How to lose weight after quitting smoking? Excess weight after quitting smoking

Possible reasons

Smoking is a constant poisoning of the body with nicotine, tar and other harmful substances; after quitting cigarettes, it takes a lot of time to cleanse all organs and systems; it is especially difficult for the human psyche, which is trying to replace the “tobacco stick” with something.
There are several main reasons for weight gain in former smokers:

• Overeating - trying to replace a cigarette with food or “eating” stress is the most common reason why former smokers get fat, experiencing anxiety and the desire to smoke, they constantly snack, eat nuts or chips and very quickly gain extra pounds;
• Disruption of the functions of the endocrine glands - nicotine has a pronounced effect on the internal organs, disrupting the functioning of the thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas and other endocrine glands; after quitting cigarettes, these organs begin to work in an increased mode, which also contributes to obesity;
• Withdrawal syndrome - addiction to nicotine can be compared to drug addiction; it, like drugs, is able to integrate into the cells of the body, replacing other substances, for example, acetylcholine. This leads to a disruption in the internal balance of the body, which can cause extra pounds;
• Restoring the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract - the components contained in cigarette smoke have an extremely harmful effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the secretion of gastric juice and reducing appetite; after quitting smoking, many former smokers experience a constant feeling of hunger caused by increased secretion of the pancreas, and, trying to get rid of from unpleasant sensations, increase the amount of food consumed.

How not to gain weight: 10 useful tips

Recommendation one

Is it possible to gain weight if you quit smoking? Yes, you can. To prevent this from happening, you should follow some recommendations. You should not unconditionally follow the advice of friends, advertising, or many doctors who recommend constantly having lollipops, sweets, chewing gum, seeds, and nuts on hand to “catch” smoking. In fact, all these little things are quite high in calories. And if a person smoked every hour, then when he quits, his desire to take up a cigarette increases significantly. And now he instead eats 59 kcal candy, and sometimes a bun, so don’t be surprised if he gains a couple of extra pounds.

Among other things, the sugar contained in lollipops and candies causes hyperglycemia, which in turn leads to increased appetite, which you want to satisfy not with candies at all. If you consider the option of chewing gum, then chewing activates the secretion of gastric juice and enzymes, and the sugar contained in it will increase your appetite.

Recommendation two

Is it possible to gain weight by quitting smoking? You can, if you don’t follow the simple advice of experts. Don't drink away your desire to smoke. Especially carbonated drinks or juices. First of all, you should not disturb the water balance, which is individual for everyone.

We have all heard about the need to drink at least 8 glasses of clean water a day. However, few people know that it is not as useful as they say. Drinking too much can be dangerous, especially for people with kidney or heart disease. In addition, drinking a large amount of water helps flush out trace elements and salts from the body.

Secondly, too much water entering the body can lead to an increase in body fat. This is facilitated by a failure in complex hormonal and biochemical processes, since excess water disrupts cellular homeostasis. Fruit juices have a considerable calorie content and increase appetite, and Coca-Cola, which contains low-use substances and a large amount of sugar, can also be addictive, almost like cigarettes.

Third atypical recommendation

After making the difficult decision to quit smoking, many people buy memberships to a fitness center or start jogging in the morning, hoping to maintain their physical fitness at the same level and somehow take their mind off smoking. However, if a person has never played sports before and last appeared in the gym in the last century, and has also been susceptible to nicotine addiction for a long time, then unusual increased physical activity will only harm him. If you have worked out before, then this method will help if you can gain weight by quitting smoking.

Possible consequences

If a person quits smoking and starts to gain weight, a lot depends on his perception of this problem, for some it will be a real tragedy, for others it will not notice any changes at all, but everyone should know all the possible consequences:

• obesity - rapid weight gain is extremely harmful to health, this will cause an increase in load on the spine, cardiovascular system, lower limbs and the entire body as a whole;
• psychological discomfort - obesity can become a source of negative emotions, disruption of relationships with colleagues or loved ones and cause strong dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s appearance in a former smoker;
• eating disorder - if the addiction to smoking was caused not just by the habit of nicotine, but became a kind of “protection” of the psyche from severe complexes or problems, a sudden cessation of smoking can lead to a nervous breakdown or to eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia;
• returning to smoking is one of the most unpleasant consequences of weight gain; in an effort to lose weight, the patient takes up a cigarette again, without even thinking about how negatively all this will affect his health.

A reminder for those who have decided to quit smoking

There are two reliable ways to permanently get rid of the increased risk of diseases associated with smoking:
DON'T START SMOKING!
IF YOU SMOKE, QUIT! About half of people who smoked in the past quit smoking once and for all. The same amount - gradually reduces the number of cigarettes smoked until you completely quit smoking. Of course, it is better to quit smoking immediately and completely, but older people with a long history of smoking can get rid of this habit gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The most difficult, according to those who quit smoking, are the first two days after quitting smoking. This is a kind of milestone, overcoming which you will significantly increase your chance of parting with a cigarette. First of all, you need to clearly justify the reason that prompted you to quit smoking. Preserving and strengthening your health, increasing your productivity, the desire to avoid a chronic disease, the advice of a doctor or loved one, the desire to save your children from the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke and harmful example - any of the reasons that are important to you personally should be taken into account. Decide whether you will quit smoking immediately or gradually. If you feel a strong desire to smoke, you should quit abruptly. A day or two before you finally quit smoking, try smoking twice as many cigarettes as usual - your body will be oversaturated with nicotine and other harmful components of tobacco, and the cigarette will lose its taste. You will feel the harmful effects of smoking more clearly and will be able to quit smoking more easily. If you decide to stop smoking gradually , then develop intermediate goals for yourself on the way to finally quitting smoking (for example, smoke 2 cigarettes less every day; quit smoking after 2 weeks, reducing the number of cigarettes smoked by 1/3 every 5 days, etc. ) - this will help you rationally distribute your forces. Try to understand why you smoke and under what circumstances you feel the urge to smoke. Write this down on a separate piece of paper; add there the reasons that encourage you to give up this bad habit. Review this list several times a day, change and add to it if necessary. Make smoking as inconvenient as possible for yourself:

• Do not carry cigarettes, matches or lighters with you; hide them, give them to someone.
• Buy cigarettes only in a certain place, preferably away from your home and work.
• Don't buy cigarettes by the carton; Until one pack runs out, don’t buy another.
• Give preference to filter cigarettes, do not finish smoking 1/3 or 1/2 of the cigarette.
• Make it a rule to wash your hands, wash your face, brush your teeth and change your clothes after every cigarette you smoke to get rid of the smell of tobacco.
• Puff less often, reduce the depth of the puff. Do not leave the cigarette in your mouth between puffs.
• Don't smoke socially.
• If you want to smoke, do not take the cigarettes out of the pack for at least 3-5 minutes. During this time, try to occupy yourself with something else that would help you forget about the cigarette.
• Record the time when you light a cigarette, note how strongly you felt the urge to smoke at that moment. This will help you understand when your urge to smoke is strongest. Identify “the most important cigarette of the day” so that you can give it up later.
• Keep count of the cigarettes you smoked per day. Strive to ensure that on each subsequent day there are fewer of them than on the previous one.
• When buying a pack of cigarettes, write down their cost, and at the end of the week, calculate how much you can save on smoking.
• Get rid of cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car and workplace.
• Avoid situations in which you are used to smoking.
• Try replacing smoking with other activities: exercise, a new hobby.

Choose the best time for you to quit smoking.

• If you smoke to make it easier to concentrate or to relieve stress, then it is better to quit smoking during the holidays. If, on the contrary, you smoke more during the campaign, while relaxing with friends, then a period of increased stress at work or study, when you will not be in the mood for smoking, is more suitable.
• Set yourself a date to quit smoking that has special meaning for you (birthday, some holiday), and when that day comes, don’t look for reasons to postpone it to a later date.
• 2-3 weeks before you plan to quit smoking, start taking multivitamins and vitamin C to reduce the unpleasant effects of quitting smoking.
• A day or two before you finally quit, smoke about twice as many cigarettes as usual.

Withdrawal syndrome . After quitting smoking, you may experience some symptoms associated with overcoming your body's addiction to nicotine. It could be:

• worsening mood;
• feeling of restlessness, anxiety;
• sleep disturbance;
• decreased concentration;
• rapid heartbeat, sweating, sometimes pain in the heart area;
• dry mouth, cough, sore throat.

Don’t get confused, remember that unpleasant sensations are most intense at first, and then decrease and disappear. To reduce painful sensations, you can use a nicotine patch or nicotine chewing gum, as well as multivitamins, vitamin “C” and sedatives (tinctures of valerian, motherwort, peony). Weight gain - how to avoid it:

• Eat regularly, 3-4 times a day, do not overeat before bed.
• Limit flour products and foods rich in fat.
• Don't eat more than one serving, and if you feel hungry, wait 20 minutes before taking more.
• Don't replace a cigarette with candy or cake—it's better to eat an apple, orange, carrot or cucumber.
• Exercise regularly - it burns extra calories, reduces stress and distracts you from smoking.

Return to smoking . Most relapses occur within the first 3 months from the moment a person quits smoking. Don't announce to everyone that you have quit smoking; If you are offered a cigarette, say that you simply don’t want to. If it seems to you that quitting smoking is very difficult, don’t think ahead. Just promise yourself that today you will not smoke a single cigarette, and each time make a promise to yourself for only one day. You'll be surprised how much this seemingly cautious tactic helps. If you feel an unbearable urge to smoke, try to distract yourself, call someone from your “support group.” Do breathing exercises and exercise. Chew chewing gum, eat an apple, drink strong tea or coffee. Don't despair if you return to smoking again.
Remember: most people make several attempts and only then finally quit smoking. Try different methods, choose the ones that are most suitable for you, and do everything to maintain your health for many years. We wish you good luck!
Minsk 2011 Performer: Antipova A.L. – laboratory diagnostics doctor (head of laboratory)

What to do

If you quit smoking and started to gain weight, then returning to your usual volumes is not so difficult, you just need to control your behavior and try to follow simple recommendations:

• eat properly and rationally - you should not focus on your appetite and the desire to “eat something” at this time, all food should be simple, natural, and portions and the number of meals should not increase;
• avoid snacks and tea parties - in order not to turn into a fat man who is always chewing cookies, you need to find the willpower to refuse buns, chips and invitations for a cup of tea or limit yourself to fruits and green tea;
• drink more liquid - a glass of cold, clean water will suppress hunger and help remove toxins from the body faster, besides, a lot of extra calories will be spent on warming the water in the stomach;
• start playing sports - so that everything you eat does not “settle” on your hips and waist, you need to actively move, and giving up smoking will be a good reason to do something else useful for your body and finally start training in the gym or on your own;
• avoid stress and overwork - we eat the most food at the time of nervous breakdown, so you should avoid any situations that cause negative emotions in you and try to take everything calmly.

What not to do

After quitting nicotine, every smoker experiences a rather unpleasant period, but it lasts no more than 2-3 weeks and, most importantly, during this time you cannot:

• Starting to smoke again will not only mean a complete collapse of your plans and intentions, but will also cause enormous harm to your health. Those who start smoking again after a break do not even suspect what consequences this decision may have: from exacerbation of a stomach ulcer or the appearance of varicose veins to severe heart attacks or strokes that threaten a person’s life;
• Postponing the fight against excess weight until “tomorrow” is another common mistake of former smokers - this is the decision to postpone problems until “later” and start fighting excess weight when you stop smoking. Most often, this situation is associated with excessive self-pity of a smoker who does not want to deprive himself of at least some “pleasures” and is not able to control his own life, but “later” it will be much more difficult to get his figure in order and he will have to overcome himself again, this time fighting the urge to snack or overeat.