How to Prevent Weight Gain After Quitting Smoking?

One of the drawbacks of quitting smoking is weight gain. Many people that I have spoken to in fact give this as a reason to continue smokong. Think for a minute and read the US Surgeon General's report on the many benefits of quitting smoking. The chances of getting heart attacks, strokes or cancers almost falls to baseline 10-15 years after quitting. Is this not reason enough to quit smoking today? Dealing with post-quitting weight gain is relatively more simple than putting one's own life at risk from these killer diseases. Here are some simple suggestions to deal with the weight gain that might follow quitting smoking.
1. Don't quit smoking during holiday periods. One is highly likely to eat more then. 2. Stay away from alcohol. Do not resort to alcohol as a solace. Alcoholic drinks have a lot of calories, so avoiding them will help you control your weight. In addition, drinking can weaken your willpower, especially if you are the kind of person who smokes when you drink. 3. Do not go hungry as a means to keep weight in check. Eat at least 3 healthy meals a day so you don't get hungry. For some people, eating smaller healthy meals more than 3 times a day works better. And eat more whole-grain foods, vegetables, salads and fresh fruits. They stay with you longer and help keep you from getting hungry. 4. Professional help is always at hand in almost every city around the world. Nutritionists, fitness instructors, and therapists can all help you control your weight when you quit smoking. 5. Ensure that regular physical activity is a part of your life. Walking is a great exercise that most people enjoy and can do. It may help to walk or exercise with a partner or group. 6. Weigh yourself at least once a week using the same weighing scale. Keep a pencil and paper near the scales, and write your weight down. That way the extra pounds won't "sneak up" on you. 7. Never forget to remind yourself every day of how much healthier you are after quitting smoking. Remember, looking good is much more important than how much you weigh. Smelling clean and smoke-free, having fresh breath, having fingers and teeth free of yellow tobacco stains, and feeling healthier all make you more attractive. 8. A big reason people gain weight is that they reach for food instead of a cigarette after they quit. When you have a craving for a cigarette or food, remember that cravings usually last only a few minutes. Do something else to occupy your time for those few minutes. 9. Instead of eating candy or other food to replace the cigarettes, try chewing on a drinking straw, toothpick, a pencil or coffee stirrer. 10. If you must have something sweet in your mouth, eat fruits or try sugar-free gum or candy. 11. Come up with something else to keep your hands busy so you don't use them to eat. For example, take up knitting, beading, doing crossword puzzles, sudoku or just anything else that can keep you busy till the urge passes off. 12. It is not uncommon for people to resort to psychological binges when under duress. Find other ways to deal with those times. Go for a walk, take the dogs for a walk, or even vacuum the floor or help in some household chores.
Remember quitting smoking is far better than gaining a few pounds after quitting. And weight gain is a far more easy issue to tackle than not deciding to quit smoking.
For all the health reasons why one should quit smoking visit hubpages.com/hub/Top-Reasons-To-Quit-Smoking and for some sure-shot remedies that can help you to quit smoking in as less as seven days visit naturalremedies.weebly.com