It's Bikini Season...so Quit Already

Summer means lots of skimpily clad days at the beach or pool. Bathing suits can be a huge deterrent for many women to quit smoking for fear of packing on pounds, and they’re right to be a little afraid: The average woman gains five to seven pounds when she quits smoking. The weight gain occurs because the body’s metabolism slows down slightly without the nicotine in its system. However, there are ways to battle the bulge and stay sexy for summer:

* Exercise, exercise and some more exercise. It’s guaranteed to keep your metabolism revving and raring to go.

* Keep fruit handy. “Fruits are slightly alkaline, which will slow down the rate at which nicotine leaves your body, so you'll go through a more gradual withdrawal,” says Jackie Storm from Quitsmoke.

* Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy foods. It’s no surprise that you’re going to have a serious oral fixation while you’re quitting smoking. Before you begin, make sure there are no “sin” foods around to tempt you since you’ll likely want to have something in your mouth at all times.

* Research medications. Although quitting-smoking drugs work better for some than others, you don’t know which camp you’re in until you try them. Ones to consider include Zyban and Chantix.

* If at first you don’t succeed, gather more resources and try again. If the quitting-smoking drugs don’t work for you, try nicotine replacement products such as gums and patches. Try acupuncture, hypnosis and/or meditation. Find a support group too, whether it be an actual group you meet with or a group of like-minded friends. Quitting smoking tends to work best in a pack mentality. [New York Daily News]