|
(204KB)
|
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! Quitting is one of the best actions you can take to improve your health. You may be concerned about gaining weight, but try not to worry about it as you quit. Focus on stopping smoking first, and then continue to improve your health in other ways, such as reaching and maintaining a healthy weight for life.
Top
|
|
Will I
gain weight if I stop smoking? |
Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. Among people who do, the average weight gain is between 6 and 8 pounds. Roughly 10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large amount of weight—30 pounds or more.
Top
|
|
What
causes weight gain after quitting?
|
When smokers quit,
they may gain weight for a number of reasons. These
include:
-
Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes away after several weeks.
-
Having more snacks and
alcoholic drinks. Some people eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic beverages after they quit smoking.
-
Burning calories at
a normal rate again. Every cigarette you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer getting this temporary
effect. Instead, you are burning slightly fewer calories on a daily basis.
Top
|
| Can I avoid
weight gain? |
Physical activity and a healthy eating plan may help you control your weight. In addition, being physically active may ease withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation and help reduce the chances of relapsing after quitting.
While it is a good idea to be physically active and eat healthy foods as you quit smoking, try not to worry about your weight. It may be easier to quit first and focus on controlling your weight when you are smoke-free.
To lower your chances of gaining weight when you stop smoking:
-
Accept yourself.
-
Get regular,
moderate-intensity physical activity.
-
Limit snacking and
alcohol.
-
Consider using medication
to help you quit.
- Consider getting professional advice about weight control.
Top
|
| Accept
yourself. |
If you gain a few pounds when you quit, do not dwell on it. Instead, feel proud that you are improving your health. Quitting smoking may make you feel better in many ways.
Quitting smoking may help
you have:
-
-
-
fresher breath and
fresher smelling clothes and hair
-
fewer wrinkles and
healthier-looking skin
-
Top
|
| Get regular,
moderate-intensity physical
activity. |
Regular physical activity may help you avoid large weight gains when you quit smoking. It may also boost your mood and help you feel more energetic. It is likely that you will be able to breathe easier during physical activity after you quit smoking.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, preferably every day. You can accomplish this by breaking it up into shorter sessions - it does not need to be done all at once. After you quit smoking and are ready to lose weight, you may need to do more than 30 minutes of physical activity a day to achieve your weight loss goals. The ideas below may help you be active.
Ideas for Being
Active Every Day
Use your lunch break to walk around and stretch, or take a walk after dinner. Sign up for a class such as dance or yoga. Ask a friend to join you. Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for walking. Park the car further away from entrances to stores, movie theaters, or your home. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure the stairs are well lit.
Top
|
|
Limit
snacking and alcohol
|
Having more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and alcoholic drinks may lead to weight gain when you quit smoking. The ideas below may help you make healthy eating and beverage choices as you quit smoking.
Tips for Healthy Eating and Beverage Selections as You Quit
-
Do not go too long without
eating. Being very hungry can lead to less
healthy food choices.
-
Eat enough at meal times to
satisfy you, but try not to overeat. Eat slowly so you can pick up on your body's signals that you are full.
-
Choose healthy snacks, such
as fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in juice
(not syrup), air-popped popcorn, or fat-free
yogurt, when you are hungry between
meals.
-
Do not deny yourself an
occasional treat. If you crave ice cream,
enjoy a small serving, which is 1/2 cup.
-
Choose an herbal tea, hot
cocoa made with fat-free milk, or sparkling water
instead of an alcoholic beverage.
Top
|
| Consider
using medication to help you quit.
|
Talk to your
health care provider about medications that may
help you quit smoking. Some people gain less weight
when they use medication.
Medications
That May Help You Quit Smoking
-
nicotine replacement therapy, including the patch, gum, nasal spray, and inhaler
-
antidepressant
medication
The patch and gum
are available without a prescription from your
health care provider.
Top
|
| Consider getting professional advice about weight control. |
You may find it easier to control your weight with the help of a health professional. Ask your health care provider if there is a weight management program in your area. You may also consider speaking with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or exercise professional about becoming physically active and adopting a healthy eating plan.
Top
|
| Will weight gain
hurt my health? |
Although gaining weight is not desired after you stop smoking, keep in mind that the overall health benefits of quitting outweigh the health risks of weight gain.
Health Risks of
Smoking
-
Cancer. Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Smoking is also linked to cancer of the esophagus, larynx, kidney, pancreas, and cervix.
-
Other health
problems. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease and heart disease. In pregnant women, smoking is linked to premature birth, low birth weight babies, and delivery complications
By quitting smoking, you are taking a big step to improve your health. Instead of worrying about weight gain, focus on quitting. Once you are tobacco-free, you can work toward having a healthy weight for life by becoming more physically active and choosing healthier foods.
Top
|
| Additional Reading |
These brochures
from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN)
can help you adopt healthy eating and physical
activity habits:
Energize Yourself & Your
Family NIH Publication No.
04–4926.
Just Enough
for You: About Food Portions NIH Publication No.
03–5287.
Healthy
Eating & Physical Activity Across Your
Lifespan: Better Health and
You NIH Publication No. 04–4992.
Tips to Help You Get Active NIH Publication No.
06–5578.
Walking...A Step
in the Right Direction NIH Publication No. 04–4155.
Weight Loss for Life NIH Publication No.
04–3700.
Top
|
|
For more
information on quitting smoking,
contact:
American Cancer
Society
www.cancer.org/
1–800–ACS–2345 (800–227–2345)
American Heart
Association
www.americanheart.org/
1–800–AHA–USA1 (800–242–8721)
American Lung
Association
www.lungusa.org/
(212) 315–8700
National Cancer
Institute
www.nci.nih.gov/
1–800–4–CANCER (800–422–6237)
1–800–332–8615 (TTY)
National
Institute on Drug Abuse
www.nida.nih.gov/
(301) 443–1124
Office of the
Surgeon General
www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco
Smokefree.gov
www.smokefree.gov
(a partnership of the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Cancer Institute)
1–800–QUITNOW (800–784–8669)
Top
|
| |
Weight-control Information Network
1 Win Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Tel: (202) 828–1025 or 1–877–946–4627
Fax: (202) 828–1028
E-mail: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health information on weight control, obesity, physical activity,
and related nutritional issues.
Publications produced by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This fact sheet was also reviewed by Robert Eckel, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Biophysics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
This e-text is not
copyrighted. WIN encourages users of this e-pub
to duplicate and distribute as many copies as
desired.
|
|
NIH Publication No. 03–4159
May 2003
Updated November 2006
e-text posted: January 2007
Top |
