Quit smoking but remain slim

I’m afraid I’ll gain weight!

Understand that it is possible to quit smoking without gaining weight!

Most people fear they will gain weight, and some even use this reason as an excuse for not quitting.

Others start smoking again as soon as they gain a couple of pounds, because they would rather smoke than put on weight! On average you may gain 2 to 4 kilos after you quit smoking, but your weight will stabilize approximately six months after you quit smoking.

The younger you are when you start smoking, the greater the risk of gaining weight when you quit smoking. Furthermore, people who start smoking at an early age have a tendency to become heavy smokers, and heavy smokers are more likely to develop lung disease.

You may gain weight...

The effects of nicotine stimulate fat degradation, increase your metabolism and reduce your appetite.

Smoking cessation produces several results:

• Energy boost
• The need to satisfy the hand-to-mouth habit
• A craving for sweets as compensation
• Revival of the taste buds and olfactory cells

You can manage the situation...

• Reduce your food portions and use a smaller plate
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• Put down your knife and fork between mouthfuls
• Eat more fruit and vegetables
• Drink 8 glasses of water a day
• Choose leaner meats and low-fat foods
• Avoid fried foods especially
• Eat less salt, sugar, sauce and fat
• Eat low-calorie snacks
• fruit and vegetable sticks
• Eat to relieve hunger, not boredom
• Every day, eat three meals and two snacks including all four of the food groups recommended in Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating:
• meat, fish, poultry and substitutes (peanut butter, cheese, eggs, nuts, beans and lentils)
• milk and dairy products (yogurt and cheese)
• bread and cereal (pasta and rice)
• fruit and vegetables

If you gain weight...

• Weigh yourself once a week and pay attention to any changes..
• Plan your menus and calculate the number of calories.
• Do not undertake a weightloss diet right away, but concentrate instead on maintaining your weight..
• Analyze your eating habits:
• What are you eating
• How much are you eating
• When are you eating
• Why are you eating

Tips to help you resist the temptation to smoke and eat:

• Brush your teeth
• Chew on a cinnamon stick
• Drink a tall glass of ice water
• Take several deep breaths
• Go for a long walk and take the time to admire nature
• Enjoy a relaxing bubble bath
• Go to the movies
• Call a friend

Be active!

Exercise regularly. Physical activity will help you quit smoking and maintain your weight. You will be more relaxed and alert, rather than exhausted and vulnerable.

With your doctor’s help, set up an exercise program tailored to your age and physical condition. Start slowly and enjoy it.

An after-dinner stroll will do you a world of good.

Aerobic exercises like running, swimming, cycling, cross-country skiing, etc. are excellent for improving your cardiopulmonary health.

Other tools that may prove effective....

Nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patch, gum or inhaler) maintains the intake of nicotine that controls the urge to smoke and, by the same token, the craving for food.

People can also join support groups that help with smoking cessation as well as weight control.

Finally, the Lung Association urges you to consult their smoking-cessation health professionals of its POUMON-9 Helpline at 1 888 768-6669. A resource to help you quit smoking and support you through the process.

You have made an important decision for your health and well-being!

Gaining a few pounds is nothing compared to smoking’s devastating effects on your health:

• COPD (emphysema – chronic bronchitis)
• Lung cancer
• Cardiopulmonary disease

Several months after you quit smoking, the undesirable physical effects will diminish and, in some cases, totally disappear:

• bad breath
• yellow teeth and gum disease
• grey complexion
• premature wrinkling
• dull, lifeless hair
• unpleasant odour on clothes
• impotence

The services available from the Lung Association are provided by respiratory health professionals. If you are faced with problems linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic bronchitis – emphysema), asthma or any other respiratory illness, or if you simply require information about the various smoking cessation assistance programs that are available, feel free to call using our toll-free helplines.