Stop smoking without gaining weight

A fatty food like butter or margarine has ten times as many calories as a starchy food like potatoes.

How to avoid putting on weight
You put on weight when you take in more energy than you use up. The extra energy in food ends up as fat. There are two ways in which you can control your weight - change what you eat so that you don't take in so much energy or use up more energy by exercising. It's probably best to do a bit of both. If you burn more energy than you eat you will lose weight.

Snacking and nibbling
You may find you want to eat all the time when you first give up smoking. Don't panic. This urge will settle down after a few weeks. But you may wonder whether it is a good idea at first to eat snacks or nibbles instead of smoking. Some people find that in the long run, it is best to eat nothing in place of smoking, so that eating between meals doesn't become a habit. Other people find that it helps. You will have to decide which is easiest for you.

Snacking or nibbling isn't necessarily a bad thing if you don't end up eating more calories as a result. Some people prefer to eat snacks between meals and less at mealtimes.

Ideas for snacks

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