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Quit smoking. Tobacco and cigarettes are injurious to health, but they also help you lose weight! Studies tell us that smoking causes cancer while it also facilitates weight loss. 

Confused?

We’re here to help! Let’s start by weighing out the pros and cons of quitting smoking. 

Cons of quitting

1. If you have observed that you lose weight while smoking, you must be worried about gaining it all back if you were to quit. 
2. Another con of quitting …

That’s about it.

Pros of quitting

1. You breathe easy: Just hours after you quit smoking, your body starts recovering from the effects of nicotine. Everything starts to normalize – your blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature.
2. Your blood gets purified: The poisonous carbon monoxide in your blood drops drastically. This allows your blood to carry more oxygen, resulting in improved circulation.
3. You look better: When you quit smoking, your skin’s ability to develop wrinkles at a young age gets reduced. Hence, it keeps you looking younger for long!
4. You have a fatter wallet: Quit smoking and save all the money that you would have spent on all those cigarettes that you would have smoked.
5. Help the underprivileged: The Quit and Save initiative allows you to donate the money you spend on cigarettes to underprivileged cancer patients who require your help. Thus, allowing you to make a difference in someone’s life. 

Now that we have weighed all the pros and cons let’s move on to the pressing issue.

As stated earlier in this article, studies suggest that if you quit smoking you will end up gaining weight. Now you may ask, “Why should I quit smoking? Apart from getting cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. If I quit I will end up gaining weight.”

This can be taken care of by altering your diet and involving yourself in physical activities. Yes, you will gain weight. This is because smoking increases your metabolism and this drops when you quit. However, the effect is not long term. Weight gain can always be corrected.

With a customized diet and workout or yoga routine, you will not only be able to boost your metabolism but increase your stamina as well. The endorphins released while working out help curb the urge to smoke. If you need help with a customized diet and workout plan you can get in touch with a coach at HealthifyMe and start your journey towards a healthier life!

Tips to curb cravings and quit smoking

People who quit smoking face yet another problem. Curbing their craving to smoke a cigarette. Don’t worry, here are a few tips that you can use!

1. Snack away: Keep a few healthy snacks handy. You can munch on food items like carrot sticks, sunflower seeds, a bowl of fruits, sugar-free lollipops, and chewing gum. You can also include vegetables like onions, cooked corn, broccoli, beets and bell peppers since they are high in cancer-fighting antioxidants.
2. Bacteria to the rescue: Research suggests that the bacteria present in your gut directly influences your cravings. “Bad” bacteria is instrumental in causing cravings for sugary and fatty foods. “Good” bacteria, on the other hand, is directly linked to a healthier body. Have probiotics and increase the number of beneficial organisms in your digestive tract to achieve weight loss.
3. Change your routine: Occupy yourself with something else that you enjoy – doodling on a piece of paper, playing a game, jogging, or even going for a stroll. This helps you take a quick break from your stressful lifestyle and leaves you feeling refreshed and more productive. 
4. Switch drinks: If coffee was your go-to drink while smoking, you can either switch to a cup of decaf coffee or a cup of herbal tea. Having a decaffeinated drink will help with the jitters caused due to the withdrawal of tobacco and nicotine.
5. Relax: Quitting all of a sudden can be stressful. You can overcome this by engaging in, and practising relaxation techniques such as, muscle relaxation and yoga. If these don’t help, opt for a full body massage, or listen to calming music.  
6. Make a list: List down the triggers and try to beat them by keeping yourself offupied, either with work or any of the above-mentioned techniques. Another method to stay away from cigarettes is spending quality time with your family and friends. 

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Let this quote help you during the tough times. Go on, drop that cigarette and pledge to never pick it up again.

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