Some women who smoke say they do it to keep their weight down. The problem with that logic is that smoking is much more harmful than gaining a few pounds.

In fact, the health damage of a pack of cigarettes a day is about the same as carrying around 60 or more extra pounds (1). And that qualifies as way more than a “few pounds.”

Besides, by making a few simple changes to your lifestyle and eating habits before you quit you can ensure that you’ll keep the scales right where they are today.

Step One: Know the facts (and the myths) about smoking and weight gain

• Not all smokers gain weight when quitting
• Most people who do gain weight when they quit gain 5 pounds or less. In one study, 23 percent of quitters actually lost weight
• You are more likely to gain weight when you quit if you have smoked for more than 10 years, or if you smoke more than a pack a day
• Smoking artificially elevates your heart rate and increases your metabolism (this may sound like a good thing at first, but the real reason quitting may slow your metabolism is that it causes your body to start working efficiently again)
• After you quit, you may be tempted to eat more because your food will smell and taste better. This doesn’t actually sound like such a bad side effect to us!

Step Two: Work to increase physical activity and improve eating habits before you quit.
Physical activity helps control your weight by increasing your body’s metabolism. You should aim for at least 30 minutes of activity per day. If you’re already getting that much, you may need to add a few more minutes to your routine to help ward off extra weight.

Even if you’re busy, you can find time to fit physical activity into your daily routine. Substitute a 45 minute walk or 30 minutes of laps in the pool for some of the time you normally spend watching TV, playing video games or sitting in front of the computer. Choose activities you enjoy, like walking to the store, biking to a friend’s house or dancing. Switch activities every once in a while to keep the routine fresh.

Healthy eating habits help control your weight by limiting the amount of calories and fats you eat. Some ex-smokers gain weight because they trade smoking for snacking. To keep this from happening to you, start by replacing some bad eating habits with healthy ones.

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