Most people tend to gain a few pounds – some more than others – when they quit smoking, for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, a lot of smokers use this as a rationale to continue smoking. It’s a poor one, and there is all too much information available around the health hazards of smoking to waste time going into them here. Suffice it to say, lung cancer victims no longer have to worry about gaining weight.
Smoking does increase your metabolism somewhat so that when you quit, you will need to adjust your caloric intake in order to compensate. Even better, increase your metabolism by getting some healthy exercise. You’ll be strengthening your lungs and oxygenating your blood at the same time, and your body will love you for it! Did you know that smokers at sea level have the blood oxygen level of non-smokers at 4000 feet of altitude?
Carbon dioxide from cigarette smoke binds to red blood cells, robbing them of spots for oxygen molecules to bind. That means your red blood cells have to make more frequent trips through your body to deliver the same amount of oxygen to the cells that need it, which means your heart has to beat faster, which is actually what speeds up your metabolism.
Snacking Instead of Smoking
People who quit smoking also sometimes turn to snack in order to give them something to do with their hands and mouth, now that they’re no longer smoking. This is fine as long as your snacks are carrot sticks or celery, and not loaded down with ranch dressing. Before you quit smoking, you will need to figure out a substitute activity that will fulfill your needs.
Chewing sugar-free gum is one alternative, or even nicotine gum while you’re still going through withdrawal symptoms. Consider purchasing some sort of hand exercise device or stress ball that you can squeeze to give you something to do with your hands when they start to get fidgety.
Musical Alternatives
Taking piano lessons or learning some other sort of musical instrument may also help to retrain your impulses. While you may not be able to break out your instrument every time you get the urge to smoke, just the act of learning the instrument and doing something different with your hands will keep your brain busy with a new task, and help you to forget about old habits.
Another option is to use electronic cigarettes, which allow you to gradually cut down on your dose of nicotine while still giving your hands something to do. You’ll also get the benefit of not inhaling cigarette smoke, not ruining your skin and not disturbing others with your cigarette smoke, all without a traumatic sudden cessation of both the act and the nicotine infusion.
Food Tastes Better
Another reason people may gain weight when they quit smoking is that food tastes so much better. Cigarette smoking dulls the taste buds so that smokers generally have little appreciation for excellent cuisine. After quitting, you may suddenly feel as though a whole new world of flavor has opened up to you. Go ahead and explore, but resist the urge to consume large quantities. You’ll enjoy yourself so much more if you consider every meal as a taste testing excursion.
On Another Note
Scientists are discovering links between nicotine and appetite suppressant reactions in the brain, and believe that in the not-too-distant future they may be able to use the information to develop a new appetite suppressant that not only helps smokers avoid gaining weight during smoking cessation, but is also a revolutionary new breakthrough for those needing to lose weight, especially the morbidly obese. Talk about finding a silver lining!
