Quit Smoking Weight Gain – Can It Be Avoided?
October 6, 2008 by admin
Filed under Quit Smoking Weight Gain
How do I avoid the famous Quit Smoking Weight Gain?
Wheter you quit smoking with the help of a quit smoking pill, quit smoking acupuncture or some other quit smoking medication, you have to think about the quit smoking weight gain. The reason why some gain after a smoking cessation is usually the following:
- By smoking you keep your metabolism artificially high. When you quit smoking, your metabolism slips back to its natural level, and the body released its artificial stress condition.
- In addition, cigarettes provides a false sense of satiety.
- If you have smoked about 20 cigarettes a day, you put your hand to your mouth around 200 times in one day. This movement and putting something in your mouth may very well be missed by you body and mind, and therefore desire to replace it with something else. One obvious replacement is food!
- You might feel empty inside, because you miss the cigarette – your “good (?) Friend”. This emptiness you might now try to fill with food.
The solution can be found in the combination of healthy food and exercise. Until now, the cigarettes had control over your life and your weight. Now is the time to take control back again.
The food craving demands attention:
- Be aware of what and how much you put into the mouth.
- Keep yourself occupied with something in your hands (see also the answer to restlessness).
- Chew on a tooth pick or a “cheat cigarette” with menthol in it. Cut the carrots, pale celery, apples or other fruit and vegetables in small appetizing pieces and eat them.
- Eat sugar free candy.
- General speaking: eat about 25 grams less fat every day.
The exercise requires a little planning:
- Take your bike instead of car.
- Sign up for an exercise class.
- Borrow the neighbor’s dog for a daily walk.
- Stand up a little more often at your desktop.
- Exercise about half an hour more per day.
It is normal to gain 4-8 pounds in connection with a cessation. Most lose them automatically again after approx. 6 months. You must be as much ad 55-65 pounds overweight before you are close to the hazards of smoking! So do not fear the Quit Smoking Weight Gain and remember that the quit smoking benefits far exceeds the weight gain.

