Quitting Smoking And Weight Loss - Or Is It Weight Gain?

I used to smoke two to three packs each and every day of a popular name brand cigarette that comes in a red and white pack with black letters and the name begins with an "M". Enough said about that, now you know I am an ex-smoker.

Here you sit, at your computer and you want to lose weight and quit smoking. You feel as if you can not do one with out the other. Both are unhealthy and yet you are thinking you would rather smoke than gain weight. You believe that if you do not smoke you have to gain weight. Before we tackle that myth, let us look at some things learned from those who have gone before.

Addicted to cigarettes
You may think you are addicted to tobacco and it is sad to report to you that you are not that addicted. Sure I could quote all the facts about what is really in the box with the "M", but let us try this simple test. For this test you even get to smoke. I will even let you smoke as much as you want. But I want you to change your cigarettes to the roll your own kind. No, I am not talking about smoking pot, I am speaking of using plain old roll your own tobacco. You will be able to roll smoke after smoke after smoke of pure tobacco and you will still want to smoke a cigarette with the "M". This is because you are addicted to not only the tobacco but also the CHEMICALS that are ADDED to the tobacco. Doubt this? Try it for yourself.

Death by Stupidity
You have one life to live. Every year 400,000 people DIE from smoking related illnesses. Every year 300,000 people die from being over weight. So if you are an over weight smoker then there is a pretty good chance you will die from one or the other. All too often we are "politically correct". We are afraid to tell others (especially in the work place) what truly needs to be told. So here goes, just between you and me and the solitude of the monitor you are looking into right now.---"If you are an over weight smoker and you die, it was a pretty stupid thing to do." There it was said. Yes, to die from a completely preventable death is a pretty stupid thing to do.

Oh Yes, The Diet Question
It is very possible to gain weight when you quit smoking but it in fact has little to do with the slowing of your metabolism. Sure, it is a tad bit harder to lose the weight when you quit smoking but that really is just an excuse to justify your "inability" to actually quit. The reason you gain weight will more than likely be caused by the fact that you are eating more. You can not escape the reality that fat is the result of taking in more calories than you burn. Period! Nothing more and nothing less. If you quit smoking do not turn to food to keep your hands busy. Do not use food as a crutch and for heavens sake, do not use food as an excuse to keep smoking.

72 Hours
Your body is only craving nicotine for 72 hours after you quit. So why do you still want a smoke two weeks later? This is a simple question to answer. It is either all in your mind or the chemicals added make you crave something that is not tobacco. If it is in your mind, then it should be just a matter of discipline and if it is a chemical added then why the heck would you allow yourself to inhale some chemical someone created for you to get addicted to in the first place?

Before we go I now find it amusing that I used to have a nice car and always smoked with the windows opened and held the cigarette out the window. Why was I more worried about my car than my lungs?

If you want to quit then quit. If you want to lose weight then make the choice. Just do not allow yourself to make one the excuse for doing the other.

http://www.IChooseThin.com

Keith Quackenbush is a graduate of St. John's University and a former U.S. Marine Corps officer. He and his wife (Sue) have been seeking knowledge on weightloss and have realized there is no magic pill to lose weight. http://www.IChooseThin.com is the destination achieved from the inadequate weight loss websites that really did not help others lose weight. Let the weight loss journey begin.