Many people are reluctant to quit smoking because of fear of gaining weight. And, according to experts, you can gain between two and five kilos of weight in the following four and six months . The good news is that if you take care of yourself and follow these tips you can avoid gaining weight.
What you have to be very clear about is that tobacco kills and that fear of going up in size should not be a reason that prevents you from saying enough to this harmful habit. Remember that if you smoke, you have a higher risk of suffering from various diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary emphysema, and cancer. But not only the lung, also the bladder is associated with this habit. Therefore, do not look for excuses and mark a day on the calendar to put out the last cigarette.
Why can you get fat when you quit smoking?
Although not everyone gets fat when they stop smoking, some changes can occur in your body that promote weight gain, as we said, reversible and even avoidable:
- You don't burn as many calories . Nicotine increases the metabolic rate, that is, the amount of energy a cell needs to survive. And this means that when you smoked you used more calories (up to 250). On the other hand, when your body stops receiving this substance, the metabolism slows down and it will cost you a little more to burn what you eat.
- Your reward now is food . When you smoked, you felt pleasure, since one of the effects of addictions is that the reward mechanisms of the brain are activated. When quitting smoking, many people look for this gratification in food.
- Tobacco no longer satisfies you . Many smokers satisfy their hunger with tobacco. So when you quit smoking, you sting more between meals.
- They eat your nerves . The side effects that you can suffer when you break an addiction are irritability, insomnia, anxiety or even a lower mood. In addition, the greater the anxiety, the more predilection for hypercaloric foods.
- Everything tastes better to you . Another factor that can contribute to weight gain is the improvement in taste and smell that occurs when smoking is stopped. And this, undoubtedly, will make you enjoy food more and will induce you to eat more. Outcome? If you don't control yourself, your clothes will be more fitting.
How to quit smoking without getting fat
These are very simple tips. They are based, above all, on choosing certain foods, staying well hydrated, controlling emotional hunger and relying on substitutes for nicotine or medication to stop smoking.
- Go to a smoking cessation unit. Talk to your GP so that he can refer you to an anti-smoking unit. There they will help you design a plan to help you quit smoking. In addition, they have specialists who will guide you to control and maintain a healthy diet.
- These foods are your allies . They make tobacco taste worse. This is the case of milk, vegetables and vegetables, according to Duke University (USA).
- Avoid soda and sweets and do not abuse caffeine. For several reasons. First of all, carbonated and sugary drinks as well as sweets add empty calories to your diet. On the other hand, stimulating foods can make you more nervous and increase your anxiety about eating. Or worse, go back to smoking.
- Always have a bottle of water on hand . It is not a substitute but it does alleviate the anxiety of smoking or eating. In addition, it helps to cleanse the body, necessary when it has been exposed to a habit as harmful as tobacco.
- Control emotional hunger . Most of the time we eat out of boredom or anxiety, not because we are really hungry. To combat emotional hunger, you can practice mindful eating. Concentrate on the moment of preparing the food, paying attention to each movement, its texture, its color, its flavor and do the same when you eat it. It is about keeping your mind occupied with something that produces well-being and drives away the desire to smoke.
- Prepare relaxing infusions . Withdrawal can produce mood swings such as anger, irritability, as well as anxiety or nervousness. Relaxing teas can alleviate these sensations.
- Take more steps . Surely, you know that taking 10,000 steps a day helps you stay in shape. You can try increasing your goal and raising your goal to 17,000 (the number of steps you must take if you want to lose weight). In addition, physical exercise calms anxiety.
- Count to ten . When you feel like lighting a cigarette, count to ten and take a deep breath. And if you're going to attack the fridge, do the same. This will distract the brain and fight the monkey for smoking or eating.
- Choose a substitute (but not for long) . There are products, such as gum, candy or nicotine patches that can be used as substitutes to calm the anxiety caused by the lack of nicotine. Do not abuse. And always ask for pharmaceutical advice.
- Ask for extra help . If you think you are going to fall again or have a hard time controlling your hunger, ask your doctor for advice on medicines to stop smoking. The best known is bupropion, which acts at the brain level by reducing anxiety. You need a prescription and require medical control.
