QUITTING THOSE CIGARETTES FOR A HEALTHY HEART: WEIGHT CONTROL

It is absolutely not true that everyone who quits smoking automatically gains weight, any more than everyone who has a baby remains heavy for the rest of her life. On the other hand it is true that nicotine has an effect on the metabolism and that one has a tendency to gain weight. But one can very easily counter that tendency by increasing the amount of daily exercise. Since extra walking is one of the best alternative activities to smoking, especially when those cravings hit, you should have no trouble at all.
Moreover, as part of your overall program for complete cardiac recovery you’re already cutting back on the fatty foods that led to the clogging of your arteries. Without that fat in the diet, you can eat lots more of the kinds of foods that you’ll want to snack on during those first weeks without cigarettes.
Stock your cabinets with pretzels, especially the low-salt or saltless kinds. Keep a platter of freshly cut carrots, zucchini, celery, capsicum and so forth in the refrigerator so you have something to nibble on through the day.
Drink lots and lots of water. 1 can’t emphasise it too much. Shoot for at least eight 225 ml glasses of water daily. You can replace some of the water with decaf beverages including club soda, mineral water and diet sodas.
Eat more frequently, rather than having fewer and larger meals. You’ll be more satisfied, and you’ll actually consume fewer kilojoules in total.
Weigh yourself every other day. There will be some normal fluctuation from day to day, with half a kilogram or so gained or lost. But if the weight remains up even by half a kilogram after a few days, cut back on the food and increase the exercise.
Concentrate on alternative oral habits such as using a toothpick, chewing on a swizzle stick, chewing sugarless gum and frequently brushing and flossing your teeth.
Even if after following all this good advice you do gain a few kilograms, remember that it’s far more important to quit smoking. You can always shed those extra kilos when you’ve gotten the cigarette situation under control.
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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol

QUITTING THOSE CIGARETTES FOR A HEALTHY HEART: REWARD YOURSELF

Let’s face it, this is not the easiest thing in the world to do, and you deserve a reward. In fact, you deserve lots of rewards. So start planning some. What would you like to do with the money you save by not buying those daily packs and weekly cartons? Make a list of little things, and maybe some bigger things. Then, on a regular basis as you remain smoke-free, treat yourself. Do something nice for yourself each and every day.
Announce your achievement in terms of a progress report to your friends now and then, and tell them about your rewards.
Is this just silliness? Much to the contrary, you’ll be enhancing your chances at being successful in your efforts. In a research study to determine what separated the quitters from the failures, psychologists found that use of rewards and positive reminders made the difference. Unsuccessful individuals tended to use negative reminders, such as how they would appear weak and lacking in willpower to others. These findings are backed up by other research which similarly indicates success in weight loss using these techniques.
Trouble Shooting
Dry Mouth: sip cold water, suck on hard lollies, chew sugarless gum
Insomnia:    avoid alcohol and caffeine; take a warm bath before
retiring; meditate
Irregularity: drink lots of water, increase soluble fibre in the diet
Hunger:     keep lots of low-kilojoule snacks in the refrigerator, eat
more frequently
Coughing:   sip warm decaf beverages; suck on cough drops or hard
lollies.
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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol