It often happens that many ex-smokers gain a few pounds, but only a few gain a lot of weight. The best measure you can take to improve your health is to quit smoking. You have to remember that smoking is much more harmful to your health than gaining a few pounds. You are able to make some simple changes, such as developing healthier eating and physical activity habits, which will help you to control your weight gain when you quit smoking.

On average, people who quit smoking gain nearly 10 pounds. You have more chances to gain weight when you stop smoking after 10 or 20 years of smoking or if you have smoked one or more packs of cigarettes per day. You can regulate your weight while you quit smoking by following healthy eating and performing physical activity. You have to make both the essential part of your life. In spite of you might gain a few pounds, remember you have stopped smoking and taken a big step toward a healthier life.

What You Can Do to Avoid Gaining Weight When You Quit Smoking 

Become More Physically Active.
Physically activity is a healthy way to control your weight and take your mind off smoking. Exercise increases your energy, improves your health, and decreases the risk of stress and depression caused by the lack of nicotine in your organism. All this will help you to control your weight. 

In order to become more physically active, for star you may spend less time doing activities that use little energy, such as watching television and playing video games. Instead, spend more time doing physical activities. Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day on most days of the week. There are a great many of simple ways to become more physically active, for example, housework, gardening, mowing the lawn, playing games with your children, and using the stairs instead of the elevator.

Improve Your Eating Habits.
Improve your eating habits gradually. If you change your eating habits too quickly, you will increase the risk of stress because of quit smoking. In order to improve your health you have to eat a variety of foods. To make sure you get all of the nutrients needed for good health, you have to eat a variety of foods from each following group:
- Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group
- Fruit group
- Vegetable group
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese group
- Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group
- Fats, oils, and sweets use sparingly.

Remember that you have to eat plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits. Choose lean and low-fat foods and low-calorie drinks most often. Choose low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats, poultry, and dry beans to get the nutrients you need without extra calories and fat. Eat less often foods high in fat and sugars and low in nutrients. 

After You Quit
- Replace smoking with other activities. You may snack on fruit or sugarless gum in order to satisfy any sweet cravings. Try to keep your hands busy. Replace the habit of holding cigarettes with actions as doodling, knitting, working puzzles, twirling a straw, or holding a pen or pencil.
- Drink less caffeine. Nicotine withdrawal will make you feel nervous, and the caffeine may only make nicotine withdrawal worse.
- Sleep enough. In times when you are tired, you are more likely to crave food and cigarettes.
- Reduce tension by taking a walk, meditating, or taking deep breaths. Find something that will replace the urge to smoke.
- Get support. Talk to your friend when you get the urge to smoke. You may also join a support group.
- Talk to your doctor. He may prescribe you some nicotine replacement products.