Giving Up Smoking and Losing Weight
By WLR Dietitian
Q: I gave up smoking 3 months ago but am now at my
heaviest weight ever and have recently been diagnosed with
high blood pressure. Having yo-yo dieted for at least 18
years, I think my metabolism is rather slow. Can you give
me any advice to kick start it once and for all?
A: Congratulations on giving up smoking – and take heart in the
fact that even though you’ve put on weight, quitting smoking is the
single most important thing you can do to improve your health.
Many people gain weight when they stop smoking, usually because
food becomes a substitute for cigarettes and taste buds come back to
life so that food starts tasting nicer again with the result that
you eat more.
To start with, I suggest you use Weight Loss Resources to keep a food diary for a
week and write down everything you eat and drink. This will help you
identify any bad eating habits that have crept in since quitting
smoking. For example, you might find you’re now munching your way
through a couple of packets of mints each day, have swapped your
mid-morning cigarette for a Danish pastry or finish your evening
meal with chocolate rather than a smoke. Keeping a food diary will
also help you identify whether you are actually eating more food
than before, too. Once you’ve identified problem areas, you’ll find
it easier to make changes so that you can lose the extra weight
you’ve put on.
As for boosting your metabolism, the easiest way to do this is to
take more exercise. This will help to tone and build muscle – and
the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be. For
best results you should combine aerobic activities such as fast
walking, swimming, cycling or running with strength training such as
light weights. The good news is, now that you’ve given up smoking,
you should find it easier to exercise. You can find out more about
metabolism and your weight by clicking
here.
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