It’s still worth quitting, even if you gain a few pounds.

Gaining weight is common when you quit tobacco (sorry). In fact, the average gain is five to 10 pounds in the months after a quit. But don’t let a few pounds stop you from making a healthy change in your life!

You might find yourself putting on a few because:

• You might want to replace tobacco with food. It can be tempting to snack or eat to get through nicotine cravings while you quit. This can up your calorie intake and cause you to gain weight.
• You might be hungrier and enjoy the taste of food more. Nicotine reduces your appetite. When you quit tobacco, your appetite and sense of taste and smell improve (good news!). This can cause you to eat more (not such good news).
• Your metabolism slows down, making it tougher to keep weight off. Nicotine speeds up your metabolism. When you quit, you will have to work a little harder to burn calories.

If quitting tobacco gives you a snack attack, get smart about fighting weight gain [PDF 995KB]. Stock up on healthy snacks, up your PT time and remind yourself that the burn just makes you better.