Hi, Kate.
It's a rough generalization, but from what I've seen here, and experienced myself, many people gain through the first 6 months no matter how they diet or exercise. Then, if they stick with the dieting and exercise, they start to loose.
Smoking increases your metabolism. When you quit, I think your metabolism "undershoots", or goes below what would be normal for you if you had never smoked, and takes about 6 months to settle out. Again, that's just a guess and I'm not a doctor. Just my observations.
Keep up the good quit, Kate. You're doing fine. ;)
Shevie
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 482
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,649
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1831.6
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 32