How to Quit Smoking and not Gain Weight

Ask a hundred people, 'Will you gain weight when you stop smoking?', and virtually all will say, 'Yes'.

And yet.....virtually all ARE wrong. If I asked you the question now, what would you say?

But before you answer, please read this article.......AND find out the real truth about smoking and weight gain........and THEN answer.

The Old Willpower Method

This is important. Get this clear in your mind.

When you stop smoking, it does not mean that you HAVE TO gain weight.

There are two parts to this problem and it is important that you understand BOTH of them.

First, I need to be honest with you......

Yes, in the past, people DID tend to gain weight when they gave up smoking.

But this was BECAUSE most people tried to give up smoking using the old Will-Power Method alone.

These people believed that when they gave up, they would feel terrible.

They were then told that the ONLY way to deal with these cravings was to endure them.........and hope that, with time and persistence, they would go away.

They were advised above all...... to use their Willpower and FORCE themselves not to smoke.

And......finally, they were told.... to eat snacks or nibble this or that - ANYTHING, in fact to keep them busy and their minds OFF smoking.

Why eat?

Because the feeling or the 'hunger' for a cigarette is very similar to the feeling you get when you are hungry.

And so, in the past, people ate in the terrible mistaken belief that by eating, they could satisfy their craving for a cigarette and that it would help them keep their minds off smoking.

But of course it didn't work.....

....And the MORE the feeling came back..... the MORE they ate in the belief it could help them.

'Your present is NOT dependent on your past'

So we all have to accept that there was some validity for people gaining weight in the past when they tried to quit.

But that need not be the cause today.

Remember the CAUSE was not giving up smoking but HOW these people went about the process of giving up smoking.

If you look closely at how they went about it, you'll see that....People ate TO NUMB their cravings.

Remember, when you give up smoking, you too will get these selfsame feeling/craving - 'I want a cigarette.'

And you will experience similar feelings when you realize that you cannot have one.

But unlike the old Willpower Method, you will not eat extra in order to ESCAPE or NUMB these feelings.

Why?

Because, as we explain in Our Course you will want to WELCOME and ACCEPT these feelings. You will WANT to transmute them.

These FEELINGS/CRAVINGS are NOW the KEY to your success.

Please underline this: The Old Way (Willpower method) was to hate and fear these cravings to smoke.

You were told you had a big fight on your hands, that these feelings would be unpleasant and overpowering.

And because the feeling you get when you want a cigarette is similar to how you feel when you are hungry, of course, you believed that by eating, you could satisfy these feelings or at least alleviate them.

But all you did was to temporarily block off these feelings.

By eating, you give yourself an excuse not to have to deal with and really feel these feelings.

You put off the evil day........and started to put on the pounds!

Never forget that when you give up smoking, you will CONTINUE to have these empty, restless, insecure cravings for the first two or three weeks.....

But now, for the first time in your life, LET yourself have these feelings, these empty sensations in your body. Actually feel them, moment-by-moment in your body.

CALL THEIR BLUFF!.

Sure, you will get the temptation to eat extra - to compensate - to 'fill' in the feelings you believe you are now lacking.

These desires are natural, normal.

They are not bad in themselves. And they are ONLY TEMPORARY.

Just feel them! Yes, it takes courage not to run away and try to escape by eating extra.

If you will just have patience and stay with these feelings, you will discover your moment of truth - that these cravings are no big deal and that you can easily handle them.

You don't have to eat to escape from them. (to find out more about this process, go to our free course

Please underline:

The belief that you will automatically gain weight if you stop smoking is a myth.

However, there is one other issue we must deal with in regard to weight gain before we proceed.

This is the second part of the problem we mentioned earlier........

Increased metabolism?

Again and again, get this clear in your mind: Giving up smoking does not automatically have to lead to weight gain. And even the latest studies seem to confirm this.

In a large study in the UK involving over a thousand women quitting up smoking - no clear picture emerged.

Some women gained weight, others experienced no change whatsoever while other women actually LOST weight!

However, in regard to the women who gained weight - the average gain of between 5 to 10 pounds over a number of months was generally attributed to metabolic alterations i.e. the change in their metabolic rate.

Let's look at this carefully as a lot of people, especially women STILL use this as an excuse not to give up smoking.

The effects of smoking

To help us, let's try to understand the effects of smoking on your weight........

First of all, smoking DOES burn calories. Up to 200 a day if you are a heavy smoker. Thus smoking can increase your energy expenditure or metabolism.

What does this mean?

It means that when you quit smoking it can cause slight weight gain for certain individuals (unless we take appropriate action!) because their body begins to work more efficiently and their body's metabolism slows and food is digested more efficiently.

Is this bad news if it applies to you? No. it's not.

Please consider this.....

An average candy bar contains 300 calories. If you were to stick to your regular eating habits but eat just six fewer candy bars (or equivalent calories found in some other food item) per month, you could easily prevent yourself from gaining even a single pound.
It's that easy!

All it means is that you'll have to learn how to , as Kristy Farley points out ........outsmart the pounds!

But first, get this clear in your mind again and again.

When you give up smoking and do not RUN AWAY FROM or try to NUMB your cravings by EATING, YOU WILL NOT GAIN WEIGHT when you stop smoking.

The only weight gain some of our readers should be aware of is a slight weight gain of up to 5 pounds due to the change in their metabolic rate.

However, you can EASILY even avoid that by taking the FOLLOWING SIMPLE ACTION.......

......Outsmart the Pounds!

To ward off gaining ANY extra pounds when you quit, follow these simple steps and improve your general health at the same time.

Remember, if you are a heavy smoker, smoking will burn up 200 calories a day so......

To burn an estimated 200 calories used by smoking, for example, walk briskly for 45 minutes or swim laps for 30 minutes each day.

Or eliminate 200 calories of food intake, and you've used up the extra calories from not smoking. What does that translate to?

2 lite beers (220 calories)

20 regular potato chips (220 calories)

4 chocolate sandwich cookies (213 calories)

2 tablespoon of butter (200 calories)

2 oz. of cheddar cheese (220 calories)

1 small order of McDonalds fries (210 calories)

1 hot dog and roll (250 calories)

2 frozen waffles (240 calories)

1/2 cup macaroni and cheese (205 calories)

One benefit of quitting, however is that as your body realizes the benefits of not smoking, your energy levels will increase, and you will begin to feel better physically.

A moderate increase in physical activity can keep weight gain to a minimum so.....Exercise daily.

A daily moderate workout not only distracts you from smoking, but also helps reduce tension and stress. Endorphins released in the brain during exercise actually make you feel better. Exercise also increases metabolism, helping you burn more calories.

And .....here's a great fact from the New York Times:

'The good news is that the very fear of gaining weight is also the #1 deterrent to avoiding weight gain.

The great news is that studies show that at least 25% of all former smokers so fear weight-gain they actually LOSE weight once they've quit!'

Essential Summary

If you do not RUN AWAY FROM or try to NUMB your cravings to smoke by EATING, YOU WILL NOT GAIN WEIGHT when you quit smoking. FACT.

And even if you are one of those who may experience a slight weight gain of up to 5 pounds, due to metabolic changes- that is the easiest thing to remedy! FACT

Follow our simple advice - and you will not gain even an extra pound!

But the important thing to remember here is this:

It was the Old Way of giving up smoking that caused people to gain weight in the past.

It was the terrible idea that you must use Willpower to FORCE yourself not to smoke.

And the idea that you could use substitutes like food to BLOCK or to ESCAPE from these cravings.

But our approach to giving up smoking is the exact opposite.

We want you to FACE and WELCOME ALL the cravings you get when you stop.

We want you to TRANSFORM them. You now know that by allowing and opening to every feeling and desire WITHOUT judgment or resistance you can MAGICALLY transform how these feelings FEEL, moment-by-moment in your body.

They can actually be experienced as enjoyable sensations - and thus you will feel no compulsion to use food to escape from these cravings.

So why continue EVERY DAY to....CONGEST your lungs with cancerous tars. To CLUTTER up and POISON your blood vessels. And to SENTENCE yourself to a lifetime of.....

* Filth* Bad breath* Stained teeth* Burnt clothes* Filthy ashtrays* And the foul smell of stale tobacco....

......all because of the mistaken BELIEF that if you stop smoking, you must gain weight.

Go on....show the world by your own PERSONAL EXAMPLE that it is a LIE!

Because it is!

And as you show them, ENJOY fully all the great immediate benefits you'll experience when you stop.....

You'll feel stronger, younger, healthier

Your complexion will be better.

Your teeth and fingers will no longer be yellow.

Your eyes will look healthier, more alive and vibrant.

And your clothes and breath will no longer stink of stale smoke.

You'll feel f-r-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c !!

Now......what is your answer to that Question, 'Will you gain weight when you stop smoking?'

Is it possible to enjoy, yes ENJOY quitting smoking - and not gain ANY weight?

By Sean Riain

Current Health Articles on Second Hand Smoking

Getting rid of habits like smoking is not easy. However, people are becoming aware of the dangers of second hand smoke and are trying to keep their families away from these dangers by smoking near a window of the house or by opening all the doors and windows for better ventilation. Current health articles have mentioned very specific that this does not really function as even the slightest residual of smell in the air can affect other people and specially children.

Many people are aware of the dangers of second hand smoke, however, they are not aware of the deep effects; even the smallest of residual of that smoke that sticks to your clothes and furniture is also very harmful.

Current health articles also have mentioned that since this is such a great problem, it will be a very good idea to create a better awareness among smokers to find better ways to protect those around them to avoid the problems that they are already having. Another important fact that current health articles have mentioned also is that the children of parents that smoke are most likely to smoke themselves in their adolescent years only.

Current health articles have reported that there is no risk free level of tobacco exposure and that the smoke of tobacco contains chemicals that can create all kinds of cancers. And the worse news is that the chemicals get more concentrated in second hand smoke.

Current health articles advice for people to be extremely cautious about second hand smoke. It is very important for parents to think about quitting smoking, however, it is also understood that this is not possible so easily. Therefore there are certain measures that you can take to avoid second hand smoking especially for your children.

If you are a smoker and you have children at home, smoke outside of your house. That is the only way to avoid them from coming in contact with the deadly chemicals which will affect their health in the long run. Current health articles also advice to avoid smoking where there are pregnant women, since this is also a dangerous way of getting your future children at risk of contaminates.

Don't smoke on your car. Even if you are alone, the smoke will stick to the materials in the car and even though you may not think, the chemicals will still be there when others come and sit in the same car. This is the extent to which the chemicals are able to linger in the atmosphere and that is why it is very important to take proper precautions.

By Deep Gajiwala 

Vitamins for Smokers

Numerous studies and surveys have consistently shown that a majority of adults frequently eat foods that contain too little vitamin B-6 and vitamin E. We consume far too many calories, and too much total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Women frequently eat too little folic acid, iron, calcium, and zinc. This is why it is so important to take a multi-vitamin daily.

The basic nutritional needs of men and women who smoke are similar to those who don't use tobacco. However, conclusive evidence exists that smokers need much more antioxidant nutrients than non-smokers.

Essentially, smokers need antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid), and vitamin E. It was once believed that beta-carotene was an attribute for non-smokers, but recent clinical studies have found that beta-carotene can actually be harmful to smokers' health. Beta-carotene can be found in most multi-vitamins and an excess of beta-carotene is risky for good nutritional health. If you are a smoker and going to take a multi-vitamin, be sure it doesn't list beta-carotene as one of the ingredients.

Too many smokers have inadequate intakes of antioxidants. Smokers are reported to consume lower quantities of antioxidant nutrients than nonsmokers. Antioxidant nutrients have protective roles with regard to cancer, heart disease, cataract formation, cognitive (mind) dysfunction, and other diseases. Researches believe there is a balance between antioxidant protectors and components that promote oxidation in the body. This balance seems to be related to health or disease. Some components of cigarette smoke promote oxidation that provides high levels of oxidant stress. Free radicals, which also promote oxidation, are derived from tobacco. Cigarette smoke has been estimated to contain 1,000,000,000,000,000 free radicals per inhalation. These free radicals can oxidize the fat components of the body and this is quite harmful.

For instance, cigarette smokers have lower vitamin C (natural antioxidant) intakes and plasma vitamin C levels than nonsmokers. The incidence of cancer, heart disease, and cataracts is lower in populations that have high intakes of fruits or leafy green vegetables, all replete with vitamin C. Smokers who ate foods containing more than 200 mg vitamin C daily had serum vitamin C levels equivalent to those of nonsmokers who consumed 60 mg or more of the vitamin, according to a recent national survey. The most recent edition of the Recommended Dietary Allowances recommends that regular cigarette smokers take in at least 100 mg of vitamin C daily. Smokers have been found to have higher levels of vitamin C in the lung tissues than nonsmokers. This clearly reflects a positive defense mechanism against the free radical species from cigarette smoke.

Studies have found that smokers have a 30 percent lower vitamin C level than nonsmokers. Researchers believe that nicotine may interfere with vitamin C absorption. Nicotine boosts metabolic rate, therefore increasing the rate that vitamin C is metabolized. Individuals who smoke need 100 milligrams of vitamin C (versus 60 milligrams for nonsmokers) every day.

The body's most effective antioxidant is vitamin E. Smokers have been found to have lower levels of plasma vitamin E than nonsmokers.

Smokers seeking nutritional supplementation should look for a multi-vitamin that contains at least all of the following: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin E, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Niacin, Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Zinc Picolinate, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), and the antioxidant Co-Q10. Some supplements add Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Powder, Inositol, Rutin, Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex, Choline Bitartrate and PABA.

If you smoke, or live with someone who smokes, it is important that you make the right choices to safeguard you health against the risks associated with smoking. One of the most important decisions you can make is choosing the right multi-vitamin. It's a fact that smoking depletes the body of important nutrients. It's also a fact that one nutrient, beta-carotene, has been found in clinical studies to adversely effect smokers' health. Beta-carotene, a form of Vitamin A, can be found in most multi-vitamins.

By Yogi Rele 

Bladder Cancer Risks Of Smokeless Tobacco

Ever think about the dangers of smokeless tobacco? If you use smokeless tobacco your first thoughts are probably the chance of contracting lip, tongue, throat and stomach cancer. These are certainly cancers that have been proven to develop from smokeless tobacco use.

Many people are not aware that smokeless tobacco has a more far ranging effect on the human body than those diseases mentioned above. It has been shown that smokeless tobacco can increase greatly the chances of developing bladder cancer. What is frightening is that so many people now using and those who will soon begin to use smokeless tobacco have no idea of the serious effects this substance can bring down upon unsuspecting users.

Carcinogins found in tobacco have been shown to increase the risk of bladder cancer by up to 400% in users vs. those who do not use. Even more frightening this risk factor remains for years even after the user quits tobacco completely. Scary thought, huh?

What educators in the tobacco cessation arena need to be aware of is finding a way to get across the truth that just because smokeless tobacco is smokeless it isn't harmless. Smokeless tobacco doesn't just stay in the oral cavity. It gets swallowed into the stomach and it gets into your esophagus and bladder.

I would like to add an interesting paragraph from a study called: Clinico-pathological features of bladder carcinoma in women in Pakistan and smokeless tobacco as a possible risk factor

Muhammad Rafique1

1Department of Urology, Nishtar Medical College, Multan, Pakistan

Corresponding author.

Muhammad Rafique: rafiqanju/at/hotmail.com

Received April 12, 2005; Accepted August 5, 2005.

."Transitional cell carcinoma is the most common bladder malignancy in women in Pakistan. Most women with bladder carcinoma have long history of use of smokeless tobacco. At the time of diagnosis 75% women have muscle invasive bladder carcinoma. In women using smokeless tobacco, there is significant correlation between stage of bladder carcinoma and duration of smokeless tobacco use. Further studies are required to clarify the role of smokeless tobacco in the development of bladder carcinoma."

Does chewing and dipping cause bladder cancer? We have seen a lot of evidence that points to a correlation of bladder cancer and tobacco use. There remains a lot of research left to do before the final verdict is in. In my humble opinion, the information that I have studied in preparation to write this short, general article has convinced me that the possibility that it does cause bladder cancer far outweighs any scientific information stating that it doesn't.

When it comes right down to it, knowing all of the things that the use of smokeless tobacco certainly does makes the use of it illogical. When we add the fact that there is much sound evidence that smokeless tobacco can affect the body to the degree of producing bladder cancer, it just makes good sense:

1) If you don't chew, dip or smoke - don't.

2) If you do use tobacco in any form - seriously consider finding a good cessation program and quit.

By Zachary Malott