Posts Tagged ‘weight gain’

Quitting Smoking and Weight Gain

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

It is very normal for some people to quit smoking and then experience weight gain at a later time. This is quite common but is definitely avoidable. Weight gain post quitting smoking can be attributed to several reasons like metabolism changes, increased urge to eat etc.

Nicotine works as appetite suppressants for smokers and ex smokers experience symptoms like energy loss, headache if they have to wait long before taking meals. Cigarettes containing nicotine do suppress hunger and keep weight under control but at the cost of causing cancer, heart problems, and a hell lot of life taking health issues. Also, after smoking cessation, a person keeps on eating now and then whether he or she is hungry or not.

Among many alternatives to keep control on weight, one is to improve diet habits. It is about regulating your appetite and eating foods which burn more calories like carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes etc). Reduce the intake of sweets and go for sugar free solutions.
Another strategy to keep off the weight gain after you quit smoking is to start with a regular exercise program which will not only help to improve your appetite but will also reduce stress level which is often faced by many ex smokers.

Last but not the least, keep never say die spirit. Don’t let weight worries overtake the joy of quitting smoking. Quitting smoking not just help you have a better sense of well being but actually give you a key to control your life.

Women and Weight Gain

Friday, January 15th, 2010

There are certain phases in a woman’s life that make her prone to weight gain. For instance, women tend to gain weight during adolescence, pregnancy and post menopausal period. While it may be easier for women to lose weight during early years, it is extremely tough to shed extra pounds off the body during later period of life. And, even if a woman tries to maintain her weight, she’ll find that her fat is distributed in a different pattern as it is now more concentrated on the waistline.

It has been observed that a large number of women gain weight post marriage. This could be because of changed eating habits with a shift towards eating rich food or a more carefree and comfortable life post marriage. Some people also assume that weight gain is a sign of good health and happiness and therefore make no efforts towards reducing weight.

Pregnant women are highly prone to weight gain. This is because most women harbour a misconception that they should eat for 2 when they are pregnant and relax more to preserve their energy for the time of labour. However, experts believe that women should become more sensible towards eating during pregnancy and go for mild exercises, this facilitates a comfortable delivery and prevent excess weight gain. Women who take contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs can also lead to weight gain. The use of these drugs as well as obesity in women is on a rise.

Most women tend to gain weight during menopause – the natural phase in a woman’s life. Studies show that on average, women may experience a gain of approximately 10-15 pounds in the years surrounding menopause. There are several factors responsible for this occurrence such as hormonal changes, a decrease in thyroid function and subsequently metabolism. Because of a lower metabolism, fewer calories are required to maintain your current weight however, by habit women tend to eat the same amount hence they gain weight. Besides, women tend to be more inactive as they age and weight gain becomes the norm for the most.

How to gain weight naturally?

Monday, June 8th, 2009

Do you think that you are too skinny and will never gain weight? This article is to help change your attitude and get motivated to gain weight in an easy way.

If you don’t want to go with quick fixes like weight gain pills and steroids, there are several ways to gain weight with diet, training, supplements, motivation and exercise to build muscles naturally. Sitting around and eating junk food can help put on weight but it is not healthy way to do so.

Weight Gain Diet

  1. Disciplined diet to put pounds is important factor to gain healthy weight. You should know how many calories your body needs on regular basis. Take a note of what you need everyday and how many calories are there in everything.
  2. If you are doing muscle building workouts then you should increase your calorie intake by 500 calories and with increase in work out, increase the calorie intake too.
  3. Don’t worry about the source of calories carbohydrates, good fats or proteins. All that is required is to focus on consuming sufficient calories.
  4. Don’t skip meals.
  5. Don’t eat low calorie food that satisfies your appetite easily.

Muscle Building Workouts

  1. Workout different body parts on different days (Split routine). For e g do upper body work out on one day while lower body workout on next day.
  2. A push-pull routine may be the most often recommended.
  3. As you progress by adding on more weights, your body will accordingly develop muscles. But don’t be too rush on adding more weight.
  4. Perform cardio after you have successfully gained the weight that you wish for.

So all you need to do is to stick to these 2 underlying principles and you will find it very easy going from skinny to healthy life!