Smoking and weight gain

A question that is often asked is "Will I gain weight if I quit smoking?" The honest answer to this is, there is a chance it could happen. The majority of smokers who quit see little or no weight gain, but an unfortunate few have been known to put on 3kg's or more.

It is thought the longer and the amount someone has smoked, the more likely the chances are they will gain weight. There are other factors as well, such as lifestyle and genetics.

There are a few reasons as to why some people gain weight after they quit smoking.

Firstly, years of smoking has a dulling effect on the taste buds. After smoking has ceased, the taste buds can regain full tasting ability. This may lead to overeating as it becomes more pleasurable.

Secondly your body burns up approx 200 calories a day trying to rid your body of the poisons that smoking puts into it. When you quit those extra calories need to be burned, otherwise they may be stored as fat.

Thirdly, people have been known to substitute cigarettes with food. Eating food is a good way of replicating the hand to the mouth habit that has been picked up from smoking. It is a habit that some smokers find hard to break

So what is the best way to ensure that you don’t gain weight after you quit smoking?

When you decide to quit, it needs to be more than just stopping smoking. The main reason people cite for wanting to quit smoking is for their health, well if that’s the case than why not make other healthy lifestyle changes too. These should include,

Eating healthier: Add more fruit and vegetables into your diet. Fill your fridge and cupboards with high protein, low fat, low calorie snacks instead of salty, sugary ones. Don’t avoid bad foods altogether but restrict them to once a week. Eating good, nutritious foods will also help your body repair any damage that had been sustained from smoking.

Exercising more: Just 30 minutes a day of solid aerobic exercise (jogging, biking, sport etc) will burn up those extra 200 calories. Add a regular exercise program into your weekly routine. If you already exercise you may need to step it up a notch. Make healthier choices such as biking, not driving to work, take the stairs not the elevator etc.

When my partner and I stopped smoking we decided we were going to change our whole lifestyle into a much healthier one. We keep this lifestyle today and we will keep it for the rest of our lives. When I think back to my smoking days, I am looking back at a totally different person. I am now smoke free, weigh less, have more energy and feel the healthiest I have ever been.

When you decide to quit smoking, decide to change your lifestyle into a healthier one too. That way there is no chance you will be one of those unfortunate ex-smokers who put on weight.

Cutting Down on Cigarettes-Does it work?

Cutting down on cigarettes in order to help us quit. Many of us have tried this method, and for 99.9% of us it simply didn't work.

Sounds good in theory doesn't it? "By cutting down the number of cigarettes I have each day it will help my mind and body get used to going without for long periods". That's the problem with theories, they don't always work when put into practice.

So why is cutting down a sure way to lose the quit smoking battle? The idea is to put you in control, right?

Sorry but cutting down does the exact opposite, it in fact puts the cigarette in control.

Look at it this way.

Imagine you usually have a cigarette once every hour but you want to quit so decide to cut down. Smoking half as much seems like a good place to start so one cigarette every two hours it is. You have just put out your last hourly cigarette and now begins the two hours until your next one. What might happen?

• 30 minutes later: The first thoughts of your next cigarette come creeping into your head, no biggy though, you are sure you can last another 90 minutes.
• 60 minutes later: You would normally have your next ciggie around this time, the urge to have one is very strong. But you are committed right, you want to quit. Just one hour to go, boy you hope it goes fast.
  
• 80 minutes later: WHAT, how can only 20 minutes have gone by. You really want that cigarette now, in fact it is getting hard to concentrate on anything else. You reach for the packet, NO WAIT, you can hold out for 40 minutes, surely.
  
• 100 minutes later: Boy oh boy its getting hard, you cant stop looking at the clock, you have already checked that it is working properly but you check again to make sure. You get the packet and lighter out ready to go.
  
• 115 minutes later: CIGARETTE, CIGARETTE,CIGARETTE
• 12o minutes later: You finally get to light up and puff away, it is one of the best cigarettes you have ever had. Ahhhhh that is so good.

Now the two hour wait begins all over again.

• 30 minutes later: The first thoughts of your next cigarette come creeping into your head, no biggy though, you are sure you can last another 90 minutes.
• 60 minutes later: Ahhhh stuff it, I'm not going through that again. You light up and the theory hasn't worked. You don't bother trying again.
  

The idea was to put yourself in control but unfortunately all you have done is given the cigarette all the power. It has been put up on a pedestal and now instead of it being just another cigarette it has becomes a special and valued one.

If you are looking to quit smoking, cutting down is not a method I would recommend. Try a system that puts you in control, not the cigarette.