Myth or Fact? - Smoking and Weight Gain
I quit 75 days ago and am doing splendidly. I initially gained about 7 or 8 pounds, but have since taken off 4 of those. I exercise a lot (running, biking, and some light weight lifting), but I think my body just needed to adjust to the metabolic differences. When I smoked, I often used cigarettes to fend off the nibblies, and it worked. I ate three times a day and that was it. Now, I'm a little more prone to snacking and have had to get a grip on it. I think smoking also revs the metabolism a good bit, so one is burning more calories. This adds up over the long term.
When I first quit, I was eating quite a few spearmint Lifesavers, and it helped a lot. After the first week, I didn't need them anymore. Now I try to drink at least four bottles of water a day, and my snacks are apples, celery, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, and raisins.
Some people might disagree with this tip, as it's rather like a vegetarian mashing her tofu into the shape of a turkey, but I'll give it anyway. I have a wooden dowel that is the same size as a cigarette. I keep it in my top desk drawer, and occasionally I take it out and play with it. It seems to satisfy my urge to roll something around in my fingers.
Best of luck, all. Smoke free and loving it!
