Preventing Excessive Weight Gain When Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking is not just a passing fad in today’s world. Not unless you want to spend your breaks standing in the weather. Quitting now greatly decreases your chances of developing some form of cancer or lung disease. Breaking the habit does have its possibly negative side effects however and understanding the risks makes the transition much easier.

One of those side effects is increased, excessive weight gain. In most cases the gain is minimal and melts away with increased exercise and better diet. Gaining 5 to 10 pounds is normal as long as your eating habits do not change from when you were a smoker. In a significant amount of cases, however, the weight gain can be quite noticeable and constitute an increased risk to your health. Smoking a cigarette increases your heart rate about 20 beats per minute, putting extra stress on the heart, leading to heart disease.

Heart disease is one of the main leading causes of death among smokers. Ninety pounds of extra weight put the same amount of stress on your heart as smoking one pack of cigarettes per day. Cigarettes are also an appetite suppressant so the affect when you stop on your appetite is similar to releasing the brake from a car. Nicotine causes the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Taking that stimulation away can be a shock to our metabolism that we sometimes fill with food.

We do have other options. Some of the best are listed here. Remember that even the best advice works only if it is followed.

• Stop snacking. There are two main reasons people over eat, physical and psychological. When a person inhales a cigarette adrenalin is released into the bloodstream and the production of insulin is inhibited. These two reactions cause the body to overreact but simulating euphoria and inhibiting appetite. When the person quits both of those chemicals come back into balance, causing depression (missing the adrenalin), and regulating blood sugar increasing appetite. The psychological drives to smoke that are replaced by eating habits are things as simple as the hand to mouth reflex, the fact that food tastes better and nicotine withdrawal is very uncomfortable.
• Exercise. Start slow if it has been awhile since you have worked out. Exercise has is good for calorie cutting and has the added benefit of releasing endorphins which simulate good feelings.
• Limit alcohol. It is loaded with empty calories.
• Drink lots of water. Water is an excellent craving suppressor and flushes the toxins from the body.

Excessive weight gain can be avoided when people quit smoking. It does take work though. The payoff is simple-clear lungs, a good heart and longer life.

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