After much struggle, cravings and withdrawal symptoms, you've finally accomplished the monumental task of quitting smoking. Your body should be thanking you, and yet it seems to be betraying you in the worst way imaginable--by bringing your metabolism to a screeching halt. As annoying as this is, it's a normal consequence of kicking the habit, reports Smokefree.gov. Those who quit smoking gain an average of 4 to 10 lbs. after quitting smoking, but fortunately, most ex-smokers lose at least some of this weight within six months.
Step 1
Start doing cardiovascular exercise. Because nicotine is a stimulant, it increases your heart rate and burns calories, reports Smokefree.gov. In fact, your heart rate might increase between 10 and 20 beats per minute after a cigarette. Instead, get your heart rate going through exercise, such as jogging, biking or even vigorous walking. You'll get the added bonus of being able to breathe better during this exercise due to your improved lungs.
Step 2
Add strength-training exercise. By doing strength or weight training designed to build lean muscle, you can actually increase your metabolism, reports Health.com. In addition to speeding up metabolism through muscle, strength training can tone your body and give you a fitter appearance.
Step 3
Do your metabolism math, and adapt accordingly. "Fitness Magazine" reports that nicotine causes your body to burn about 200 extra calories per day. Knowing this key bit of information, you can strategically eat 200 fewer calories per day as you adjust to being a non-smoker. However, be sure not to cut back too much, since this might make you feel even more deprived on top of the smoking withdrawal.
Step 4
Keep track of your weight. Smokefree.gov suggests that you weigh yourself regularly to ensure that weight gain isn't "sneaking up on you." Be aware that some weight gain is normal, and might occur despite your best efforts. In most cases, however, this will normalize without you having to take drastic steps.
Tips and Warnings
- Give yourself time to adjust to your new way of life, and be patient about getting back to your goal weight.
