I appreciate what you are saying, but you are incorrect here. I am now 7 weeks on Chantix, and am heavier than I have been in 10 years.
I figured I would gain some weight with quitting smoking, and was completely alright with it. I would rather gained some pounds then die from lung cancer.
I am very conscientious of my water and food intake and have always been athletic (size 2-4). I have never been one to weigh myself, because as long as I feel good and fit in my clothes, the number on the scale doesn't matter. I started noticing my clothes fitting differently, so I got on the scale. Weirdly, maybe I gained 2 lbs. in the first 4-5 weeks, but in the past 2 weeks, I have put on about 10-12 pounds, and can fit into nothing but sweat pants.
I have changed nothing other than Chantix, except increasing exercise and decreasing my caloric intake.
Thoughts?
The weight gain has somethng to do with adrenals or thyroid. Chantix works by cutting off signals to these systems to end cravings. This is also likley why some of the folks on this thread have been diagnosed with diabetes. Once your insulin levels go haywire, your body responds accordingly. Insulin regulates the way your body uses sugar. It follows that if your insulin levels ore off kilter, your muscles won't use the glucose correctly, which is why exercising a lot isn't producing results for some of us.
We are all gaining through our butts, stomachs and thighs - the very places people gain who are suffering from insulin insensitivity. That means your body isn't recognizing insulin correctly and it's casuing muscles to gobble glucose up and store it -not burn it - which causes cellulite and fat. Check into the insulin resistance diets. They aren't bad - high protein, low carbs. You can actually reset your fat-making system by following this type of program. And it's healthier.
I too ballooned up to a ghastly weight and shape after using Chantix for a few months. I had always been slim and physically active. I became completely disproportioned and knew then something was up apart from weight gain. (I had quit smoking before for over five years and didn't gain a pound. ) So I started doing the research. It is Chantix, not you, and it can be reversed, with discipline.
However, what I don't know is if I'll be able to reset my system back to the old way or will I need to follow this diet for the rest of my life. In other words, is the change Chantix makes in your endocrine system permanent ? I guess I'll find out.
I have lost about 8 pounds of the 20 I gained, all in the places I gained. But it required a low sugar/carb hi protein diet and 30 minutes of cardio a day. You can't go more than 48 hours without the cardio though.
Please Google insulin resistance or insensivity and see if what your body is doing doesn't fit those syemptoms perfectly. I bought a greta book on Amazon detialing exactly how tor est my system. OIt was $11. And let's all hope and pray that one day our bodies will go back to the way they were programmed pre Chantix. I'm rooting for you all.
Everyone's insides are different, just as outsides are. What worked for you, will not work for everyone.