Mitigating food cravings and weight gain when quitting smoking

My rather attractive research assistant began working on this article around her second week without a cigarette. As she watched dozens of YouTube vlogs and perused hundreds of anecdotal reports on forums she became increasingly alarmed that it seemed like almost everybody who quits smoking gets (at least a little) fat!

None of the choices seemingly presented were appealing...Quit smoking and lose her thin, girlish figure.ORContinue smoking, stay thin but eventually suffer for years with a disease like lung cancer or emphysema.A kind of depressing dichotomy, especially if you’ve been smoking for years or decades!

Her dilemma makes me thankful that I was born and raised in the very health-conscious state of Colorado where smoking cigarettes kind of makes you a social pariah (a little bit of social ostracization sure works well to incentivize good health decisions!) As opposed to some of the countries I’ve lived in where NOT smoking makes you the social pariah!

The good news...

Is that you don’t have to get fat as a side effect of quitting smoking! This article will thoroughly explain several biohacks and lifehacks that will make your metabolism great again, if you’re willing to apply a modicum of discipline and attention for 3-6 months you can avoid undesirable weight gain while kicking this most kick-worthy of bad habits.

Why you get fat when you quit smoking

If you eat the same as you did when you were smoking, your body will end up using less and storing more (as fat) of the food.

* Nicotine suppresses the appetite and causes the liver to release glycogen, which raises blood sugar slightly.

* With nicotine out of your system, you may feel hungry more often.

* Smoking artificially elevates heart rate and increases metabolism.

* When you stop smoking, your body has to readjust to a lower metabolic rate.

* Smoking dulls the taste buds. Food begins to taste better for new nonsmokers; this can increase food intake.

* And maybe there's oral fixation... Unless you’re a workaholic pornstar you may find yourself eating and snacking all day compulsively just to fill the void left after quitting cigarettes (which sounds like a really bad joke but - I used to hang out with pornstars and they all smoked! So... oral fixation... Might be a real thing!)

Supplement Nicotine

Most of the weight gain happens as a result of going off Nicotine, so don’t go off the Nicotine! You don’t have to smoke to get Nicotine, you can supplement Nicotine with...

* Nicotine lozenges

* Nicotine patches

* Little Nicotine spray bottle

* Liquid Nicotine USP drops (my personal favorite!)

* Nicotine gum

It sure doesn't taste pleasant but Nicotine is a real smart drug that powerfully stimulates creativity and focus. Scientists debate whether Nicotine itself is actually carcinogenic, the hundreds of other toxic chemicals being burnt in cigarettes and tobacco are what cause cancer. If Nicotine is carcinogenic, it’s a lower health risk than obesity.

You probably know that if you go cold turkey off Nicotine you’ll likely have lifelong nicotine cravings anytime you see anyone light up that will make almost every social evening an exercise in willpower for you. If that doesn't sound fun, it would be a really good idea for you to reprogram your serotonin pathway by getting your Nicotine from an alternative source for 2-6 months.

If you notice that you’re still gaining undesirable weight despite Nicotine supplementation, you could try switching to vaping.You can’t say that vaping is “healthy” but it’s certainly better than smoking cigarettes or being obese (and cheaper than lung cancer!) It can be an effective way to taper down your Nicotine intake while you instill other positive habits.

Lifestyle Matters

If you fail to plan healthy lifestyle changes concurrently you can plan on failing to quit smoking.If you hope to successfully quit smoking you need to be very strict about your diet and fitness for 3-6 months.

A couple of gym rats on Bodybuilding.com have some insights...

I began both my workouts, clean eating and quit smoking on the same day. I am down from 233 to 209 in the past 2 months. You will have much better strength and will see pretty good improvements with your cardio in a couple of weeks after you quit. I never saw a weight gain as I started a very healthy diet of whole foods, veggies, fruits, poultry and fish...

Stay busy!

I have quit smoking, well, numerous times but this time is it. I have been smoke free for 9 weeks and have not gained any weight. You just have to have it in your head that when you want that food when you have a craving, just don't do it. Keep yourself busy and take some deep breaths because the cravings go away faster than you think they will...

Not everyone who quits gains weight, some lose weight...

I don't have any personal experience but from what I've seen with my friends who quit...Those who watched what they ate, stayed the same or lost weight. Those who didn't, gained.;

I am quitting smoking, I am on the patches, but I really dont gain weight, I been losing weight. I just decided to change the way that I eat overall. I try to eat clean foods and think that, what I eat, is what I am. When I smoke, its putting nasty toxins into my body and makes me feel nasty. Dont get me wrong I still have one from time to time.I normally bring something to munch on with me to work during the day, I dont take breaks and go outside anymore, instead I eat carrots or something healthy.;

Snack healthily (and frequently!)

Ive been trying to quit smoking for months now...i have noticed that it makes it easier to lose fat/ put on muscle if you eat cleanly. I dont know if its the fact that i can breath better and therefor do more cardio wise or if my body just functions more efficiently or what. I think that people just eat a lot more in place of smoking and thats why its commonly thought to cause weight gain. I find that i snack rather than smoking, but i keep my food really clean so it ends up working for me.

Snacking?

Caveat snacking is a double-edged sword when quitting; snacking can relieve some of those cravings but snacking can result in weight gain.

If you’re going to snack, you need to commit to burning those calories. Get on the exercise bike, hit the weights, try Bikram yoga, or take a cardio class.

Snacking on junk food is an absolute no-no while quitting. It’s crucial to plan your snacking as opposed to just impulsively purchasing snacks at a gas station or grocery store checkout. Pick up a week’s supply of...

* Raw or whole nuts

* Berries

* Carrots

* Raw coconut

* >80% cocoa dark chocolate

Sorry, tasty dried fruit is not a healthy snack (it has way too much fructose - it’s not muc