How many cigarettes a day? And why do you want to lose weight?
Unless you smoke very little, the health benefits from quitting the
cigarette are much higher than those from losing these pounds. Especially
since losing weight carries the risk of gaining it back quickly (with a
revenge), which is more unhealthy than just keeping the weight. On the other
hand, failling to quit the cigarette just increases your chances of
successfully quitting it later on. Moreover, smoking worsens badly all
obesity related diseases.
Also, becoming a non-smokers makes it easier to exercise, which in turn
makes being overweight less unhealthy (and losing that weight easier).
A side effect of not smoking anymore is that your taste buds recover and the
taste of food actually changes. This might cause you to overeat, but this
might also cause you to become more attracted to "healthy" food. Many
smokers are attracted to fat and sweet food, because in the lack of taste,
that's what feels the best in the mouth.

Doctor

It does increase metabolism (both from the doping effect and from your body
spending energy to repair the damages) and it also act as a mild anorexic.
The anorexic effect seems to lower you natural set-point weight (your
biologically set weight) by around 5lbs.This means that people who are self
regulated and not overweight will regain these 5lbs. That's not your case,
since you're overweight. It's quite likely that you are way above your
set-point anyway. The metabolic effect of the cigarette is often
over-estimated; it's nothing a one mile walk in the morning or evening won't
make up for.
There are three reasons people gain weight when they quite smoking :
#1 Loss of anorexigen effect. This mostly ups your set-point, this means you
may have to settle for a slightly higher *goal* weight.
#2 Lowered metabolism. This means you will have to exercise a tiny little
more. This also mean you do not want to start a crash diet as you stop
smoking, because this will bring your metabolism down way too much.
#3 Psychological effect, where eating food becomes a substitute for smoking.
That's where a lot of weight gain comes from. Being aware of that fact helps
preventing it. If you're afraid you will lose control, don't wait for it,
there are plenty of psychotherapists familliar with supporting quitters.

The average weight gain is around 10lbs, but some people (around 25%) gain
no weight at all in the process. When you quit smoking, the goal should be
to keep your current weight from increasing. Once you are confident that you
have quit for good, you can start worrying about the weight.
Note that the first two effects are a direct result of the nicotin, not the
cigarette itself. If you're using a nicotinic substitute (patch, gums...),
you won't suffer from them. Nicotin is harmful, but cigarette is loaded with
a bunch of other harmful substances. You would still be better on a
nicotinic substitute than on cigarette itself, and that should give you
enough time to deal with #3 without worrying about #1 and #2.

Get a different doctor.  This guy is dooming you to death from heart attack,
lung cancer, or stroke.  Nicotine is an addictive drug which uses the same
receptors as cocaine and it has nothing to do with your thyroid, it simply
raises your blood pressure.  Stop smoking NOW using a patch that steps you
down, and for real success, a group program with other smokers.

Then start an exercise program. Once you stop smoking you will have more
breathing capacity.  Start with walking.

Also keep a food diary for at least a month and check back with us for help
with eating right.  But in general, you should start replacing fried food
with steamed food, and white rice/flour with brown rice/whole grain.

Exercise will increase the metabolism, too<g>  I personally know how tough
it is to quit smoking.  Did your doctor suggest that you not give up smoking
until you've lost the weight?  If so, you might want to think about getting
another physician.

Beverly