I recently gave up smoking and have found (not through overeating) that I have put on more than half a stone. Can anyone tell me why and how do I lose it

asks Stephanie:
A. There are a few reasons why you can put weight on after you stop smoking. For a start, nicotine has the ability to take the edge off your appetite - smokers tend to have a cigarette with their coffee rather than a biscuit.

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Q. I've heard that smoking speeds up your metabolism - is this true
A. It does, but only to a very small extent, and it shouldn't really make a marked difference to your weight. The weight gain is probably due more to habit.

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Q. What do you mean
A. Well, if you smoked 15 cigarettes a day, you're used to putting your hand to your mouth at least 150 times each day. That's a habit that is hard to break, and snacking can compensate.

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Q. How can I break that habit
A. It's important not to give yourself a 'substitute' for cigarettes, such as chewing gum or nibbles. Try not to eat anything between meals - you could have a few extra glasses of water instead, which would be useful for flushing all those toxins away.

Try to find something to do with your hands - ex-smokers often find themselves ripping up bits of paper or fiddling with buttons for the first few months until more natural postures feel normal again!

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Q. What can I do to lose the weight
A. It's common to put on five to ten pounds after stopping smoking, but ex-smokers usually lose this weight after a few months - if they maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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The best way to lose weight is to eat healthily and not try to starve yourself - i.e. eat lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat and cut right back on sugary, fatty food and all junk food. You should also up the amount of exercise you take: you could join a gym, go swimming in your lunch hour or walk home. Whichever exercise you choose, you should do it at a moderate pace at least three times a week.

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And don't despair - it's still healthier to be slightly overweight than a smoker: you would have to be about three to four stone overweight before the risks are the same.

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Do you have a suggestion for losing weight after smoking Post it here

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By Sheena Miller