Smoke Or Eat? Avoid Weight Gain When You Quit Smoking

Smoke Free But Fat?

It's a common belief that gaining weight is inevitable when you quit smoking, but this is not necessarily true. There are several things you can do to prevent weight gain, but even if you do gain 5 or 10 pounds, it can easily be taken off once you have kicked the smoking habit.

There are several reasons why we have a tendency to gain weight when we quit smoking. Nicotine acts as a stimulant and appetite suppressor, so taking away the nicotine can unleash that appetite. There are other factors involved as well.

Smokers have a tendency to skip meals. They may also eat quickly so they can light up a cigarette afterwards. After quitting smoking, many people skip meals less frequently, and end up eating more because they still eat quickly.

An Idle Mouth Is The Devil's Workshop

Some people may crave an oral substitute for cigarettes and use food to keep their mouth busy. If healthy, low-calorie foods are chosen, the damage of this substitution can be minimized, but often cigarettes are replaced by sweets. And, when you find yourself in situations which are associated with smoking (like parties), you may find that you compensate by eating more food.

It is important to recognize that quitting smoking is a difficult undertaking. Some people may be tempted to reform all their bad habits at once, but this can lead to failure in everything. Focus on the task of quitting smoking and worry later about losing any weight you may gain. Eating healthy food and avoiding sweets will help to keep any weight gain under control.

No More Skipping Meals

If you skipped meals when you were smoking, you will probably find your appetite has increased after quitting. Many smokers get by with a coffee and a cigarette in the morning rather than eating a full breakfast. If you find you want to eat a regular breakfast after quitting smoking, make it a healthy 1 of fruits, eggs, and cereal. This is good for your overall health and will allow you to start your day on the right foot.

Slow Down, You Chew Too Fast

If you formed the habit of eating quickly so that you could smoke a cigarette, you will probably find that you finish eating before everyone else. This may tempt you to take second helpings. To avoid this, try to lengthen the time of your meal by chewing more slowly, cutting your food into smaller pieces, and pausing between mouthfuls.

The Healthy Snack Habit

If you had the habit of smoking while watching TV, substitute healthy tidbits like celery sticks, carrots, broccoli or tomatoes. Using candy as a cigarette substitute is a sure way to put on excess pounds.

It's a good idea to keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand to help you combat the smoking urge. Things to keep stored on your cupboard or refrigerator include yogurt, herbal teas, fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Keep any high-calorie snacks out of sight at the back of the cupboard or refrigerator so you are less likely to be tempted when browsing for a cigarette substitute.

Getting plenty of exercise is always a good idea. Exercise will crank up your metabolism, and help keep your appetite in check. Exercise will make you feel better, reinforce your commitment to staying smoke free, and help shed those few extra pounds you may have gained.

Final point to ponder: even if you gained 100 pounds (and you won't), you would still have a longer life expectancy than if you resumed smoking.

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