Weight Loss Information

Do You Really Want To Stop Smoking? Or Do You Use The Weight Gain Excuse?


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.

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!

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/


MORE RESOURCES:

Weight loss secrets
Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - 2 hours ago
But, like wedding plans, weight loss plans take you only so far. Once the weight is off - or the ring is on - you still have to work at keeping what you've ...


Southern New England Weightloss Challenge
Eyewitness News, RI - 15 hours ago
Please consider me for the weight loss program. Thanks My name is Holly and I am 29 years old. I've struggled with my weight my entire life. ...


Safest Weight Loss Surgery for Britons Travelling Abroad
PR.com (press release), NY - 14 hours ago
“To have the best chance of successful long term weight loss, patients also need to have on-going support and contact, to help them through the process. ...


Burnett completes weight loss challenge
Picayune Item, MS - 16 hours ago
Burnett, a 43 year old procurement specialist, was chosen to participate in the nine month People Magazine weight loss challenge, which has become an annual ...


A creamy weight-loss aid
Times of India, India - Oct 10, 2008
If you think it’s too yummy to have any place in a real weight-loss diet, think again. Yoghurt – that rich and creamy stuff that’s full of calcium and ...


Canada.com

Body Contouring: Selecting Appropriate Massive Weight Loss ...
Medical News Today (press release), UK - Oct 11, 2008
The importance of pre-operative screening for patients seeking body contouring after massive weight loss will be assessed in three studies presented at the ...
Technique for perfect twin assets Times of India
all 21 news articles


CBS News

Jump-Start Your Weight Loss Plan This Fall
CBS News, NY - Oct 10, 2008
January may be the traditional time to start a weight loss program, but with kids back in school and routines becoming more structured, fall is the perfect ...


The Maximum Living Weight Loss Challenge update
Palladium-Item, IN - Oct 11, 2008
I have lost 42 pounds in my weight loss journey. I have started to feel a lot better. I am still working out at Medfit. Sometimes it is a little difficult ...


Olive oil may hold the key to weight loss
Globe and Mail, Canada - Oct 10, 2008
A"good" fat found in abundance in olive oil may provide one of the keys to appetite control and weight loss. Oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat, ...


MLive.com

Clayton Township's Connie DeGiorgis loses weight, becomes ...
MLive.com, MI - Oct 9, 2008
by Ashley A. Smith | The Flint Journal Melissa Cousineau | The Flint Journal"It's not a diet, it's an absolute lifetime change," states Connie Degiorgis, ...

Weight-Loss - Google News

home | site map
© 2006