?”. The answers however, are all like “OMG smoking is bad for u!!” “Don’t smoke it’s a bad habit” “Smoking kills”…etc etc. The question isn’t “Is smoking good for you?”.

    I know smoking is bad for me. Duh. However, I want to know if smoking will help a person lose extra weight. Why is it so hard to get a straight answer to that without a lecture on the dangers of smoking?

  12. shyam Says:

    it actually makes people think that smoking makes people thin. but we doesnt realize that it reduces our stamina and leads towards death.

  13. Ilsa Says:

    Hi, I just thought I’d throw in my two cents’ worth. I am not advocating smoking and neither am I suggesting it should be used to lose weight, but simply because it is hazardous for health, people should not deny that it does hep you lose weight. I have gone from long periods of smoking to a non-smoking life according to whatever my lifestyle philosophy was at a given time, and for me at least, smoking made a massive difference to my weight. In fact, it kept me very trim, and this was also the case for fellow smokers. I think any smoker would tell you, it definitely makes you thinner, no question. However, it should never be taken up for this reason because it destroys your body in more ways than one. Would you rather have cancer or be a little chubby? There are healthy ways to lose weight, but yet, there are no healthy methods to beat cancer because the treatment is almost as bad as the disease. Don’t smoke, and before the puritans pounce on me, I enjoyed smoking, I know all about the dangers,but I do so on rare occasions and I will probably stop altogether before I am 35. The rest of you smokers – Set a quit date, from which point you will stop smoking habitually. Remember you can still have the odd cigarette on special occasions – it is habitual smoking that does you in.

  14. Roy Says:

    I wasn’t gonna write any thing But hey, I just thought I’ll leave something before I go.

    First of all, well said Ilsa! I totally agree. It does makes you lose weight. I can drop as much as 14 pounds in two weeks! Not that I mean to but hey, you asked, I answered.

    I will not repeat why and how it helps you lose weight cause if you even read mine, I figured you have read the rest above.

    Plus, as I said, I did not do it to lose weight but sometimes when you’re down, it can be comforting… LOL before all the health freaks out there say anything, I KNOW ITS NOT GOOD ,YES YES and I am not addicted… Just smokes now and then. (When I get into one of those emo mode…)

    Why I even read this? I just wanna know if it does make you thin or it is just me~ Guess not.

  15. Kayla Says:

    To Kylie, Living itself leads inevitably towards death. Thank you, Miss Obvious. Regardless if whether or not smoking helps one to lose weight, perhaps you should reconsider the way that you wish to die. A morbid thought, but we all will, and it would be infinitely preferable (at least in my opinion) to NOT die from lung cancer, which must be embarrassing at the least and extremely painful at the worst. I’m a smoker currently, and almost everyone in my family smokes. However, I think to continue to lose weight I should simply quit cold turkey and diet and exercise. Why shouldn’t that work? I mean, if you really stick to it and don’t cheat.

  16. Nadya Says:

    hi..you ask did smoking help to lose weight. YES it does!! i’m the type of person that only smoke when my mood was down..and i noticed that every time i become active smoker i loose weight fast like 10 pounds in a week. smoking make your appetite drops, and prevent you from feeling hunger. but it just temporary..like a yoyo..when you quite smoking your weight will rise up again sometimes double. my suggest is better not rely on smoke,i did it not because of the lose weight thing “it’s for comfort”

  17. BCsmoker Says:

    Maybe smoking regulates people’s eating, thats all I notice most of the time. I’ve been smoking for over a year, haven’t noticed any loss of weight, but I can’t gain weight, not sure if this is from smoking. Probably depends on the person. Either way smoking rocks, is one of Canada’s largest manufacturing businesses, is one of the Canadian government’s biggest tax revenue and it keeps me happy (well along with a little green). What I want to know is why non-smokers always need to put their nose in our business…

    “it actually makes people think that smoking makes people thin. but we doesnt realize that it reduces our stamina and leads towards death.”

    And yes sounds like ya got that straight from a medical class, nice spelling, shows how reliable you are, along with your little speach. By the way, how would it even be possible to prove this? Overall, I’d say theres more overweight non-smokers than smokers, but I guess that would contradict your idealistic knowledge on smoking…

    Also smoking has been proven more often than not to reduce the chance of alzheimers and other dimensia greatly, The average lung cancer patient lives to around 68 (9 years less than average). And theres only around a 20% chance of a smoker getting cancer. You do the math, meanwhile I’ll stick to smoking.

  18. LitUp Says:

    Yes, smoking can help you lose weight and keep extra weight off. There are healthier alternatives to name-brand smokes, there are electronic cigarettes which I prefer and there are natural tobaccos without extra additives.

    Smoking can help you lose weight, as can drinking a lot more water. Water is calorie-free and you burn a lot of calories digesting it – especially if it’s ice cold. Water also flushes toxins out of the body, which in some cases, can actually make you retain weight.

    People who don’t smoke should get off their high horses. If you don’t like it, don’t befriend smokers and stay away from them. Are you fat? Do you never shower? Are you a party ho? Do you have road rage? Are you a work-a-holic? Those things could kill you, too. Anything in EXCESS can kill you. Breathing in car exhaust or living in the city isn’t any healthier for you, but I don’t see people handing out free bikes to car drivers!

    Either way, we’re all going to die some time. Not all smokers get cancer and it’s stupid to say they do. 90% of the people I know who have had cancer were not smokers. My grandmother smoked for 65 years and finally died at 90 because of her doctor messing up her medications, not because she smoked 2-3 packs a day.

  19. Liv Says:

    I don’t smoke and I wanna lose weight! I was thinking about smoking lately to lose some weight but I don’t know if I can do it , any tip please ?

  20. Dawn Says:

    Smoking will make you thin just look at the Emphasema patients.

  21. Milly Says:

    If I smoke I become thinner but then I become unfit and can’t run as fast as I used to and I have asma? So is it a good idea?

  22. Charis Says:

    no, it’s not a good idea.

  23. monique Says:

    Hey people, can anybody help me? Please I really need it. I am fat and my famillie is always on back about it. I also just got enterd highschool and kids can be crool,i alsostruggle finding hot cloths and get depressed when I think about the guy I love who wouldnt even look at me cuz im fat. Ive tried exercise and dieeting,it doesnt work. Thats when I concederd to smoke to get thin. I would love anyone who can help me with this. Do any of you have n quick way for me to get thin without smoking,dieeting or exercising. Please and if its pills do yopu have somethin cheap cuz I dont have alot of money. Thanx guys.

  24. Mitchell Says:

    Right, I just want to kick a few ideas around here. First, I dropped about three stone after I started smoking but I can’t prove that it’s linked. What can be proved is this: on average a twenty a day habbit takes 5 years off of your life. Alcohol addiction takes more off (and can kill you if you quit it). Now I know smoking is bad, but at the end of the day it’s my bobdy and it’s better than pumping your body full of cocaine or over the counter anti-depressants. On top of it all, I don’t smoke straight fags, I roll my own (I don’t know how common that is in the US but here in the UK about 80% of smokers under the age of 30 roll)so I can limit the amount of tobacco in my fags and I miss out on a lot of that additional crap you get in your pre-made. I’m off point, so, yes it can help you lose weight but don’t smoke just for that reason, smoke because you want to smoke.

  25. beth Says:

    Yes it does help u lose weight, i was 200 pounds a year ago then i started smokeing and droped 80 pounds literally without me even noticeing the only way i realised i lost the 80 pounds was my family told me one day, and i am compleatly healthy i can taste food i eat and munch out like crazy so does smokeing help yes, but it didnt kill my tastes buds at all and it didnt kill my body at all

  26. Shan Says:

    The reason people lose weight when they smoke is because they substitute food for cigarettes which suppress your hunger. They put on weight when they quit because they substitute cigarettes for food. After smoking for a long time you have that habit of putting something in your mouth so the easiest thing to do is eat to get that though out of your mind. I’d say that not starting to smoke (for weight loss reasons only) would be best, just exercise and change what you eat not how much because once you start smoking it’s a vicious cycle and you’ll only end up gaining weight when you decide to quit.

  27. Tamara Says:

    I really dont believe in these ”smoking destroys your appetite and taste buds”,bla-bla,etc.I mean,my mother is almost 40,she smokes since she was 15 aprox. 3-4 packs a day AND she’s a cook.She loves food and she did loose weight when she started.And she has no problems with her lungs,of any kind.And my grandfather as well,he is 60 and smokes since 11 or something,he’s a cook too and has NO lung or taste problems.He even has a friend that’s a doctor,I’ve never seen that guy without a cigarette in his mouth.So take that and shut up.

  28. Marshall Says:

    Okay, heres the situation my girlfriend wants to take up smoking, because she thinks it will make her lose weight, then she wants to quit in a month, can somebody help me convince her that, that is a terrible idea. thanks

  29. Rach Says:

    people need to stop picking either the very far negative opinion of smoking or the very positive opinion of smoking and just look at the facts. Does it help you lose weight? HELL YA. does it cause cancer? ABSOLUTELY. Does it help calm you down and make you feel better? YUP! Does it help you take shits? YESSS. There are a lot of negatives and also a lot of positives to smoking. People need to be aware of both, not just one side of the argument.

  30. Josh Says:

    People should start researching information before they just randomly apply their own opinions. If this person wanted uneducated guesses they could go poll people as the grocery store. 🙁 Smoking does increase basal metabolism which causes more calories to be burned by a person while resting. The reason is that nicotine is a stimulant which not only supresses appetite but it also causes an increase in the heart rates. When the heart is at an increased rate, it causes the body to burn more calories. This sounds good, but it’s bad because the heart is constantly working harder and you have an increased chance for congestive heart failure due to wearing out your aorta. Think of a fuel pump in car. Heart is like this – when the fuel pump starts going out, you have a hard time getting fuel to car – same with aorta. Smoking basically tricks the body into thinking that you are exercising. The problem is that, based on the amount you smoke, it does this 24 hours a day so while you lose weight, your heart muscles are constantly in use. Some people are less susceptible to this based on the type of cigarette they smoke, genetics, and the amount of smoke they ingest. When quitting smoking, the metabolism is thrown into chaos and the lymphatic system goes into overload trying to clean out the toxins accumulated in your system. This lowers the immune system and causes a decrease in the body’s metabolism. Exercise and diet will decrease the effects, but you WILL gain weight unless you trick your body with another major stimulant, i.e cocaine, meth, etc. In addition, nicotine causes secretion of dopamine which decreases cortisol which is given when stressed and causes weight gain as well. When you quit, you have a massive overload of cortisol (steroid) while your body tries to adjust itself. Thus the two years or so of your body trying to fix itself. You need to smoke a MASSIVE amount of cigarettes to get this effect. i smoked around 1.5 packs per day and was super skinny, but was unable to gain any muscle mass, as somestated an increased metabolism of that nature eats your muscle and calcium in your bones. It sucks but if you wait a year or so and stay healthy you can get back in shape – never the shape you were in, because that was a tradeoff for your internal health. Your decision. If you want to quit, get addicted to something else so you can still maintain dopamine release. I suggest coffee or tea. Caffeine is great fill in and as long as you stay away from sugar you won’t gain weight from coffee or tea. This is how I quit. Put a patch, bandaid or something on your arm at all times to remind you of your committment to quit. And try talking to ex-smokers about it – it really helps to vocalize your struggles with people that understand.

  31. MzOj Says:

    It’s been 1 week that I started smoking and I’m about to become over weight..but still I’m consided as healthy…and guess what I feel that I’m thinner that last week..my college uniform is a bit larger than before..I don’t feel like eating anything..I haven’t ate chocolate this whole week..n I don’t like have it..I know the effect of smoking..I’m gonna stop when I have boyfriend n he will ask me to stop smoking…till then I’ll smoke

  32. bree Says:

    smokeing does help you loose waight i droped 20 pounds in 2 months and if u exersise daily and take a good long hike now and then the smoke wont bother your lungs as much.

  33. kofykat Says:

    honestly, i think you’re wrong. smoking didn’t make you gain ten pounds. quitting did. i’ve gained massive weight after quitting smoking for three years and i was a ramp model. now i’ve lost a lot of jobs because whatever i do i can’t seem to get thin. i’m starting smoking again.

  34. ? Says:

    It does help you lose weight, but quiting makes you gain allot, once you start its really hard to stop

  35. Voldemort Says:

    I’ve been smoking on and off for around seven months now, and now like five rollies everyday for the past two months (I prefer rollies to straights). For me, I’ve noticed that I just don’t get as hungry as I used to. I’m a “healthy” weight, and I love food. But I’m just not hungry. Maybe that’s just me, I don’t know… I eat anyway, but I guess eating less than I normally would prevents me gaining weight; but as for losing it, I think I’ve lost around a quarter of a stone in the past two weeks, which makes me happy because I hate my wobbly bits, and don’t really exercise. Nearly all my friends smoke too, (I didn’t start because of peer pressure) and I’ll be honest, they’re all skinny as anything. That’s just my little story/experience to add. We’re all going to die anyway… so, why not?

  36. Celine Says:

    I smoked for the first 2 years of high school just to try it out,and lost about 5-10kgs then after that time was up, I had to give it up, and started gaining weight, by now I must have gained atleast 6 more kg’s, so if you want to try smoking to lose weight, I suggest you never quit because if and when you do, you’re going to gain weight rapidly

  37. yeam Says:

    I’m 18 and I’m gonna try smoking maybe I’ll lose a couple of pounds cause I’ve heard and seen with my own ears and eyes : People Who smoke Lose Weight or stay skinny… It’s Just a fact.

  38. Jenn Says:

    I quit smoking a few days ago cold turkey. Ironically, my main reason for quitting besides the obvious ones, is that my lifestyle had become a very sedentary one. I used to be very active, participating in multiple sports, etc. When I smoke, my whole life seems to revolve around cigarettes. All I wanted to do was sit around the house and smoke. I didn’t want to excercise, play with the kids, or even clean the house. As a result I slowly gained weight and didn’t give a crap about myself.

    That being said, when I quit a few days ago, I started a walking/running program. With my new fitness routine, I feel I need to eat healthier and less to lose weight, because now I do care about how I look. Both of these have the added benefit of hopefully keeping the weight off, and keeping me distracted from my nicotine withdrawals. Time will tell if I lose weight, but I am positive I will.

  39. Nancy Says:

    I just really need some help here. I’m not over weight i have an okay body but i’d like to be a bit thinner. I was thinking of picking up smoking for a little and than stopping once i saw a difference in my weight. I have very good self control i’ve picked up many bad habits and stopped just like that with no problems at all. If i smoked for a little and than quit and still fought the food cravings and picked up excercising would that keep the weight off? I know this sounds ridiculous but i really want to try it out but i need some advice first. please don’t lecture me on the side effects and the negatives i just want an honest straight forward answer. thanks.

  40. Reyna Says:

    Okay So I just wanted to say…. What is it with people and smoking? “OMGOSH YOU SHOULD STOP SMOKING IT’S SO BAD FOR YOU!” but whoever says when someone eats a cheeseburger.. “that could kill you! And give you heart disease!” ABSOLUTELY NO ONE SAYS THAT. I find that incredibly ridiculous.. Please get over yourselves. Smoking helps you lose weight.. I would assume more muscle than fat. But either way it’s still weight. I say if you want to smoke.. DO IT! And there shouldn’t be anyone telling you it causes cancer… Cause it says that right on the label. People need to worry about their own lives and stay out of other people’s business. If youre okay with risking your life to lose a few pounds.. I say fucking do it.. It’s your life and it’s your decision. People need to worry about themselves not what other people are doing. And for those of you who always say to everyone.. “smoking causes cancer”…. Really? People are still saying that? WE FUCKING KNOW. Chances are if a dumbass like you knows.. The person smoking does too 😀 I don’t smoke btw.. This just pisses me off to an extreme

  41. Kerf Says:

    Smoking doesn’t kill you. Depending on how much you smoke, you have an increased chance to develop certain pulmonary / cardiovascular / other diseases. Some of these diseases are more serious than others, for example heart failure or heart attack (which are far more dangerous than cancer). Having one or more such affections will increase your probability to die earlier than natural, due to complications or even direct cause of those diseases. Smoking does not directly kill you, there are a lot of smokers who didn’t smoke like morons 1-2 packs per day, limiting their smoking to 3 cigs max and they lived to 80, even 90 years old without complications.

    Sure, I’m not saying smoking is good, because it isn’t. Therefor, even if smoking could be associated in any way with weight loss, it should not be given as an advice, because there are healthy and much more efficient ways to slim down than poison yourself.

    The reasons stated above for weight loss are partially true, but the risk/benefit ratio is quite bad. Besides, it doesn’t even help you that much, unless you smoke packs per day, in which case you’d be better off being fat rather than dead.

    I’d rather recommend eating apples, salads and so on (search for diets) instead of smoking.

  42. keepcalmsmokeon Says:

    im 15 and this is my second year smoking and lately ive lost about 15poundss whicch is great. it takes my hunger away almost completly which is also pretty cool considering my dads a cook and i used to eat alot but noww i can get other shit done without having to eat as much. to think of it i dont really eat much at all. kinda makes me sick. sure smoking kills ya in the long run, but what doesnt? anyone whos gunna start, dont feel like you have all this will power to stop because to be honestt it really is a vicious addiction. in the new year me and my dad are quitting together, he says its for the best. but untill then, im going to keep smoking. it could be WORSE.

  43. MJ Says:

    it doesnt make you lose weight but it kinda makes you lose your appetite. so if you wanna be an anorexic go buy a pack. i dont recommend it though

  44. Setu Says:

    Thank you guys…. Now i can start smoking if smoking can loss my weight then i don’t keep a damn about cancer…:-)

  45. Holly Says:

    I stumbled across this when I was researching what smoking does for your health. I’m an American living in Italy and absolutely EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHERS smoke cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes can effect your health in many ways, as stated above, but I think what we can all conclude here is that it DOES help you lose weight in one way or another.

    I have an oral fixation that I’ve had for a long time. It causes me to eat when I don’t want to. I heard that smoking helps you kick that. I think what people need to realize is the AMOUNT that people smoke makes them get cancer / other health problems. I live with an Italian that smokes maybe two times a day, not a pack a day or whatever, and she’s as fit as a horse – goes to the gym, goes jogging, dancing, etc, and it hasn’t effected her at all and she’s been smoking for the past 10 years!

    If you’re living a sedentary life with no fitness and you take up smoking to lose weight, then obviously you’re going to have complications because you don’t GET OUT AND DO STUFF! I think a combination of smoking and a healthy lifestyle can help you lose weight – but you have to exercise and stuff too. As stated above, smoking burns MUSCLE and that’s bad! Muscle burns calories more than fat does!

    This is just my two cents. WE ALL KNOW that smoking causes cancer, etc. It says it right on the labels of the cigarette packages!

  46. Rayi Davis Says:

    I actually looked this up because I’m 15 years old and people keep telling me that smoking can make u lose weight. My family will be like, oh she’s so skinny cuz she smokes!! And I’ve been ive been overweight my whole life and I wanted a change. I wanted to be skinny, or at least not a fat piggy.. I’ve alwas eaten really well. Fruits and veggies. But that wasn’t enough. I started when I was 12 (3 years ago). I’ve been smoking ever since the 7th grade. And if anything, I’ve gained weight. Hell ya I’ve tried quitting. I hate stoges… The longest I went was a few months without one…it doesnt work. Trust me, don’t start smoking just to lose weight cuz ur going to be disappointed in ur results and regret it. Smoking isn’t fun, it isn’t cool. It’s just an addiction that never goes away. My dad quit 10 years ago. Cold turkey, after smoking 3 packs a day at one point. He started when he was 10. And he still craves them, but he hasn’t touched em. It’s possible to quit, but the addiction will always be there. And smoking cigarettes can be a gateway to other illegal substances.,,like marijuana and alcolhol. That’s what it did for me…now my parents are dissapointed in me… It never would have happend…my life would be a little better if I never decided to smoke that first cigarette..cuz who knows when I’ll smoke my last. I hope I can convice at least one person not to stop, or quit smoking.

  47. kayla Says:

    honestly you wont loose muscle mass if you work out while smoking the way you loose muscle mass is not eating and sitting on your ass not just because you smoke!

  48. Alice Says:

    Without a doubt, we all understand smoking is bad for you. However, the question was if it helps you lose weight, my answer, being 100lbs thinner and in great shape, yes. Smoking does contribute to weight loss for various said reasons. You asked, thats an honest answer from personal experience. I do have intentions on quitting one day. However, the fact is that it does aid in weight loss but of course you cannot simply sit on your ass and smoke cigarettes and expect to be the shape you want to be. As always, there are healthy ways to lose weight. But that hardly seems to shake peoples perspectives on losing weight fast and easy, and unhealthily. Good day.

  49. Bobby Says:

    The reason u gained ten pounds when u quit was because when u quit cigarettes you need a replacement and eating is the easiest one when i quit alls i did was eat halloweeb candy cuse the sugar helps

  50. Margriet A Says:

    I researched this after recently stopping smoking. I now ask myself, what do I have instead of smoking, which I really enjoyed at the time …….. Problems with weight gain. I don’t want to do 10 mile jogs or work outs or long walks in the incessant rain, I done all that before ? so apart from getting overweight eventually again, give me a plus ? it could be said i am a ‘mature’ student 🙂 🙂

  51. maggy Says:

    I used to smoke. For ten years I smoked regularly, and I’ve quit now for over a year. I do not hate smokers. I understand them. Most people (not all, mind you) who pick on smokers and smoking are non smokers who never picked up the habit. It’s the way it is. Straight answer: YES. CIGARETTE SMOKING DOES USUALLY MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT AND/OR KEEP YOU FROM GAINING. Nicotine is one of the strongest appetite suppressants in the world. It seems the majority of actresses, actors, and models smoke. Since the habit is frowned upon as if you are just a horribly demonic person if you smoke, most of them do not want non-famous people to know about their habit. (OH MY GOD. SHE SMOKES?!) Obesity is a killer, too, you know, but somehow a lot of obese people are loved in the hollywood eye. People like fat people more than they like known smokers. Fat people star in sitcoms and host award shows. Fat people are “funny”. God forbid someone light up, though. It’s a stigma that’s pretty new to our culture. I mean, how judgmental is it to HATE someone who is fat? Fat people are fat usually because of the life choices they made. They want to eat. Smokers start smoking because they want to. I think it has something to do with the idea that you can’t get fat by hanging around a fat person. What I don’t understand is why there isn’t instead more SYMPATHY for smokers. If you care so much about your health and the health of other people then why do you just HATE LIKE THE DEVIL people who smoke? It would be kinder to feel a little empathy for the smoker, SEEING AS THEY ARE ADDICTED AND ALL. Instead of casting them out like demons, offer help in quitting instead. Alas, people rush to judge smokers faster than they judge almost anyone else. Go around the back of a hospital sometime. You’d be surprised to know how many doctors and nurses smoke. You don’t know anything about a person based on a glance. Go get mad at the FDA for allowing genetically modified foods in our grocery stores- in products that are viewed as wholesome. Get mad at them for allowing McDonalds to put plastic fillers in their famous french fries and not having that written on the fry box. Get mad at the American Cancer Society for not allowing alternative treatments in hospitals. Get mad at the pharmaceutical industry for charging a fortune for medicines people need to live, and for messing with the natural states of the human mind- making people think if they get sad once in awhile something is seriously wrong with them. Get mad at mainstream news for lying to you and insulting your intelligence. Get mad at reality television. At least smokers know what they are getting into. At least it is written all over cigarette packs the potential dangers of smoking. At least now the tobacco industry is more honest than our own national news and our own political figures. There is so much else to get mad at if you really want to be mad. I say just relax.

  52. Courtney Says:

    Either way your gunna gain weight or lose weigh, if u smoke your basically spoiling your lung and if u want to quit you will gain weight, trust me I smoke and I wished I never because I can’t go up the stairs with out losing me breath + I have a 2 year old sister and I can’t even take her to the park I’m that bad + I’m only 15

  53. sarah244 Says:

    Im a 16 yr old girl, not really a heavy smoker, i smoke about maybe 2 to 3 sticks per day? Ive been doing it on and off since i was 14. (The main reason being exam stress). For me personally the smoking does help to supress my appetite but them moment i cant smoke, like when im at home or in school, i immediately start thinking of food. So yes i do smoke to prevent weight gain. And it helps… tried quitting a few times and my weight shot up. I excercise regularly and run about 8 miles twice a week and go to the gym, etc… it does help keep me in shape to a certain extent… but idk how to quit without gaining all the weight… so i just keep smoking. I am scared of the effects but i cant really help myself. Haha

  54. TMS Says:

    I smoked the entire time I trained for my first half-marathon. Finished in 2:18 which is not too shabby. I also lost 30 lbs during this time and it was easy because smoking suppressed my appetite. It did not affect my energy levels, as I ran 4-5 miles every weekday and did a longer run of 7-10 miles on the weekends. I quit after the half-marathon, but kept running, and started gaining weight. It sucks.

  55. Guideycat Says:

    I quit ages ago, for three years and gained 28 pounds, even though I didn’t eat any more than before, and went spinning 5 days a week! I started again and lost over 30 pounds, tho I smoked far more than before (2 packs a day). I’ve just quit again-4 months ago and have already gained at least 7 pounds! I cycle at least 6kms a day and still eat the same as before, plus I feel bloated around my middle and uncomfortable in my clothes. Smoking most definitely helps weight loss. I will stick to my e-cig for now, but if I continue to gain weight there is no doubt that I will start smoking again.

  56. Gandolf Knows Says:

    I’m 17 and I’ve recently started smoking. I’ve read every comment and they are basically the same. I’m not nessisarily “fat” nor am “skinny”. I’ve taken up smoking for stress relief (my father had a heart attack). I am worried that I’ll gain weight after I quit so I won’t quit. My great grandmother pretty much died with a cigarette squashed between her withered fingers at 79. She started smoking when she was 12 and she was a chain smoker. I exercise regularly and I eat healthy enough. I mean, I don’t eat a shit ton of junk food and eat seconds and dinner. I also work at McDonals. Lol it’s difficult to eat salads when there’s all the fucking chicken nuggets around… I also HATE soda-pop. It’s fucking disgusting. AND I’m pretty sure that being obese is worse for you that fucking smoking, so all you snuddy fat bitches need to shut the hell up about the smokers being unhealthy. I don’t care who I offend. It’s the damn truth. t(._.t)

  57. The smart on here Says:

    If you are that desperate to lose weight, GET UP YOUR ASS AND DO SOMETHING!!! Seriously, ppl are getting fooled by companys and stuff. The only way you can lose weight that will actually work out and eat healthier. Go a bike ride for 20 min 4 a week. Have 5 meals but eat in a less portion. Oh and drink LOTS of ice cold water 😀

  58. chill out Says:

    I started smoking about half a cig everyother day or so and I have noticed significant weight loss. No joke. I also exercise and eat right, but smoking really helped curb my appetite, and the nicotine boosts your metabolism a little bit. I still don’t have any cravings for cigarettes bc I do it so rarely and in small quantities. I dont see why its so big of a deal. buy one pack, dont go overboard, you’ll loose a little extra weight, and still wont be addicted when its gone.

  59. Jessica Says:

    I’m fat, I’m 18 years old, I’ve tried everything. I weight around 245. After reading all of these I went to the gas station and bought a pack. I smoked two and left the pack in my car. I might just do two a day for a few months and see if it helps. I rather be skinny then over weight no matter what the effects honestly. I’m depressed when I look at a mirror or when I see pictures of myself.

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