Experts recommend focusing on the quitting process first and getting to the matter of your weight later on. "If you’re dieting while you’re trying to quit, there’s too much deprivation going on," says Perkins. Obsessing about keeping weight off while attempting to quit may even be counterproductive—on both fronts.
This dynamic is especially common for women, for whom weight gain can be such a tricky issue. (In addition to weight issues, research shows a range of other sex-based smoking differences.)
In a 2001 study, 219 women who wanted to quit—but were concerned about gaining weight—were divided into three groups. One group received cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) designed to help them accept a modest weight gain in exchange for the benefits of quitting smoking. Another group was given weight-control counseling and daily calorie goals. A third group (the control group) received counseling sessions in which they discussed their interpersonal relationships. A year later, 21% of the CBT group had successfully quit smoking, compared with 13% of the weight-control group and 9% of the control group. On average, the members of the CBT group also gained less weight than the other groups.
"Sometimes folks—particularly women—gain more, paradoxically, when they are concerned about weight gain, depending on how they approach the issue of quitting and weight," says Michele Levine, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
What to do about weight gain
Once you’ve congratulated yourself for quitting smoking (and given your body a few weeks to settle down), it’s time to work on replacing your bad habits with some good ones.
- Conquer your smoking triggers. For example, if you were used to smoking after a meal, get up from the table and brush your teeth instead.
- Sidetrack that oral fixation. Experts recommend chewing celery, carrots, sugar-free gum or candies, or playing with a straw or toothpick.
- Try cognitive-behavioral therapy. This can help you focus on taking care of yourself—quitting first and then working on weight control.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals to increase your metabolism and avoid getting so hungry that you overeat.
- Eat high-protein, high-fiber foods because they fill up your stomach more (and because they’re better for you).
- Exercise. Instead of going to smoke or grab a high-fat snack, take a walk or go to the gym. Keep in mind that moderate exercise, such as a walk during lunch, will actually decrease your appetite, because as you exercise fat breaks down and enters your bloodstream. The extra muscle mass you gain by exercising will also help increase your metabolism, not to mention that exercise helps you deal with stress, boredom, and tension.
