If you’ve just made the commitment to quit
smoking, chances are you are feeling pretty good about the positive things that
you’re doing for your health – and you should, quitting smoking is by far the
healthiest thing you can do at this point if you are a smoker.
This said however, one thing that does
cross many ex-smoker’s mind is the potential weight gain that may come along
with this decision. We’ve all heard about or seen those who have quit who then
went forward and piled on the pounds, replacing their smoking habit with an
eating habit instead.
Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be like
this.
If you keep a few key tips in mind, you can
successfully quit smoking and prevent weight gain that could come along with
it.
Let’s have a quick look at what you need to
know so that you can implement some of these tips and strategies yourself.
Snack
On Raw Vegetables
Now, as soon as you quit, there’s no
denying the fact that you are going to want to start eating to have something
in your mouth. This is perfectly normal and natural and what causes many to
gain weight in the first place.
To help overcome this, decide right now on
a healthier choice to snack on when the urge to nibble arises.
The best option?
Raw vegetables. Carrot or celery sticks
work perfectly because they are shaped most like cigarettes so it’ll mimic the
action you would take if you were having a smoke.
Plus, raw vegetables contain so few
calories that you’d literally get too full before taking in any appreciable
amount of them, so the chances you gain weight from eating them are practically
slim to none.
Sip
Tea
Another quick tip to help you avoid the
weight gain that often comes along with quitting smoking is to sip some tea.
Tea can help to fill you up and take your mind off eating and smoking,
therefore allowing you to avoid calorie consumption.
Bonus points if you choose to sip on Green
tea because this variety will actually boost your metabolic rate as well.
Chew
Gum
Chewing gum is another smart option for
controlling your daily calorie intake and making sure that you fight the urge
to nibble when you want a cigarette.
Simply pop a piece of gum and since your
mouth is busy, you’ll think less about putting food in.
Peppermint gum also works well to calm the
appetite so for those who are worried about hunger causing them to eat, try
using this particular variety for even better results.
Take
Numerous Brisk Walks
The next quick tip to use is to take
numerous brisk walks throughout the day. When you feel the craving for a
cigarette and are tempted to go in for a few cookies instead, head out and take
a very brisk walk.
There’s nothing like getting the blood
flowing throughout the body and heart rate up to calm your urge to eat and as
an added benefit, you’ll burn off 60-80 calories if you walk for 10 minutes.
If you do this a few times throughout the
day, you may actually start losing weight while quitting smoking rather than
gaining.
The physical activity can also help to
reduce the urge to smoke itself as well, so this can assist with making
quitting that much easier.
Don’t
Starve
Make sure that whatever you do, you don’t
starve yourself. Some ex-smokers are so worried about gaining weight that they
put themselves on a starvation diet plan.
Do this and you’re headed for trouble. It’s
practically impossible to resist bad food when cravings strike and your stomach
has been rumbling for hours, so eat in moderation.
If you’re choosing healthy foods and
tracking calories, there’s no reason you have to starve to prevent weight gain.
Be
Realistic
Finally, make sure to stay realistic. Even
if you do gain 5 pounds while you quit smoking, you can always lose this again
down the road.
Most people will hardly even notice five
pounds of weight gain but they will notice you not smoking and your health will
be a million times better.
Keep things in perspective here.
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