Advice: weight loss and cessation of smoking.

EmilyEnough wrote: »

Smoking does increase the metabolism. Its a simulant.

I was taught this immediately when working with heavy smokers at the diet clinic.

If you web search Web MD states it too, and consumption of caffeine is often a combo that really messes w the thyroid and metabolism.

Technically yes, nicotine is a stimulant. However in practice, it's more than canceled out by smokers lacking the lung capacity and fitness both for intentional exercise and, very importantly, NEAT. When I was a 1 pack a day smoker, I'd take an elevator to go up one floor, because huffing and puffing your way up a flight of stairs is torture when you're a regular smoker. Once I quit, I found myself making a zillion micro choices every day, like walking up that flight of stairs or not bothering to find a "good" parking space nearest to a store, things which are completely alien to a smoker. I think the positive impact of quitting on general activity level in NEAT and also ability to do much more intentional exercise more than make up for any stimulative effect of nicotine, which does admittedly exist on some level.