People trying to quit cigarette smoking often switch to vaping. A big motivating factor behind this is the notion that vaping can help them lose weight or with weight control post-quitting.
But does vaping make you lose weight for real?
No, vaping doesn’t actively help you lose weight and should never be used as a weight loss supplement.
Nicotine in vape juice acts as an appetite suppressor and may prevent weight gain post smoking cessation, but it can also cause potential health risks, like lung damage and heart disease.
Whether you are a smoker trying to quit or a non-smoker who wants to try vaping, nicotine-free vapes are the safest option.
Let’s explore everything you need to know about vaping and weight loss and find out what happens to your weight when you quit nicotine.
We’ll also share 7 effective weight loss strategies for vapers and introduce you to safer vape alternatives. Then, we’ll answer some burning questions!
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This Article Contains
- How Does Vaping Nicotine Affect Your Weight?
- What Happens to Your Weight When You Quit Nicotine?
- Cyclone Pods: No-Nicotine Vapes, Care-Free Enjoyment
- 7 Tips for Healthy Weight Loss While Vaping
- Other FAQs About Vaping and Weight Loss
How Does Vaping Nicotine Affect Your Weight?
The answer to this question lies in how nicotine consumption impacts your body weight.
Nicotine is an addictive stimulant extracted from tobacco. This tobacco-derived nicotine is added to vaping liquids to give you that stimulating effect, just like traditional cigarettes.
To fully understand how vaping nicotine affects weight control, we must look at its effects on the human body, specifically how it affects your metabolism and appetite.
What Is the Effect of Nicotine on Your Metabolism?
Metabolism is the process of changing food into energy. Several factors influence your metabolism, such as gender, age, body weight, level of physical activity, etc.
Unsurprisingly, your body’s metabolic function can significantly impact your weight.
If you have a high metabolic rate, your body uses energy more rapidly than someone with a slower metabolism. This means you burn more calories at rest and during activity, directly affecting your body weight.
That's why some people can eat more than others without gaining weight.
So, how does nicotine affect your metabolism?
The nicotine concentration in vaping liquids (and traditional cigarettes) speeds up your metabolism.
This increases your body’s calories during a resting state by about 7-15%. So, if you eliminate nicotine, your body may process food slower and burn calories slower, causing weight gain (more on this later!)
Nicotine’s Appetite Suppression Effects
Ever passed on the snack table in favor of a few puffs from your vaping device?
There’s a reason for that.
Nicotine is known to suppress appetite. So, if you vape or smoke, you may find yourself snacking or eating less.
Additionally, nicotine can impair your taste buds and dull your senses, making food seem less appetizing and ultimately decreasing food intake.
That’s not all.
Besides suppressing your appetite, nicotine also suppresses the insulin levels in your blood, increasing your blood sugar levels (aka insulin resistance). This makes energy readily available in the blood to deliver where needed.
Did you know? E cigarette use is associated with a heightened risk of developing eating disorders among young adults. Those with a history of eating disorders may want to avoid vaping because of its appetite-curbing effects.
Now, you may be wondering…
What Happens to Your Weight When You Quit Nicotine?
The truth is, whether you use regular cigarettes or use an e cigarette product, you’re likely to gain weight once you quit smoking nicotine. There are a few reasons for this:
• Nicotine acts as a stimulant, raising your metabolic rate and speeding up the rate at which you burn calories. Eliminating nicotine reduces these metabolic spikes, slowing your body’s fat-burning rate.• Nicotine suppresses appetite, so by quitting smoking, you might feel the urge to eat more food.
• Quitting smoking allows insulin levels to normalize, reducing the energy freely available in the blood, which may lead to higher caloric consumption to make up for it.
• Eating can lead to dopamine release — just like smoking cigarettes. So ex-smokers often replace one with another, causing weight gain.
• After eliminating nicotine, your taste buds will return to their natural state. With the ability to enjoy flavors better, you might feel an increase in hunger and be tempted to eat more!
However, you can avoid some of these effects and control unwanted weight gain by switching to nicotine vaping after smoking cessation.
That said, nicotine vaping still has many potential health risks, like heart disease, lung damage, respiratory infections, etc.
Besides, it’s known to cause nicotine addiction in no time and create dependency, which could also affect your mental health. No wonder nicotine use is a public health concern.
If you’re purely using nicotine vaping for its appetite suppressing effects to lower your food intake, remember that the risks aren’t worth it.
Moreover, nicotine vapes can’t replace a balanced diet comprising healthy foods and physical activity when pursuing lower body weight.
Did you know?
According to a study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, young adults commonly face body image concerns. They are more likely to switch to vaping to lower body weight. In contrast, adults turn to vaping as a nicotine replacement therapy.
Thankfully, there are much safer vaping options available.
Cyclone Pods: No-Nicotine Vapes, Care-Free Enjoyment
Cyclone Pods is a California-based vaping brand that offers high-quality vaping products free from:
- Nicotine
- Formaldehyde
- Diacetyl
- Vitamin E acetate
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides
If you’re on the hunt for the ultimate vape companion, your search ends with the Surge Collection. This remarkable vape pen delivers an unparalleled vaping experience and takes a stance against the growing issue of e-waste.
The Surge vape comes with a reusable battery and long-lasting pod so that you can enjoy over 6000 puffs. Indulge in 13 tantalizing flavors, ranging from Blue Razz Ice to Watermelon Raspberry and more!
Looking for a long-lasting disposable vape pen?
Try the Gust Super disposable vape. The Gust Super boasts a liquid capacity of up to 5000 puffs, comes with a charger, and offers 11 delicious flavors, including:
- Watermelon Raspberry
- Pineapple Mango
- Strawberry Banana
- Menthol
- Mint
The best part?
Flavored, no-nicotine vapes can satiate sugar cravings, so you won’t feel tempted to consume excess sugar. This can indirectly help regulate your weight.
Maintaining a healthy weight can seem challenging, but don’t worry. There are practical and safe ways to achieve your goals.
7 Tips for Healthy Weight Loss While Vaping
Here are seven effective strategies to support your weight management goals while using vaping products:
1. Follow a Balanced Diet: Eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet aids in weight loss while supplying essential nutrients for optimal bodily function.
2. Exercise Regularly: Engaging in regular physical activity helps burn calories. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consumed.
3. Foster Sustainable Long-Term Habits: Developing healthy lifestyle habits can aid long-term weight loss and maintenance, surpassing temporary solutions or quick fixes.
4. Track Your Progress: A fitness device, like a smartwatch, can help track your progress. This way, you can stay on top of your goals and commitments.
5. Set Achievable Goals: To make your weight loss goal attainable and safe, break it down into manageable weekly or monthly steps.
6. Explore Additional Perks: Incorporating regular physical activity and a healthy eating routine can enhance your mood, boost energy levels, and provide opportunities for skill development and growth.
7. Get Sufficient Sleep: Sufficient and restful sleep can reduce food cravings and promote a balanced approach to food choices, helping with weight management.
Now let’s tackle some commonly asked questions about weight loss and vaping.
Other FAQs About Vaping and Weight Loss
Below are answers to other questions you may have about electronic cigarette use and weight loss:
1. Does Vaping Burn Calories?
No, vaping itself doesn’t directly burn calories. But remember, nicotine increases your metabolism.
So, if you use nicotine vapes, you may experience a slight increase in your metabolic rate.
2. Can You Lose Weight From Vaping CBD?
CBD, extracted from the cannabis plant, could aid weight loss among cannabis users because it affects the body, specifically the metabolism.
CBD can potentially convert white fat (aka “bad” fat) into brown fat, which could help your body burn more calories.
According to a 2022 study, CBD has an appetite curbing effect. This means cannabis users using CBD vape liquid in electronic cigarettes can potentially lose weight.
3. Can You Lose Weight From Vaping THC?
No, because, unlike CBD, THC is a natural appetite stimulant.
And that’s why vaping or smoking weed (THC-rich cannabis) is commonly associated with excess eating (the munchies.)
However, research suggests that individuals with a healthy body weight won’t experience much weight gain or loss when smoking weed.
4. What Happens When You Vape Nicotine While Fasting?
Nothing.
Research suggests that nicotine itself doesn’t impact hunger in fasting subjects. However, they did report a lower craving for a tobacco cigarette.
And don’t worry – it’s perfectly fine to use your electronic cigarette while fasting. Although vape juice contains calories, you consume less than five calories per 1ml, which won’t negatively impact your weight loss goals or usual calorie intake.
5. Can You Use Alternative Forms of Nicotine Replacement Therapy to Lose Weight?
Research shows that stopping tobacco smoking using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can lower weight gain risk.
These alternative NRT aids include:
- Nicotine gum
- Nicotine patch
- Nicotine lozenges
- Nicotine sprays
Did you know?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an electronic cigarette is less harmful than cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoke releases tar and carbon monoxide and contains a deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals.
6. Does Nicotine Dependency Affect Your Mental Health?
When you have nicotine addiction or dependency and stop using it, your body and brain go through withdrawal symptoms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, these symptoms include:
- Feeling anxious or depressed
- Restlessness
- Poor sleeping patterns
- Loss of focus and concentration
- Nicotine cravings
Most of these symptoms relate to your mental health, as kicking the habit can be extremely difficult for most people.
Find a Healthy Balance With Nicotine-Free Vapes
While nicotine vaping may suppress your appetite, it doesn’t actively influence weight loss. So, vaping nicotine solely to lose weight might not be the best way to do it.
But if you’re turning to nicotine vaping to halt the possible weight gain brought on by giving up traditional cigarette smoking, we have a silver bullet for you!
Head to Cyclone Pods and discover their range of nicotine-free vape products and say goodbye to harmful ingredients and dangerous health risks.