Once you stop smoking, your body begins a series of positive changes that continue for years, and they are counted in time since your last cigarette. If gaining weight has you thinking about smoking again, call the quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) before you light one, for free, confidential coaching by phone from a coach who can help keep your concern about gaining weight from undermining your quit.
Is weight gain after quitting common?
Yes: almost everyone who quits has some symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and feeling hungrier or gaining weight is one of the common ones, along with cravings to smoke, irritability and trouble sleeping. Withdrawal symptoms, feeling hungrier among them, fade over time as long as you stay smoke-free.
Your appetite normally rises some after quitting, and your body may not burn calories quite as fast. You may also eat more because of the stress of quitting or to give your hands and mouth something to do, and food may be more enjoyable now that smoke is no longer dulling your senses of smell and taste.
If trouble sleeping is one of your withdrawal symptoms, caffeine lasts longer in your body once you quit smoking, so if you drink coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks regularly, keep them out of the late afternoon and evening (see How much caffeine is in a day of coffee instead of meals?).
What you give up if you start smoking again
Smoking is the baseline the benefits of quitting are measured against. In the table below, each row is a length of time since the last cigarette, and every risk described as dropping or decreasing is compared with continuing to smoke:
| Time since quitting | What changes |
|---|---|
| Minutes | Heart rate drops. |
| 24 hours | Nicotine level in the blood drops to zero. |
| Several days | Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to the level of someone who does not smoke. |
| 1 to 12 months | Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. |
| 1 to 2 years | Risk of heart attack drops sharply. |
| 3 to 6 years | Added risk of coronary heart disease drops by half. |
| 5 to 10 years | Added risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and voice box drops by half. Risk of stroke decreases. |
| 10 years | Risk of cancers of the bladder, esophagus and kidney decreases. Added risk of lung cancer drops by half after 10 to 15 years. |
| 15 years | Risk of coronary heart disease drops to close to that of someone who does not smoke. |
| 20 years | Risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and voice box, and of pancreatic cancer, drops to close to that of someone who does not smoke. Added risk of cervical cancer drops by about half. |
Quitting smoking has health benefits at any age, no matter how long or how much you have smoked. Quitting earlier in life yields greater health benefits, and even people who smoked for many years or smoked heavily benefit from quitting. On the weight itself, some people may gain weight after they quit, and quitting is still important for your health.
Your second year without cigarettes is when the risk of a heart attack drops sharply. Early benefits of quitting include a lower heart rate and blood pressure, better circulation, and the return of your sense of smell and taste, the same return that can make food more enjoyable.
If smoking also seemed to steady your mood, the short-term relief came from nicotine stopping the discomfort of withdrawal, not from help with anxiety or depression, and once people have been smoke-free for a few months, their anxiety and depression levels are often lower than when they were smoking.
If you do go back after a month or more without cigarettes, you may be able to quit the same way again, and the quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW can help you learn how to keep from relapsing.
Quit-smoking products, and which ones need a prescription
Nicotine replacement products such as skin patches, chewing gum and lozenges are sold over the counter to people age 18 and older. The following need a prescription:
- a nicotine nasal spray
- a nicotine inhaler
- varenicline tartrate, brand name Chantix, a tablet with no nicotine in it
- bupropion hydrochloride, brand name Zyban, also a tablet with no nicotine in it
Ask your health care provider which product, if any, might work best for you. They may need to take into consideration your age, whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and your medical history, such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, asthma, blood pressure and more. These products may also not be right for you if you take certain medicines, so ask how they will affect your other medicines.
According to the FDA, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should use nicotine replacement products only if their doctor says it is OK. If cost is in the way, a quit coach can help you connect with quit-smoking medicines through your health insurer or community programs, and may be able to provide them for free.
Help when the weight is your main worry
A few simple habits can help control weight gain after quitting:
- Snack smart. If you eat between meals, pick healthy, low-calorie foods that still give your mouth and hands something to do, such as celery, carrots or sugar-free mints, or keep them busy with a toothpick or a straw.
- Be active. Any physical activity is better than none, and even a walk can have real health benefits.
- Eat without distractions. Eating in front of the TV or a phone tends to mean eating more, so put those away, eat a bit slower and focus on enjoying the food, which can help you tell when you are getting full.
If you are worried about gaining weight, a quit coach can help you with other quitting tips, or you can ask your health care provider for help. When you call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, you can speak confidentially with a highly trained quit coach, who will ask about your past experience with trying to quit, and these smoke-free months are part of it. Coaching is available in several languages, with a Spanish line at 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569).
Before starting Chantix or Zyban
According to the FDA, before Chantix or Zyban is started, a person should tell their health care provider about a pregnancy or a plan to become pregnant, breastfeeding, any history of depression or other mental health problems, and any symptoms they had during other times they tried to quit smoking. If one of these pills is ever offered to you, for example to quit again after going back to cigarettes, describe this quit to the prescriber too, the appetite change included.
Each new Chantix or Zyban prescription comes with a patient Medication Guide explaining the medicine's risks, and it should be read every time, because the information may have changed. Varenicline may also change how a person reacts to alcohol, so anyone who drinks and is offered it should talk to their health care provider about their drinking habits and whether they need to change.
Some people trying to quit, with or without stop-smoking medicines, have significant side effects, including new or worsening mental health problems such as:
- thoughts about suicide or dying
- suicide attempts
- new or worse depression
- new or worse anxiety
- feeling very agitated or restless
- panic attacks
- trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- new or worse irritability
- acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
- acting on dangerous impulses
- an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
- other unusual changes in behavior or mood
These happen more often in people who had mental health problems before trying to quit. Anyone taking Chantix or Zyban is told to stop it and call their health care provider right away if they, their family or their caregiver sees any of these changes. If you use another quit-smoking product and have side effects, call your health care provider, who may tell you to stop using it.
Some people feel mood changes for a short time after they quit, so watch for them, especially if you have ever had anxiety or depression. If you take neither pill, call your health care provider if any of the changes above has not eased in a couple of weeks or feels unmanageable, and if depression gets worse or does not get better, see your health care provider, call the quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or get emergency help.
Thoughts about hurting oneself or dying need help now, for you or for anyone you know who has them: reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or for emergency medical treatment, call 911, or go directly to the nearest hospital emergency department. If it is you, stay with someone; if it is someone else, stay with them. Someone taking Chantix or Zyban who has those thoughts needs that help now, and should also stop the pill and call their health care provider right away.
As a NicoCares patient, message your care team in the Spruce app before you start a quit-smoking product, since the plan your physician writes is built around your health profile. Answers in Spruce have no set time, so for any warning sign above, phone your health care provider, the quitline, 988 or 911, as given with that sign, rather than writing there.
