Many people report gaining at least five to ten pounds within a month or two of quitting smoking. While this may be frustrating, it is still a lot healthier than continuing to smoke. What you should think through first is how to quit smoking without gaining weight. Having a game plan in advance can be quite helpful in combating the urge to snack as a substitution for nicotine.

Critical moments
Most smokers have a routine – certain times of day when they take cigarette breaks. When you first quit smoking, these times of day are when you are likely to be the most susceptible to over indulge with food to stave off the nicotine habit. One of the reasons is that nicotine is a natural metabolism booster so when you cut it out of your life, your metabolism slows, making you more prone to add pounds.

Snack Attack!Healthy snacks
The key to how to quit smoking without gaining weight lies in redirecting your actions during your most susceptible times when your body craves the nicotine from cigarettes. If you are one of those people who are orally fixated and need something in your mouth to stave off the urge to light up, prepare healthy snack choices in advance and keep them near you. Air popped popcorn, nuts, calorie-free chewing gum, crunchy vegetables, hot tea or even hard candies to suck on can help with the oral fixation and redirect your attention.

Delay snacking
Some type of physical activity can help as well. If you feel yourself reaching for a Twinkie to block the desire for nicotine, get up and go for a walk instead. If you are at the office, walk around your building or go up and down the stairs a few times. At home, consider a hands-on hobby like knitting or scrap booking. Grab a book to read or call a friend – anything that will distract you from the urge to smoke.

It is quite easy to list ideas on how to quit smoking without gaining weight. However, it is quite hard to follow through! Willpower and recognizing when you need a distraction are two key points to consider.

Here are some great guides to healthy snacking from Amazon:

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