Weight Gain

Have you ever seen beef jerky at the super market? You know, that smoked meat that sits on the counter waiting to be bought? How much water do you think is in that meat? Right, not much at all. Well, what do you think you are doing to your body when you smoke it? It is a known fact that smoking causes dehydration. If you don’t believe me, look at someone who has smoked for 50 or 60 years compared with someone who hasn’t, their skin quality is completely different most of the time.

When you become a non-smoker, your body is going to naturally want to re-hydrate the cells that have dehydrated over the years. What this means is that you could gain anywhere from 2 - 5 pounds of water. Now this is not fat, it is not water retention. It is simply the process of your body becoming denser – having each cell weigh slightly more because it is re-hydrated. Expect this. I would rather see you be 2 - 5 pounds heavier and a non-smoker, than 2 - 5 pounds lighter and a smoker. Remember, this is water that your body needs anyway. Which would you rather be?

Some people worry that they are going to crave sweets when they become a non-smoker. That’s because, depending on what cigarette you smoke, each cigarette contains between 8 - 18% sugar! When tobacco is ‘cured,’ it is soaked in sugar water and then dehydrated. This is why some people’s hands shake when they go without a cigarette for a while… it’s called hypoglycemia, and shaking hands is one of the first symptoms of having low blood sugar. Now I can’t tell you what to eat, but if I were going to find another source for sugar I would favor fruit. The natural sugars in fruit will counteract any cravings you may have for the lack of sugar from cigarettes. Would you be willing to accept a suggestion of increased fruit intake?

Finally, let me say this: In the highly unlikely event that you do gain more than 5 pounds, I can almost guarantee it is because you are not making healthy food choices. It is because you have been eating Twinkies and Ho-Ho’s to curb the sugar cravings. So what do you have to do if you have cravings for food?

I would make healthy choices of food if I were you.

If you had tried to quit smoking using will power alone, that often happens using only your conscious mind. But now we are going to be getting your unconscious mind on your side and you will substitute healthy habits in the place of cigarettes and over eating.

Smoking cigarettes are a powerful habit and often, without changing your unconscious mind, it will want to substitute another habit of the hand going up to the mouth. What we’re actually going to do is to help you transfer the satisfaction that you used to get from cigarettes to something more beneficial. So its maybe, exercise, drinking more water, taking a deep breath, by doing that it avoids the possibility of putting on weight.

Most people gain weight because they have a powerful habit of smoking. And when they eliminate the habit of smoking, they put eating in place as a new habit. And if you eat more, you will gain weight. So what I will do with you is get you to find new healthy habits. Habits that will support you and your health, and not work against you.

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