Weight Gain Concerns When You Stop Smoking
With all the stop smoking aids and programs available to help smokers quit, and all the nicotine replacement products to help people get off of their nicotine addiction gradually in order to reduce their withdrawal symptoms, why are so many people still unable to quit smoking? If you are going to stop smoking you are going to have to deal with the impact of physical nicotine addiction, but this may not be as big of a problem as the psychological dependency and benefits that smokers think they are getting - and primary amongst these is related to smoking and your weight.
Due to the way nicotine affects the brain, dopamine is released, and that leads to the smoker feeling pleasure.
However, nicotine also causes a decrease in an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down dopamine.
When this doesn't happen smoking can give even more satisfaction, thus keeping the smoker anticipating these feelings - and always wanting that next cigarette.
This is a strong psychological reason for why people can't [don't want to] quit smoking, but it may be secondary to nicotine and how smoking affects your weight.
When you smoke nicotine causes insulin release to be decreased.
As insulin is a hormone that keeps your blood from having excess sugar in it, when it is inhibited from acting, the result can be an increase in the blood sugar level and hyperglycemia - and this becomes an appetite suppressant which not keeps the smoker from gaining weight, it may actually help them lose weight.
Getting through the physical addiction will cause some pain, but it can be relatively short-lived and there are aids for this.
Giving up feelings of pleasure, and a way to relieve stress and anxiety can be more difficult, because this is something that you will continue to miss and can last longer.
But gaining weight as a result of giving up smoking and nicotine, which can be even more pronounced as your sense of taste returns to normal.
Getting fatter and looking bad, not having any of your clothes fit, and having the problem get progressively worse instead of better - this may be the biggest psychological reason of them all for why people are unable [unwilling] to stop smoking.
Anticipation and perception can be so powerful as motivators for the things a person does.
As discussed, nicotine causes you to anticipate feeling pleasure, so you smoke to receive this.
However, as in the case with most things, what you actually get isn't as good as what you had perceived, so you keep wanting and increasing your nicotine intake to try to change this.
Or think how hysterical a child can become about going to the doctor.
Why, because they are afraid of getting a shot.
But even though the shot hardly hurts them, and any pain only lasts a couple of seconds, this does not keep them from getting hysterical the next time they have to go to the doctor.
With regards to quitting smoking it's about your weight.
You anticipate that you are going to gain weight, and you perceive and visualize yourself as a fat person.
As a result, one of two things happen (1) your fear of weight gain negates the positive health benefits of stopping, and you continue to smoke (2) you expect to gain weight, so when you quit you start eating uncontrollably, and instead of gaining a few pounds you do become fat - but this didn't have to happen, you made what you anticipated and feared to come true.
Yes, you can expect to gain some weight right after you stop smoking; the supposed average is around 5-8 pounds - not 10-20-30...
obesity like you may be anticipating, or that you may cause.
Just because you are eating more, you can eat more fruit and vegetables, instead of candy bars and bowls of ice cream.
Also, drink plenty of water.
It has been determined that doing this not only has a positive effect on people's life, but it also well help in your attempt to control your weight.
Additionally, you need this extra water to flush out all the chemicals and poisons that you have been putting in your body through your years of smoking.
Think of stopping smoking as more than just the quitting itself, think of this as part of a total life style change.
As a life style change smoking and your weight doesn't have to be an issue to keep you from you quitting, you can manage your weight, and even stress, through making changes in your diet and through exercise.
You are going to gain tremendous health benefits when you stop smoking, but why stop there.
Add healthy eating and physical activity to this, and you are on the way to making major improvements in the quality of your life.
Due to the way nicotine affects the brain, dopamine is released, and that leads to the smoker feeling pleasure.
However, nicotine also causes a decrease in an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down dopamine.
When this doesn't happen smoking can give even more satisfaction, thus keeping the smoker anticipating these feelings - and always wanting that next cigarette.
This is a strong psychological reason for why people can't [don't want to] quit smoking, but it may be secondary to nicotine and how smoking affects your weight.
When you smoke nicotine causes insulin release to be decreased.
As insulin is a hormone that keeps your blood from having excess sugar in it, when it is inhibited from acting, the result can be an increase in the blood sugar level and hyperglycemia - and this becomes an appetite suppressant which not keeps the smoker from gaining weight, it may actually help them lose weight.
Getting through the physical addiction will cause some pain, but it can be relatively short-lived and there are aids for this.
Giving up feelings of pleasure, and a way to relieve stress and anxiety can be more difficult, because this is something that you will continue to miss and can last longer.
But gaining weight as a result of giving up smoking and nicotine, which can be even more pronounced as your sense of taste returns to normal.
Getting fatter and looking bad, not having any of your clothes fit, and having the problem get progressively worse instead of better - this may be the biggest psychological reason of them all for why people are unable [unwilling] to stop smoking.
Anticipation and perception can be so powerful as motivators for the things a person does.
As discussed, nicotine causes you to anticipate feeling pleasure, so you smoke to receive this.
However, as in the case with most things, what you actually get isn't as good as what you had perceived, so you keep wanting and increasing your nicotine intake to try to change this.
Or think how hysterical a child can become about going to the doctor.
Why, because they are afraid of getting a shot.
But even though the shot hardly hurts them, and any pain only lasts a couple of seconds, this does not keep them from getting hysterical the next time they have to go to the doctor.
With regards to quitting smoking it's about your weight.
You anticipate that you are going to gain weight, and you perceive and visualize yourself as a fat person.
As a result, one of two things happen (1) your fear of weight gain negates the positive health benefits of stopping, and you continue to smoke (2) you expect to gain weight, so when you quit you start eating uncontrollably, and instead of gaining a few pounds you do become fat - but this didn't have to happen, you made what you anticipated and feared to come true.
Yes, you can expect to gain some weight right after you stop smoking; the supposed average is around 5-8 pounds - not 10-20-30...
obesity like you may be anticipating, or that you may cause.
Just because you are eating more, you can eat more fruit and vegetables, instead of candy bars and bowls of ice cream.
Also, drink plenty of water.
It has been determined that doing this not only has a positive effect on people's life, but it also well help in your attempt to control your weight.
Additionally, you need this extra water to flush out all the chemicals and poisons that you have been putting in your body through your years of smoking.
Think of stopping smoking as more than just the quitting itself, think of this as part of a total life style change.
As a life style change smoking and your weight doesn't have to be an issue to keep you from you quitting, you can manage your weight, and even stress, through making changes in your diet and through exercise.
You are going to gain tremendous health benefits when you stop smoking, but why stop there.
Add healthy eating and physical activity to this, and you are on the way to making major improvements in the quality of your life.
