Many people believe that vaping has health benefits like weight loss and less lung damage. This is true. However, vaping is not the magical alternative cigarette so many perceive it to be. It has its own fair share of risks, and it is not a permanent weight-loss solution.

In fact, vaping just to lose weight and quitting once you reach your goal could actually cause weight gain.

In this guide, we explore vaping in-depth, including how it works and why it may lead to temporary weight loss. We’ll also recommend safer alternatives to help you reach your fitness goals without exposing yourself to nicotine or other substances.

What Is Vaping?

Vaping involves heating a liquid until it turns into an aerosol, then inhaling and exhaling it. The liquid — known as e-liquid or vape juice — often contains nicotine, artificial flavors, and other chemicals. Although vaping is less harmful to your lungs than smoking, it is not without risks.

There are many different types of vaping devices available, such as e-cigarettes, vape pens, and advanced personal vaporizers (APVs). Substances can range from nicotine to cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

When examining vaping and weight loss, nicotine is the main substance to consider. It can affect not only how often you feel hungry but how fast your body processes converting food into energy and burns more calories faster.

Vaping and Appetite Suppression

The primary ingredient in most vaping liquids is nicotine. Nicotine can suppress your appetite, making you less hungry and therefore less likely to overeat. Technically, this could help you lose weight if you are only overweight due to a dramatic increase in calories. However, in most cases, reducing food consumption will not lead to dramatic weight loss. Instead, it will alter your metabolism, cause it will slow down and ultimately lead to rebound weight gain when you start eating normally again.

Appetite suppression has been explored in many avenues as a potential solution to being overweight. However, this is a limited view. People who struggle with a higher body mass index need to consider both caloric intake and activity levels. Weight loss should be the combination of a caloric deficiency and increase in physical exercise. You want to burn more than you eat, but you do not want to eat so little that your body is deprived of the nutrients it needs to thrive and respond well to exercise.

Research does support the idea that they can help people lose weight through appetite suppression. However, we encourage people to think more broadly when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle. E-cigarettes have their own risks to consider, and weight loss that is only sustainable by inhaling nicotine or other substances does not set you up for the healthiest life.

Vaping and Metabolism

Nicotine speeds up your body's metabolism, which is the process that it goes through to convert food into energy and store fat. Because people who smoke frequently have faster metabolism, they are likely to notice some weight gain after quitting, even if they don't change their dietary habits.

Because people who are looking to lose weight might find they are less hungry and have a faster metabolism through vaping, it makes sense to consider it a weight-loss solution.

While the temporary metabolic boost could be advantageous to weight loss, the long-term benefits are less known. At the same time, you must consider the other risks associated with vaping and how they could threaten your well-being.

It's also important to consider whether weight loss is really just about losing weight. While looking good is a goal for many people on a weight loss journey, focus should be on getting in better shape.

Living a healthier life is not just about looking good; it's about supporting your body through cardiovascular exercise and strength training. The improved physique is a result of those efforts. In other words, a healthy weight is the result of leading a more active, healthier lifestyle.

Health Risks Associated With Vaping

Vape pens are by far the most popular type of vaping device; they work like a rechargeable cigarette, allowing users to repeatedly refill them. Unlike traditional cigarettes, vape pens do not involve combustion, which means they do not produce smoke or tar. While this is beneficial for your lungs, it does not mean that vape pens are entirely harmless.

For example, diacetyl is commonly used in vape liquids, and it can permanently scar the smallest branches in your airway, leading to a condition called “popcorn lung.” People who vape can also develop liquid pneumonia or a collapsed lung due to a hole or air blister rupturing.

Vaping as a Weight Loss Strategy

Overall, vaping is not an effective long term weight loss solution. It cannot replace cardiovascular exercise or strength training, losing weight through vaping will not help you develop muscles or lower your risk of heart disease.

Another major drawback of using vaping to lose weight is the likelihood you will regain anything you lost after you quit smoking. Vaping only works to speed up your metabolism as long as you routinely consume nicotine. When you stop, you are more likely to notice weight return as your metabolism returns to its natural baseline, and your body is no longer burning off fat as quickly.

Nicotine is also highly habit forming, which can make it difficult to quit even when you want to. This means that people who turn to vaping as a weight loss solution may develop an unwanted and unhealthy lifestyle habit that they struggle to quit in the future.

Rather than put yourself through all the struggle, it can be much more advantageous to focus on developing a personal fitness plan that supports your greatest well-being.

Alternative and Healthier Weight Loss Methods

The best way to lose weight is to be more active while consuming fewer calories. You should prioritize physical activity every day. For people who currently live a sedentary lifestyle, becoming active can be a challenge, but every effort you may make toward moving more helps.

A good fitness plan for weight loss will include both nutritional guidance and physical exercise. Cardiovascular exercise helps you burn off excess fat while eating well not only supports weight loss, but also promotes healthier bodily function.

So whether it's riding a bike, taking the dog for a walk, playing with the kids in the yard, or hitting the gym, there are plenty of ways you can get more steps in your day and work toward your weight loss goals. Ideally, you should be seeing at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise every day. If you're unable to do this. And consider lower intensity exercise for longer periods of time. You can also break up exercise throughout the day if that's easier for you.

Conclusion

While they think it can help you lose weight in the short term, it is not a long term solution for a healthier life. If your goal is to lose weight, then you should consider cardiovascular exercise and strength training. You may also want to consider endurance training and taking up a sport. Not only is this good for your physical well being, but sports and physical activities like dance also have mental health benefits.

Ultimately, losing weight should be about the journey toward a healthier, happier you. Vaping is more like a potential quick fix with unwanted side effects. Exercise, on the other hand, can be modified to suit you at every stage of your life, and it is scientifically proven to not only improve your body but improve your mind as well.

Looking for personal advice? Connect with a licensed men’s health physician through Phoenix today.

Sources:

1. 5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know | Johns Hopkins Medicine
2. Vaping for weight control: A cross-sectional population study in England - PMC
3. Does Metabolism Matter in Weight Loss? - Harvard Health
4. What Does Vaping Do to Your Lungs? | Johns Hopkins Medicine.
5. Exercise for Mental Health - PMC
6. Exercises that Cut Weight Effectively: Finding your Caloric Rhythm

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