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Weight worries
Planning and new routines

How are quitting smoking and weight related?

Appetite normalizes

Smoking can reduce your appetite. When you quit smoking, you may begin to feel hungrier.

&

Senses improve

When you quit smoking, your senses improve too. You may notice food tastes and smells better, and you may be tempted to eat more.




Plan ahead

Try eating healthy, but be sure to eat! Feeling hungry can trigger nicotine cravings. Noticing sugar cravings? Try fruit, fruit sorbet, or plain yogurt with fresh fruit. Be sure to drink plenty of water and non-sugary drinks.

Avoid alcohol. When you first quit, alcohol can lower your defenses against smoking or vaping and may increase your likelihood of overeating and making unhealthy food choices.

Talk to your doctor about medications like bupropion or the nicotine patch, gum, or lozenge to help you quit. These medications may delay or limit weight gain after quitting.

Get active!

You don't need to go to the gym or run a marathon to be active. Exercise or being active can mean many things — dancing, swimming, even gardening, or chores around the house. Walking can be a great place to start, but find a way to move that works for you.

Moving makes a difference when you quit — exercise is a great way to...
Reduce
Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Improve
Improve your self-esteem, mood, and sleep.
Distract
Exercise is also a great distraction from cravings.
Last updated 2/11/2022 3:21 PM
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Questions

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Not insured?

Check out the New York State of Health:
nystateofhealth.ny.gov

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Mon-Thurs 9AM-9PM, Fri-Sun 9AM-5PM. Chat and text support may vary from the hours above based on request volume and coach availability. For immediate support, please call during operational hours.
People who identify as Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Speech Impaired
Please call the NY Relay Service at 7-1-1 (Voice or TTY), and provide the operator with the Quitline number 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487).
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If you have questions or concerns about the accessibility of any part of this website, please contact us at support@nysmokefree.com.




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