Stay Quit, Stay Fit: Avoiding Weight Gain After Quitting Smoking If you are planning to or have taken the steps to quit smoking, congratulations on paving the way to a healthier you! Smoking has many negative health consequences, and quitting can immediately benefit your health. When planning to quit and take action it is important to keep potential barriers or challenges in mind. One challenge to consider is possible weight gain. The nicotine in cigarettes can reduce your appetite, so quitting may change your hunger cues. This means you may consume more calories than you did when you smoked. Lastly, you may experience cravings after quitting smoking, which can lead to overconsumption of foods. Did You Know? Nicotine increases your resting metabolic rate (RMR), or how many calories you burn at rest. Think of ‘rest’ as how much energy you burn just to keep your body’s systems going. Because nicotine increases your heart rate, blood pressure and blood flow, you burn more calories. Once you stop smoking, you will likely experience a dip in your RMR. This may lead to weight gain as there’s a shift in your baseline calorie burn. Keep in mind, quitting smoking is extremely important to improving your health. If you notice weight gain after you quit, there are ways to avoid excess weight gain and work toward healthy weight management. Just like quitting smoking, you want to ensure the strategies you are using are sustainable for life. The goal is to be the healthiest and happiest version of you. Get Active If you are currently active, stay active. If you don’t have an exercise routine, seek to include more intentional movement throughout the day. Incorporating physical activity into your daily and weekly routines helps burn more calories while at rest. This can help with weight management since your metabolism may change once you quit smoking. If you don’t know where to start, try walking during breaks throughout the day. If you have a consistent exercise routine, you may notice you need to increase the intensity or duration after quitting. Get Active Fuel Your Body Intentionally Aim to have most of your meals be nutrient-dense, or colorful and balanced. Include all five food groups: fruits, vegetables, protein, grains and dairy in your meals. Reduce the amount of added sugar, salt and fat when possible. If you don’t know where to start, there are a few tips for helping you plan more intentionally: create a list before grocery shopping, meal prep once or twice a week to cut down on time and stock up on healthy snacks for when you’re on-the-go. If you are unable to prepare meals for yourself and utilize a dining hall, refer to the Go for Green stickers with green (healthiest), yellow (moderation) and red (unhealthiest) on each food. Fuel Your Body Intentionally Reduce Calories from Drinking When thinking of calorie consumption, calories from your beverages are likely overlooked. Alcohol and sugary drinks (e.g., soda and juice) can lead to weight gain. If you currently consume these drinks, try out some alternatives like non-alcoholic drinks instead of alcoholic drinks and diet or sugar free sodas and juices. There are many ways to still retain flavor while cutting back on extra calories. Reduce Calories from Drinking Prioritize Sleep and Rest Getting enough sleep is essential to weight management. Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed in our health behaviors, but it plays a key role for many processes in the body. Aim to get 7-9 hours within a 24-hour cycle. If you can’t get all your sleep at one time, try to include naps where you can. In addition to sleep, making time to rest can help reduce stress levels. Focusing on stress reduction can help decrease cortisol, also known as the ‘stress hormone’, which contributes to weight gain. Identify a few stress reduction techniques you can do during your rest time to avoid weight gain. Prioritize Sleep and Rest Practice Healthy Coping Mechanisms You may notice you want to reach for a cigarette during stressful situations. In addition to prioritizing sleep and rest, practicing healthy coping mechanisms that don’t involve substance use, like smoking and drinking, can reduce weight gain. A few healthy coping techniques to consider include breathing exercises, meditation, going for a walk or working out, talking to a loved one, volunteering or doing something nice for someone, journaling and engaging in activities you enjoy. Practice Healthy Coping Mechanisms Deciding to quit smoking and staying quit are hard. You are making a positive change to support your health when you commit to quitting. Though weight gain may be a biproduct of quitting, it is manageable. Lean on others throughout your quit journey and reflect on your why to keep you motivated. Through sustainable change, you will be able to become your healthiest and happiest self. Additional ResourcesWarfighter Wellness - “Tobacco”YouCanQuit2 - “YouCanQuit2”SmokeFree.gov - “SmokeFree.gov”ReferencesSmokeFree.gov - “Coping With Stress Without Smoking”SmokeFree.gov - “Manage Weight Gain After Quitting”MedlinePlus.gov - “Weight gain after quitting smoking: What to do”
