Why does a human being increases weight on quiting smoking?
Answer:
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! Quitting is one of the best actions you can take to improve your health. You may be concerned about gaining weight, but try not to worry about it as you quit. Focus on stopping smoking first, and then continue to improve your health in other ways, such as reaching and maintaining a healthy weight for life.
Will I gain weight if I stop smoking? Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. Among people who do, the average weight gain is between 6 and 8 pounds. Roughly 10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large amount of weight—30 pounds or more.
What causes weight gain after quitting?
If you gain a few pounds when you quit, do not dwell on it. Instead, feel proud that you are improving your health.
When smokers quit, they may gain weight for a number of reasons. These include:
Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes away after several weeks.
Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks. Some people eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic beverages after they quit smoking.
Burning calories at a normal rate again. Every cigarette you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer getting this temporary effect. Instead, you are burning slightly fewer calories on a daily basis.
Can I avoid weight gain? Physical activity and a healthy eating plan may help you control your weight. In addition, being physically active may ease withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation and help reduce the chances of relapsing after quitting.
While it is a good idea to be physically active and eat healthy foods as you quit smoking, try not to worry about your weight. It may be easier to quit first and focus on controlling your weight when you are smoke-free.
To lower your chances of gaining weight when you stop smoking:
Accept yourself.
Get regular, moderate-intensity physical activity.
Limit snacking and alcohol.
Consider using medication to help you quit.
Consider getting professional advice about weight control.
Accept yourself. If you gain a few pounds when you quit, do not dwell on it. Instead, feel proud that you are improving your health. Quitting smoking may make you feel better in many ways.
Quitting smoking may help you have:
more energy
whiter teeth
fresher breath and fresher smelling clothes and hair
fewer wrinkles and healthier-looking skin
a clearer voice
Get regular, moderate-intensity physical activity. Regular physical activity may help you avoid large weight gains when you quit smoking. It may also boost your mood and help you feel more energetic. It is likely that you will be able to breathe easier during physical activity after you quit smoking.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, preferably every day. You can accomplish this by breaking it up into shorter sessions—it does not need to be done all at once. After you quit smoking and are ready to lose weight, you may need to do more than 30 minutes of physical activity a day to achieve your weight loss goals. The ideas below may help you be active.
Ideas for Being Active Every Day
Use your lunch break to walk around and stretch, or take a walk after dinner.
Sign up for a class such as dance or yoga. Ask a friend to join you.
Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for walking.
Park the car further away from entrances to stores, movie theaters, or your home.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure the stairs are well lit.
Limit snacking and alcohol
Choose healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in juice (not syrup), air-popped popcorn, or low-fat yogurt when you are hungry between meals.
Having more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and alcoholic drinks may lead to weight gain when you quit smoking. The ideas below may help you make healthy eating and beverage choices as you quit smoking.
Tips for Healthy Eating and Beverage Selections as You Quit
Do not go too long without eating. Being very hungry can lead to less healthy food choices.
Eat enough at meal times to satisfy you, but try not to overeat. Eat slowly so you can pick up on your body’s signals that you are full.
Choose healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in juice (not syrup), air-popped popcorn, or fat-free yogurt, when you are hungry between meals.
Do not deny yourself an occasional treat. If you crave ice cream, enjoy a small serving, which is 1/2 cup.
Choose an herbal tea, hot cocoa made with fat-free milk, or sparkling water instead of an alcoholic beverage.
Consider using medication to help you quit.
By quitting smoking, you are taking a big step to improve your health. Instead of worrying about weight gain, focus on quitting.
Talk to your health care provider about medications that may help you quit smoking. Some people gain less weight when they use medication.
Medications That May Help You Quit Smoking
nicotine replacement therapy, including the patch, gum, nasal spray, and inhaler
antidepressant medication
The patch and gum are available without a prescription from your health care provider.
Consider getting professional advice about weight control. You may find it easier to control your weight with the help of a health professional. Ask your health care provider if there is a weight management program in your area. You may also consider speaking with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or exercise professional about becoming physically active and adopting a healthy eating plan.
Will weight gain hurt my health? Although gaining weight is not desired after you stop smoking, keep in mind that the overall health benefits of quitting outweigh the health risks of weight gain.
Health Risks of Smoking
Cancer. Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Smoking is also linked to cancer of the esophagus, larynx, kidney, pancreas, and cervix.
Other health problems. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease and heart disease. In pregnant women, smoking is linked to premature birth, low birth weight babies, and delivery complications
By quitting smoking, you are taking a big step to improve your health. Instead of worrying about weight gain, focus on quitting. Once you are tobacco-free, you can work toward having a healthy weight for life by becoming more physically active and choosing healthier foods.
Nicotine speeds up your metabolism. It isn't that you replace it with food, like a lot of people will say. Some people might do that, too, but not everybody who gains weight when they quit does.
Not everybody always gains much weight either.
I like the first comment; but I want to add some thing to it. When you smoke, you breath. When you stop smoking, the breathing that takes the stress from your body disapears. Learn to take deeper breaths b/c stress causes weight gain too.
Nicotine is a unique drug in the sense that it speeds up your metabolism whilst simultaneously suppressing your appetite.
Bummer about all the negative side effects, otherwise it would be a nifty diet pill.
So when you stop smoking your metabolism will slow a bit and you may feel more hungry (mileage will vary between folks).
Not everyone gains weight, especially if you increase your exercise slightly. That said, many folks do gain weight, but a lot of that is to do with substituting nicotine with sugary/rich food to stimulate the pleasure centres of the brain.
There is a very small change to the metabolism on quiting smoking which can in theory lead to putting on weight. However the majority of people who put on weight after quitting do so because they substitute in food especially sugary snacks so its a simple case of eating more. If this is something that concerns you make sure ou have healthy snacks like fruit on hand for when those cravings hit and make use of all that new found energy and take up a bit of exercise.
i just quit and havent gained any weight yet
it depends on one's health,one may not put on weight on quitting smoking.take care.
When people quit smoking, they need to find something to occupy their time, and their desire to have something in their mouth. They turn to food. Since this is usually subconscious, they don't understand why they start gaining a lot of weight after they quit smoking. It is perfectly normal to eat more after quitting though. Everyone does it.
The medicine and health information post by website user , ByeDR.com not guarantee correctness , is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
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