This is what I've been mulling over for the last couple of day's - I saw a post in the exercise section yesterday where Trainer Dan had put a link to an article on how weight trainers lost fat by using the patch. I have been on the verge of starting to smoke again - but now am really thinking about wearing the patch. I did not use the patch to quit. I wonder if the cigarette cravings would come back when I quit wearing the patch? I realize that the metabolism slow down would happen again but by then hopefully I would have lost the weight gained with the first quit and I would not do the incessant snacking that caused my gain.

anyone have thoughts on this

Instead of doing something deleterious to your health why not do something beneficial that will also raise your metabolism?

Smoking reduces metabolism by about 10% - for a few months. It's not permanent, though. During those few months you can do three things guranteed to raise metabolism to compensate for that 10% - possibly even push you over that.

1) Lift weights. You want lean muscle. It takes approx 50 calories to feed a lb of muscle. Muscle's favourite food? Your body fat. BTW, it takes about 7 calories to feed a lb of fat.

2) Eat frequent smaller meals. It's called TEF; the Termogenic Effect of Food. Digesting food takes energy. The very act of eating keeps metabolism raised.

3) Drink / take green tea. 7-10 cups of green tea (caffinated) or one extract pill equivalent will raise metabolism by 4% over 24 hours. It's also a powerful antioxidant, an antifungal and possess anti carcinogenic properties. The extract must be standardized, however, to 60% polyphenols to be effective.

It can be difficult to grasp that what you put into your mouth can have as much if not more of an effect on your health and well being that a 'magic' pill or a patch - but it can and it does.

BTW, quitting smoking increases insulin sensitivity - in otherwords, it makes LC work better.

Congrats - it's not an easy monkey to kick. I know - it took me a year to do it the right way.

Nat

Thanks Nat

I am already doing all the above except the frequent meals - though sometimes I DO snack - my plan discourages snacking. I think the idea of no snacks is to try and keep the blood sugar more level but I'm not sure of that. I did my cardio early this am on an empty stomache as I read in the fitness forum yesterday that it was more effective done that way. I see you are in the same area as I am and early a.m. can still be a mite nippy - maybe that will speed me from brisk walking to jogging