Here are some tips on how to quit smoking without gaining weight:
Don't look at your decision to quit smoking in isolation. It should be part of your
campaign to
create a better, healthier you. As part of your plan to quit, you'll plan activities to
enhance your
general health. This will include sensible eating. A sensible eating plan will help protect
you from
accidentally slipping into poor eating habits when you quit smoking, and that's what puts
on the
weight.
In addition to sensible eating, add exercise into your daily routine. Don't overdo it.
Start small
but be consistent. The exercise will help reduce stress, which may cause you either to eat
too
much or to start smoking again. Exercise also helps even out the metabolism, which
helps you
keep your weight down and makes it easier to quit smoking as well.
While you should make sure your diet is healthy, don't try too hard to lose weight
at the same
time you're quitting smoking. Focus your mind, your plans and activities on quitting
smoking
without gaining weight. You can go on that diet once you leave cigarettes behind for
good.
Take in plenty of water or other non-fattening liquids. Water fills you up
and cuts
down on both the need to smoke and the need (from nervousness) to eat.
Make sure your meals are satisfying and well prepared. Spend more money on your
food if
necessary (you'll save by not buying cigarettes). Make a point out of having regular meals
and not
eating on the run. Use good silverware, cloth napkins, etc. Make a ritual out of eating
and refuse
to eat unless the requirements of the ritual can be fulfilled.
THINK before you eat. Do you really want that sticky cake any more than you
thought you
wanted cigarettes? You can wait out your craving for something fattening just as you can
wait out
your craving for a cigarette. The crisis will last five minutes; ten at the most. Keep a
diary of all
the food you eat. Those fattening items can easily slip in if you don't watch it. Keeping
the diary
will also make your eating more of a planned event, less spontaneous.
