Gaining Weight After Quitting Smoking

So many people are concerned with weight gain after quitting smoking they seem to lose focus on what is really important. I have seen forums where people are actually so freaked out about the weight gain that they are considering taking back up smoking. This is crazy! On average a person will gain 5 pounds after quitting smoking. This is because your body uses food more slowly when you first stop smoking. You may also eat more when you quit too because you are eating when you are actually hungry instead of smoking. If you smoked when you were stressed don’t replace dealing with stress by eating ice cream or other types of junk food.

Remember the big picture, your goal is to quit smoking and don’t you think that if you are able to do that then you should be able to manage your weight? Of course you can. Making smart and healthy food choices can help prevent unwanted weight gain, however your body will have to adjust to not having nicotine in the system and this will affect your metabolism. Often times we smoke when we should be eating. Don’t think that you only should eat 3 square meals per day, shoot for 5-6 meals per day but with fewer calories. There is a great book by Tom Venuto that goes into great length about how to manage weight and how to pick the right foods for a healthier lifestyle – Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle.

Don’t forget the big picture here! Quitting smoking will improve your health, save you money, and potentially prolong your life. Don’t get discouraged by things that you CAN control. One step at a time!