Sometimes, in order to quit smoking, a person lacks some little thing. This may be some argument that is really meaningful to him. Or the opportunity to receive support in times of difficulty.
Sometimes - on the contrary - so that no one touches during the process of quitting smoking. But there is one question that plagues both men and women who decide to quit smoking. This question is not idle.
The problem of how to quit smoking and not gain weight (to put it simply, gain weight) is really a problem. After all, excess body weight is not only an aesthetic side of the issue. An obese body that has just weaned itself from smoking will be forced to deal with the consequences of now overweight, and these consequences are quite serious.
Why do we gain weight after quitting smoking?
But why do people who quit smoking begin to gain weight? What triggers the pathological process of weight gain? Let's try to figure it out.
So, once nicotine enters the body, it triggers certain processes. First of all, this is the stimulating effect of nicotine. Like any cholinomimetic, nicotine enhances the production of adrenaline. The release of adrenaline speeds up the work of many organs, and the higher the speed of work, the higher the need for energy nutrients.
In order to provide all organs and systems with them, the brain “gives” a command to increase metabolism, that is, the level of metabolism. All nutrients entering the body are quickly metabolized by the organs (broken down) without having time to be deposited.
Another physiological reason is the effect of nicotine on glycogenesis in liver cells and, subsequently, on the production of insulin in the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas. The connection is this: under the influence of nicotine, the liver actively breaks down glycogen, a carbohydrate that is a reserve nutrient.
Glucose, a breakdown product of glycogen, is released into the blood. The higher the glucose level, the less the need for it to be supplied from outside, with food. That is, a person simply does not feel the need to eat.
Each cigarette smoked stimulates the breakdown of glycogen, and the process can continue indefinitely. Thus, the problem of how to quit smoking and not gain weight is “tied” to both metabolic processes and endocrinological ones.
The third reason lies in the brain. Nicotine stimulates cholinergic synapses, increasing the level of energy processes in brain cells. A person experiences vigor, increased energy, and productivity.
Increased production of endorphin under the influence of nicotine leads to a decrease in central nervous system tension and relieves stress. At the same time, glutamate, one of the memory factors, is released in the brain. The brain “remembers” how good it was with nicotine, and simply begins to demand more and more of it.
But in addition to its influence at the level of pure physiology, nicotine is a powerful anti-stressogen. When a person feels bad, scared, bored, when tormented by problems and questions, he begins to look for something that will reduce the level of anxiety. What's always at hand? Food and cigarette. But food needs to be taken out of the refrigerator and cooked, but with a cigarette it’s easier.
Now imagine that all this has been taken away from the smoking body. Quit smoking, and there is no more nicotine, no anti-stress factor. The process of quitting is stressful in itself. A person begins to eat up this stress. The level of glucose in the blood is not as stable as that of a smoker - again the urge to eat appears. Less endorphins and glutamate are produced - less pleasure.
Method one: only for women
So our first piece of advice concerns women. Do not time your quit day close to your period or on bleeding days. Many women are already gaining a couple of kilograms these days, and giving up a cigarette will lead to water retention in the body, and then an increase in body weight. And the PMS factor should not be discounted - it’s already not easy to withstand mood swings, and here the brain will not receive enough pleasure, including at the neurochemical level.
In addition, during menstrual periods women have a very strong craving for sweets - this is physiology, nothing can be done about it. It is very difficult to forbid yourself to eat chocolate or a delicate cake, and even in a situation of quitting smoking, that is, under the oppression of two reasons at once. The consequence of this behavior will be stress, and even depression - and this is a sure way to pave the way to the refrigerator and shelves with goodies.
Simple ways to break the habit
Today there are many ways that help you easily give up a bad habit. In this case, it is worth choosing the most suitable option. It is especially important for pregnant girls to give up this harmful habit, because cigarettes have a very bad effect on the development of the child.
Allen Carr Method
Allen Carr's book, which describes in detail ways to get rid of a bad habit, is very popular. This method really brings good results. This effective technique is actively used in specialized clinics - it has been approved by doctors.
This book is a practical guide. It does not contain information about the dangers of addiction. Thanks to this method, you can cope with your fears and live freely and fully. There is information that about 95% of people who read this book were able to quit smoking forever.
Mastering the technique allows you to avoid suffering or discomfort. Therefore, there is no likelihood of weight gain. To implement this technique, no nicotine analogues are required.
Today this publication has been translated into different languages. If you don’t want to read, you can listen to the audiobook for free. However, this publication should not be considered a panacea. It is not able to help a person who does not want to give up addiction on his own.
In addition, when studying the literature, it is necessary to analyze the information received. This will make it much easier to quit cigarettes, regardless of your smoking history.
Homeopathy and dietary supplements
Today there are many pills that help alleviate the patient’s condition when getting rid of addiction. Active substances help prevent or treat diseases caused by smoking.
In addition, such products speed up the recovery of the body, normalize metabolism, reduce cravings for nicotine and reduce the risk of gaining excess weight. Such drugs do not cause adverse reactions. However, in any case, they must be selected by a doctor.
In order for the drugs to work correctly, the patient requires a strong desire to cope with the addiction. This is a key condition for the effectiveness of therapy. In this case, tablets play a supporting role. At home, you can use effective folk remedies, which can be seen in various programs.
Breathing exercises and acupuncture
These unconventional methods are very popular. Acupuncturists claim that nicotine consumption is a reflex that is acquired by a person.
To cope with the problem, microscopic punctures are made in the area of the earlobe or other part of the body. Due to this, it is possible to activate certain areas of the brain. Under the influence of these manipulations, the craving for cigarettes is significantly reduced.
Breathing exercises are considered one of the elements of yoga. There are a number of complexes that help overcome nicotine addiction. Systematic exercises help you become calmer. They improve the functioning of the internal organs and the appearance of the girl. This is an easy way to quit smoking, designed specifically for women. Although men often resort to it too.
Hypnosis
Some doctors use special methods of psychotherapy to combat addiction. Under hypnosis, the patient is able to instill certain attitudes. They create favorable conditions for quitting smoking.
Some psychotherapists promise to cope with addiction in almost an hour. Such techniques are nothing more than a myth. It will take several weeks to reduce your urge to smoke. It may take a year to completely recover from addiction. To achieve tangible results, it is recommended to contact an experienced psychotherapist.
Fat and calories are off the list!
The next way is to carefully plan your diet. Don't be alarmed, this is not a diet or fasting. Write down on paper the foods and dishes that you most often consume. Now evaluate the content of fats and carbohydrates in them. Decisively cross off fatty, high-calorie, flour products from the list.
Calculate the approximate calorie content of the food you eat per day and reduce this figure by 20-25% - just at the expense of the listed products. This will be quite enough to maintain weight. How long should such a restriction be observed? At least three months, or rather until the craving for cigarettes significantly decreases. For some in a month, for others in three, and for others in six months.
The most important thing is that by this time the body has already adapted to life without nicotine, and you will be able to start physical exercise without fear of shortness of breath, weakness, or pain. And exercise is the best way to keep your body weight in check.
What to remove first? Sweets, caramel, cream and butter cakes, ice cream and ice cream, cakes, milk chocolate, cookies, nuts (especially cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts), sausages, canned food in oil. Replace fried dishes with stewed ones, give up lard, butter no more than 15 grams per day, vegetable oil within two tablespoons. Avoid prepared foods, especially snacks such as chips, crackers, and fast food.
Eat meat, drink milk, don't be afraid of vegetables - even potatoes (as long as they're not fried). If you love porridge, try to cook it with less sugar, reduce the amount of added butter. Remember that semolina and oatmeal porridge are the most satisfying, but at the same time the most dangerous for the waist. Bananas, dates, figs - try not to overuse them.
How to find out how much you will gain when quitting smoking?
Scientists from Pennsylvania have identified certain patterns that allow both doctors and patients to calculate estimated figures for how much a person can actually gain weight if they stop using tobacco products.
They base their data on 10 years of observation of more than 12,000 study subjects. The main indicator for calculations is the number of cigarettes a person smoked per day.
If there are no more than 15, then the patient has nothing to worry about. The data suggests he won't gain any weight at all.
If he consumed more than 25 cigarettes every day, he could gain 10 kilograms within a year of quitting smoking.
Overweight smokers are at risk of gaining only 7 kilograms over the same period.
Thus, knowing about expected weight fluctuations, you can choose programs and diets for recovery.
Another “food approach” to the problem
This method goes well with the previous and subsequent ones. Its essence is simple - change your eating style. Not quality and quantity, but style. This method has practical significance. Calculate how many calories you should be getting per day. It's not difficult; there are plenty of sites on the Internet with such information.
Now take a bag - a regular one, made of food-grade polyethylene. In the morning or in the evening, as it suits you, put in a bag (of course, individually packaged) those foods that you can eat in a day for the required number of calories (the calorie value of foods can also be easily found on culinary or “lady’s” websites).
Replace those foods that cannot be put in this bag (cooked chicken, salad, etc.) with notes, for example, “a piece of chicken the size of two matchboxes.” But put fruits, peeled and chopped vegetables, bread, a bag of sugar and much more in this bag.
They ate the chicken and threw the note away. If you wanted to chew something, you took out a piece of, say, carrots and ate it. This way you can “kill two birds with one stone”: you receive fractional meals (very approved by nutritionists) and at the same time have the opportunity to control “income and expenditure”. Under no circumstances add other products to the package in excess of the standard.
Willpower - and no extra weight!
The fourth method is for comrades who are determined and have willpower. When you decide to quit smoking, be prepared for the difficulties and vagaries of your body. But if you are confident in your abilities, if you are able to withstand the psychological attack of an organism yearning for nicotine, hold on. Code yourself for success. Control yourself and your eating behavior. That is, make it clear that you have three, four or five meals a day.
That's it - no snacks, tea parties with colleagues, chips in front of the TV, ice cream or cakes on the way home. What you eat in a day is enough for your body. The rest will formulate and reinforce the bad habit of “eating” stress.
During the acute period of withdrawal from cigarettes, give up going to cafes, restaurants, discos - that is, where they smoke, where there is an opportunity to drink and lose control of yourself, which means you can break out and eat too much. Having failed once, it will be more difficult to deny yourself another weakness, then another and another.
Quit smoking and not gain weight? The scientist told what needs to be done
Many smokers do not give up their bad habit because they are afraid of gaining excess weight. Professor of the First Moscow State Medical University named after. THEM. Sechenov Andrei Demin explained in an interview with Sputnik radio why this fear should not overpower the desire to quit smoking.
Nicotine is addictive, which is why many people who smoke find it extremely difficult to quit cigarettes. Difficulties are aggravated by fears that breaking a bad habit will lead to excess weight gain. But this problem can be solved, the president of the Russian Public Health Association, professor at the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M., noted in an interview with Sputnik radio. Sechenov Andrey Demin.
“If we talk about the fear of gaining weight, this is a solvable issue. You just need to increase your physical activity and adjust your diet. You also need to consume enough water. Then there should be no fears. All the advantages of quitting smoking will outweigh all the effort expended,” Andrei Demin is sure.
He emphasized that smoking is the highest risk factor that leads to cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and this applies not only to traditional cigarettes and cigarettes, but also to new forms such as heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes.
He emphasized that smoking is the highest risk factor that leads to cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and this applies not only to traditional cigarettes and cigarettes, but also to new forms such as heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes.
“There is a Fagerström scale. It can be found on the Internet. Everyone can determine the strength of their tobacco addiction. At a certain degree of this dependence, one’s own efforts and will are not enough; one must consult a doctor. In some cases, medication support may be required,” he clarified.
In Russia there are special hotlines where you can turn for such help. There is an Advisory Center for assistance in quitting tobacco consumption, its number is 8-800-200-0-200. There, a qualified specialist will anonymously listen to those who want to quit smoking and give individual recommendations. There are centers in many cities across the country that provide free assistance in matters related to tobacco addiction.
You just need to make a decision and try to implement it. And the discomfort that people who quit smoking experience at first will be fully compensated by the pleasure of returning to the fullness of smells and tastes, says Andrei Demin.
“I myself have a successful experience of quitting smoking and I remember what a pleasure it was when you again can feel the fullness of smells, tastes, feel what wonderful air you breathe,” he shared.
Photo: Depositphotos/Rangizzz
Link to publication: radiosputnik.ria.ru
