How to Avoid Gaining Weight When You Quit Smoking

Achieve-IT! reader Joe writes:

“Brad are there certain food that can help in weight loss plus contribute to muscle tone?. I have quit smoking and have put on some weight and am working out, but the weight seems to be gaining one me and I was hoping you might have some suggestions. Thanks for your time and suggestions.”

First, congratulations on your decision to quit smoking!

Since you are already on the road of leaving smoking behind I won’t delve into how to quit in this post.  Instead, I’ll cover what I think is going on and why those pounds are sneaking up on you.

To begin, smoking is both a habit and an addiction.  Various studies report that if you make it past the first week smoke free, the addiction is gone, but the habit is what causes you stress. 

A habit to a human is like mass to a physicist.  A habit, like mass cannot be destroyed.  It can only take on another form.  In other words, you must replace one habit with another to be successful.  Quitting cold turkey leaves a gap behind that needs to be filled with something. 

Not knowing your health history, I will assume that your body is metabolizing food the same way it was when you were smoking.  The chemicals in the tobacco were not playing a significant role in your digestion – so the lack of the tobacco isn’t causing the weight gain directly.  It is the lack of a positive habit that is causing the need for extra food.

Think of how often you used to smoke.  If it was 10 times a day, you need 10 habits to fill the gap or one habit you can do 10 times.

That’s why some people say “I’ll exercise instead of smoking”, yet they still struggle.  One exercise session each day does not replace 10 cigarette breaks.  Sure, it does help, but it is far better to cover all the bases.

What I recommend is instead to practice several positive replacement habits you can do during the times when you used to smoke. 

Only you can choose what will be the right replacement habits.  But a few ideas I’ve used to help others quit:

•    Buy a six-pack of gum, box of toothpicks, some drinking straws to keep on your desk and where you used to keep your cigarettes.  Grab one of those instead of food when the urge hits you.

•    You can even place gum or toothpicks into an empty cigarette pack and put it in your pocket (this prevents the accidental light up.)

•    When you feel hungry, drink 24-32 ounces of water.  Many times the hungry feeling is thirst in disguise.

•    If you must eat between a meal, eat an apple or pear (buy a bag today so you have them when you need them)

•    During normal smoke times, replace the habit of going to the smoke room or outside with walking stairs for 5 or more minutes. (that is habit replacement)

•    If you socialized while smoking, take a 2-3 week break from socializing with the group in the smoke area.  They’ll understand and you won’t have the situational pressures working on you.

•    Gradually replace jittery and irritating side effect periods with deep relaxation or meditation. 

•    Move slowly and methodically.  This isn’t a race.  Think through what’s happening with your body when you feel that push to eat.  Can you replace the urge to eat with water, gum or meditation?  If not, eat an apple.

•    Eat more frequent, but smaller meals.  When I was working to lose 50 pounds, I would cut sandwiches in half, take smaller portions and eat at least 1 apple a day I dislike apples by the way so if I can do it so can you.:-).

•    Finally, be gentle and patient with yourself. You are doing a great thing for yourself and your friends and family.  You’ll inspire others.  And you’ll have something to brag about to your buddies.

Other than that, eat plenty of low fat protein; tuna, eggs, baked chicken breast without the skin and protein shakes will help with the muscle building and fat burn. 

Keep me posted on how it is going.

Technorati Tags: smoking, habits, goals, quitting, tobacco

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