Nicotine withdrawal happens when one gives up consuming tobacco related products, which contains addictive levels of nicotine. Because nicotine is a stimulant, it sometimes suppress the urge to eat among smokers. This means that a smoker is most likely to skip meals because he simply does not feel hungry. However, when one stops smoking, the effects of the cessation are manifested both physically and emotionally. The withdrawal symptoms usually kicks in around the fourth day after one quits smoking.
The symptoms usually disappear after the second week. Although there is only too much weight that a person can gain within the two week, some of the poor eating habits picked during the entire duration can persist even after the symptoms are over. Some of the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include sweating, hands or feet tingling, headaches, nausea and abdominal cramps. Emotional symptoms on the other hand include intense cravings, emotional tantrums, depression, anxiety and irritability. Emotional symptoms may prompt one may embrace more food as one way of ignoring the nicotine cravings.
- To avoid unhealthy weight gain, there are a number of choices that a person can choose to take:
- exercise: the ideal exercise routine that will help combat unhealthy weight gain while prompting high metabolism includes at least ½ hours, for five days each week. In addition to burning off the extra calories, this will also help alleviate a person emotionally
- Buy healthy foods only. Avoid the temptation to overindulge in high calorie foods especially if you are not physically active.
- Find an alternative way of distracting yourself.