How to Stop Smoking Without Weight Gain
I knew for a fact, some smokers - especially woman smokers - refuse to stop smoking because of weight issues. You see, most smokers gain weight - easily over 3 kg - after they quit smoking. I agree that looking cool and chic is important but between health and looks, which is the “must-have” and which the “nice-to-have”? I would go for health. Just look at those folks who lost their health and you’ll know why I cherish health more.
In my humble opinion, weight gain isn’t a big deal compared to the health risks which are caused by the smoking habits. You can gain weight but you can lose weight too. There are so many ways to shed those unwanted pounds. Yes, losing weight could be as tough as trying to quit smoking, but if you can do one, you can achieve both.
Why do ex-smokers gain weight?
About half of the ex-smokers gain weight after they stopped smoking. There are 2 reasons:
1. Nicotine in the cigarette accelerates the digestion process. There is very little nicotine stored in the blood tissues. After people quit smoking, nicotine burns the food and fat content at slower rate. This results in saturation of fat in the body parts.
2. Continuous smoking affects the taste sensation of the tongue. So when ex-smokers stop smoking, their sense of taste and smell improves. They find that food taste better, which encourages them to eat more.
How to stop smoking without gaining weight?
An individual can stop smoking without gaining weight by taking these steps
1. Engage in sports and games: Calorie burning will help shed some fats, and also, increases the strength of muscles.
2. Eat healthily: Don’t take large quantities of red meat and don’t drown yourself in soft drinks. Take more white meat and consume more vegetables, fruits and whole grains instead. Also, just take more boiled, parboiled, steamed or even stir-fried food and less of grilled, barbecued and deep fried stuff. What tastes good might be bad for you. What tastes bland might be wonderful after you have acquired a taste for it.
3. Keep away from alcohol. It contains high calories. Red wine is good but according to experts, one should not consume more than 1 or 2 glasses a day.
Stop smoking can be challenging because you experience big changes physically, mentally and emotionally. You cannot be doing everything at one go, so do be patient. It takes time for things to change. Give your body some time to heal from the various damages arising from smoking. Even if you gain some weight initially, remember 2 things. Firstly, these unwanted weight can be shed. Secondly, your health is more important. By changing your lifestyle, smokers can curtail or prevent weight gain and transform into a hale and hearty nonsmoker.
Start your new life with less caffeine, more sleep, no stress, and without all those harmful chemicals in the cigarettes!
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