5 Reasons People Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking and How to Avoid It

by Dan

This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.

While it’s true that many people add a few pounds to their weight when they quit smoking, it doesn’t have to be a permanent problem.

First you need to understand why the weight gain can occur. Then the solution will be easy to implement. Below are 5 reasons people gain weight when they quit smoking.

Smoking increases your metabolism so you burn more calories. That might sound like a good thing, but this occurs because smoking elevates your heart rate which is a bad thing. When you stop smoking, you burn fewer calories each day because your metabolism slows down until your body adjusts to the lack of nicotine in your system.
Nicotine is an appetite-suppressant. When you smoke, the liver releases glycogen. This raises your blood sugar and suppresses hunger. Therefore, once you stop smoking you might be tempted to eat more, which isn’t automatically a bad thing if you make good food choices.
When you quit smoking, your taste buds and sense of smell improve which makes your food taste better to you. That can cause you to overeat.
Nicotine increases the levels of dopamine in your brain, as does sugar (for example, candy, cake, soft drinks) and alcohol. The release of dopamine gives you a feeling of well-being, and makes you feel good. Therefore, when some people quit smoking, they tend to increase their sugar and/or alcohol intake, looking for the same feeling.
Since both smoking and eating keep your hands and mouth occupied, you might be tempted to eat more often.

In Part 2, you’ll find out How to Avoid Gaining Weight When You Stop Smoking.

Tags: quit smoking, weight gain when you quit smoking, why you gain weight when you quit smoking