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Becoming a smoker is usually a social thing. You’re out with friends. Everyone else is doing it. You even notice that people who get to go out into the smoking area in bars and clubs get to have better conversations away from the music. For single people wanting to meet someone new, offering a light in a smoking area of a club can be a great way to say “Hi, what’s your name?”. But smoking comes with serious health concerns. And the addictive side of nicotine makes it hard to quit. However, quitting is the best health advice.
Many people experience slight weight gain when they quit smoking. This can be for many reasons, which shall be outlined below. The important thing to remember is that the health benefits of quitting smoking far outweigh any potential concerns over short-term weight gain. First we will look at some of the reasons behind weight gain, such as missing the hand-to-mouth action, before looking at some tips for avoiding the extra pounds – see choosing the right vape pen for ways to replace the hand-to-mouth action with a non-cigarette.
Why does quitting smoking often result in weight gain?
You may have heard that there is evidence to suggest that smoking speeds up metabolism. This means that you will become accustomed to consuming a higher number of calories while smoking on a regular basis, as the body will burn through slightly more energy. However, when you stop smoking, you do not need the same number of calories – those who fail to adjust to the new circumstances may experience weight gain.
Smoking can also suppress the appetite to a limited extent, and because smoking affected the way in which food tastes, meals and snacks become less attractive propositions as compared to if the smoker were able to taste the full flavour of the food.
How to avoid weight gain when quitting smoking
Metabolism is a crucial factor. You can increase your metabolism by taking regular exercise – this doesn’t need to be as strenuous as it sounds. Try taking walks, going hiking, taking a swim, or taking part in other low impact activities such as golfing, cycling, yoga, pilates, and tai chi. The idea is to build up an exercise regime that results in a total of around 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise every week.
Hunger can be noticeable in the early stages of quitting smoking. This can be easily dealt with by updating your snack regime to include healthy snacks such as nuts, veg sticks, and fruit. Remember, as the flavour starts to return, these snacks are going to taste better to people quitting smoking than they have tasted throughout the entire time spent smoking.