Hi, Ryan. I just responded to your other thread.
How it was explained to me by my doctor and personal trainer:
The spread is the result of relaxation. When you smoked your entire body was stressed and tense, even the walls of your blood vessels. This is the main cause of facial wrinkles.
When you quit, everything relaxes: muscles, blood vessels, connective tissue, everything. As a result, you spread out, literally adding inches faster than pounds. And your face tends to smooth out and you look younger.
Additional from the personal trainer: At the same time your body is relaxing, your metabolism drops, also from the loss of the stress caused by smoking. As a result, unless you adjust your food intake and exercise level to compensate, you will begin to add pounds.
That's how it was explained to me, and from what I've experienced it seems pretty much accurate. Now tell me something. If you don't want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, why did you quit smoking? Just kidding. :) As far as "un-spreading" I really don't know. There are plenty of skinny never-smokers out there so I'm sure being a skinny ex-smoker is possible. I think it's one of those adjustment things that will just take a long time.
I know all about this trying to be healthy not being fun. I listed what else I've given up (along with smoking) in my other post to you. All I can hope is that someday I'll reach the point where I am in good enough shape that I can go back to consuming the "good" stuff again without plumping up. {sigh}
Shevie
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 259
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,195
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $984.2
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 48 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24