You Can Control 

Your Weight as You 

Quit Smoking

WIN Weight-control Information Network Weight-control Information Network

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 

AND HUMAN SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! Quitting is 

one of the best actions you can take to improve your health. You 

may be concerned about gaining weight, but try not to worry 

about it as you quit. Focus on stopping smoking first, and then 

continue to improve your health in other ways, such as reaching 

and maintaining a healthy weight for life. 

Will I gain weight if I stop smoking?

Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. Among 

people who do, the average weight gain is less than 10 pounds. 

Roughly 10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large 

amount of weight—as many as 30 pounds. 

What causes weight gain after quitting?

When smokers quit, they may gain weight for a number of 

reasons. These include:

• Feeling hungry. Quitting smoking may make a person feel 

hungrier and eat more than usual, but this feeling usually goes 

away after several weeks.

• Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks. Some people eat 

more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic 

beverages after they quit smoking.

• Burning calories at a normal rate again. Every cigarette 

you smoke makes your body burn calories faster, but is also 

harmful to your heart. Once you quit, you are no longer 

getting this temporary effect. Instead, you are burning slightly 

fewer calories on a daily basis.

Do you want to 

quit smoking? 

Are you worried 

about gaining 

weight? If so, 

this information 

may help you.
2

Can I avoid weight gain?

Physical activity and a healthy eating plan may help you 

control your weight. In addition, being physically active may 

ease withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation and help 

reduce the chances of relapsing after quitting.

While it is a good idea to be physically active and eat healthy 

foods as you quit smoking, try not to worry about your weight. 

It may be easier to quit first and focus on controlling your 

weight when you are smoke-free.

To lower your chances of gaining weight when you stop 

smoking:

• Accept yourself.

• Get regular, moderate-intensity physical activity.

• Limit snacking and alcohol.

• Consider using medication to help you quit.

• Consider getting professional advice about weight control.

Accept yourself.

If you gain a few pounds when you quit, do not dwell on 

it. Instead, feel proud that you are improving your health. 

Quitting smoking may make you feel better in many ways.

Quitting smoking may help you have:

• more energy

• whiter teeth

• fresher breath and fresher smelling clothes and hair

• fewer wrinkles and healthier-looking skin

• a clearer voice

If you gain a 

few pounds 

when you quit, 

do not dwell on 

it. Instead, feel 

proud that you 

are improving 

your health.
3

Get regular, moderate-intensity physical activity.

Regular physical activity may help you avoid large weight gains 

when you quit smoking. It may also boost your mood and 

help you feel more energetic. It is likely that you will be able to 

breathe easier during physical activity after you quit smoking.

Aim to be physically active at a moderate-intensity level (one 

that makes you breathe harder but does not overwork or 

overheat you) on most, if not all, days of the week. You can 

accomplish this by breaking it up into shorter sessions—it does 

not need to be done all at once. After you quit smoking and 

are ready to lose weight, you may need to increase the amount 

of time that you are physically active each day or increase your 

intensity level to achieve your weight-loss goals. The ideas 

below may help you to be active.

Ideas for Being Active Every Day

•	 Use your lunch break to walk around and stretch, or take a

walk after dinner.

•	 Sign up for a class such as dance or yoga. Ask a friend to

join you.

•	 Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for

walking.

•	 Park the car farther away from entrances to stores, movie

theaters, or your home.

•	 Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure the stairs

are well lit.

Limit snacking and alcohol.

Having more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and alcoholic drinks 

may lead to weight gain when you quit smoking. The ideas on 

the next page may help you make healthy eating and beverage 

choices as you quit smoking.

Regular physical 

activity may help 

you avoid large 

weight gains 

when you quit 

smoking. 
4

Tips for Healthy Eating and Beverage Selections as You Quit 

•	 Do not go too long without eating. Being very hungry may

lead to less healthy food choices.

•	 Eat enough at meals to satisfy you, but try not to overeat.

Eat slowly so you can pick up on your body’s signals that 

you are full.

•	 Choose healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit or canned fruit

packed in its own juices, low-fat air-popped popcorn, or 

low-fat yogurt when you are hungry between meals.

•	 Do not deny yourself an occasional treat. If you crave ice

cream, enjoy a small serving, which is 1/2 cup.

•	 Choose an herbal tea, hot cocoa made with fat-free milk, or

sparkling water instead of an alcoholic beverage.

Consider using medication to help you quit.

Talk to your health care provider about medications that may 

help you quit smoking. Some people gain less weight when 

they use medication.

Medications That May Help You Quit Smoking

•	 Nicotine replacement therapy, including the patch, gum,

lozenges, nasal spray, and inhaler.

•	 Antidepressant medication.

The patch, lozenges, and gum are available without a 

prescription from your health care provider.

Consider getting professional advice about 

weight control.

You may find it easier to control your weight with the help 

of a health professional. Ask your health care provider if there 

is a weight-management program in your area. Also, consider 

speaking with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, personal 

trainer, or exercise professional about becoming physically 

active and adopting a healthy eating plan. You may need to 

contact your health insurer to make sure weight-management 

services are covered by your plan.

Choose healthy 

snacks, such as 

fresh fruit or 

canned fruit 

packed in its 

own juices, lowfat air-popped 

popcorn, or lowfat yogurt when 

you are hungry 

between meals.
5

Will weight gain hurt my health?

Although gaining weight is not desired after you stop smoking, 

keep in mind that the overall health benefits of quitting 

outweigh the health risks of weight gain. 

Health Risks of Smoking

• Cancer. Smoking greatly increases the risk for lung cancer, 

the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. 

Smoking is also linked to cancer of the esophagus, larynx, 

kidney, pancreas, and cervix.

• Other health problems. Smoking increases the risk for lung 

disease and heart disease. In pregnant women, smoking is 

linked to premature birth, babies with low birth weight, and 

delivery complications.

By quitting smoking, you are taking a big step to improve

your health. Instead of worrying about weight gain, focus on 

quitting. Once you are tobacco-free, you can work toward 

having a healthy weight for life by becoming more physically 

active and choosing healthier foods.

Additional Reading From the Weight-control 

Information Network 

Active at Any Size. National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

Publication No. 10–4352.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/active.htm

Better Health and You. NIH Publication No. 08–4992 

(available in English and Spanish).

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/better_health.htm 

Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health. NIH Publication 

No. 08–6444.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/changing-habits.htm

Energize Yourself and Your Family. NIH Publication No. 

08–4926.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/energize.htm

By quitting 

smoking, you 

are taking a 

big step to 

improve your 

health. Instead 

of worrying 

about weight 

gain, focus on 

quitting.
6

Just Enough for You: About Food Portions. NIH Publication No. 09–5287.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm

Walking...A Step in the Right Direction. NIH Publication No. 07–4155.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/walking.htm

Additional Resources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

AHCPR Supported Clinical Practice Guidelines, 18. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 

2008 Update. Available online at

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=hsahcpr&part=A28163.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. October 2008. Available online at 

http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

ChooseMyPlate. More information and interactive tools on healthy eating and physical

activity are available at http://www.choosemyplate.gov. 

For more information on quitting smoking, contact:

American Cancer Society

Phone: 1–800–ACS–2345 

(800–227–2345)

http://www.cancer.org 

American Heart Association

Phone: 1–800–AHA–USA1 

(800–242–8721)

http://www.americanheart.org

American Lung Association

Phone: 1–800–LUNGUSA 

(800–586–4872)

http://www.lungusa.org

National Cancer Institute

Phone: 1–800–4–CANCER 

(800–422–6237)

http://www.nci.nih.gov
7

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Phone: (301) 443–1124

http://www.nida.nih.gov

Office of the Surgeon General

Phone: (301) 443–4000

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco

Smokefree.gov 

(a partnership of the American Cancer Society, the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the

National Cancer Institute)

Phone: 1–877–44U–QUIT (877–448–7848)

Phone for help within your State: 

1–800–QUITNOW (800–784–8669)

http://www.smokefree.gov

Weight-control 

Information 

Network

1 WIN Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3665

Phone: 

(202) 828–1025

Toll-free number: 

1–877–946–4627

FAX: (202) 828–1028

Email: 

WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: 

http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information 

Network (WIN) is a national information service of the National Institute 

of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney

Diseases (NIDDK) of the National

Institutes of Health, which is the 

Federal Government’s lead agency 

responsible for biomedical research on 

nutrition and obesity. Authorized by 

Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN 

provides the general public, health 

professionals, the media, and Congress 

with up-to-date, science-based health 

information on weight control, obesity, 

physical activity, and related nutritional 

issues.

Publications produced by WIN are 

reviewed by both NIDDK scientists

and outside experts. This fact sheet was 

also reviewed by Robert Eckel, M.D.,

Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and

Biophysics, University of Colorado

Health Sciences Center.

This fact sheet is also available at 

http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov.

This text is not copyrighted. 

WIN encourages unlimited 

duplication and distribution 

of this fact sheet. NIH Publication Number No. 03–4159

Updated February 2010