How Quitting The Habit Of Smoking Can Make You Fat By Sharon Bell At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Here's a story of a man who used to smoke three packs of cigarettes a day. For his recent birthday, he decided to quit smoking and, expecting a reward for his resolution, he asked his wife for something that can go from zero to 200 in under five seconds. So his wife, not wanting to disappoint him, bought him a bathroom scale as gift.

For all its intent and purpose, the story is not just a valueless practical joke. It tells you about the relationship between checking out of the smoking habit and weight gain. The wife may have known that eighty percent of cigarette smokers gain weight after they quit smoking. And this can be a grave concern for those who finally want to stop smoking.

This finding puts a whole new twist to cigarette smoking as everyone who is hooked on the habit faces a Catch 22. You will have an awkward chance of choosing to continue smoking and wait for any of the various types of cancer to arrive or to stop smoking and uncontrollably gain weight then have hypertension or cardiac arrest. Either way, the smoker gets a one-way ticket to the dust bin.

The first and main cause for weight gain after a smoker quits smoking can be traced to the levels of nicotine absorbed in the body. Nicotine is the substance found in tobacco that is responsible for making smoking addictive. But nicotine also has a characteristic that speeds up the metabolic system in the body. Hence, when you stop smoking and cut off the nicotine level in your bloodstream, your metabolic rate will slow down; your body will process less food and burn less kilojoules, so you gain weight.

The second factor that brings about weight gain after one quits smoking is the increased level of appetite that all quitters experience. This is usually associated with other withdrawal symptoms and may later return to a regular level. Smokers who suffer from hunger pangs after quitting become restless in the absence of food and giving in to these hunger attacks can bring weight gain.

Third, when you stop smoking, you allow a sizeable amount of unused calories to remain in your system. Smoking is known to burn up to 200 calories a day, depending on the cigarette consumption level. By not burning this amount of calories through smoking, you have a bigger chance of accumulating extra fat and eventually gaining weight.

Because of these factors, women who stopped smoking have more chances of going back to the habit of smoking than men. Many women may think that continuing to smoke cigarettes can be a good way to maintain a good figure and avoid excess weight. But then what is the point of having a sexy body if the lungs and other organs are at a risk of having cancer?

The good news is that you can stop smoking and, at the same time, stop worrying about the subsequent weight gain. You do not need to gamble your overall health just so you can wear thongs or go topless on the beach. There are many ways to fight off weight gain brought about by quitting smoking.

For instance, by using recognized weight loss products available in the market today, you can boost your metabolic rate without having to resort to smoking. Reading books and increasing your daily exercise routine are some of the more constructive means to keep the hunger pangs and the large appetite at bay.

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