You Can Control Your 

Weight as You Quit 

Smoking

WIN 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 between 6 and 8 pounds. Roughly 

10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large amount of 

weight—30 pounds or more. 

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.
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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

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 for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity 

If you gain a few 

pounds when you 

quit, do not dwell 

on it. Instead, feel 

proud that you are 

improving your 

health.
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on most days of the week, preferably every day. 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 do more than 30 minutes of physical activity a day to 

achieve your weight loss goals. The ideas below may help you 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 further 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 below may help you 

make healthy eating and beverage choices as you quit smoking.

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 

juice (not syrup), 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.

Choose healthy 

snacks, such 

as fresh fruit 

or canned fruit 

packed in juice 

(not syrup), 

air-popped 

popcorn, or 

low-fat yogurt 

when you are 

hungry between 

meals.
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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, nasal 

spray, and inhaler

■ antidepressant medication

The patch 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. You may also consider speaking 

with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or exercise professional about 

becoming physically active and adopting a healthy eating plan. 

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 of 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 of lung disease and heart disease. In pregnant women, smoking is linked to 

premature birth, low birth weight babies, 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.

By quitting 

smoking, you are 

taking a big step 

to improve your 

health. Instead of 

worrying about 

weight gain, focus 

on quitting.
Additional Reading

These brochures from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN) can help you adopt 

healthy eating and physical activity habits:

Energize Yourself and Your Family. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Publication No. 04–4926.

Just Enough for You: About Food Portions. NIH Publication No. 03–5287.

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan: Better Health and You. NIH Publication 

No. 04–4992 (available in English and Spanish).

Tips to Help You Get Active. NIH Publication No. 06–5578.

Walking...A Step in the Right Direction. NIH Publication No. 04–4155.

Weight Loss for Life. NIH Publication No. 04–3700.

For more information on quitting smoking, contact:

American Cancer Society

Phone: 1–800–ACS–2345 (800–227–2345)

Internet: http://www.cancer.org

American Heart Association

Phone: 1–800–AHA–USA1 (800–242–8721) 

Internet: http://www.americanheart.org

American Lung Association

Phone: (212) 315–8700

Internet: http://www.lungusa.org

National Cancer Institute

Phone: 1–800–4–CANCER (800–422–6237)

1–800–332–8615 (TTY)

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

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Phone: (301) 443–1124 

Internet: http://www.nida.nih.gov

Office of the Surgeon General

Internet: 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: 1–800–QUITNOW (800–784–8669)

Internet: http://www.smokefree.gov

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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 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, sciencebased 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.

NIH Publication No. 03–4159

March 2003

Updated November 2006

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages 

users of this fact sheet to duplicate and distribute as 

many copies as desired.

This fact sheet is also available at 

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