Vaping has become a popular way to consume nicotine, especially among people who are trying to cut down on smoking cigarettes. But does vaping really help you lose weight?
The jury is still out on this one. Some people say that vaping helps them lose weight because it curbs their appetite. Others say that it does not make any difference at all.
There is evidence that suggests that smokers usually have less body weight than non-smokers. Also, people who have quitted smoking have experienced weight gain in most cases. So, what’s the verdict? Does vaping make you lose weight? Keep reading to find out!
Does Vaping Make You Lose Weight?
There is no evidence to suggest that vaping can directly cause weight loss. While nicotine, which is present in some vaping products, can suppress appetite, it is not a safe or effective method for weight loss. Vaping can also have negative health effects and should be avoided.
A vape usually contains high amounts of nicotine, added flavors, and various strong chemicals which can harm your body [1].
Vaping has been linked as a lose weight method simply because it has been shown that people who smoke have lesser body weight than people who do not [2].
Smoking has been proven injurious to health and can lead to various side effects. This includes heart diseases, lung diseases, cancer, and whatnot.
The people who use vapes are most commonly young individuals and those who try to quit smoking as vaping has been termed by vape companies as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes.
Some research has found that vaping can help with weight loss, while other studies haven’t been able to prove any linkages between vaping and weight loss.
Why is Vaping Believed to Help With Weight Loss?
Vaping is believed to help with weight loss and the main reason comes out to be ‘nicotine’ which is one of the main ingredients included in vapes and cigarettes. Let us look a little more at nicotine and how it can affect your body and weight loss.
Nicotine
The weight loss caused by vaping or even smoking is highly related to nicotine. Although nicotine can provide some minor weight loss benefits, it is highly addictive and can cause many many side effects which you would not love to have.
A study has found that young adults have shown higher nicotine dependence levels related to e-cigarettes (vapes) than nicotine dependence related to tobacco cigarettes [3].
Nicotine can cause many harmful effects and some of them include high blood pressure, increased heart rate, burning sensation in the mouth, nausea, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, cancer, heart attack, etc [4].
However, now let us take a look at how nicotine can affect weight loss in our bodies. Research has shown that nicotine’s complex effect on hormones can cause decreased appetite and increased metabolism [5].
The study also states that smokers who quit smoking are most likely to gain weight because of the loss of metabolic boost and appetite compression. This is usually combined with increased calorie intake and less physical activity causing weight gain.
Appetite Suppression
As mentioned, nicotine can help with appetite suppression [5]. Appetite suppression can be a powerful tool when it comes to trying to lose weight, as many of us tend to overindulge in high-calorie foods and snacks when we’re feeling hungry. By vaping, people may be able to reduce their cravings for unhealthy foods and snacks.
Increased Metabolism
It has been shown that nicotine can act as a metabolism booster which can help in burning off some extra calories leading to weight loss [5]. Nicotine increases metabolism which can increase the number of calories burned at rest.
Weight loss happens when you burn more calories than consume, this is known as a calorie deficit. Increased metabolism leads to greater fat burning, which can in turn cause you to lose weight.
Vapes Without Nicotine
As mentioned the main reason for weight loss caused by vapes or cigarettes is the nicotine added to them. So what about nicotines free vapes?
Nicotine-free vapes do not contain any amount of nicotine but they can still contain various harmful chemicals that could affect your health.
With nicotine-free vapes, you will be avoiding the harmful effects of nicotine but because of the other harmful ingredients, we cannot conclude that they are better than nicotine vapes.
For weight loss, nicotine-free vapes might not be useful as they do not contain any nicotine which came out to be the main reason for weight loss in nicotine vapes.
Vaping For Weight Loss and The Risks of Vaping
Vaping for weight loss turns out to be an insensible method for weight loss. Still, some people believe that vaping can be used for weight loss as it is termed as a healthier option to smoking cigarettes.
While some people may believe that vaping is a “healthier” alternative to smoking cigarettes, it still carries with it a variety of health risks. Vaping can still expose you to toxins, including nicotine, heavy metals, and chemicals, all of which can lead to adverse health consequences [1].
In addition, vaping has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and even cancer [4].
Some vapes contain different chemicals which have not even been identified yet and hence you do not even know what you are consuming.
Even if you vape with intention of weight loss, the main ingredient in vapes which is nicotine is highly addictive and once you get addicted to vapes you will start developing its harmful side effects.
Therefore, if you are looking to start vaping to lose weight, then reconsider and do not use vapes for weight loss. Vapes should not be used either as a weight-loss strategy or for anything else because they can be extremely harmful to your health.
Check Out: How to Break Weight Loss Plateau – 10 Easy Ways To Break It
Tips to Lose Weight More Healthily
Here are some tips that you can follow to lose weight more healthily.
1. Add Physical Activity to Your Routine
Adding physical activity to your routine is extremely important if you want to lose weight and be healthier [6, 7]. Physical activity can be anything from just walking and hitting your step count goal to performing intense workouts.
Exercise is quite important for anyone trying to lose weight. But what many people don’t realize is that there are different types of exercise, and some are better for weight loss than others.
For example, aerobic exercise is a great way to burn calories and improve your cardiovascular health. But if you’re trying to lose weight, you should also focus on activities that build muscle. This is because more muscle burns more calories, even when you’re at rest. So, if you can add some muscle to your body, you’ll be burning more calories all day long, which can help you lose weight in the long run.
In the end, performing a combination of aerobic exercises and resistance training can help you to lose weight [8, 9].
2. Eating Healthy
If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ve probably been told over and over again that you need to eat healthily. And it’s true – eating healthy is an important part of any weight loss plan. But why is eating healthy so important for weight loss?
There are a few reasons. First, eating healthy foods helps to boost your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories and lose weight. Second, healthy foods are usually lower in calories than unhealthy foods, so you can eat more without gaining weight. And finally, eating healthy foods helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied, so you’re less likely to overeat or snack throughout the day.
Eating healthy is important for weight loss because it can help you to avoid diseases and health conditions that can make it difficult to lose weight [10]. Eating healthy is not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it if you’re trying to lose weight.
3. Get On a Calorie Deficit
If you want to lose weight, you need to get on a calorie deficit. This means that you need to burn more calories than you consume in a day [10, 11]. The best way to do this is to eat healthy and low-calorie foods and exercise regularly to burn those calories.
For all this, you will need to keep a track of the calories you are taking in and burning out. You can use an online food tracker or a journal to keep track of your calories.
4. Lower Your Stress Levels
If you’re trying to lose weight, stress management is key. Studies have shown that higher stress levels can lead to weight gain [12, 13].
When you are stressed, your body releases a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol can lead to weight gain and make it harder to lose weight [14]. So if you’re trying to slim down and lose weight, it’s important to find ways to manage your stress.
There are a few different ways you can manage and lower your stress levels. Exercising is a great way to relieve stress and boost your overall health. Making sure to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day can help your body in many ways. You can also try relaxation strategies like yoga or meditation. And try to avoid stressful situations when you can.
If you can manage your stress, you will be one step closer to reaching your weight loss goals.
5. Get Sufficient Sleep
We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our overall health. It can also help with one’s weight loss goals. When you do not get sufficient sleep, your body’s hormones get out of balance [15, 16]. This can lead to increased hunger and cravings, as well as less self-control.
Getting sufficient sleep can help to regulate your hormones and keep your hunger in check. Furthermore, sufficient sleep helps your muscles and body to recover after an intense workout which is also essential to losing weight.
In addition, sleep deprivation can result in increased stress levels. When you’re stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which can promote fat storage. Getting enough sleep can help to reduce your stress levels and normalize your cortisol levels.
Overall, research suggests that getting enough sleep is important for weight loss and if you don’t get sufficient sleep it can lead to weight gain [16, 17].
Summary
At the present moment, it has been found that vaping or smoking cigarettes can help lose weight because of one of their ingredients known as nicotine.
Nicotine can help in increasing metabolism and suppressing your appetite which can result in weight loss. However, nicotine is addictive and can have many harmful effects on your body and health.
Vaping is considered a healthier option than smoking cigarettes, so many people consider it as an alternative to getting out of the smoking habit. Still, vapes contain many harmful ingredients which you would not want to consume as they can cause cancer and even heart attacks. If you are trying to get out of the habit of smoking there are many better options than vaping, we recommend you reach out to a professional.
Even if you are a non-smoker trying vaping to lose weight, vaping can do more harm than good. While it seems nice and fast, getting attracted to short-term weight loss methods is generally not a good bet.
For those who are looking to lose weight, it’s important to focus on healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough rest.
If you are struggling to lose weight consider reaching out to a professional fitness trainer and a nutritionist for help.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only. Vapes can be injurious to your health. We are not promoting the use of tobacco cigarettes, vapes, or addictive substances like nicotine. Consume these substances at your own responsibility and risk.
References
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- Arnaud Chiolero, David Faeh, Fred Paccaud, Jacques Cornuz, Consequences of smoking for body weight, body fat distribution, and insulin resistance, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 87, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 801–809, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.4.801
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- Cox CE. Role of Physical Activity for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance. Diabetes Spectr. 2017 Aug;30(3):157-160. doi: 10.2337/ds17-0013. PMID: 28848307; PMCID: PMC5556592.
- Swift DL, Johannsen NM, Lavie CJ, Earnest CP, Church TS. The role of exercise and physical activity in weight loss and maintenance. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2014 Jan-Feb;56(4):441-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2013.09.012. Epub 2013 Oct 11. PMID: 24438736; PMCID: PMC3925973.
- Willis LH, Slentz CA, Bateman LA, Shields AT, Piner LW, Bales CW, Houmard JA, Kraus WE. Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012 Dec 15;113(12):1831-7. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01370.2011. Epub 2012 Sep 27. PMID: 23019316; PMCID: PMC3544497.
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