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Quit Smoking And Gain Weight? Fact or Myth?

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Face it smoking is bad for your health. Yet so many people are afraid if they stop smoking they will gain weight. It is true that there is a high risk of substituting one unhealthy habit for another. For a lot of people food is what they replace smoking with. Some people even look at smoking as a way to lose weight and keep it off.

Smoking does speed up your body's metabolism and people who smoke don't snack as much. However the health risks far outweigh any weight loss benefits you will reap from smoking.

While we all should be aware of the consequences of smoking, it doesn't hurt to review them again. The nicotine in cigarettes slowly poisons the body, choking the lungs with tar. It becomes increasingly difficult to breathe and eventually many simple tasks such as climbing stairs and walking moderate distances become taxing. Eventually smoking can lead to serious health risks such as cancer and heart disease.

It is possible to stop smoking without gaining excess weight. In fact, very few people gain weight after they give up cigarettes. Start slowing substituting smoking with other activities. If you don't substitute food for a cigarette, you will be less likely to gain weight when you quit for good. Go for a brisk walk during breaks from work, or read a good book. If you want to snack, choose healthy snacks such as fresh fruit, veggies, and whole grains.

Make careful lifestyle changes and implement them daily into your life. An evening walk or working out at the gym are good ways to clear your head and focus on a healthy life. By adding exercise to your life as you give up smoking, you are adding a healthy lifestyle option while getting rid of a negative lifestyle option. You will find that as you move further and further from that last cigarette, you will have greater lung capacity and the ability to work out longer and run further. Your body will be free of the restrictions that smoking has imposed on it.

In addition to adding exercise to your life, it is important to make diet changes as well. Add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Make sure you add foods that are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants will help to purge your body of the toxins that have built up from the cigarette smoke. Foods that are rich in antioxidants are deeply colored berries, like blueberries and dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach. Not only will you be cleansing your body from the poisons, you will be preparing it for a healthier life. Giving your body the best fuel will keep it running in top form!

As you quit smoking and change your lifestyle you will discover that foods taste better, scents smell better and you feel better! Substituting good habits such as healthy snacks and exercise for smoking will help ensure that you will not gain weight. Giving up smoking will be a healthy change that your body will love!
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