One of the biggest fears that smokers face, when they consider quitting smoking, is that they will gain a lot of weight to compensate for not having a cigarette in hand. It's because of this that a lot of people would rather continue smoking rather than risk the chance of gaining weight.
Smokers get it into their heads that it is better to just keep smoking than to quit and gain all that weight and then try to lose it. What needs to be understood are the reasons why people gain weight when they quit smoking; here I will try to explain that.
In basic, layman terms, smoking curbs your appetite and speeds up your metabolism. When you quit smoking, you get hungry more and your metabolism slows down, thus, you eat more and don't burn as many calories.
Stress is a key component to why we gain weight when we quit smoking. Most smokers, when they get stressed out, will reach for a cigarette to ease the stress, but when you quit smoking, you substitute the cigarette for food.
To pacify these cravings, food is usually the substitute. High calorie, high sugar foods such as candy are most often the replacement as it's quick to get, quick to eat and quick to give you that little buzz.
The problem is, since you quit smoking and your metabolism has slowed down, you aren't burning those calories, so they build up and this is why you gain weight. If you want to quit smoking and not gain weight you have to figure out the reasons why you are eating in place of smoking and get control of that.
If a craving comes on, go for a long walk or listen to relaxing music. Read a book or start a low stress project to keep your mind occupied. Whatever you do, keep busy. When an overactive appetite becomes a problem after you quit smoking then consider snacking on healthier foods.
If you must have a snack pick something healthy like fruits or vegetables and get in the habit of snacking like this. Change your eating patterns from the start. There are plenty of tasty alternatives to cakes, cookies, and high fat content foods; snack smart.
Quitting smoking is a three-fold venture; you quit smoking, you learn to eat right, and you get into the habit of an exercise program. All these thing combined will add years to your life and make you feel better about yourself.
Don't get discouraged if you gain a little weight once you quit smoking; it happens to almost everybody. The important thing to remember is once the addiction part of smoking leaves your system, all you have to deal with is the habit of the smoking. Change your habits and behaviors and you will quit smoking successfully with minimal weight gain. Drink lots of water in between meals; this will help make your stomach feel full and keep you from snacking. As soon as you decide to quit, begin the process of changing your behaviors; exercise, eat healthy, and you will start to feel like a brand new person in no time. I lost 40 lbs in 3 months with an extreme weight loss diet that almost destroyed my health. I took spicy food and milk together which led to serious diarrhea everyday. I've been doing a bit of research after my dramatic weight loss experience and found that there's actually a PROGRAM designed to do what I attempted, except its basically more healthier and effective. Check out my #1 picks Weight Loss Programs for men and women to find out what are those diets.
