Do You Really Want To Stop Smoking? Or Do
You Use The Weight Gain Excuse?
by Keith Watson
I do not smoke, never have, and admit to being one of those 'pain in the
butts' (OK, bad pun!) that go on about the foul stench, and anti-social
behaviour of smokers, especially in public places.
You can imagine my joy when one of my local pubs recently banned smoking.
Shortly after the ban had come into force I spotted a guy poised with
cigarette in hand, and was about to get huffy and even confrontational.
Fortunately I held back and continued my beer - but was puzzled. The cigarette
was unlit and yet he was putting it near his mouth, flicking the imaginary
ash and generally acting as if he was smoking it. Curious about this I
eventually enquired, only to find out this was his own rather unorthodox
approach to keeping his hands busy and therefore, as he put it, keeping
his weight down.
Although everyone knows that smoking is detrimental to health, it's surprising
how many smokers cite fear of putting on weight as a reason to not quit
smoking.
The simple fact is that it is not quitting smoking that affects your weight,
but the change of habit can result in you increasing your food intake.
But there are plenty of ways to ensure this does not happen to you.
There is no need for a special diet when you stop smoking, but you must
use your common sense. If you eat chocolates instead of smoking then you
are very likely to gain weight!
Monitor your diet for a fortnight before you stop smoking - write a food
diary, noting everything you eat and when. You simply use this to make
sure that what you eat post-quitting follows a similar pattern. You
may also choose to go on a patch, the best i've found was Nicocure.
In a similar way, note how much exercise you can do as a smoker. When
you stop smoking, you can begin to compare how much more exercise you
can do with ease. This will inspire you to the possibility of becoming
fitter in other ways, and will actually help you through the tough period
of giving up the addiction.
Even moderate amounts of exercise can reduce tobacco cravings. A recent
study found that women that maintained a rigorous exercise regime coupled
with a stop-smoking programme were twice as likely to succeed as those
who didn't. Frankly, exercising is incompatible with smoking, and you
are also more likely to be mixing with non-smokers.
Let's face it, if you smoke 20 cigarettes daily, you are putting your
hand to your mouth at least 200 times a day. When you quit, you need to
keep your hands busy. How about peeling fruit for snacks, doing jigsaws
or maybe even knitting.
Keep visualising yourself as a fit non-smoker, especially when your motivation
starts to flag. You can always get help with this through the use of hypnotherapy.
As in so many behavioural issues, it is simply a matter of re-programming
our mind. Giving up smoking is tough, and self-hypnosis is a method that
many are discovering as a simple way to help keep the mental attitude
and motivation on course.
Like the chap in the pub, you may find your own method of coping with
your quit smoking challenge, and well.. if it works - great!
Good health!
About the Author
Keith Watson - 25 years as a registered nurse. Now writing about and promoting
a holistic approach to health issues. To learn more about hypnosis as
a therapy, visit http://www.adam-eason.com/
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