Are there calories in e-cigs?

[sydnee111]

Okay so the sweet taste which comes from glycerol, sweeteners, or vanilla extract....do e-cigs have calories in them? Im gaining weight and havnt changed a single eating habit. Its scaring me, because Ive been using them since sept 25th and have noticed my weight going up despite exercise and my regular diet plan.
(I lost 35 lbs a year ago and have managed to keep it off maintaining a healthy diet.)

I just quit REAL cigs 3 days ago. So I cant blame it on that either. Please please please tell me that these suckers aren't making me fat

 

[CrankyGoldfish]

Caloric intake applies to what we eat, not breathe. Contrary to popular belief, just looking at or smelling something tasty and fattening will not add on the pounds. You may be dealing with water retention, a gradual addition of extra muscle, or what I'm currently going through -cold season padding. (Great, I sound more like a bear than a Goldfish.)

 

[deback]

I've also gained weight since I started vaping on 09/14...about 4 or 5 lbs, without any change in eating habits. I think, in my case, it's water retention due to drinking a little bit more water every day. I have kidney disease, so it's a common problem for me at times, and I'll probably take some water pills for a while.

I have no idea what the answer to your question is, though. Perhaps others will have better answers.

The answer that "looking at or smelling something tasty and fattening will not add on the pounds" makes no sense to me, since we are inhaling the VG, PG, and flavorings, not just looking at or smelling them.

 

[Bozzlite]

I don't believe there are any calories in the vapor. Even if you drank it, there couldn't be that many calories in 10ml of juice.

Nicotine is known to increase metabolism, which in turn burns calories. Perhaps you are taking in less nicotine and your metabolism is slowing slightly.

I think I may have put on a few extra pounds too since I switched to vaping. Probably because now I wake up around midnight and have a snack. Or a sandwich, LOL. I am going to cut that out starting now.

 

[sydnee111]

thank you all soooo much! Im hoping its retention. It does make sense that something you inhale would not make you gain weight. I have to be sure though. I didn't work this hard for over a year to see it ruined over night by ecigs. I quit the real cigs 3 days ago and havent been able to eat, (weird I know) but Ive been nauseated and just have no appetite.

Hopefully this weight gain goes away...I bought a entire new wardrobe last year when i lost weight and would hate to have to do that again!!!!

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The answer that "looking at or smelling something tasty and fattening will not add on the pounds" makes no sense to me, since we are inhaling the VG, PG, and flavorings, not just looking at or smelling them.

OK lets assume you are absorbing the calories from the e-liquid. I don't know if you do, but make the assumption you do. How much do most people use a day - 2-3mls (or roughly 2-3g). I haven't looked for PG but glycerol (much sweeter than PG) contains 27 calories per teaspoon as per here - glycerol: Definition from Answers.com A teaspoon is roughly 5ml. So the potential extra calories from vaping VG based e-liquids, if there was 100% absorption, is roughly 10-15 a day. That's really not going to make a lot of difference. An apple (just the first thing I looked at) for comparison has 53 calories.

The weight gain has to be through some other mechanism IMO.

 

[CrankyGoldfish]

The answer that "looking at or smelling something tasty and fattening will not add on the pounds" makes no sense to me, since we are inhaling the VG, PG, and flavorings, not just looking at or smelling them.

T'was a joke, but apparently a wasted one.

 

[sydnee111]

sorry didnt catch the humor...lol Im a blonde, so I hope I get a hallpass!

 

[Digimon2k]

I noticed a weight gain related to ecig usage... but in my case it was because my taste buds started working again... sigh.

Also, I heeded the advice to increase my water intake...

but mostly... the taste buds.

Even at my vaping level, and assuming complete uptake of the calories in ejuice, it's still less than a couple apples, so I guess I can't blame the ejuice.

(just wait... I'm sure somebody's gonna come out with ejuice flavors in regular and diet!)

 

[KissMint]

I have gained weight since I started vaping. I have 2 assumptions:

1. smoking reduce appetite, since I don't smoke much anymore (about 1-2 analogs a week) I get hungry.
2. vaping smells so gooooood, it makes me hungry.

 

[deback]

OK lets assume you are absorbing the calories from the e-liquid. I don't know if you do, but make the assumption you do. How much do most people use a day - 2-3mls (or roughly 2-3g). I haven't looked for PG but glycerol (much sweeter than PG) contains 27 calories per teaspoon as per here - glycerol: Definition from Answers.com A teaspoon is roughly 5ml. So the potential extra calories from vaping VG based e-liquids, if there was 100% absorption, is roughly 10-15 a day. That's really not going to make a lot of difference. An apple (just the first thing I looked at) for comparison has 53 calories.

The weight gain has to be through some other mechanism IMO.

That's exactly what I thought, and that's why I said the reason for my weight gain of 4 to 5 lbs is probably due to water retention (which can be a problem for me, since I have kidney disease).

But I vape 6mL per day, so I'm getting about 2 to 3 times your calorie estimate.

Quitting smoking can cause all types of symptoms, including weight gain. Here's a great list of nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms (yes, we're all actually absorbing less nicotine when vaping compared to when we smoked):

WhyQuit - Nicotine Withdrawal and Recovery Symptoms

 

[deback]

T'was a joke, but apparently a wasted one.

Nope, not wasted. By the way, to make a smiley face, type a colon and a right parenthesis. Like this: Then you could be a smileygoldfish!

 

[Automaton]

No weight change for me. Although I have a rather mysterious metabolism that acts just like hyperthyroid, except it isn't hyperthyroid. So I'm not the best indication.

From the polls I've seen here, there is no pattern in weight changes when someone switches to vaping. Some lose, some gain, and most notice no change. Some even notice that vaping helps curb their appetite.

For the reasons stated above (you can't inhale calories, and even if you could it would only be a few calories a day - less than some sticks of gum) lead me to believe it's not vaping related. It may be seasonal.

 

[Lisa B]

Please don't stop drinking extra water because you are worried about a little retention, your body will works its way out of it. Vaping can be very dehydrating and dehydration can be a very real danger. You are still new to vaping, getting all those chemicals out of your system takes time and your body will go through some changes but you are not taking in extra calories by vaping. So drink your water, watch your diet as you have been, vape your head off if that's what you need to stay off cigarettes and get even healthier. Congratulations on your weight loss, that is a big achievement. Happy vaping!!!

 

[asti]

Please don't stop drinking extra water because you are worried about a little retention, your body will works its way out of it. Vaping can be very dehydrating and dehydration can be a very real danger. You are still new to vaping, getting all those chemicals out of your system takes time and your body will go through some changes but you are not taking in extra calories by vaping. So drink your water, watch your diet as you have been, vape your head off if that's what you need to stay off cigarettes and get even healthier. Congratulations on your weight loss, that is a big achievement. Happy vaping!!!

yeah what Lisab said...and besides that.... one can be dehydrated and not FEEL thirsty - but you need the water to flush junk outta yer system
it really will sort itself out if you do right by your body and give it the support it needs rather than cutting it off at the knees..so to speak...
hang in there... those threads will fit you in no short order!!

 

[Dawn L.]

I started vaping in June, then since last month I've gained about 6 pounds. I'm thinking that's because my twins' birthday was last month, (lots of cake and ice cream), then came Halloween (raiding their candy bags), and now it's Thanksgiving time and so far I've made 2 batches of homemade Reeses peanut butter cups, some pumpkin pies, and some oat cearal/praline stuff that I eat like Chex mix around the holidays...So I'm thinkin' it doesn't have anything to do with the vaping, more related to my lack of self-restraint! Either way, I'm okay with it and I'm sure there will be another 4 pounds or so before Jan, which is when I always have to diet to lose that 10 pounds of holiday goodness! LOL

 

[Dob_Bobolina]

Well, I will resurrect this dead thread....

PG is given to cows to keep them from going into ketosis. I wonder if the same thing is happens to us? Is PG preventing our bodies from burning fat? I freaking hope not.

 

[Chornbro]

I've actually lost weight since vaping... nicotine is a stimulant which is also an appetite suppressant... I find that vaping satisfies me late at night when I would usually go for the fridge...

 

[JennyH]

I have gained some weight since beginning to vape last September. The same thing happened when I gave up smoking in the past and wasn't even using e-cigs back then! I'm hoping that at some stage my body will become accustomed to the vaping and just go back down in size... some hope eh? My tastebuds are reawakened now... food is good! lol.

 

[jacatro]

I read that the PG gives a reaction similar to water retention- also, that its important to flush the lactaid acid that occurs with plenty of water. I noticed a retention during the first week or so, but since Ive been conscientious about drinking water while vaping, its minimized drastically!