More than 30% of people on the planet are overweight and in search of the ideal diet are experimenting with different methods of weight management. There are many rumors that smoking can help fight excess weight.

Indeed, if you look closely, most people who smoke are slim and wiry. How are smoking and weight loss related, and does it really help reduce body fat and cellulite?

Research and controversy about the relationship between cigarettes continues to this day. In most cases, smokers are slim and fit, overweight smokers are much less common. That is why it is believed that nicotine has a specific work on the internal organs and helps to control weight.

However, scientists say that cigarettes have virtually no effect on weight loss. Weight loss during smoking mainly occurs due to the fact that for smokers, a smoke break is like a drug addiction, from which a person gets the same pleasure as he does from food.

Many smokers, instead of going out for a snack, simply smoke a cigarette. As a result, the amount of incoming calories is significantly reduced.

But, despite the fact that indirectly nicotine helps, one must not forget that this habit adversely affects the work of internal organs and systems and can provoke the development of serious diseases. Most often, smoking leads to the development of the following disorders:

• when smoking, the production of saliva is activated, but the stomach remains empty. The deceived organ begins to produce gastric juice, acidity rises in it (this is necessary for food processing). All this leads to the fact that small ulcers appear on the walls of the stomach, and contractile dysfunction also develops. As a result, a person may develop digestive problems, gastritis and other gastric diseases;
• Nicotine negatively affects the functioning of the thyroid gland and can lead to a disruption in the production of hormones. At the same time, there is an increased likelihood of both weight loss and weight gain. There is also a risk that fat will start to accumulate in unfamiliar places;
• nicotine impairs the functioning of the myocardium and the vascular system, which affects the supply of oxygen, which is a natural fat burner;
• smoking slows down the flow of lymph. This provokes the formation of cellulite and deterioration of the skin.

On a note! During smoking, the body tries to defend itself and neutralize nicotine, during which calories from food intake are consumed. It is also scientifically proven that nicotine helps reduce appetite.

Effects of tobacco on weight

Many women have no doubts whether it is possible to lose weight from cigarettes, because on the street you can meet a huge number of "smoking" and slender people. To understand what is the relationship between being overweight and smoking, you need to know what effect tobacco has on the body.

In the course of research and experiments, it was revealed that this process involves the work of almost all internal organs and systems, and also affects the psychological state. Losing weight against the background of constant "smoking" occurs for the following reasons:

• the body of a smoker has to constantly fight poisons and toxins. This not only consumes calories from food, but also internal reserves. The body burns stored calories, as a result of which there is a decrease in body fat;
• For many people, smoking is a way to hide and forget about stress. Having smoked a cigarette, a person forgets about the problems that often serve as a reason for overeating. As a result, fewer calories enter the body, and their consumption increases;
• tobacco activates the production of glycogen. This hormone is perceived by the body as additional fuel in an emergency. But when smoking, glycogen is used as glucose from food and the body also uses it. That is why after a smoke break the feeling of hunger subsides.

While smoking may contribute to some weight loss, it is important to consider that quitting the habit can provoke a backlash. If a person has smoked for several years, the lack of nicotine for the body will be perceived as stress.

Quitting smoking and losing weight is quite difficult, because after quitting this habit, many people begin to consume more food and seize stress. To prevent this from happening, you must definitely control yourself, start playing sports and get distracted as much as possible.

Is it possible to put an equal sign between the words "smoking" and "losing weight", or is it one of the myths that tobacco smoke lovers use to justify their bad habit? Surprisingly, science has never been able to give an unambiguous answer on this score.

The benefits of smoking

The age-old fear that smokers intimidate each other, worried about the condition of their waist - they say, if you quit a cigarette, and immediately count a dozen additional kilograms and centimeters - has a foundation. A lot of people who gave up their tobacco habit did gain weight during the first year: most 3-4 kg, but some more than ten. So does smoking contribute to weight loss?

Arguments for".

1. Getting into the human blood, nicotine stimulates the release of the hormone glycogen, which the body uses for energy. The appetite is dulled for some time, and the smoker can skip a snack or refuse dessert without a hungry rumbling in his stomach - his body has managed to "refresh" with what it found in its blood.

2. Tobacco smoke causes a surge in the activity of the AZGP1 gene, which is responsible for the activity of the respiratory system. In an effort to protect it from the effects of nicotine, the gene provokes the body to fight the harmful substance. And since all activity requires energy, the body gets it by burning calories.

Research has shown that nicotine patch can improve athletic performance!

3. People who are accustomed to smoking a cigarette over a cup of coffee are doubly lucky, since caffeine and nicotine reveal the properties of each other. The satiety comes faster and the adrenaline level rises in the blood, which prevents the deposition of excess calories in fat and induces a burst of energy in the smoker.

4. It's no secret that many people pull a cigarette into their mouths to calm down, just like sweets use a chocolate bar. But unlike chocolate, tobacco does not create folds on the sides, so the fight against stress does not threaten the smoker with a couple of new kilograms.

5. It has been scientifically proven that in the first year of tobacco use, a person's metabolism accelerates, thanks to the body's efforts to cleanse itself of the poison that enters the bloodstream with every cigarette smoked. And as you know, it is the accelerated metabolism that allows us to eat and not get better. Unfortunately, this condition acts for a short time - only 10-12 months.

Based on these facts, we can conclude that people who write praise about smoking and losing weight on the Internet are not so wrong. But at what price does our body pay for such harmony?

The supporters of smoking always have arguments for

And about the dangers of tobacco smoke

Addiction to tobacco in itself, few people reward a thin waist. Proof of this fact can be found in the many obese people who grind cigarette after cigarette. It turns out that the medal has a reverse side?

Does smoking interfere with weight loss?

1. The metabolism of a novice smoker, which has been working at full speed for a year, eventually loses its ground and slows down, and everything that used to be burned begins to settle under the skin.

2. Nicotine destroys the work of the endocrine system, which is why excess weight gain can go unevenly. The figure of such a smoker presents a rather strange sight, getting fat in some places and remaining slender in others.

3. Carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from reaching the cells, as a result of which the skin becomes flabby and gray, and the thighs and buttocks acquire cellulite. Yes, yes, men also have it, although not on such a scale as the beautiful half of humanity!

Overweight smokers abound

If we are already talking about how smoking affects weight loss, causing an increase in adrenaline in the blood, we will upset readers who are seriously intending to increase their activity, being charged with a "violent" hormone. This burst of energy is brief. But shortness of breath, feeling unwell, and lethargy that manifests itself over time become constant companions of the smoker, forcing him to gravitate towards a sedentary lifestyle.

How to quit smoking and not get fat?

Whether to get rid of a bad habit, everyone decides for themselves. But if you keep buying packs of cigarettes for fear of gaining weight, there are some things you can do.

1. Clearly plan your diet and do not allow yourself to "nibble", especially in the first months of quitting smoking.

2. Don't sit around. Hobbies, socializing with friends (preferably non-smokers), a new project at work take up thoughts and reduce the craving for a cigarette.

3. Walk, swim, roller skate or do any other sport. This promotes the production of the pleasure hormone dopamine, which will help you resist the urge to reach for another cigarette.

Video: How Smoking Affects Weight

Does smoking affect weight loss and how? Ekaterina Levina, the host of the "Lose Weight for Vacation" project, shares her opinion.

The "slimming" effect of nicotine has been proven. Nicotine suppresses hunger, promotes the expenditure of more energy, has a distracting property when a person smokes a cigarette instead of a sandwich with sweet tea.

Nicotine enhances the breakdown of fats, affects the taste buds, reducing the attractiveness and appetizing of food.

Therefore, smoking and losing weight are closely related.

However, this is only one side of the coin, and the negative impact of tobacco smoke on the human body, and, in particular, on the figure, is much greater.

How does smoking interfere with weight loss?

Under the tooth enamel becomes thinner, the gums become sensitive, and food enters the body in an insufficiently chewed form. After a smoke break, profuse salivation begins, the stomach stops digesting food.

Poorly digested food does not leave the body for a long time, having a toxic effect. There is a lack of collagen, which affects the skin, which becomes dry, inelastic, wrinkled, and cellulite appears. If a person loses weight at this time, the skin becomes saggy.

Physical activity does not bring the desired effect. The cigarette helps the toned muscles return to a relaxed state, plus the general physical condition does not allow you to exercise correctly. Due to lack of physical activity, the muscle corset decreases and the body becomes lax.

Smoking can cause hormonal disruptions in the body, disruption of the endocrine system. In this case, an imbalance in the figure may occur: in some places a person loses weight, while others, on the contrary, get better, that is, compensation occurs.

Correctly, weight loss occurs when metabolic processes in the body work harmoniously. Smoking, on the other hand, contributes to their violation. Thus, nicotine, despite the apparent help in losing weight, in the end will have a huge devastating effect not only on health in general, but also on the figure.

Diets and smoking

There are a myriad of diets designed to help you shed those extra pounds.

Mono diet

A diet that involves the use of only one product during the day. The list of products is limited to kefir, cottage cheese, fish, vegetables and fruits.

Russian diet

A diet based on the consumption of cereals, to which milk, fruits and vegetables are added.

Smart diet

The so-called principle of separate nutrition, in which proteins and carbohydrates are eaten separately, with breaks of at least 3 hours.

Dukan's diet and the Kremlin diet

Eating styles with predominantly protein foods in the diet. Be careful with the Ducan diet, there are a lot of negative reviews.

Kim Protasov's diet

Involves eating large quantities of raw vegetables.

What kind of diet is most suitable for a person who has decided to quit smoking and get in shape with his figure? The answer is no! Combining nicotine withdrawal with strict restrictions on food means exacerbating stress for the body. Your willpower may be enough to give up one thing - either nicotine or food. Combining a diet with quitting smoking, you run the risk of breaking loose and taking up a cigarette again.

First of all, it is necessary to "teach" your body to function normally, to digest the incoming nutrients well, to remove waste and slags in time. To avoid early weight gain, cut your diet by 200 calories - this is the amount smokers spend on cigarettes.

For a person who quits smoking, the most reasonable solution would be to exclude harmful foods - fatty, spicy, sweet, fried, add healthy foods - cereals, vegetables, fruits, fish and lean meat, break the daily diet into 5-6 meals.

Eat small meals and chew slowly to help you avoid overeating. Take your time to succeed in losing weight, even keeping your weight at the same level after quitting smoking will be an excellent result. And a little later, the body will completely rebuild, the metabolism will improve, and you may not need any diets.

Many smokers addicted to this addiction notice that they begin to lose weight from smoking. For some, this news becomes a pleasant surprise, because sometimes, in order to lose a couple of kilograms, people exhaust themselves with all kinds of diets, but here the process goes by itself, without any effort. Let's take a closer look at this issue. Actually, why do they lose weight from smoking, and what is behind this?

Image Source: World Press Photo 2011

Possible reasons

The fact that smoking grows thin is not surprising, from a scientific point of view. Here are the main points of the research as evidence.

• Nicotine has a depressing effect on the central nervous system, causing a false feeling of satiety. This helps to reduce the amount of food consumed and reduces the amount of calories in. Because of this, the body is forced to use the available reserves of nutrients, which leads to a gradual weight loss.
• Smoking has a negative effect on the digestive system. The result of this is a deterioration in the quality of digestion and the rate of absorption of nutrients from food, which reduces the total amount of calories and nutrients entering the body. It also leads to a decrease in appetite and a general weakening of the body, which is deficient in vitamins and trace elements that ensure the normal functioning of the immune system and the protection of the human body at the cellular level, etc.

What's going on in the body?

Smoking has a complex negative effect on the body, so not a single system and not a single internal organ is left on the sidelines.

The very first thing that happens in the body when nicotine gets in is vasospasm and redistribution of the circulating blood volume. This negatively affects the supply of oxygen to the internal organs and reduces the amount of incoming nutrients. As a result, oxygen starvation occurs, which leads to a slowdown in all processes occurring in the body, including the process of accumulation of body fat.

In the gastrointestinal tract, nicotine reduces the volume of gastric juice secretion, the internal secretion organs work worse, and the production of enzymes decreases. This leads to a slowdown in the process of digestion of food, which stagnates in the intestines, causing poisoning of the body. This condition provokes the appearance of a deficiency of nutrients and kilocalories. That is why the fact that some people lose weight from smoking should not lead to attempts to fight excess weight in this way.

How to deal with this?

• Quitting smoking is the only effective way to cope with nicotine weight loss and other unpleasant consequences that arise in tobacco lovers.
• Increase the energy consumption of the body - actively move, this will help to increase the appetite and increase the total number of calories entering the body. It is recommended to go in for sports, spend more time in the fresh air, which will improve the supply of oxygen to all internal organs and accelerate the recovery of the body after prolonged poisoning with nicotine and other harmful substances.
• Optimizing your diet will help you make the most of all your nutrients and reduce your calorie intake. For this, it is recommended to eat at the same time, 3-4 times a day. Avoid drinking coffee, sweets, energy drinks, excessive amounts of fatty foods (for example, replace pork with beef or chicken). Pay attention to the mandatory presence in the diet of hot dishes, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Normalize your daily routine and try to avoid unnecessary stress.

You should not once again focus on the fact that smoking is harmful - any schoolchild knows this well. Despite this, many smokers still cannot free themselves from nicotine addiction and, once again failing, simply refuse further attempts, believing that they will be just as unsuccessful. This is especially true for girls who are afraid to gain weight if they quit smoking. Indeed, many think so, but do you really lose weight from smoking? This is what we will find out today.

Many women, believing that they really lose weight from smoking, give up the hard struggle with obesity and start smoking, trying to get an ideal figure at any cost. Of course, this approach can hardly be considered reasonable, since nicotine not only harms the body, but also does not help in any way. How did the prevailing opinion arise that you can lose weight with the help of cigarettes? The fact is that this addiction in some cases can really contribute to weight loss, but nicotine, as well as tar, carcinogens, and other substances contained in tobacco, does not affect fat cells at all. Having started smoking, a person simply changes his lifestyle and, accordingly, his diet, which sometimes causes weight loss.

So, if you decide that you have found an effective way to lose weight, you have to upset you - smoking does not help, so you certainly should not start smoking for this purpose. However, many smokers are convinced of the opposite, which is why American scientists from Yale Medical College decided to understand the relationship between weight and nicotine.

On a note! According to statistics, the weight of a smoker is on average 3 kg less than that of a non-smoker. Therefore, because of smoking, they lose weight, but the reasons for this phenomenon are completely unexpected.

Researchers have voiced 2 possible reasons why this might be happening.

1. Reason # 1. Smoking negatively affects the functioning of the digestive system, therefore, the process of digestion of food and the rate of absorption of nutrients deteriorate. And this, in turn, reduces the amount of kilocalories entering the body. In addition, because of this, appetite worsens, the body weakens, suffering from a deficiency of nutrients and vitamins.
2. Reason # 2. Nicotine depresses the central nervous system and causes a false feeling of satiety. As a result, the amount of food consumed decreases, so the body has to use up the available reserves of nutrients. Because of this, in fact, a person is losing weight.

The second reason should be discussed in more detail. According to the same scientists, nicotine affects not only the pleasure centers, but also the acetylcholine receptors that regulate human eating behavior. Appetite due to nicotine is suppressed even in mice fed with a small amount of this substance. The mice ate half as much as before. Moreover, studies have shown that appetite worsens not because of nicotine addiction.

For the experiment, scientists replaced nicotine with cytisine, which is not addictive. Both substances significantly reduced appetite in rodents. The verdict of American researchers is as follows: nicotine affects the region of the hypothalamus, which contains special receptors that release POMK (proopiomelanocortin). It is a compound involved in appetite control. Because of nicotine, POMK is released more intensively, so the body mistakenly believes that with a minimum amount of food it has already managed to get the required amount of nutrients.

Another possible reason is the illusion of being busy or some important ritual. Also, smoking takes a long time. The average person who smokes a pack a day spends about 1.5 hours on this addiction. It turns out that smoking is also a way to kill the free time that non-smokers are likely to spend on snacking and drinking tea.

What happens in the body at this time?

Smoking affects the body in a complex way and does not bypass any system or internal organ. Initially, vascular spasms are observed, as well as redistribution of blood volumes. The organs "receive less" the amount of oxygen they are supposed to supply, oxygen starvation appears, and all processes in the body slow down (along with the process of fat accumulation). Due to the fact that digestion is slowed down, food stagnates in the intestines and causes poisoning.

You should also know that the weight is not evenly distributed over the smoker's body. In women, for example, in such situations, the figure becomes pear-shaped, and in men - effeminate. Simply put, fat accumulates in the upper body (including the waist). Such a constitution can cause the development of diabetes, heart disease, gall bladder, and in women, cancer of the uterus or breast.

Note! You can learn more about the types of female figures in our article "".

Why do people get fat by quitting smoking?

There are several possible reasons at once, we will consider each of them in more detail.

1. Improved appetite. 2-3 weeks after a person quits smoking, his taste and smell return to their previous pungency, which increases the appetite.
2. Intoxication. One cigarette contains about 400 substances that enter the body through smoke. A person poisons himself, therefore, part of the food consumed is simply not absorbed. And when he quits smoking, he begins to cleanse the body and normalize the digestive processes. As a result, more nutrients enter the body than before, hence the weight gain.
3. The person chews something all the time. This is already a psychological reason, but this state is familiar to many. Having got rid of a bad habit, a person finds another - to chew something all the time. Previously, he “lit up” stress, but now he is “seized”. Due to the intense consumption of calories, weight also increases, but at the same time it is distributed throughout the body correctly, so the risk of developing the diseases listed above does not increase.

Video - Why do we gain weight after quitting smoking?

Is it possible to quit smoking, but not get better?

According to statistics, in a year and a half after quitting smoking, about 80 percent of people gain 3-5 kg. And often the weight of a person who quit smoking is compared with the weight of a nonsmoker, having similar baseline data. We have already figured out why this is happening. But if cigarettes do not help you lose weight, you have a chance to at least avoid weight gain while quitting this addiction. To do this, you need to adhere to a few simple rules.

First of all, you need moderate physical activity. Yes, every body needs it, but if you quit smoking, it also helps you remove nicotine faster. You should also give up (at least temporarily) high-calorie foods - fatty, sweet, etc. It is useful to acquire a new hobby - at first it will help to distract from the ubiquitous thoughts about cigarettes. You can buy yourself nicotine gum or a similar drug to pacify your appetite.

If you still think that you can lose weight from cigarettes, remember: a bad habit can only worsen your health and appearance. Even if you lose a few pounds by using cigarettes, irreparable damage will be done to your body. After all, we found out that smokers lose weight due to health problems, in particular, the digestive system. In a word, there is no direct relationship here.