Worrying about gaining weight after you stop smoking should not stop you from quitting. Although some people do gain a few pounds after they quit, there are steps you can take to keep your weight in check. These healthy habits also help keep you healthier overall.

Here are 3 tips for avoiding weight gain:

• Eat more mindfully. You may be tempted to substitute food for cigarettes, but if you pay attention to what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat, you can avoid unwanted weight gain. If you find yourself reaching for food when what you really want is a cigarette, find healthy options to keep your hands and mouth busy, such as carrot sticks to crunch or sugarless gum to chew. Pay attention to portion sizes since you may find yourself initially feeling hungrier. Aim to drink at least 8 8-oz glasses of water or non-caffeinated beverages a day to stay well-hydrated so you’ll be less likely to confuse hunger with thirst.
• Get more active. While you’ll want to keep a handle on what you put in your mouth, one way to avoid gaining weight in case you do eat more is to move more. Regular exercise not only helps you burn more calories (to combat any extra calories you eat) but it is good for your overall health. After you quit smoking, you should start to find it easier to exercise because it will be easier to breathe, so use this benefit of quitting to your advantage.
• Find ways to cope. Some smokers turn to cigarettes when they are feeling stressed or dealing with negative emotions. If this describes you, think about ways you can cope with these feelings without turning to food—or back to cigarettes. Try deep-breathing exercises, squeeze a stress ball, call a friend or take a walk when emotions run high.

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