A vaping consequence

[mechhunter]

Going from smoking to vaping has yielded tremendous benefits. I breathe better, have more energy, and can fall asleep more easily. My skin is less oily, has a better complexion, and my wife says I smell different (in a good way).

There is one immediate downside I have experienced though: weight gain.

It's happening. I am no slouch either. I workout 6 days a week and really watch what I eat. Imagine my surprise when I notice my midsection looking flabby, I step on the scale and discover I have gained 15 llbs in 3 weeks.

I've heard that quitting cigs might induce weight gain but am a little shocked at the speed of it. Have any of you experienced this? Is this a temporary condition or will I just have to adjust my calorie intake and workout regimen to respond to this new state?

 

[Susan~S]

No weight change for me. Here's the calories in PG/VG.

VG - 5 cal/ml = 100 cal/20mls
PG = 4 cal/ml = 100 cal/25mls

Here's a thread on your question: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-vaping-discussion/654010-weight-gain-loss.html

 

[Hulamoon]

I've heard that this can happen as a result of quitting smoking.

But I'd also suggest that you get yourself a notepad and a pencil, and write down e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g - and I mean everything, that you are currently eating and drinking. For example, milkshakes and Starbucks special coffees can be loaded with cream and sugars. Even drinking lots of coffee per day can have an impact if you use cream and or sugar. Beer of course can also "weigh a lot" ! What I'm getting at is to write down everything.

What are you doing now, at the times you would normally have been smoking a cigarette?

Weight gain is really more about what's going in the mouth, than about the exercise you do. What you might want to consider is to take a five minute walk - around the house/down the garden/around the parking lot at work every 90 minutes or so if you can get away with it. It will keep your metabolism boosted and better burn the calories that you are consuming. Good luck!

 

[VictorC]

Going from smoking to vaping has yielded tremendous benefits. I breathe better, have more energy,

Leverage you extra breathe and energy. Exercise more

 

[Yarael]

Havent had that problem. Just the problem of not enough money to get everything that I want to try.

 

[mechhunter]

I appreciate the responses.

It's kind of a puzzle to me because I do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights 6 days a week. I eat a strict diet of fruits and veggies, meat and carbs in a 5:2:1 ratio.
I have always been somewhat of a health nut and have been doing this for 15 years. I have also been smoking for 15 years. I was and still am in relatively great shape, even with the extra weight. The only change is when I used to smoke I now vape.

I think perhaps the body utilizes energy to detoxify itself of chemicals that cigarettes produce and when those chemicals are removed the extra calories get stored. I guess I'll just have to run harder and eat less.

 

[xfairyxcrusherx]

Cigarettes are considered to reduce appetite, so maybe are you eating more regular since the switch?

Since I started gaping I've gained 40 pounds. But, I'm 6'2 and weighed 150 soaking wet before. It may just be your body finding its own fit now that your carcinogen intake has severely decreased.

 

[rolygate]

If you can afford it and think it worth the effort, get your doc to check out your thyroid values.

In rare cases we have heard of things showing up at this time that had apparently been suppressed by smoking. Nothing to worry about really, but it's something to check out now while it's uppermost in your mind. Plus your doc may have some suggestions based on the blood panel.

 

[redfire281]

You might consider that transitioning from smoking to vaping has increased your muscles work efficiency and that the weight gain is in actuality a result of increased muscle mass and bone density. Your workouts are now producing greater benefits. It has long been known that smoking places carbon monoxide into your system which prevents your muscles from getting as much oxygen to use for energy. The less oxygen your muscles have to draw from, the less efficient they are at contracting, which can limit their capacity for work. Also, smoking increases your cortisol levels and interrupts the absorption of proteins, vitamins & minerals. Smoking gradually reduces your bone density over time. Overall, your weight gain might be as a result of a body in recovery. Vaping is a lifestyle change. Time to adjust your workout to more cardio and less resistance if you want a lower weight.

 

[espressowithsugar]

Ok, hang on. I've read that smoking cigarettes affects the metabolism such that smokers burn an additional 200-250 calories a day. The average weight gain after quitting cigarettes is 10 pounds. But there are a lot of people in that thread reporting 30+ lb gains (and a lot of them with around 40 lbs, which is weird) - as well as many who've experienced no change, and others who lost 10-20 with no other effort (and others who lost more, with some effort). So some patterns, with probably specific but as-yet undetermined explanation for the differences.

But the commonality of that 40-lb gain, among those who did gain, in that thread is weird to me.

I think it would be interesting to see what's been happening with others on the site who didn't report..

OP, yes, I guess change your caloric balance. But something interesting might be happening among some vapers.

Ok revising: the average ex-smoker gains 10 lbs. But that's obviously counting the non-gainers as much as the gainers, there might be lots of non-vaping ex-smokers gaining 40 lbs.

Revising again: nope, quick check, the average gain is 10 lbs, for an ex-smoker/non-vaper.

 

[espressowithsugar]

I appreciate the responses.

It's kind of a puzzle to me because I do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights 6 days a week. I eat a strict diet of fruits and veggies, meat and carbs in a 5:2:1 ratio.
I have always been somewhat of a health nut and have been doing this for 15 years. I have also been smoking for 15 years. I was and still am in relatively great shape, even with the extra weight. The only change is when I used to smoke I now vape.

I think perhaps the body utilizes energy to detoxify itself of chemicals that cigarettes produce and when those chemicals are removed the extra calories get stored. I guess I'll just have to run harder and eat less.

Sorry to ask, not doubting you, just checking to firmly exclude automatic grazing - do you log your calories/have other records of intake, or, are you very certain you haven't been taking an extra nibble here and there? Although, even so, light grazing so automatic you wouldn't notice it wouldn't easily explain 15 pounds gained in three weeks. Weird, for sure.

 

[espressowithsugar]

You might consider that transitioning from smoking to vaping has increased your muscles work efficiency and that the weight gain is in actuality a result of increased muscle mass and bone density. Your workouts are now producing greater benefits. It has long been known that smoking places carbon monoxide into your system which prevents your muscles from getting as much oxygen to use for energy. The less oxygen your muscles have to draw from, the less efficient they are at contracting, which can limit their capacity for work. Also, smoking increases your cortisol levels and interrupts the absorption of proteins, vitamins & minerals. Smoking gradually reduces your bone density over time. Overall, your weight gain might be as a result of a body in recovery. Vaping is a lifestyle change. Time to adjust your workout to more cardio and less resistance if you want a lower weight.

There's no way anyone could gain 15 lbs of lean body mass in three weeks without steroids...

 

[Ryedan]

My weight didn't change when I switched from smoking to vaping. OTOH, at the time I was quite physically active and my activity level probably went up a bit at the time to boot.

In the last two years I have slowed down quite a bit physically and gained (more than) a few pounds and am now losing them. I still vape. I've gone back to regular exercise, eating a larger proportion of lower calorie foods and that's working for me.

Best of luck with this mechhunter!

 

[jaytex1969]

I've managed to gain 4 pounds in my almost month of vaping instead of smoking. And I maintain a strict diet of coffee, fried foods and sausages in a 5:2:1 ratio.....

 

[espressowithsugar]

Lol, sorry to get all freaky about this - I've lost a good amount of weight, and would be ok with a max gain of 10 lbs, but 40 would mean a new wardrobe. (Again.) So, it's good to have a heads up if this sort of thing might be expected, to accommodate for it in reduced calories. (But also, it's just kind of interesting. Would be neat to do a full-on survey...)

 

[Racehorse]

Time to get your blood profiles done.........esp. your thyroid panels. IMHO.

 

[espressowithsugar]

never mind

 

[mosspa]

Going from smoking to vaping has yielded tremendous benefits. I breathe better, have more energy, and can fall asleep more easily. My skin is less oily, has a better complexion, and my wife says I smell different (in a good way).

There is one immediate downside I have experienced though: weight gain.

It's happening. I am no slouch either. I workout 6 days a week and really watch what I eat. Imagine my surprise when I notice my midsection looking flabby, I step on the scale and discover I have gained 15 llbs in 3 weeks.

I've heard that quitting cigs might induce weight gain but am a little shocked at the speed of it. Have any of you experienced this? Is this a temporary condition or will I just have to adjust my calorie intake and workout regimen to respond to this new state?

What concentration nicotine (mg) are you vaping at? Unless you are a constant chain vaper, you are going to need a pretty high concentration to maintain your nicotine limited fat adiposing. I found a great study a couple days ago that had no bias but tried to express some equivalence between smoking and vaping. IIRC, if you were going to vape at the same rate that you smoked, your nicotine concentration should be close to 50mg/ml. The phenomenon of nicotine control of adiposing of fat is, apparently, rare, but it does occur.

 

[AndriaD]

I've had no particular change attributable to vaping. At the time I started vaping, I was already on a post-holidays diet, had very slowly lost 5 lbs since xmas of 2013, but when I started vaping, I lost another 10 lbs pretty quickly, since I wasn't sitting around snacking so much. When I was so ill in June, I lost another 10 lbs, but gained most of it back pretty quickly once I was able to start eating again. Over holidays of 2014, I gained a bit as usual, but this year was only about 10 lbs instead of 15. So I'd say I'm currently about 10 lbs heavier than I'd really like, but since it's nearly time to get outside and GARDEN! I'm not too worried about it; 10 lbs will come off pretty easily once I actually get off my .....

Andria

 

[TheotherSteveS]

If anything I have lost a little weight. My theory is that I spend less time in the pub and more time at home hunched over a coilmaster, several rolls of kanthal and an seemingly ever increasing menagerie of tanks and drippers (I think I need some help on that particular addiction...lol)...funny old world!