No, quitting smoking with an e-cigarette should allow you to avoid the “classic” weight gain many people experience when they stop smoking. This benefit comes from the fact that smokers who quit smoking usually redirect their attention to food because they are missing nicotine. Using a personal vaporizer to quit smoking means that you can still give your brain the nicotine hit it craves, but you won’t need to snack more than you did before.
This question arises if you are quitting smoking completely using e-cigarettes. It is worth noting that tobacco burns the equivalent of 200 calories per cigarette pack smoked. This is one of the reasons why you start eating more to make up for the calorie deficit when you quit smoking. If you combine this factor with the need for a hand-to-mouth action which can make you succumb to your hunger pangs or encourage snacking, quitting tobacco is frequently associated with weight gain. But that is not all.
Nicotine modifies our hormone system
The nicotine contained in tobacco smoke modifies our perception of appetite and of sugar cravings in particular. With an e-cigarette containing nicotine, you should not be exposed to this type of problem. On the other hand, tobacco smoke is so complex that it affects the brain in multiple ways, particularly in terms of regulating emotions and food intake. For this reason, when you quit smoking, sugary and high-fat foods are more appealing, as is snacking in general.
It is common to observe a weight gain of up to 5 kg from the reference weight among ex-smokers. Unfortunately, as pointed out by tobacco studies experts, this may discourage people from quitting, which is a pity because quitting smoking is one of the best things that you can do for your health in your lifetime.
Filling a void
The problem with quitting tobacco is that you are more likely to feel an urge to snack. Ex-smokers seek a sense of gastric satiation when craving nicotine. Smokers who have quit recently may also want to occupy their hands, relieve boredom, seek out substitutes for cigarettes, and snacking remains one of their go-to options. Sweet or savoury treats are very popular among ex-smokers craving nicotine, who are looking for easy, quick and tasty ways to indulge themselves.
Anxiety associated with quitting tobacco may also stimulate a change in eating behaviour. There is a great need for immediate comfort, which food may satisfy.
Finally, it is worth noting that the sleep disorders caused by quitting tobacco may also cause ex-smokers to increase their food intake. As hormones regulate eating behaviour, quitting tobacco may also be the cause of a hormonal change that then needs to be regulated.
Finally, remember that tobacco use is extremely harmful for the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, and hence smokers find savoury or sugary foods more appealing than non-smokers.
E-cigarettes should not cause a weight gain problem
Given that e-cigarettes satisfy a chemical need in the brain for nicotine, a sensory need with the flavours contained in e-liquids, and finally a visual need with the production of vapour, e-cigarettes do not promote weight gain in anyone using them to replace tobacco.
In this way, in the case of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, vaping should not cause a weight gain problem for the vaper. Obviously, this is provided that their nicotine craving is well controlled and that the device is used optimally. To ensure this, the best thing to do is to go to a specialist store and ask a member of the sales team for advice.
