Many smokers are nervous about quitting smoking, afraid that they'll gain massive amounts of weight if they give up cigarettes.
There's good reason to worry -- all of us know people who've packed on the pounds and never slimmed down after becoming non-smokers.
It's no wonder that former smokers gain weight when they quit.
Smoking takes the place of eating for many of us.
The hunger pangs go away or never even develop when you're able to grab a quick smoke.
Smoking increases your metabolism too so it's not surprising that weight gain is a common result of quitting smoking.
So -- you'll want a game plan.
You want to plan in advance.
How are you going to keep from eating too much when you stop smoking? How can you make sure that you don't gain weight after you quit? Here are some tips and techniques that have helped many former smokers keep their sleek physiques.
Choose A Substitute for Cigarettes Smoking is a habit -- and an oral fixation of sorts.
Substituting another low-calorie or no-calorie substance is a good idea.
You want something that you can put in your mouth, something you can chew on, something that takes the place of the cigarette without boosting your caloric intake.
Chewing on toothpicks can be an excellent substitute.
Toothpicks are calorie-free and easy to keep in your pocket, your purse or at your desk.
Low-cal snacks like carrot sticks or celery sticks are good choices but require advance planning if you're away from the house.
You don't want temptation to strike if you forgot your bag of carrot sticks at home on the counter.
Perhaps chewing gum is a better option since it too can easily be stashed in your desk, your pocket, your car, or anywhere that means it's on hand when you get an urge for a cigarette.
Watch What You Eat It sounds simple and obvious but if you want to quit smoking without gaining weight you'll need to carefully monitor what you eat.
You're breaking a bad habit.
You don't want to substitute another bad habit for your former addiction.
People often smoke to soothe their nerves, to reward themselves or to accompany a social situation.
It's very easy for food to fill these needs too so you want to guard against using food the way you used cigarettes.
Pay attention to the role food is playing in your newly cigarette-free life.
Substituting food for butts will guarantee that you gain some serious weight.
Planning in advance to watch what you eat will help.
You're able to taste the food now that you don't smoke.
Make sure you're choosing healthy, nutritious and delicious meals.
Develop a desire for salads, not desserts.
Start to monitor your weight soon after putting down the cigarettes.
It's a lot easier to put on pounds than to take them off so get control early on.
Start To Exercise Now that you're not smoking you're probably feeling better.
You can catch your breath, you're not coughing repeatedly, there's a bounce to your step.
It's time to add some exercise to your daily routine.
Since you're breathing is better perhaps you're ready to take up jogging, swimming or biking.
Stair climbing is a great way to exercise now that you're no longer winded after a flight or two.
Exercise is a good way to deal with temptations.
Whenever you feel the urge to smoke instead take a brisk fifteen minute walk.
It's All About Habits Giving up a bad habit like smoking is a reward in and of itself.
But it's hard to stay motivated if you're paying a price by gaining a lot of weight.
Developing good habits with diet and exercise will add to your feeling of accomplishment.
With conscious effort and good habits in place of bad you can become a healthy, trim non-smoker.