A good friend who needs to stop smoking (as I remind her on occasion but never seem to convince) approached me recently about her desire to quit.
Usually, the only reaction I get from her is that she doesn't want to gain weight and therefore, won't quit smoking.
Since I've always been the one to broach this subject with her, not the other way around, my curiosity was sparked.
Her inspiration was a commercial she'd recently seen with beautiful models sporting skin tight jeans. The true eye-catcher though, was a different smoking related illness written down the leg of each model -"Lung Cancer," etc.
My friend admitted that this was one of the first commercials she'd seen that truly spoke to her - she might be thin but smoking was still killing her.
We both learned a lot from the conversation that ensued.
My friend admitted that she had tried to quit smoking a couple of years before but it was difficult, she gained weight and she started smoking again.
While my friend had a plan, she had no contingency if anything deviated from this plan.
What she also failed to consider is that smoking was not just an addiction, it was a habit which was created over several years.
We decided to look at the flaws with her first plan to quit and from that, create a new plan for her.
Cold Turkey - My friend gave up cigarettes completely one day without any preparation because she heard this was the best way to go.
This worked for her until she realized that she needed a substitue for the cigarette on her drive to work, coffee breaks, lunch breaks, after dinner and the like.
Her solution was to replace the cigarette with food. Guess what? It worked! She wasn't smoking. Of course, she was overeating and gaining weight. The second part of my friend's plan was to go on a diet and lose weight. This is a fine idea and my friend even did research to find out the the "best" diet but that diet was for quick weightloss and she didn't take into account that she wouldn't like most of the foods on this diet plan.
Quickly realizing that she couldn't stick to the diet, she gave up and not only returned to her existing bad eating habits but she was eating more to compensate for the missing cigarettes in her day.
The third thing my friend tried to incorporate into her plan for health was to exercise. She chose great running shoes, bought the exercise equipment and started to work out. Always an over acheiver, my friend chose incredibly difficult exercise routines and was soon injured and stopped exercising.
After listening to my friend's story, the one word that kept popping into my head was "Moderation."
We talked about how her goals to stop smoking, lose weight and exercise were great but she needed to work up to the original goals she set - not start with them.
We first looked at how she approached giving up cigarettes. The "all or nothing" approach was difficult for her the first time.
Research has shown that chosing a date is important, which she did, but she never made any attempt to reduce her cigarette intake gradually before that date. An end date is good but she needed to have smaller goals of reducing her intake as well.
My friend also needed the support of other resources along the way. She needed a place to go if she found she was getting off the path to smoking cesation.
My friend's plan of dieting was also changed. What my friend needed was not another fad diet but something she could live with. Otherwise, she would simply go back to the same bad habits.
I suggested that my friend see a doctor to determine her current physical condition. This would enable her to chose an exercise routine based in reality.
She could also join a gym and let the professionals there, who already have the expertise, design a program for her.
I was able to show my friend that breaking down her large goal of overall health into smaller, acheivable goals was the best solution for her.
While we all want instant results, that simply isn't realistic. Take the time to notice the gradual changes happening to your body. How are your clothes fitting this week compared to two weeks ago? How much longer were you able to go on the treadmill this week compared to last? How are all of the small steps you are taking to gain better health coming together?
I ended up recommending my Weight Loss Breeze Program. Exercises that almost everyone, regardless of current fitness level can do are included and feedback has proven amazing results. There are also special exercises for smokers or those who've quit that cleanse the lungs and increase oxygen level.
EL331001 - 20897
Usually, the only reaction I get from her is that she doesn't want to gain weight and therefore, won't quit smoking.
Since I've always been the one to broach this subject with her, not the other way around, my curiosity was sparked.
Her inspiration was a commercial she'd recently seen with beautiful models sporting skin tight jeans. The true eye-catcher though, was a different smoking related illness written down the leg of each model -"Lung Cancer," etc.
My friend admitted that this was one of the first commercials she'd seen that truly spoke to her - she might be thin but smoking was still killing her.
We both learned a lot from the conversation that ensued.
My friend admitted that she had tried to quit smoking a couple of years before but it was difficult, she gained weight and she started smoking again.
While my friend had a plan, she had no contingency if anything deviated from this plan.
What she also failed to consider is that smoking was not just an addiction, it was a habit which was created over several years.
We decided to look at the flaws with her first plan to quit and from that, create a new plan for her.
Cold Turkey - My friend gave up cigarettes completely one day without any preparation because she heard this was the best way to go.
This worked for her until she realized that she needed a substitue for the cigarette on her drive to work, coffee breaks, lunch breaks, after dinner and the like.
Her solution was to replace the cigarette with food. Guess what? It worked! She wasn't smoking. Of course, she was overeating and gaining weight. The second part of my friend's plan was to go on a diet and lose weight. This is a fine idea and my friend even did research to find out the the "best" diet but that diet was for quick weightloss and she didn't take into account that she wouldn't like most of the foods on this diet plan.
Quickly realizing that she couldn't stick to the diet, she gave up and not only returned to her existing bad eating habits but she was eating more to compensate for the missing cigarettes in her day.
The third thing my friend tried to incorporate into her plan for health was to exercise. She chose great running shoes, bought the exercise equipment and started to work out. Always an over acheiver, my friend chose incredibly difficult exercise routines and was soon injured and stopped exercising.
After listening to my friend's story, the one word that kept popping into my head was "Moderation."
We talked about how her goals to stop smoking, lose weight and exercise were great but she needed to work up to the original goals she set - not start with them.
We first looked at how she approached giving up cigarettes. The "all or nothing" approach was difficult for her the first time.
Research has shown that chosing a date is important, which she did, but she never made any attempt to reduce her cigarette intake gradually before that date. An end date is good but she needed to have smaller goals of reducing her intake as well.
My friend also needed the support of other resources along the way. She needed a place to go if she found she was getting off the path to smoking cesation.
My friend's plan of dieting was also changed. What my friend needed was not another fad diet but something she could live with. Otherwise, she would simply go back to the same bad habits.
I suggested that my friend see a doctor to determine her current physical condition. This would enable her to chose an exercise routine based in reality.
She could also join a gym and let the professionals there, who already have the expertise, design a program for her.
I was able to show my friend that breaking down her large goal of overall health into smaller, acheivable goals was the best solution for her.
While we all want instant results, that simply isn't realistic. Take the time to notice the gradual changes happening to your body. How are your clothes fitting this week compared to two weeks ago? How much longer were you able to go on the treadmill this week compared to last? How are all of the small steps you are taking to gain better health coming together?
I ended up recommending my Weight Loss Breeze Program. Exercises that almost everyone, regardless of current fitness level can do are included and feedback has proven amazing results. There are also special exercises for smokers or those who've quit that cleanse the lungs and increase oxygen level.
EL331001 - 20897
About the Author:
Christian Goodman is a popular health researcher and author of several revolutionary natural health alternative methods. One of his recent breakthroughs is his natural Weight Loss Breeze Program. You can learn more about Christian on his Natural Health Alternative Blog.
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