Quit Smoking Side Effects

The fact is that smoking cessation can be a difficult task, but anyone with a made up mind can succeed at it. Some may have tried and ended up going back to the bad habit. I know many people who have done this. To be successful at quitting smoking a person must make a commitment to themselves to quit permanently. They will have to deal with the quit smoking side effects which we will look at here, as well as ways to cope so that you do NOT revert to this unhealthy habit.

Many say that when a person is trying to quit smoking they suffer with withdrawals from their addiction to nicotine but there is another school of thought that smoking is more of a habit than an addiction, so, instead of having withdrawals to the nicotine you are having withdrawals from the habit of putting a cigarette into your mouth and pulling on it.

Many claim that cigarettes relax you and this is why many people smoke, however others in the scientific arena say that it is impossible for cigarettes to relax you as the chemicals contained in cigarettes are stimulants.

So what is it about smoking that relaxes? It is the oxygen inhaled when you pull on that cigarette, not the cigarette itself. So having said that, one simple way to cope with the side effect of withdrawal would be to simulate putting a cigarette to your mouth by holding your two cigarette fingers together, placing them at your mouth and inhaling a huge amount of oxygen instead. Try it…it is amazingly effective.

One of the main quit smoking side effects is gaining weight. A small amount of weight gain is to be expected, especially immediately after quitting.

However, this is mainly water weight and will eventually drop off. Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking, but the average weight gain is about 10 pounds. Even if weight gain is one of the quit smoking side effects that you experience, the health risks of smoking are far greater so bear this in mind. There are ways to prevent gaining weight after you quit smoking and here are some for you to consider incorporating into your daily routine.

1. Exercise – becoming physically active will not only help you control your weight, but will also give you more energy, improve your health, take your mind off smoking, and help relieve the stress and moodiness that may occur as a result of withdrawal from the habit. Taking the stairs, mowing the lawn, or playing with children can all suffice for daily physical activity if this is all you can make time for.

2. Drinking lots of water – water helps your body to flush toxins out and since your body will be in a state of detoxifying anything that you can do to help will also help your body to keep the weight off.

3. Eating a well-balanced diet – try to maintain balance in the foods you consume. Limit junk and processed foods. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

4. Eat more Frequently – eating smaller amounts more frequently boosts your metabolism which helps your body keep the weight off.

5. Manage cravings – did you know that cravings last only for about 5 minutes? So if you can distract yourself for 5 minutes when a craving hits you should be fine. Find ways that include your hands and mouth, like chewing on a carrot or gum as examples. Doodle, spin a pen or pencil around in your hand.

6. One tip that could help is to always remember HALT, never allow yourself to get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. All things that tend to make you weaker in your quest to stay away from cigarettes.

If you do gain weight, your healthy habits will help you lose the weight once your body gets back to normal and you will feel so much better as you’re able to breathe better and accomplish tasks without feeling overwhelmed. Always remember that the quit smoking side effects will not kill you but smoking certainly can.