Liquidrey quits smoking : A girl's guide to Stop Smoking

Quitting smoking, is it that hard? Does it have to be that hard? Its hard if you think it is. Girls, don't be afraid you will gain the extra pounds from stopping..you can even lose weight after you stop smoking.    

The secret is to STOP. Just DO IT. After 12 years of smoking, I finally had enough. The revolting smell, the cold winter nights when I have to shiver outside just for a puff, the feeling of being excluded from the "non-smoking" club...it all builds up. I can't take it anymore, the smell of my fingertips after a cigarette.  But why do I do this?   

My friend is a control freak - I'd do anything she says....she jump, I jump. She calls all the shots and I am just the follower.  There are so many times when she wants me to come to supermarket to pick her up and even if it is snowing, in the middle of the night, she'd drag me out into the cold to accompany her.  Sometimes when I am enjoying a movie or in the middle of a meeting, she wants me to accompany her for 10 minutes.  She is also particular about which friends I choose....she loves to hang out with those that are like her....she complains and wants to leave parties early if there is no one there like her...Sometimes, I even have to hide her.  She is not the "best-looking" friend to go out with. A lot of people try to stay away from her and gives us the "strange look" if they see us together.  She is also high maintenance and expensive to support but I have to pay her to keep her with me....worse of all, she will never pay me a dime in return. That's just so unfair!

BUT...there's more. My friend does not believe in being healthy.  She absolutely hates exercising and would make me run out of breath when I am exercising.  She would try her best to keep me away from the gym or anything which requires physical activity. ..she loves chillin' out at home and love it when I tell her how lucky I am to have her as my friend.

One day, my friend will be tired of me and once she decides she no longer wish to have my company, will not let us part our separate ways but she will try to kill me. 

I am now at a point that I have to tell my friend goodbye...I don't wish to continue our friendship and I have to do it now before it is too late.

This is the story of my friend and my journey to say goodbye.

LEAVE YOUR CIGARETTES AT HOME 

H2o it is vital!!! Try to get into the habit of drinking lots of water & if you wish to have a bit of flavour in your drinks, try Green tea.  I keep a bottle of green tea and love it! Its great for your health , helps you relax your mind and tastes great. Try it wish a dash of honey, drink it cold or hot. Yummy.....Try exploring different types of tea. Berry teas are also nice. Since you do not have to worry about spending money on cigarettes, you can now have the money to buy various teas to try. 

The right type of music takes your mind off smoking....try this!

EXERCISE
This is the key element to cease smoking.  I often substitute exercise for cigarettes and it feels great. 

• Smoking burns up to 100 to 200 calories per day and it helps boost your metabolism 
• Nicotine is an appetite suppressant and helps you curb your hunger

I always thought that if I'd quit, I'd gain 10kgs immediately. This is not true.  It is a myth and it takes a lot to get away from that mindset. You will need to be determined and strong.  Don't waste time. Put on your favourite tunes and dance in your room.  Its easy and free and you don't have to pay any instructors to do this.  15 TO 20 Minutes of mini workout is all it takes. 
I love step aerobics, so I keep a step aerobics platform in my room and drag it out and start working out for at least 15 minutes.  It only takes 10 minutes for me to feel the workout, but its a great feeling and I encourage all of you ( especially if you don't have time ) to try incorporating mini workouts each day.  I usually exercise at night....as I am too busy during the day.

Another tip is to start walking....I walk during my lunch time.  Bring your walking shoes to work and start walking. You will feel great and it makes you feel even better when you celebrate being "smoke-free" =)
Do this everyday and make it a habit....you can do it.  Its free & easy. No gyms to join and nobody to stop you. You are your own time keeper and the world is all yours.  Put on your IPOD and just walk. 

Each weekend....I'd make sure I go for a really long walk. This is my weekend reward. If it rains, try walking in shopping malls. You don't have to pay to walk there.

Its all free & really easy.


TELL YOURSELF THIS....."I AM A NON-SMOKER"
If you think you are a non-smoker, you will be one soon.  If you keep telling yourself this, you will slowly change your mind and thinking.  You will soon be smoke-free.  Think back to the days before you started smoking....those glory, joyous days....after a while you will begin to remember how happy you were before you became a smoker.  Life is sweet and it is great when you don't have to depend on cigarettes to control your mood.

LEARN TO RELAX
Relaxing and ease your mind...do not stress out when you are not smoking.  A lot of times, we try to sneak out for a smoke thinking it will help us relax or just because its a stressful day. Stop making excuses as cigarrettes is not the answer to relaxation or stress relief. Its just a belief and you need to find other ways to relax ....surrounding your environment with things which smells nice often helps to stimulate relaxation and calms you down.  Find a nice scent and keep it near you.  I keep a roll-on perfume of my favourite scent in my purse and have a diffuser in my room where I spend a lot of time in....it always smells great and keeps me relaxed. 

Try yoga or pilates or simply stretching to soothing music.....you will feel great!

A few days after you stop smoking, you will taste food for what it tastes like.  When you are a smoker, food tastes the same...once you stop smoking, food tastes and smells different.  It is great.  When you are hungry, try to opt for fruits or something low fat until your meal times.  You will begin to realize that your body is actually craving for food and a lot of times, you misinterpret this message and feed it with deadly chemicals from cigarettes instead, therefore killing any thoughts or craving for real food.


After several attempts to quit smoking, I found one of the pitfalls of my past failure...I told too many people too soon that I have quit.  This is a big mistake as you now have the pressure to stop.  As more people have expectations and expect to see positive results and achievements, you will feel like a failure if you do not quit.  At the end, you will let the pressure overcome you and turn to your "best friend", the cigarette to overcome this pressure.


One of the secrets I of my success is to not tell anyone...maybe you can tell one or two people that you are "trying" to quit so they'd stop asking you to "join" them and keep it simple.  Do not try to preach them into quitting as well.  Initially you will find it hard to resist joining your "smoke buddies" for a smoke, but this will soon pay off as you are now trying to break free from the habit. 


MONEY, MONEY, MONEY....
One of my main quit smoking motivators is money.  As cigarette prices keep increasing and never fall, I must quit. I have had enough of burning hard earned money.....its time to spend it on something useful.  When I think of the money I would save by quitting the habit, I smile to myself and think...YES! I can do it. 

KEEP AWAY FROM TEMPTATION....
I recommend that you keep cigarettes away from your sight...if you don't see it, you don't smoke it.  Throw that last pack of cigarettes, get rid of the lighters, ashtrays ...try to keep these things away so you will not see it again.  It will also keep you from "comfort smoking" ( in case you are having a bad day and turn to smoking again ).  Now you can declare yourself and your environment "Smoke-free".  It is hard to stop smoking if you still keep your spare cigarettes & accessories.