Will I gain weight if I Stop Smoking ?
Will I gain weight if I Stop Smoking ?
Gaining weight when stopping smoking is a concern of many smokers trying to stop smoking cigarettes. The question of exactly how to quit smoking without gaining weight is addressed in depth in the Stop for Life program.
According to the American Cancer Society, on the average, a smoker will gain about 10 pounds when stopping smoking.
While this is an across-the-board fact, it is NOT an across-the-board mandatory consequence of stopping smoking.
People gain weight when stopping smoking because they eat more when stopping. Simply put, they substitute food for smoking.
There is absolutely no other way to gain weight when stopping smoking except by increased food consumption. This happens because we use food to handle the cravings. The substitution of food may work in the short run, but will not work over time. What happens is that we replace the tobacco addiction with a food addiction. Eventually, the substitution of food leads us back to smoking and now we have a weight problem in addition to a smoking problem.
Well, you ask, " What about metabolism?" Isn't a change in metabolism the reason I gained weight?"
Yes, your metabolism DOES change, just not the way you think it does.
Your metabolism changes because you are not smoking, therefore breathing better. You have more oxygen. you feel good because you exercise more when you don't smoke. You are more active. You take up hobbies and activities that you did not have the energy for when you were smoking. Your circulation is better. You have more energy and time to do something with that energy. The hours that were wasted smoking become hours of active enjoyment of your benefits from not smoking.
Yes, your metabolism changed. It increased.
And that means that you should LOSE weight if you do not substitute food.
If you want to learn how to stop smoking without gaining weight, check out this link:
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