Smoking cessation and weight gain

Do people put on weight when they stop smoking? If you eat more calories than you burn off you put on weight. When people stop smoking they find very quickly that their sense of taste improves and so you would be forgiven for developing an appetite. But the fact is that the only reason for putting on weight when you stop smoking is if you have given up by using willpower. In this case, you are likely to feel that you are depriving yourself, and therefore you substitute. This means using something else to take over from the smoking habit. If you use food as a substitute, and eat more calories than you burn up, then you will put on weight. But if you remind yourself of all the wonderful reasons to stop smoking and celebrate the gift of health and happiness then you will have no need to substitute anything. Long term non-smokers tend to be fitter and healthier and to weigh less than smokers.