KOMPAS.com - Fear of body weight will soar if quitting smoking is the main reason most reluctant to quit smoking. For those who are determined to stop, but worried about soaring body weight, could be an additional stress to stop smoking and the possibility to come back even bigger. In fact, quitting smoking does not mean body weight will go up, really. Even though your weight rise once, you can remove it later. It is important to note, that the benefits quitting smoking far exceed the risk of weight gain.

Indeed, many people who gained weight after quitting smoking, but not everyone felt it, the light of Scott McIntosh, PhD, from the University of Rochester. Estimated, only a third of people who quit smoking gained weight. On average, weight gain between 2-4 pounds. These are habits you can do to reduce the weight increase due to snacking in place of smoking:

1. Avoid sudden diet
Quitting smoking is very difficult and hard to do, no need to increase the burden on yourself by doing extreme dieting. Do not change your eating habits and patterns radically. If possible, do a small change but the maximum. Remember, that the weight will increase when calories are not the same as issued. So, watch your food.

2. Ensuring low-calorie snacks on hand
One way to reduce the desire to smoke is to chew something. Usually with snacking. Make sure you always carry a low-calorie foods, if possible, zero calories close to you at all times. For example, sugar-free candy, small carrots, celery sticks, or other. Always bring food that is safe for your body weight at all times will help divert the desire for snacking that can come at any time.

3. White Water
Drink water before and while eating a heavy meal will help your body hydrated and make you feel more satisfied with not too many calories. Drinking water will release the desire to eat something. The research says that drinking cold water through a straw will release dopamine, a hormone that makes you feel happy and reduce stress.

4. Fiber foods
Fiber helps decrease appetite and help people feel full longer after eating. Fiber foods, among others; beans, wheat, and vegetables.

5. Nutritious food
You can only manage and reduce your intake of calories, but you still need nutritious food for healthy body. Some research says that nutrient deficiency could be the main reasons why people overeat. When you try to quit smoking, choose nutrient-rich foods, like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and wheat. Avoid foods that are a lot of calories, such as sweet foods.

6. Smaller plates and glasses
The larger our plates, the more food we put on the plate. The tendency was, we spend on food on our plate. As a result, unconsciously, we eat more than we should eat. Using a smaller plate to help us reduce our calorie intake.

7. Sports!
Physical activity burns calories and offer a diversion from the desire of nicotine and food. Exercise also reduces stress, which is needed to stop smoking. You can increase the number of calories burned by increasing the time you exercise.

Do you have other tips to quit smoking without the risk of weight gain?