Will I Gain Weight if I Stop Smoking?

Will I Gain Weight if I Stop Smoking?

Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking.  I was very concious of this when I stopped.  I tried very hard not to over eat and I replaced my "wanting to put something in my mouth" habit with drinking coffee or low calorie snacks such as carrot sticks.  Put snacks together ahead of time so that when the munchies hit, you've got good food choices within easy reach. Some other good food choices may include:


• vegetable sticks - celery, carrot
• 94% fat free popcorn
• sunflower seeds in the shell
• Water - drink lots of it!
• hard candies to suck on
• fresh fruit
• fat free yogurt
• herbal teas
• hot cocoa made with nonfat milk
• frozen grapes
• fat free fudgecicles

If you're concerned about weight gain, do not keep high fat foods in your home. If you must have your favoite ice-cream sundae, go out for it instead of making it at home, that way you will not have the ingredients and be tempted to make a second and third one.


Studies show on average, people who quit smoking gain only about 10 pounds. You are more likely to gain weight when you stop smoking if you have smoked for 10 to 20 years or smoked one or more packs of cigarettes a day. You can control your weight while you quit smoking by making healthy eating and physical activity a part of your life. Although you might gain a few pounds, remember you have stopped smoking and taken a big step toward a healthier life.

What causes weight gain after quitting?

When nicotine, a chemical in cigarette smoke, leaves your body, you may experience:

Short-term weight gain. The nicotine kept your body weight low, and when you quit smoking, your body returns to the weight it would have been had you never smoked.

You might gain 3 to 5 pounds due to water retention during the first week after quitting.

A need for fewer calories. After you stop smoking, you may use fewer calories than when you were smoking.

Will this weight gain hurt my health?

The health risks of smoking are far greater than the risks of gaining 5 to 10 pounds. Smoking causes more than 400,000 deaths each year in the United States. You would have to gain about 100 to 150 pounds after quitting to make your health risks as high as when you smoked. The health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting are listed below.

Why do people gain weight when they quit smoking?

Smoking increases metabolism slightly

• Smoking burns up to 200 calories a day in a heavy smoker

• Because smoking burns calories, metabolism is boosted (increased) slightly

• Nicotine is an appetite suppressant

When you quit smoking, a gain of between 5 and 10 pounds during the first few months of cessation is normal. If your eating habits have remained the same as they were when you smoked, you can easily shed this small gain with a brisk, 30 minute walk daily.

Remember quitting smoking is a tough enough in itself. Try and treat yourself kindly as you go through this processs  Be good to yourself. Reward yourself for your progress often. Don't underestimate the magnitude of what you are doing.  Be patient. Quitting smoking is a process and it takes time to get over a habit that took years to develop.  It doesn't happen overnight, but in comparison to the number of years most of us smoked, recovery from this addiction is short. Give yourself the time you need to heal.  Accept yourself. You are a wonderful person just as you are right now, so if you put on a few pounds, so be it - it is only temporary.

The benefits of quitting smoking will affect your life as well as those who love you in more ways than you can imagine. You can quit smoking without gaining a lot of weight. Don't let the fear of weight gain keep you chained to an addiction that will kill you, given the chance. For more help QUIT SMOKING NOW