Your body after quitting smoking

The great thing about quitting smoking is that when you quit, you feel the benefits almost immediately. Here is what happens to your body during the first smoke-free days and afterwards. 

• In eight hours the carbon monoxide levels in your blood reduce by half and oxygen levels increase, returning to normal. Circulation improves, so your hands and feet get warmer.
• In 24 hours carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and the supply of oxygen to your heart muscle begins to improve.

• Your ability to taste and smell improve within 48 hours.
• Breathing ability (lung function) begins to improve within 72 hours.
• Blood circulation in the gums is virtually back to normal in 14 days.
• In one month skin appearance improves.

• In one to three months, lung function and breathing improve, so walking and other exercises become easier.
• In one year your risk of heart attack is reduced by up to 50 per cent compared to that of a smoker.
• In five years, your risk of dying prematurely from heart disease or stroke is now almost equal to that of someone who has never smoked. Your added risk of stroke virtually disappears, no matter how old you are.

Smokers tend to put on a little weight when they give it up, perhaps because of a change in metabolism, or perhaps because they are eating more or eating high-fat and sugary foods to compensate for not smoking. The body may be adjusting to what should be its "normal" weight (smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers). In addition, recovering smokers are more likely to react to hunger cues by binge eating, because their brains are used to the "quick fix" of nicotine. Here are some tips on how to avoid weight gain:

• Anticipate hunger — avoid binge eating and carbohydrate cravings by eating frequently and choosing small amounts of healthy foods.
• Plan your meals and don't buy sugary or fatty snacks.
• Don't use candy to help you quit smoking — if you need something to satisfy oral cravings, try sugar-free gum.
• If you are tempted to satisfy a nicotine craving with a calorie-laden snack, take a couple of deep breaths or sip a glass of cold water instead. Strangely, our brains sometimes confuse hunger and thirst, so we may think we are hungry when, in fact, we need something to drink.
• Step up your activity levels — walk a little bit farther or a little bit faster, or use the stairs instead of the elevator.

• While this is a common myth, it is true only if you gain a vast amount of weight. You would need to put on around 34 kilograms (75 pounds) to expose yourself to the same level of risk as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day — and fewer than four per cent of smokers gain more than nine kilograms (20 pounds).
• In fact, the average weight gain among people who stop smoking is about 2.25 kilograms (five pounds), and about one in five people who stop smoking don't put on weight at all.