What will you become after quitting smoking

September 4, 2015

What will you become after quitting smoking: A non-smoker or an ex-smoker?

What will you become after quitting smoking? You will certainly regain your health and become more resistant to some of these complications that are associated with smoking.

What will you become after quitting smoking is full of great expectations and many at times our expectations often fail to materialize and we feel disappointed. While some of these “disappointments” are expected since the journey of recovery is never a smooth one, it normally doesn’t erase those expectations we once had. Therefore for a better understanding of this topic of discussion, we employ the expert services of professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is an addiction treatment facility that was founded by doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) a well-respected addiction experts of more than two decades now. Together with her team of experts, she is going to help us understand more about this for a couple of articles that we are going to be posting on this platform. Doctor Akoury says that in order to appreciate what you will become after quitting smoking, it is first very important that we understand how to handle withdrawal symptoms and trigger when one decides to quit smoking in its entirely. And to do that, let us progress into the discussion by responding to the following questions:

What will you become after quitting smoking: Withdrawal symptoms which are associated with quitting smoking?

Like I had mentioned before, when one desires to start the journey of quitting smoking, such a person must be very committed, dedicated and make certain sacrifices because it will not be a smooth sailing. Being addictive the challenges will be many and difficult depending on the intensity and duration of usage. Therefore doctor Akoury registers that quitting smoking may cause certain short-term problems, especially for those who have smoked heavily for many years. These temporary changes can result in withdrawal symptoms and the following are some of the common withdrawal symptoms which are associated with quitting cigarette smoking:

Nicotine cravings (nicotine is the substance in tobacco that causes addiction).
Anger, frustration, and irritability.
Anxiety
Depression
Weight gain.

Cigarette and smoking of other substance is something which has been under serious and intensive studies for a very long time now. From the various studies conducted professionally, it has been established that about half of the population of smokers report experiencing at least four withdrawal symptoms (such as anger, anxiety, or depression) when they quit. Besides these, other people have also reported other symptoms like dizziness, increased dreaming, and headaches. These are just but a few of the challenges that you are likely to meet from time to time. However doctor Akoury says that the good news is that there is much one can do to reduce cravings and manage common withdrawal symptoms. She adds that in the process of recovery even without medication, it is important to note that the withdrawal symptoms and other problems will often subside over time. It may also help to know that withdrawal symptoms are usually worst during the first week after quitting. From that point on, the intensity usually drops over the few weeks. However having said that, it is also very important to appreciate the diversity of people in responding to treatment, for sure everyone is different and unique meaning that some people may have withdrawal symptoms for several months after quitting and not just for a few weeks.

What will you become after quitting smoking: What are some of the triggers for smoking?

In addition to nicotine cravings, reminders in your daily life of times when you used to smoke may trigger you to smoke. Triggers many include different elements including the moods, feelings, places, or things you do in your daily life that turn on your desire to smoke. The following is a sample of some triggers that you need to be careful about:

Being around and hung out with smokers.
Starting the day.
Feeling stressed.
Being in a car.
Drinking coffee or tea.
Enjoying a meal.
Drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Feeling bored.

Knowing your triggers helps you stay in control because you can choose to avoid them or keep your mind distracted and busy when you cannot avoid them.

What will you become after quitting smoking: What can I do about nicotine cravings?

As a smoker, you get used to having a certain level of nicotine in your body. You can bring to control that level of nicotine by how much quantity of cigarette you smoke, how deeply you inhale the smoke, and the kind (or brand) of tobacco you use. Therefore when you quit, cravings develop the moment your body begins demanding for the missing units of nicotine since the body system is no longer getting the supply as it used to. Ordinarily this will take some time to break free from nicotine addiction and during this duration, a lot of determination and patient will be highly required of you. Also, when you see people smoking or are around other triggers, you may get nicotine cravings. Cravings are real. They are not just in your imagination. At the same time, your mood may change, and your heart rate and blood pressure may go up as well.

The urge to smoke will come and go. Cravings usually last only a very brief period of time. Cravings usually begin within an hour or two after you have your last cigarette, peak for several days, and may last several weeks. As the days pass, the cravings will get farther apart. Occasional mild cravings may last for 6 months. Finally the following are some tips you can apply in the management of cravings:

Always remind yourself that they will pass.
Keep distance and avoid situations and activities that you used to associate with smoking.
As a substitute for smoking, try chewing on carrots, pickles, apples, celery, sugarless gum, or hard candy. Keeping your mouth busy may stop the psychological need to smoke.
Try taking simple exercises like for instance you may take a deep breath through your nose and blow out slowly through your mouth. Do this repeated at least 10 times daily or whenever you crave for the stick.
Always consult with your doctor about nicotine replacement products or other medications. This is very important because in order to defeat all these challenges, professional input from the doctors will be very necessary and if you have no one to consult you can schedule foe an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today and she will be of great help to you.

What will you become after quitting smoking: A non-smoker or an ex-smoker?

Why smokers will grow old very fast

September 1, 2015

Why smokers will grow old very fast: Identifying ways though which smoking ages the body

Why smokers will grow old very fast is all about the nicotine in the tobacco. Therefore if you can run away from cigarette smoke even if it is secondary smoke.

Are you spending heavily on your skin to make it look more youthful even if your age betrays your look? In the current generation, people are very much concern with their facial looks and would do everything within their means to ensure that their skin looks more radiant and well nourished. Nonetheless as they make all these efforts, there are always challenges along the way. One of the biggest challenges is that which is commonly experienced by cigarette smokers. We are all aware that smoking is bad for your body but do we really understand why smokers will grow old very fast in relation to nonsmokers? This is what we want to discuss in this article and with the help of experts from the home of addiction solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury we want to unlock certain ways through which smoking negatively impacts on your skin complexion to the point of causing premature aging.

There is no doubt that smoking affects our health negatively by causing serious illnesses in our vital organs like the heart, lungs, brain, and it even ruins our sex life. The problem is most people and especially young people don’t see the dangers and threats of smoking to their health in their youthful stages of life. The teens normally fail to appreciate the cruelty and the effects of smoking in good time. And by the time the come to realize the magnitude of the problem, they are so much entrenched and addicted to the habit that quitting is extremely difficult. This is when the realities of premature aging of their bodies come out in the open for them. Doctor Akoury raises a great concern that, these effects are often irreversible easily unless one quits smoking completely. While we understand the complications and difficulties that are associated with quitting cigarette smoking, it is the best thing that we can do to help ourselves escape these threats of premature aging. Now as we progress into the discussion, lets us now focus our attention on how smoking slowly ages your body.

Why smokers will grow old very fast: Smoking wrinkles and the skin even as it puts dark circles on your eyes

One of the harmful effects of smoking is that it narrows your blood vessels, and as a result, the oxygen supply to your body is blocked. Without the needed oxygen, your skin loses essential nutrients to keep it healthy. Wrinkles are among the most common signs of aging. And if you don’t stop smoking now, it will be your problem sooner than you expect it. Doctor Akoury says that the presence of nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke deprive your skin of oxygen and essential nutrients thereby causing your skin to be depleted of its natural glow. She adds that continuous smoking will also make your skin looks dull and pale and the same is also applicable for the eye bags, because of the lack of oxygen, therefore the skin around your eyes loses its glow, starts to darken and sag as a result dark circles and bags forms under your eyes. The more you inhale cigarette smoke the darker and heavier these bags become.

Why smokers will grow old very fast: Smoking also wrinkles your lips and causes your skin to sag

You often hear people say that if you frown often, you’re making wrinkles. This is also true with smoking. When you smoke, you use particular muscles around your lips. So the more you puff the more these muscles get used to the wrinkling, aside from the fact that chemicals found in cigarettes heightens wrinkling of the skin. It therefore means that continuous smoking destroys the collagen and elastin in your skin. These two essential nutrients are responsible for keeping your skin elastic and without them your skin will definitely sag hence premature aging. Sagging skin is prevalent on your arms and around the neck area and for women, this can also lead to sagging of the breast sooner than it should be.

Why smokers will grow old very fast: Smoking affects your teeth and gum health

Did you know that tar and other chemicals found in tobacco are responsible for staining your teeth and gums? If you dint then get to know that they lingers almost forever in your teeth irrespective of whether you chew tobacco or you smoke it, there is no much different and the effects are the same – yellowish smoking causes bad breathe. Remember that the tobacco scent will stays in your mouth even if you brush your teeth and use different mouth wash. This is the reason why it is easy for non-smokers to tell if you just had a smoke.

Why smokers will grow old very fast: Smoking stimulates hair loss

From the discussion you can now tell how important oxygen is to your body and to your appearance taking note that the restricted circulation of oxygen also affects your hair growth. Doctor Akoury says that the longer you smoke the thinner your hair becomes since essential nutrients and oxygen will not be properly delivered to your scalp which is important to normal hair growth. If you continue smoking, you might be bald as your grandfather by the age of 30.

Finally smoking also leads to early loss of hearing. I want to believe that in your life time you may have come across an elderly person with serious problem of hearing and how inconvenient it is for them to communicate because of that. If you have then doctor Akoury is reporting that if you don’t quit smoking now, this might be your problem too sooner than you can imagine. Smoking is known to affect and obstruct normal hearing. It may cause back pain too and yet again if you can remember, during your grandparent’s visits to your family in the city, you must have heard grandpa complaining about his back due to old age. If you did and you’re still smoking, this might be your problem sooner if you don’t quit smoking now. Take note that smoking generally bad for your health and the sooner you run away from it the better for everyone. We appreciate that being a mental addiction, it may not be very easy to overcome and that is why doctor Akoury a veteran addiction expert is offering her professional advice to those who will call her and schedule for an appointment with her for further professional consultations.

Why smokers will grow old very fast: Identifying ways though which smoking ages the body

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking

September 1, 2015

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Unheeded reasons to quit smoking

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking is a must for all people not just for smokers but to every body including nonsmokers.

With the ever increasing complications that come as a result of cigarette smoking, it is also increasingly becoming necessary for smokers to quit their smoking habit in mass. This is the best thing that can happen to any smoker owing to the countless benefits that will come with this single act of quitting smoking. Experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center have established that from the ongoing campaign about quitting cigarette smoking, many people are taking the heed of quitting smoking primarily because of the fear of contracting chronic health complications like heart disease, lung cancer that are likely to lead in premature death. As professional is addiction says doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center that this is a step in the right direction in the resolve of leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking. However besides the known chronic health complications, there are also other reasons which are often ignored by many and that is what we want to focus on so that we can have more people making that very important decision of quitting. Like we have already mentioned that besides the chronic illnesses, there are many other reasons why one should consider quitting smoking a health priority. To that point dear reader if you are smoking and still not very sure whether you really want to quit, we want to bring to your attention some additional reasons which are otherwise ignored by many and we hope that these will help you decide to stop now without any further hesitation.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Exposure to tobacco smoke increases the baby’s risk of colic

According to a review of more than 30 studies, too much exposure to tobacco smoke increases the baby’s risk of colic. Colic starts after a few weeks of birth, peaking at the age of 5 to 8 weeks. Usually, it goes away at the age of 4 months. Irritability, inconsolable crying, red face, clenched fists, drawn-up legs and screaming are among the most common symptoms of colic. Maternal smoking has also been linked to premature birth, miscarriage, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and mental/behavioral problems in children.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Smoking raises risk of age-related macular degeneration

It is thought smoking reduces the skin’s natural elasticity by causing the breakdown of collagen and reducing collagen production. (Collagen is a protein that supports skin strength.) Collagen naturally degrades as we get older, leading to the formation of wrinkles. Smoking makes this happen sooner. And besides that smokers are more likely to become blind someday because of age-re slated macular degeneration. Meanwhile, quitting smoking can lower the risk of blindness. While all the risk factors are not fully understood, research has pointed smoking as one major and modifiable cause.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Smoking or even living with a smoker raises risk of snoring

Cigarette smoking can damage your nasal cavity, causing swelling and therefore congestion. This makes it more difficult to breathe through your nose in your sleep. As a result, you may snore and according to a study conducted by experts where more than 15,000 men and women took part, it was established that, snoring affects up to 24% of smokers, 20% of ex-smokers, and 14% of people who had never smoked. Also, nonsmokers were more likely to snore if they were exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes. Almost 20% of these nonsmokers snored, compared with nearly 13% who had never been exposed to secondhand smoke at home. Doctor Akoury says that in view of these findings, it is important to appreciate that quitting smoking will not only help you to stop snoring but also your partner will be absolutely thrilled with your newfound serenity. If this section of the discussion suits your situation, then it should motivate you to quit smoking as soon as yesterday says doctor Akoury nonetheless if you are finding it difficult doing so and you need further consultation with the experts, the doors of doctor Dalal Akoury are ever open for you and all you need to do on your part is to call and schedule for an appointment and she will accord you audience to professionally handle your problems.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Smoking speeds up mental decline

According to a study of 9,200 men and women over the age of 65, the rate of mental decline is five times faster than in nonsmokers. Participants took standardized tests used to detect mental disorder at the start of the study. Two years later, higher rates of mental decline were found among men and women who smoke, even though they didn’t have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Heavy smoking is linked to heartburn

Researchers found that people who smoke for more than 20 years are 70% more likely to have acid reflux disease than nonsmokers. If people smoke for more than 20 years, they have 70% likelihood of suffering from this disease. One study which involved more than 40,000 people suggests that acid reflux is affected by several key factors including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, and the use of tobacco.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Smoking speeds up sexual decline

Aging is usually blamed for the downhill decline in sexual performance for men. But for some men the decline in sexual function can occur as early as in their late 20s. This is especially true in men who smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco. Specific declines associated with tobacco use include, increased time to achieve a full erection, a less firm erection, a lower libido or sex drive, a decline in sexual stamina, decreased or inadequate sensation, and unsatisfactory ejaculation. Fortunately, declines in sexual function associated with smoking are usually reversed with quitting.

Finally doctor Akoury says that these among many others are some the reasons that might be overlooked when it comes to making decisions of quitting smoking but are nevertheless very important as well. This according to several studies suggest that over the long term, smoking leads people to develop a wide range of health problems like heart disease, snoring issues, acid reflux, Alzheimer’s disease, and much more. Worse still it affects the health of even those who don’t smoke. We therefore hopes that with these revelations of potential consequences you can now make a very informed decision of quitting smoking today and not tomorrow says doctor Dalal Akoury who is more than willing to help you further upon scheduling for an appointment with her at any time of choice.

Leaving nothing to chance in quitting smoking: Unheeded reasons to quit smoking

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy

June 26, 2015

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy is as bad as smoking the cigarette for your health in pregnancy or even after

Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke exhaled by smokers getting into the nostril of a non-smoker or third party. Non-smokers can be exposed to secondhand smoke in several ways and places including in homes, cars, at workplaces and public places such as bars, restaurants, and recreational settings. In the United States for example, the source of most secondhand smoke is cigarettes, followed by pipes, cigars, and other tobacco products. It is important to know that secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds of the chemicals are toxic and about 70 are known to cause cancer. And because nicotine in all these can be very devastating owing to the complications that come with it, it is only fear that we discuss the effects of secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy as one of the severe consequences that come with such addictions.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: Can secondhand smoke make me sick?

Doctor Akoury an expert in addiction and weight lose says that when it comes to nicotine, there is no threshold of safety. So long as one is receiving nicotine in his system mode of receipt notwithstanding any exposure to nicotine, whether through secondhand smoke or direct cigarette smoking nicotine is not friendly. So when you are around a person who is smoking, you inhale the same dangerous chemicals as the smoker. Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be dangerous because it is all about nicotine and not how it got to your system. The dangers of inhaling secondhand smoke can cause serious health complications including lung cancer in nonsmoking adults. In the United States for example it is estimated that up to 3,000 adults die each year due to lung cancer from secondhand smoke exposure. And according to the U.S. Surgeon General, living with a smoker increases a nonsmoker’s chances of developing lung cancer by 20% to 30%.

Besides cancer, exposure to secondhand smoke can also cause coronary heart disease and have negative effects on your blood and blood vessels thereby increasing your risk of getting a heart attack. Heart diseases caused by secondhand smoke kill approximately 46,000 nonsmokers every year. People who already have heart disease are at an especially high risk of suffering negative effects from inhaling secondhand smoke and should avoid even brief exposure to it.

Because studies show that laws banning smoking in public places help improve worker and customer health, many states and communities have laws making workplaces, public places, restaurants, and bars smoke-free. But millions of children and adults still breathe secondhand smoke in their homes, cars, workplaces, and in public places.

How does secondhand smoke affect pregnant women, babies, and children?

Pregnant women who inhale secondhand smoke are more likely to have lower birth weight babies than women who do not inhale secondhand smoke. Once born, babies who are around cigarette smoke are more likely to get ear infections, develop bronchitis and pneumonia and die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Therefore secondhand smoke can cause serious health problems in children, including:

Frequent lower respiratory illness
Wheezing and coughing
More frequent and severe asthma attacks
Ear infections

It is therefore advisable that, women who are pregnant should avoid surroundings where heavy concentrations of secondhand smoke linger.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: Is smoking while pregnant harmful?

For luck of better words I will say that it is never safe to stay around smokers when pregnant let alone smoking. This is very dangerous because smoking while pregnant: affects the placenta which is the source of your baby’s food and oxygen, lowers the amount of oxygen available to you and your growing baby and also increases the following:

Your baby’s heart rate
The risk that your baby will be born prematurely
The risk that your baby will be born with low birth weight
Your baby’s risk of developing respiratory problems
The chances of stillbirth
The risk for certain birth defects like a cleft lip or cleft palate
The risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Besides that, children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are at greater risk of: behavioral problems, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disorders and becoming smokers themselves in the future. Therefore I recommend strongly that all pregnant women who are smoking should quit right way if not permanently then at least during their pregnancy.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: Is it too late to quit?

If you are pregnant, it is never too late to quit smoking. There are benefits to quitting smoking at any stage of your pregnancy. Quitting as soon as possible will help protect you and your baby from some health problems, such as low birth weight.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: Shouldn’t it be easy for me to quit smoking while pregnant?

No. Quitting smoking is hard for most women. Women who were smoking when they got pregnant often have to make more than one attempt to quit for good.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: Is it harmful to smoke again after my baby is born?

You might think it is safe to start smoking again after your baby is born, but your baby is not out of harm’s way. Remember that secondhand smoke is equally dangerous not just for your baby but to people around you. The best thing to do is to quit permanently because babies who are around cigarette smoke: have weaker lungs than other babies, are more likely to have health problems such as infections and more frequent asthma attacks and are at increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Therefore you need to protect your baby doing the following:

Do not allow anyone to smoke near your child.
Do not smoke or let others smoke in your home or car.
Use childcare providers who do not smoke.
Do not eat in restaurants that allow smoking.
Do not take your child to other indoor public places that allow smoking.
Teach children to stay away from secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: I smoke can I breastfeed my baby?

Of course you can and you should breastfeed your baby because breast milk is very good for your baby. However, smoking may make it difficult to breastfeed because it changes your breast milk, disrupt your baby’s sleeping patterns and may even cause you to have problems releasing the breast milk. In conclusion life is lived once and doing the right things will help you have comfort in that life. Therefore for your health and your baby’s, you should quit smoking. Doing this will not be easy, and therefore, you need to consult with doctor Dalal Akoury to help you go about it professionally and in the most healthy way.

Secondhand smoke and nicotine addiction in pregnancy: What is secondhand smoke?

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight

April 22, 2015

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight: How to kick the habit without packing on the pounds

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight include seeking for help, advice and support from the family

You have been in a weight loss class and your instructor noticed that you are smoking. He tells you that smoking is not only harmful to your health but will also rearrange your facial appearance. And because you want to look good you desire to quit is primarily to look good both on the body and on appearance. But wait a minute you missed appoint and you have just remembered, that he also said that while quitting you will gain a little more as a result of losing. This point sends you thinking of the great contradiction. You registered to lose and not to gain, the instructor tells you to quit smoking which is going to work against your desire to lose weight. You are in a dilemma and I totally agree with you. This dilemma is what I want to address in this article. Our focus is going to be on quitting smoking without fear of gaining weight.

We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury who is a medical doctor specializing on addiction, obesity and weight gain and also the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to help us in unlocking certain all your concerns. Doctor Akoury has been in the medical practice for more than two decades and has help many people deal with their addiction alongside weight gain and yours will not be a problem if only you can schedule for an appointment with her today. Doctor Akoury says that if you are a smoker, the best thing you can do for your health which is the most valuable asset you have is to eliminate and completely kick out the smoking habit from your life.

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight: Smoking and weight gain

Even though cigarette smoking is addictive and difficult to quit, it is not impossible either. The challenges will always be there including the dilemma we are focusing on. Eliminating cigarette smoking often goes hand in hand with weight gain. Is it possible to be both slimmer and smoke-free so long as there is a resolve commitment to do so in the right way with the guidance of professionals? While appreciating the likelihood of gaining some weight when you stop smoking, the gain will not be that threatening as you may passive. Yes it is true that cigarette activates your metabolism and that you will burn about 250 calories because of smoking and quitting will mean that your metabolism rate will slow down leaving you with a pack of 250 calories to deal with resulting in weight gain for many people. Doctor Akoury says that under normal circumstances majority will gain some two pounds on quitting the first time in a few weeks. This is likely to cause a concern to people that what would be the impact in a few month is in just two weeks you add two!

The feeling is mutual in this case however this should not motivate you to go back to smoking to have you metabolism reactivated. Doctor Akoury advices that you need to hung on because the increase will not escalate to unhealthy weight. Your focus should be on the end result not the temporal obstacles. In this case you could compare the benefits of quitting with not quitting and the negligible weight gain and you will be able to see that the gain is a lesser sin. The benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle both inside and out to those few extra pounds means nothing. Take for instance the possibilities of your vital organs like the lungs, heart, and the arteries start repairing themselves almost immediately after the last puff. And not only that, your skin clears up and starts to look smoother, your fingernails stop looking yellow, your breath improves, and your teeth can be bright again. All these less-obvious benefits of smoking will have you looking great, even if you put on a few. If this has convinced you to take the worthy challenge then you can schedule for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for professional assistance. But in the meantime, let us consider the best approach to go about it the whole exercise.

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight: The Right Approach

People will often take the quitting challenge differently with some people just opting to stop by making up their mind and literally disposing off the cigarette. This is fine however experts recommend a systematic approach to be the most effective. Therefore it is important than up on the resolve to quit, you need to set a quite date and prepare for it by setting aside some extra time to start a regular physical activity, like walking. And do your best to bypass the buffets and start eating healthier.

During this time ensure that you make improvement on your diet, make it healthy and this will help in the minimizing weight gain.

Next, start to pinpoint what situations which may trigger the urge to smoke and get ready to deal with them.

The urge for a cigarette tends to be the most pronounced the first few days after quitting for most people. After the fifth day, the number of urges starts to decrease.

While it varies from person to person, the urges will typically continue although less frequently for several weeks or even months. But they are still as annoying as when you first quit, so be prepared to tackle them head-on. With this mechanism in place, you are now ready to quit.

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight: Quitting Time

When it comes time to quit, the following are tips to help you minimize cigarette cravings and weight gain:

Drink more water at least 8-ounce glasses of water a day. This will keep you hydrated, help you feel full, and give you something to do with your hands.
Make smart choices when snacking. Quitting smoking will increase your snacking appetite. While you should avoid substituting food for cigarettes, you should plan healthy snacks, like cut-up veggies, fruit, or almonds or pistachios (in limited amounts.) Try to avoid sugar and unhealthy starches. If you feel you must have sweets, go for sugarless and fat-free ones. But keep in mind that fat-free snacks often have just as many calories due to the added sugar.
When a craving for a cigarette strikes, be prepared. If you want certain snacks around, make sure they’re handy and healthy. Have water around. Take a walk, have a soda. Think these things through so when an urge hits, you are prepared. It’s all about careful planning.
Keep up the physical activity and the healthy eating. This will help you quit smoking as well as trim your waistline, explains Purcell.
Be ready for challenges. You have to have the right mindset and be prepared for challenging times. If you can get through the first two weeks, chances are you’ll make it.
Most importantly, even if the needle on the scale starts to creep upward, don’t reach for that cigarette! Just stick it out and let your metabolism even off. It’s only temporary, and you can address the weight later after you’ve quit.

Quitting Smoking without fear of Gaining Weight: How to kick the habit without packing on the pounds

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