She Burns Calories, Not Cigarettes

A Good Role Model

Fusun Bubernack, 45, of Bethlehem, Pa., replaced smoking with jogging. It eased her cravings, boosted her energy and inspired her children.

Frequent smokers burn about 200 calories a day just because of their habit, which revs up metabolism. Fusun Bubernack of Bethlehem, Pa., was conscious of this fact after quitting smoking with the help of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s Tobacco Treatment Program. She realized she could easily gain weight after quitting unless she did something about it.

She decided that jogging would be the solution. Along with easing her cravings and boosting her energy, the jogging has inspired her children. “I really wanted to set an example for them,” she says. Her children now go to the park with her.

If, like Fusun, you are ready to quit and looking to get rid of those extra calories, here’s how you can do it:

Burn them off

Many forms of exercise consume 200 or more calories. (These examples are for a 150-pound person. If you weigh more, you’ll burn more, and vice versa.)

• Walking for 45 minutes (200 calories)
• Swimming for 30 minutes (200 calories)
• Bicycling for 30 minutes (210 calories)
• Playing singles tennis for 30 minutes (210 calories)
• Doing heavy housework for 30 minutes (250 calories)
• Jogging or climbing stairs for 30 minutes (300 calories)
• Ballroom dancing for 30 minutes (340 calories)
• Cross-country skiing for 30 minutes (350 calories)

Don’t take them in

Another strategy to avoid weight gain after you quit smoking is to cut back on the calories you consume each day. The following have about 200 calories:

• 2 “lite” beers
• 20 regular potato chips
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 ounces of cheddar cheese
• 1 small order of McDonald’s fries
• 2 frozen waffles
• 1/2 cup macaroni and cheese
• 1 hot dog and roll

Want to Know More? To schedule an appointment or to find out more information, call 610-402-CARE (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday).

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