If you are someone who fears quitting smoking because of the side effects of weight gain, then we will discuss several issues in this article that you will find very interesting.

The reality is, there is a possibility you may gain weight when you quit smoking. First I will discuss the reasons why this happens. Secondly I will discuss why you shouldn't let this be a reason not to quit, as there are very simple solutions to the problem. If weight gain is a problem for you there may be other areas in your life that you can improve the same time.

Quitting smoking may be the excuse you need to improve other areas of your health and well-being at the same time. At the conclusion of this article you will be able to face quitting smoking without the fear of ever gaining a single pound.

One of the unfortunate side effects when you stop smoking, is the possibility of gaining weight. This will not happen to everybody (some lucky people never put on any weight), but it is a frequent occurrence. Some people may only put a little bit of weight while others can put on 3 kg's or more.

The reasons for this weight gain are thought be because:

• Smoking actually burns about 200 calories a day as a result of your body working overtime to metabolise is the poisons from your system. So even if you don't eat any more when you quit, you still need to find a way to burn an extra 200 calories, or cut this from your daily intake.
• Years of smoking can dull the taste buds and when you stop taste returns to normal. This may lead to overindulgence.
• When some people quit, they substitute cigarettes with food. Instead of going outside for a ciggie they head straight for the fridge.

Many smokers use the fear of weight gain as an excuse not to quit. The fact of the matter is, there are plenty of solutions to this problem.

Here are some ideas to make sure you don't pack on the pounds after you have stubbed out that last cigarette.

As soon as you have stopped smoking, put yourself on a healthy eating plan. I'm not saying go on a diet (an evil word that should be banished from the English language), but instead make some healthier choices.

• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean meats. If you find it hard to eat healthy all the time then allow yourself to have one day a week where you spoil yourself. This makes it easy to stay on track the rest of the time.
• Another good point about eating healthy straight is that it helps your body become more efficient at repairing itself and getting rid of poisons/toxins. You will need this after smoking for all those years.
• Add 30 minutes of solid Aerobic activity to your daily routine; this will burn up those extra 200 calories. This can be anything from jogging, biking, skipping, or playing sports like tennis, netball or touch rugby.

The thing is, it is absolutely vital for human beings to exercise, it is simply not an option not to. There are no ifs or buts in this equation. If you are not getting any exercise, quitting smoking could be the opportunity to add this to your healthy lifestyle.

Now we all lead pretty hectic lives and it can be hard to fit 30 minutes in. You could break the 30 minutes up into segments during the day or sacrifices may need to be made like waking up 30 minutes earlier, or missing out on TV for half an hour.

If you find yourself substituting cigarettes with food, then you really need to make a conscious effort to stop. Throw out all the junk and sugar foods in the house and fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy, low calorie snacks like fruits, veggies and nuts.

If you are really serious about stopping smoking, then there is no way you should let a little something like putting on a couple of extra kg's stop you from achieving your goal. If it does stop you from quitting, then you may not be serious enough about stopping smoking in the first place.