Smoking affects your weight. According to information developed by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute, smokers typically weigh between 4 to 10 lbs less than nonsmokers, even if they both maintain the same level of physical activity and daily caloric intake. However, smoking cigarettes to keep your weight in check is ill-advised; the trade-offs of remaining thinner are offset by known health concerns associated with smoking.
Smoking Cessation and Weight Gain
It's likely that if you're a smoker who quits, you'll gain weight, says the NCI and ACS. Around 80 percent of people who quit smoking gain weight, typically within the first six months of smoking cessation. Heavy smokers--those who smoke two packs a day--are likely to gain between 25 and 30 lbs after they quit. Light smokers who smoke a pack a day or less gain between 4 and 10 lbs. However, this weight gain is what you would have weighed normally, had you never smoked, says the NCI and ACS. Smoking curbs normal weight gain in more than just one way, affecting your metabolism, desire to eat high-calorie foods and overall caloric intake.
Smoking and Metabolism
Smoking increase your body's metabolism--how quickly you burn off calories. After a single cigarette, your heart beats between 10 and 20 times more per minute than had you not smoked, says the ACS and NCI. While smoking may seem like a good way to burn calories without expending the energy, this actually increases your risk for heart disease. The healthiest way to kick your metabolism into high gear is through exercise.
Increased Caloric Intake
Smoking puts a damper on your senses of taste and smell, effectively suppressing your appetite. Once you stop smoking, you may feel an enhanced desire to enjoy foods that you didn't enjoy before. According to the NCI and ACS, many smokers aren't compelled to eat sweet, sugary foods, whereas after they quit, they develop a new-found sweet tooth.
The Weight-Control Information Network (WIN) states that many quitting smokers turn to high-calorie "comfort foods," as well as alcohol, which is also high in calories. Mayo Clinic behavioral counselor Jennifer A. Kern further explains that what some quitting smokers perceive as hunger is actually a symptom of nicotine withdrawal--what they really crave is not food, but a cigarette.
Other Reasons
Some quitting smokers turn to food simply because they're used to having something in their mouths, says the NCI and ACS. They're also used to having a cigarette in their hands through simple force of habit. Lastly, eating can fulfill the same purpose that smoking once served--an outlet for boredom or stress.
What to Do
If you're contemplating smoking cessation, but fret about the weight gain that goes along with quitting, keep in mind that lung disease such as cancer and emphysema and heart disease cannot be reversed, whereas you can do something about weight gain, says Mayo Clinic doctor Edward C. Rosenow III, M.D.
Exercise for 30 minutes a day--this not only burns calories; it distracts you from the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Eat smaller portions of healthy food types and limit your intake of sugary treats, fatty foods and alcoholic beverages. Keep raw vegetables such as celery and carrot sticks, sugarless gum or flavored toothpicks on hand in case you get the desire to eat for no other reason than to have something to do.
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