Third, if you're going to lose weight and quit smoking, you're probably better off losing the weight first and then dealing with the smoking. In losing weight, most people become more active which helps make the transition easier.
Even if you do end up gaining weight, a smoking cessation program still offers more benefits than a slight weight loss would. A few extra pounds won't affect your health as negatively as smoking does. When you quit smoking, you lower your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers dramatically.
Smokefree.gov reports four out of every five people who stop smoking gain some weight. However, six months after quitting, most people have lost at least some of the weight that they gained. It is important to know that you can quit smoking and control your weight. It may take some time and effort, but it can be done.
Research shows it is possible to stop smoking and simultaneously lose weight.
Despite the fears of many smokers relating to smoking cessation and weight gain, there is evidence to suggest that quitting smoking can help you actually lose weight over the long term.
Does smoking cause belly fat? There are some studies that state smoking may impact fat distribution around the body, leading to a higher amount in the waist and hip region than elsewhere. Whilst interesting, evidence of smoking causing belly fat is not conclusive.
Within one week your sense of taste and smell may have improved. Within three months you will be coughing and wheezing less, your immune function and circulation to your hands and feet will be improving, and your lungs will be getting better at removing mucus, tar and dust.
Obesity and Life Expectancy
Obesity has a similar impact on life expectancy. But while smoking certainly carries numerous and substantial health risks, obesity poses even more.
When you quit smoking, you might feel hungrier and eat more. Eating can be a substitute for smoking. Smoking gave you something to do with your hands, and you're used to putting a cigarette in your mouth. For a lot of people, food replaces cigarettes, so it's more likely you'll gain weight after quitting.
On average, people gain between 5 lb and 10 lb in the months after they stop smoking. Keep in mind that not everyone gains weight, and some people actually lose weight. Different factors can affect how much weight you gain.
Overall, weight was found to increase during the first 3 months post-cessation, and to stabilize afterwards. On average, men gained 3.9 kg and women gained 3.3 kg 1 year after smoking cessation.
Reduced Discolouration and Staining
Increased blood flow will also make your complexion look less grey and pale, one of the most noticeable differences in your skin before and after quitting smoking. As your skin gets more nutrients and oxygen, your face may even appear brighter with a healthy glow, after you quit.
Smoking increases your heart rate, keeping your metabolism revved. The metabolism of a smoker compares to the metabolism of a person with a 100-degree F fever. The heart rate of smokers is elevated and, therefore, the metabolism remains high at all times, almost as if you have a fever of 100 degrees F.
Nicotine speeds up the body's food processing system, the metabolism. When people stop smoking, their metabolism slows down, so they burn fewer kilojoules than while they were smoking. This could explain why some people who quit smoking put on weight even if they do not eat any more than usual.
About 10 percent of quitters of both genders gain 28 pounds or more. However, post-quitting weight gain typically only lasts for about three years, while quitting smoking remains a good long-term health decision.
Give your mouth something to do to resist a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless gum or hard candy. Or munch on raw carrots, nuts or sunflower seeds — something crunchy and tasty.
Life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers. Quitting smoking before the age of 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking-related disease by about 90%.
Obese female smokers lost 13.3 years and obese male smokers lost 13.7 years compared with normal-weight nonsmokers. Body mass index at ages 30 to 49 years predicted mortality after ages 50 to 69 years, even after adjustment for body mass index at age 50 to 69 years.
Smoking is associated with lower BMI and smoking cessation with higher BMI. However, the net effect of smoking and subsequent cessation on weight development appears to be minimal, i.e. never more than an average of 0.7 kg/m2.
Feeling anxious, sad, or depressed. People who smoke are more likely to have anxiety or depression than people who don't smoke. Some people feel mood changes for a short time after they quit smoking. Watch for this, especially if you've ever had anxiety or depression.
Within two weeks of quitting smoking, you may start to notice you're not only breathing easier. You're also walking easier. This is thanks to improved circulation and oxygenation. Your lung function also increases as much as 30 percent about two weeks after stopping smoking, notes the University of Michigan.
At three weeks, you've likely gotten through the shock of physical withdrawal. Now you're beginning to tackle the mental side of nicotine addiction, or psychological withdrawal. 2 This turn of events often triggers cravings to smoke that can feel like you're back at square one.
Researchers found that smokers weighed about 5 pounds less than people who had never smoked, according to new research in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The cause of that lighter weight, the researchers say, is tobacco.