Smoking makes you lose weight, but you run the risk of worsening your health. Does smoking make you lose weight? If a person smokes, he loses weight

Many smokers who are addicted to this addiction notice that they begin to lose weight from smoking. For some, this news comes as 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 on by itself, without any effort. Let's look at this issue in more detail. Actually, why do people lose weight from smoking, and what is behind it?

Image source: World Press Photo 2011

Possible reasons

The fact that smoking makes you lose weight is not surprising from a scientific point of view. Let us present the main points of the research as evidence.

Nicotine has a depressing effect on the central nervous system, causing a false feeling of fullness. This helps reduce the amount of food you eat and reduces the number of calories you take in. Because of this, the body is forced to use existing reserves of nutrients, which leads to gradual weight loss.
Smoking negatively affects the functioning of 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. This also leads to a decrease in appetite and a general weakening of the body, which experiences a deficiency of vitamins and microelements that ensure the normal functioning of the immune system and protection of the human body at the cellular level, etc.

What happens in the body?

Smoking has a complex negative effect on the body, so no system and no internal organ is left out.

The very first thing that happens in the body when nicotine enters is vasospasm and redistribution of circulating blood volume. This negatively affects the oxygen supply to internal organs and reduces the volume 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 fat deposits.

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 digestion of food, which stagnates in the intestines, causing poisoning of the body. This condition provokes a deficiency of nutrients and calories. 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?

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

Sometimes it seems that the debate about does smoking help you lose weight, not much younger than the notorious chicken and egg debate.

In principle, now we can answer - yes, a cigarette will help you lose a few kilograms, especially if other factors are included in the process - stress, for example. However, the weight loss portal “Lose Weight Without Problems” invites everyone who is interested to think hard: Do you need to lose weight at this cost??

Will smoking help you lose weight?

Here, perhaps, we need to immediately define the concepts and priorities - for clarity.

Relatively speaking, You can lose weight in different ways: in one case, to achieve a harmonious physique, when your figure pleases the eye, resembling an elegant figurine, in the other, to simply lose weight. These are two big differences.

After all, it may be like this: you are sure that it is nicotine addiction that “maintains” your usual weight, and the scale arrow periodically gives hope, freezing at a completely acceptable and already stable level. This is how the legend is born that smoking helps you lose weight. However, the intractable mirror displays a vague, not at all textured silhouette, quite far from ideal.

So, this is exactly the situation that smokers should be very familiar with. Why?

Let's consider both options.

You are a “figurine”

You certainly cannot achieve this result by smoking. Graceful forms can be given to you by nature or achieved through training and proper nutrition. Only in this way does it decrease and “grow” in your body exactly where it is needed, only in this way does beauty and grace arise.

You are a “blurry silhouette”

According to recent studies, smokers are on average several kilograms lighter than non-smokers of similar build. However, this does not at all guarantee those who like to gain a sexy figure.

Losing kilograms in this case occurs, firstly, due to decreased appetite, because nicotine suppresses it. Smokers really confirm for the site the fact that even severe hunger can be interrupted for a while by smoking a cigarette. However, this cannot be called a positive thing: those who decide to lose weight by smoking, in addition receive a fair amount of carbon monoxide and other nasty things. And this is fraught with real poisoning and oxygen starvation. And where there is oxygen starvation, there is premature aging.
For the same reason, gradually, as they say, muscles “shrink”. And, perhaps, the most unpleasant thing is that nicotine addicts lose a significant part of their weight through muscle mass. Is a cigarette really so expensive that you’re not afraid of the prospect of turning into a decrepit wreck right before your eyes? After all, not only skeletal muscles are under threat, but also all internal organs - the heart, stomach, intestines... Why try this tough experiment on yourself - is it possible to lose weight from smoking?
But fat deposits do not behave at all as we would like. Both men and women who are friends with a cigarette often The stomach and shoulders swim selectively. And all because the metabolism of smokers is impaired. And it’s not at all pleasing that it is accelerated, which means it promotes weight loss (as it turned out, smoking will help you lose weight in all the wrong places). This is not a good life! Indeed, as a result of exposure to nicotine, the nervous system is overstimulated, catecholamines, also called stress hormones, are intensively produced, and tachycardia occurs. Such artificial stimulation only depletes the body's resources. As a result, the effect is often the opposite: instead of vigor, there is lethargy and apathy.
To avid smokers in general lacks energy– also due to an acute lack of vitamins, the absorption of which is actively prevented by smoking. But some are sincerely confident that by taking a drag from a cigarette, you can partially compensate for the lack of vitamin PP, or about which you can read on our website. However, this is complete nonsense, because in the human body there is no enzyme that oxidizes nicotine to it!
In a word, wherever you throw it, there’s a wedge everywhere! There is no time for sports and other great things. Yes and the lungs won't stand it smoker of serious physical activity. Accordingly, a beautiful waist, buttocks and other parts of the body in this case clearly “do not shine.”

So, we are close to answering the question of whether smoking helps you lose weight. It’s simple: losing a few kilograms – yes, it’s possible. But to “model” a slender, seductive figure and at the same time maintain feminine charm - No no and one more time no!

And you shouldn’t focus on beauties showing off perfect forms in short, tight dresses and at the same time languidly holding a cigarette in their fingers. This tempting picture will not last long!

It turns out that for those who strive it is beautiful and correct - worst enemy! And you shouldn’t listen to various speeches about how nicotine addiction is one of the strongest human attachments. You won’t let some bad habit control your health and beauty, and therefore your life!

A slender lady in heels with a cigarette is the image of a smoker, which only benefits producers. Many ordinary people, exposed to marketing influences, think that they can really lose extra pounds thanks to nicotine. However, does smoking actually help you lose weight?

Smoking and losing weight

A myth has long been formed among the masses that smoking promotes weight loss, and breaking up with an addiction entails an increase in body size.

However, multiple studies prove that that's not entirely true:

The first thing that was proven was that There is no difference in nutrition between smokers and non-smokers. The calorie content of food, the range of products, changes in body mass index - all this is exactly the same in both groups;
A second study found a difference in fat storage. When smoking, fats do not stop being deposited, but this process has its own specifics and mainly the sides and abdomen suffer;
The third large study proved that during the smoking process, a special gene is activated, which is aimed at protecting the lungs, while an increase in the metabolism of smokers is noted as a side effect.

Thus, we can say that weight loss is still a consequence of smoking, however this occurs as a result of a severe disruption of all body functions.

In this video, trainer Denis Oborin will tell you whether it is true that after quitting smoking people quickly begin to gain weight, and will give examples from his personal experience:

What is the reason for weight gain after quitting smoking?

Many people notice that after quitting smoking, weight begins to increase before their eyes. The reasons for this behavior of the body are not at all that it does not agree with your decision. The reasons for this phenomenon can be considered:

Psychological factor. Previously, you spent a lot of time on smoking breaks, but now at these moments, instead of a cigarette, you often snack on something that is not always low-calorie in order to make your brain work, relax, or take your mind off the craving for tobacco. Accordingly, the calorie content of your diet is rapidly growing;
Huge stress caused by changes in the functioning conditions of internal organs, also leads to frequent eating;
Released energy, which was previously spent on the fight against nicotine. And if it is not spent in the new conditions on sports and physical activity, it is deposited in the form of fat reserves;
The process is being restored glycogen production. Accordingly, your body, needing a normal dose of glucose for its functioning, requires the consumption of sweeter and higher-calorie foods.

Thus, weight gain after quitting a bad habit is explained by the physiological recovery of the body from many years of negative effects of tobacco. By waiting for this moment and making small efforts to curb the manifestations of body cleansing, everything will soon fall into place.

Nicotine and sports

If you are an active person and keep your body in good shape, despite a bad habit, you need to know what combination is:

Has a detrimental effect on the heart. Nicotine increases the heart rate, which can result in coronary heart disease;
Since the main suffering organ is the lungs, during intense exercise you will not be able to breathe properly, and your strength and endurance indicators will leave much to be desired. The lungs will receive twice the load, which is fraught with subsequent complications;
Nicotine disrupts oxygen metabolism in the body, so all vital mechanisms will suffer from hypoxia;
Reduced testosterone production will make itself felt in a small gain of muscle mass and men's health.

Thus, it can be said that It is impossible to get a beautifully sculpted and at the same time healthy body by smoking.

Before subjecting your body to increased stress, free yourself from a bad habit. Do not force your body to function in an enhanced mode, while supplying all organs with blood with a high content of toxic substances.

Why do cigarettes make you lose weight?

Against the background of oversaturation of the body with nicotine, many changes occur:

With regular contact of the mouth with a cigarette, saliva begins to be produced, followed by gastric juice. However, a little later the body realizes that the food has not arrived and there is nothing for it to break down, and the acid, in turn, corrodes the walls of the stomach, which leads to loss of appetite and various gastrointestinal diseases;
In the fight against the negative effects of nicotine, the body uses all its energy reserves, including stored fat;
Often, a cigarette is used to replace eating in stressful situations, which helps reduce calorie intake;
Thanks to special chemical reactions, the smoker's feeling of hunger is dulled.

Obviously, using this method in the fight against extra pounds is not the best solution. Trying to get rid of fat, you will acquire much more serious problems, which will be impossible to solve without medical help.

Smoking and diet: are they compatible?

If you notice extra pounds on your body, but are also an active smoker, then the diet is contraindicated for you. The thing is that for quality weight loss you need peace of mind. Smoking irritates the nervous system. If at the same time a restriction in food is added, then stress is guaranteed for the body.

In addition, an empty stomach during a diet is even more susceptible to the effects of nicotine, as a result of which various gastrointestinal diseases will only come closer.

In order to get a slim and toned figure you need to:

Replace your smoking habit with another one, preferably not related to eating food. This could be, for example, a hot bath at the end of the day;
Quiet withdrawal from tobacco for three months. During this time, your body adapts to new conditions, most processes will be restored;
After which you can start counting and regulating the number of calories consumed;
Soon after establishing a diet, you need to gradually add physical activity.

By following this technology, you will not create a situation for the body where it is unable to withstand stress and pushes you to abandon your own goal. After some time, you will become healthier and more beautiful.

Thus, in answer to the question of whether smoking helps you lose weight, you can definitely answer that No. The process of losing weight during nicotine addiction is exhaustion. The difference between healthy weight loss and exhaustion is significant. Instead of a beautiful and healthy body, you will get a thin, emaciated look, gray and flabby skin and a bunch of diseases to boot.

Video: quit smoking and lost weight

In this video, Oleg Izmailov will tell his story of how he lost 30 kg after quitting smoking:

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

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

Research and debate on how cigarettes are related to each other continues to this day. In most cases, people who smoke are slim and fit; overweight smokers are much less common. This is why it is believed that nicotine has a specific effect on internal organs and helps control weight.

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

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

But, despite the fact that nicotine helps indirectly, we must not forget that this habit has a detrimental effect on the functioning 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, and its acidity increases (this is necessary for processing food). All this leads to small ulcers appearing on the walls of the stomach, and contractile dysfunction develops. As a result, a person may experience digestive problems, gastritis and other gastric diseases;
Nicotine negatively affects the functioning of the thyroid gland and can lead to disruption of hormone production. At the same time, there is an increased likelihood of both weight loss and weight gain. There is also a risk that fat will begin to be deposited in unusual places;
nicotine impairs the functioning of the myocardium and vascular system, which affects the supply of oxygen, which is a natural fat burner;
smoking slows down the outflow of lymph. This provokes the formation of cellulite and deterioration of the skin.

On a note! During smoking, the body tries to protect itself and neutralize nicotine, during which the calories received from food are consumed. Nicotine has also been scientifically proven to reduce appetite.

Effect of tobacco on weight

Many women have no doubts about whether it is possible to lose weight from cigarettes, because on the street you can meet a huge number of “smoking” and slim people. To understand what the connection is between excess weight and smoking, you need to know what effect tobacco has on the body.

During 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 “smoke” occurs for the following reasons:

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

Despite the fact that smoking partially contributes to weight loss, it is important to consider that giving up this habit can provoke a backlash. If a person has been smoking 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 giving up this habit, many people begin to consume more food and eat stress. To prevent this from happening, you definitely need to control yourself, start playing sports and get distracted as much as possible.

Before you start smoking to lose weight, you should think about the negative effects of nicotine on the human body. Doctors recommend that people who are overweight avoid smoking cigarettes. Nicotine not only will not help bring the body into athletic shape, but will also worsen the situation by adding serious health problems to the extra pounds, including heart disease, hypertension, liver and kidney problems.

Why do people lose weight when smoking?

For some people, smoking actually helps them avoid gaining excess weight. This happens for the following reasons:

After smoking a cigarette, a person's appetite decreases. With regular consumption of cigarettes, the level of insulin in the blood decreases. Together with the effects of nicotine on the central nervous system, this leads to a false feeling of fullness. Most smokers are able to skip one of the meals (lunch or dinner), which already contributes to the fact that the person does not gain weight. The lack of nutrients and vitamins caused by non-compliance with the diet leads to the fact that the body begins to use reserve calories, as a result of which a person rapidly loses weight.
Nicotine affects metabolism. Under the influence of cigarettes, it accelerates, and this ensures that weight gain practically does not occur. At the same time, calories obtained from food are spent on removing nicotine from the body.
The process of smoking is enjoyable. Many women start smoking to stop eating various high-calorie sweets. People simply replace one habit with another: choosing a cigarette instead of a tasty meal, they receive similar pleasure.
Nicotine provokes disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Smokers are more susceptible to diseases such as gastritis and peptic ulcers than other people. With a stomach ulcer, the rate of nutrient processing decreases significantly. As a result, appetite is significantly reduced.

Thus, thanks to cigarettes, you can lose a certain number of kilograms. It is necessary to understand that this effect is possible only at the initial stage of smoking, which lasts from 10 to 12 months. With further addiction to cigarettes, the smoker will achieve not only the opposite result, but also the emergence of many associated pathologies.

Consequences of losing weight with cigarettes

Many people are afraid to quit smoking because after quitting the bad habit they will gain weight again within a short period of time. But losing weight with cigarettes occurs by burning muscle mass, not fat. And the longer a person smokes, the more severe the consequences. Cigarettes with menthol, in comparison with regular cigarettes, cause even more harm to the body. When addicted to them, just like when smoking a hookah, due to the cooling effect, the smoker takes a deeper puff, and the risk of developing various pathologies increases significantly. We should not forget about the dangers of electronic cigarettes, which contain not only a higher percentage of nicotine, but also many aromatic additives.

If a person smokes cigarettes rarely, then the body successfully removes all toxic substances. But when smoking every day, due to constant nicotine intoxication, its protective functions weaken. Carbon monoxide prevents the required amount of oxygen from reaching the brain and all vital organs. Already after a year of active smoking, the body’s metabolism is disrupted. Due to the slowdown in metabolic processes, hormonal imbalance occurs, as a result of which many people inevitably gain weight.

The addition of extra pounds occurs unevenly, the figure becomes unbalanced. Fats are deposited around the waist and chest area. A person's belly grows, but his hips, legs and arms remain thin. The male body becomes similar to the female figure, and vice versa. Due to poor circulation, even slender people develop cellulite.

People suffering from nicotine addiction, despite their large body weight, become physically weaker . This, in turn, becomes an obstacle to weight loss, since it is difficult for a person to perform sports exercises. The reason is not only excess weight, but also the shortness of breath that accompanies all smokers.

A person who quits smoking will initially gain weight. This process is inevitable for the following reasons: the functioning of taste buds and sense of smell is restored, which helps to increase appetite, and the dulling of hunger with the help of cigarettes does not occur. When experiencing extreme stress, a person will try to snack on something. But, after some time (from 4 to 6 months), the body is completely cleansed of toxins, all systems begin to function at the proper level, metabolism improves, appetite normalizes, and body weight returns to normal.