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Overview
One of the common fears associated with giving up smoking is that
it will lead to uncontrolled weight gain. While it is true that some
people can gain nine kilos during the first year of abstinence, other
more encouraging studies have shown that initial gains tend to peak
after six months and that many people return to their normal body
weight within twelve months of quitting the habit.
For those potential quitters who are not confident that they would
be capable of such a feat, comfort can be sought in the finding that
ex-smokers who take up regular physical exercise have a greater chance
of controlling their weight than those who remain sedentary.
EXERCISE HELPS WITH WEIGHT CONTROL
American researchers investigating the post-smoking gains of some
9000 women discovered that getting active was key to their weight
control over the two-year period following cessation.
The light smokers (24 or less cigarettes a day) investigated
who undertook 1-2 hours of energetic physical activity each week were
found to gain an average of 2.2 kilos compared with heavy smokers
(25 cigarettes a day or more), who gained almost double this weight.
The researchers went on to discover that the more exercise the
volunteers took, the better their weight control. When physical
activity levels were stepped up to more than 2 hours a week, the light
smokers were able to keep increases down to 1.5 kilos and the heavy
smokers kept their increases down to 3 kilos.
THE ROLE OF YOUR METABOLISM
Some of the tendency to develop stores of body fat is blamed on the
slowing of the metabolism when nicotine is withdrawn from the diet
because, like caffeine, nicotine is capable of slightly increasing
the metabolic rate.
Smoking and nicotine may also have other physiological effects that
affect behavioural and sensory mechanisms that in turn affect food
intake and trigger off an increased desire to eat, when withdrawn.
The mechanisms have not yet been identified but research does indicate
that 70 per cent of the weight gains measured can be accounted for
by increased calorie intakes. In one particular study, women were
shown to have increased their food and drink consumption by an average
of 227 calories per day.
For those who are planning to stop smoking but are concerned by the
risk of increasing weight ̣̣the key seems to lie in tackling the problem
from both sides of the energy balance equation.
Five Point Plan
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Take up some form of regular exercise and fit in more than two
hours over the week.
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Build in three 25 minute sessions of strength training to help
reduce normal age-related drops in muscle mass and thus metabolic
rate.
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Keep a food diary for five days prior to giving up smoking.
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Keep a food diary on giving up smoking. Compare it to your smoking
diet diary and identify the times when you are eating more and
the kinds of foods you are eating.
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Learn how to deal with difficult moments and have fruit and low
fat snacks on hand to consume at these times.
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