Weight Gain after Quitting Smoking? Here's What You Have to Do!

Why Do People Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking?

Why am I gaining weight after I quit smoking? If that's the question that keeps popping into your mind, you should know that it has to do with the influence that nicotine has upon the metabolic rate.

When you smoke, your heart and metabolic rate increase, leading to more calories being burned. If you stop smoking, your metabolism will slow down, meaning that it returns to normal, thus leading to weight gain especially if you maintain your eating habits.

How Much Weight Do You Gain After Quitting Smoking?

As your metabolic rate goes back to normal, it's only natural to experience weight gain after quitting smoking. But how much ?will you put on? On average, 10 pounds. That number seems a bit too much for you to bear, isn't it? The good news is that the number is not set in stone.

Research has shown that, in spite of possible moderate weight gain during the first year of abstinence, quitting smoking doesn't lead to substantial long term weight gain in most cases. On the contrary, around 20% of former smokers actually experience losing weight after one year of abstinence.

"The good news is that after the first three months, weight gain is decelerating substantially. Nearly 20% of the smokers actually lose weight after one year of continuous abstinence,” says Henri-Jean Aubin, professor of addiction medicine and psychiatry at Hopital Paul Brousse, France.

But How Do You Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight?

If weight gain after quitting smoking is not an option for you, you should know that there are several strategies you may put into practice in order to prevent the "disaster" from happening (or at least to minimize the damage).

Firstly, your need for "oral gratification", which is satisfying the need of putting a cigarette into your mouth, won't disappear by night. Replace smoking with chewing on healthy products, with almost no calories: celery sticks, sugar-free candy, sugar-free gum.

Then, keep yourself as busy as you can to avoid a possible relapse. Go out for walks, go out with your friends, volunteer, exercise, take dancing lessons - whatever makes you happy and prevents you from smoking again. In order to avoid weight gain after quitting smoking, though, you may want to progressively engage into intense activities. Taking the stairs or jogging could be a great choice that will make you feel better and, also, prevent pounds from accumulating.

See also:
Exercises For Your Body Type

Why Am I Not Losing Weight: Top Reasons for the Weight Loss Plateau

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Megan Fox Ditches Strict Vegan Diet After Losing Too Much Weight

Ex-Transformers star Megan Fox reveals that she has ditched her strict vegan eating plan for a healthier diet as she realized she was way too thin. Find out what Megan Fox is planning to keep her curves looking amazing next!

Hollywood hottie Megan Fox has been highly criticized after appearing on a beach wearing a tiny bikini that revealed a skinny frame. It seems that this has triggered an alarm signal not only for her fans, but for Megan as well as according to DailyMail the actress has ditched her strict vegan diet after realizing she'd lost too much weight.

Image is everything for celebs, so no wonder that they turn towards diets and intense exercise routines to keep themselves in an enviable condition. However, sometimes going to extremes and sporting a much too lean figure can attract attention from the media and Megan Fox seems to be one of the celebrities which decided that the media and her fans were right and stopped her strict vegan eating program which she was following for more than a year.

Now Megan's body is more curvacious and she looks much healthier although she has turned towards another diet plan. The former Transformers star revealed that:

“For a year and a half, until about four months ago, I followed a strict vegan diet based on raw fruits and vegetables, no bread, sugar and coffee. But I had lost too much weight. So now I eat a bit of everything. And I train three times a week doing circuit training with my trainer Harley Pasternak.”

Harley Pasternak is a renowned fitness trainer who works with several celebrities. He revealed in an interview with Starlounge UK that Megan is now following his 5 Factor Diet which is based on eating 5 small meals a day containing healthy fats, lean protein, fibre and a non-sugar drink. This is a diet followed by various celebrities in Hollywood, such as Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lady Gaga and many more others.
Pasternak also says that:

“Megan wants her body to reflect who she is. She looks awesome. She’s natural, softly spoken and her personality shines through her fantastic shape. Megan’s also lucky because her husband Brian Austin Green follows the same workout routine. They share the same enthusiasm for a healthy lifestyle which is fantastic too.”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images, PR Photos

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