I know you’re probably thinking, “I don’t smoke, who does nowadays?” It’s so surprising, being that everyone is becoming vegan, gluten free and such, but there are still a lot of people out there who smoke or are closeted smokers. The general consensus is that smoking actually makes you loose weight rather than gain weight, but you’d be surprised how false that is.
Yes, smoking suppresses your appetite, but it also makes you lethargic, making you less likely to exercise. There was a study done at The University of Wales and The University of Melbourne where they tested rats(this was done in 2007, when animal testing was not looked down upon, sorry!) that were surrounded by cigarette smoke and those that weren’t surrounded by cigarette smoke. They found that the rats surrounded by cigarette smoke actually stored more fat no matter if the diet they consumed was high or low in fat.
They also said, “People who smoke, may well be losing muscle mass.”
So let’s break down and understand how smoking actually effects the body.
-Smoking can burn up to 200 calories in heavy smokers.
-Smoking increases energy expenditure or metabolism.
Now how can we turn those semi positive smoking facts into healthier ways of getting the same results.
Instead of burning 200 calories smoking, you can take 200 calories out of diet by not cooking with butter, 2 tablespoons of butter equate to 200 calories. You can also skip the lite beer after work which is about 220 calories. You could also go on a 45 minute brisk walk and that will burn around 20 calories.
As far as metabolism goes, when you quit smoking it doesn’t slow down your metabolism, your insulin levels are more regulated hence making your food digest properly. So when you quit your metabolism goes back to normal, but that’s not what makes you gain weight, it’s when you compensate smoking with eating. When you quit you shouldn’t replace food with the oral fixation. If you’re having a nic fit, just wait 5 minutes for it to pass and you won’t make the lack of smoking a psychological trigger.
So next time you think about grabbing a cigarette think about how it’s actually stopping your body from becoming more fit and actually making it more fat.
Fat Fighter,
Bianca
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Debra says