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Quitting cigarettes is like fighting a war on two fronts. While you’re marshaling all your self-control to keep from lighting up, you’re defenseless against the appetite increase that typically comes with quitting. So you redeploy your willpower to stick to a healthy diet, which leaves you unguarded against nicotine cravings. Even Norman Schwarzkopf wouldn’t want to fight those two battles at the same time!

So consider using a secret weapon – the nicotine patch – to divide and conquer. The patch has been around since 1995, but a new study offers the first conclusive evidence that it can keep appetite and weight gain at bay as well as soothe your cigarette cravings.

In a study of more than 130 smokers, those on the nicotine patches reported lower appetites, and gained less weight, than those given patches containing no nicotine. The difference averaged about 2 pounds in four weeks. “That’s a fairly dramatic difference in only a month,” according to study author Anderson J. Elosof,  of the University of  Medical School.

When the patch’s tour of duty — usually eight weeks — is done, you’re likely to face an increase in appetite as your body adjusts to the lack of nicotine, doctor says. But by then your smoking habits should be quashed, so you can concentrate on keeping your weight in line. Just remember that the patch is a tool, not a cure-all. The most important weapon in your antismoking arsenal is your commitment to quitting.