LMH educator offers tips for managing weight during holidays, especially for those who quit smoking / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, November 23, 2009

November 23, 2009

Lawrence resident Melanie Birge is still smoke-free after quitting her 32-year habit for the Great American Smokeout.

“I am hanging in there. It has gotten so much easier now, the first day was the hardest,” she said. “I do worry about eating in place of smoking, I just don’t want to gain a lot of weight through the holidays.”

Aynsley Anderson, community education coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, offered the following tips for anyone who might want help with managing their weight during the holidays, especially if they have recently quit smoking:

• The key to not gaining much, if any, weight is lots of exercise such as frequent walking. It also will help control cravings both for a cigarette and food. Even just a 5- to 10-minute walk several times a day will help control weight gain.

• Drinking lots of water also can help to manage food and cigarette cravings.

• Stocking the house with lots of low-calorie snacks such as veggies, fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt and pretzels.

• During holiday gatherings, stay as far away from the food table as possible, except during meals. Leave the table promptly after eating and go for a walk. Use a smaller plate where possible. Take one small helping of each food. If you are still hungry, eat more veggies and not green bean casserole.

• The key to remaining smoke free is to avoid alcohol and stay away from other smokers.

• Also the daily — sometimes hourly, at first — mantra for all who quit smoking should be, “I will never have one puff of one cigarette ever again.” Anderson advises people to say this in front of a mirror every day. Also, “I am stronger than that cigarette.”