Hello Customer (name blocked for privacy),
Thank you for your question. Congratulatons on quitting smoking! That is a challenging task in itself but it is an important step towards a healthier lifestyle. Oftentimes when people stop smoking they do tend to increase their food consumption. Perhaps this was the case with you and that is why you have gained wait since stopping smoking.
Now it is time to take care of your weight issue so you can feel well again. It is important for you to do some type of exercise, especially since you are describing discomfort when sitting still for a period of time. Do whatever you can tolerate. For example: 20 minutes of walking per day or stretching, to increase your circulation and burn calories to help with weight loss. Start out slowly and increase the amount of exercise each week.
It sounds like you are retaining water and there could be various causes for this. Actually many cases of water retention are due to lack of water intake. When your body does not have enough water, it retains water. Make sure that you increase your water intake, over about a week, and you'll probably see some of the swelling go down. Drink as much plain water as you can throughout the day.
There are also various health problems that can cause water retention and high blood pressure, such as heart disease, liver disease, or kidney problems. If swelling persists, then I recommend a visit to your doctor for a check-up.
I think you will find that when you begin your exercise program and also drink more water, you will see some weight loss but you will also feel better about yourself because you are getting healthy. As you drink more water, you will urinate more often and thus will eliminate excess fluid being retained in your body and the swelling (edema) will decrease and so will your weight.
Good luck and stay strong! You can do it and feel better!
Please let me know if you have further questions and let me know how you feel.
Terry
Edited by Terry on November 1 2007 at 11:17am
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