It is a common fallacy and misconception that when one decides to quit smoking they will automatically gain weight. Just because you are not shoving a cigarette in between your lips every five minutes does not automatically mean that you will become obese overnight.
Everyone knows that smoking is horrible for your health, and that it shortens your life expectancy significantly, but also smokers have a fear of becoming overweight when they quit smoking, and here are some ways to avoid that.
With cigarettes being at an all time being anywhere from 6-11 dollars a pack, you almost have to have a small fortune to support the habit in the first place. With the money you save from not buying cigarettes, you will easily be able to afford a membership to a local gym or health club. From not smoking, your lung function will improve significantly, and you will have the ability to actually breathe when you exercise. This will allow you to tone your muscle, do some cardio, and weight lift so you will be on your way to a better body in no time.
Many smokers believe that because they no longer smoke, they will constantly be shoving food in their mouth whenever they want a cigarette. Whenever one feels the urge to smoke, they should not eat simply because they have an oral fixation. Many ex-smokers feel the need to use food as comfort because:
* It Is An Emotional Habit: When smokers are happy, they smoke at social occasions, when smokers are angry or sad, they also smoke to relieve stress. The same is true about food. We eat large quantities of unhealthy food when we are sad, angry, or just out at social gatherings. This is simply just replacing a cigarette for some type of food.
* Food Simply Tastes Better: Cigarette smoke has a stale after taste and also kills taste buds. After one quits smoking, food just tastes that much better.
* The Hand To Mouth Habit: Many smokers have become so adapted to constantly putting their hand to their mouth, they don’t know what to do when they are not carrying out this activity. Many times chips and junk food replace this habit and can cause significant weight gain.
After a person quits smoking, they must learn to control their appetite, and eat a balanced diet when they are hungry. Instead of eating every time one wants a cigarette, they should preoccupy their time with something else. If you must eat choose a healthy snack instead of a bag of chips such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and granola bars. These healthy snacks will help fill you up, satisfy you oral fixation, and avoid the excess weight gain that is associated with quitting smoking.
It is normal to gain a few pounds after you first initially quit smoking. The amount of quit smoking weight gain a person usually packs on is anywhere from 2 to 5 lbs. These few extra pounds can be easy to lose with a little increase in exercise, and a slight decrease in calorie intake. Many people wonder why they gain weight after they first initially quit smoking. This is partially due to environmental factors as well as physiological and psychological.
By nature, smokers have the tendency to be slightly hypoglycemic which means they simply have high blood sugar. Nicotine inhibits insulin which levels out blood glucose, so without insulin the body is burning sugars faster, causing occasional weight loss. When an individual stops smoking, their blood glucose levels usually balance out, which can cause slight weight gain. This is not true for all smokers, but this is a physiological explanation for some of the quit smoking weight gain.
