You Can Stop Smoking

August 3, 2023 at 9:04 am

The good news is that quitting smoking immediately reduces your risk of heart disease and other serious disorders, with the benefit increasing over time. Just 1 year after you stop smoking, your heart disease risk will drop by more than half. Within several years, it will approach the heart disease risk of someone who has never smoked. No matter how long you have been smoking, or how much, quitting will lessen your chances of developing heart disease.

Prepare to Succeed

Get motivated. Take some time to think about all the benefits of being “smoke free.” Besides the health benefits of quitting, what else do you have to gain? Money saved from not buying cigarettes. Loved ones no longer exposed to secondhand smoke? A better appearance? No more standing outside in the cold or rain for a smoke? Write down all of the reasons you want to stop smoking.

Sign on the dotted line. Write a brief contract that states your intention to stop smoking, your quitting date, and some ways you plan to reward yourself for becoming an ex-smoker. Have someone sign it with you.

Lineup support. Ask the person who cosigns your contract—or another friend or relative—to give you special support in your efforts to quit. Plan to get in touch with your support person regularly to share your progress and to get encouragement. If possible, quit with a friend or family member.

Breaking the Habit

Know yourself. To quit successfully, you need to know your personal smoking “triggers.” These are the situations and feelings that typically bring on the urge to light up. Some common triggers are drinking coffee, having an alcoholic drink, talking on the phone, watching someone else smoke, and experiencing stress. Make a list of your own personal triggers. Especially during the first weeks after quitting, try to avoid as many triggers as you can.

Find new habits. Replace your “triggers” with new activities that you do not associate with smoking. For example, if you have always had a cigarette with a cup of coffee, switch to tea for a while. If stress is a trigger for you, try a relaxation exercise such as deep breathing to calm yourself. (Take a slow, deep breath, count to five, and release it. Repeat 10 times.)

Keep busy. Get involved in activities that require you to use your hands, such as needlework, art projects, jigsaw puzzles, or fix-up projects around your house or apartment. When you feel the urge to put something in your mouth, try some vegetable sticks, apple slices, or sugarless gum. Some people find it helpful to inhale on a straw or chew on a toothpick until the urge passes.

Keep moving. Walk, garden, bike, or do some yoga stretches. Physical activity will make you feel better and will help prevent weight gain.

Know what to expect. During the first few weeks after quitting, you may experience temporary withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, tiredness, and trouble concentrating.
While these feelings are not pleasant, it may help to know that they are signs that your body is recovering from smoking. Most symptoms end within 2 to 4 weeks.

Ask for help. A number of free or low-cost programs are available to help people stop smoking. They include programs offered by local chapters of the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society. Other low-cost programs can be found through hospitals, health maintenance organizations, workplaces, and community groups.

Give yourself a break. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and eat three healthy meals each day. If you are not as productive or cheerful as usual during the first weeks after quitting, be gentle with yourself. Give yourself a chance to adjust to your new smoke-free lifestyle. Congratulate yourself for making a major, positive change in your life.

More Help for Quitting

As you prepare to quit smoking, consider using a medicine that can help you stay off cigarettes. Some of these medications contain small amounts of nicotine, which can help lessen the urge to smoke. They include nicotine gum (available over-the counter), the nicotine patch (available over the counter and by prescription), a nicotine inhaler (by prescription only), and a nicotine nasal spray (by prescription only). Another quitting aid is Bupropion SR, a medicine that contains no nicotine but reduces the craving for cigarettes. It is available only by prescription. While all of these medications can help people stop smoking, they are not safe for everyone. Talk with your doctor about whether you should try any of these aids.

If You “Slip”

A slip means that you have had a small setback and smoked a cigarette after your quit date. Most smokers slip three to five times before they quit for good. To get right back on the nonsmoking track:

Do not be discouraged. Having a cigarette does not mean you cannot quit smoking. A slip happens to many people who successfully quit. Keep thinking of yourself as a nonsmoker. (You are one.)

Learn from experience. What was the “trigger” that made you light up? Were you driving home from work, enjoying a glass of wine at a party, feeling angry with your boss? Think back on the day’s events until you remember what the trigger was.

Take charge. Write a list of things you will do the next time you face that particular trigger situation—and other tempting situations as well. Sign a new contract with your support person to show yourself how determined you are to kick the habit. You are on your way.

A Weighty Concern

Many people fear that if they stop smoking, they will gain unwanted weight. But most ex-smokers gain less than 10 pounds. Weight gain may be partly due to changes in the way the body uses calories after smoking stops. Some people also may gain weight because they substitute high-calorie foods for
cigarettes. Choosing more low-calorie foods and getting more physical activity can reduce the amount of weight you gain. If you do put on some weight, you can lose it after you have become comfortable as a nonsmoker. When you consider the serious health risks of smoking, the possibility of gaining a few pounds is no reason to continue.

Dr. Bobish

Dr. Bobish and her team’s goal is to help you reduce your risk of heart disease. Helping you to understand your risk factors and make healthful lifestyle changes.

Remember regardless of age or current state of health it is never too late to start protecting your heart. It is also never too soon and the sooner you act the better. Follow us on Facebook to see our latest post helping to keep you heart healthy. You can also explore all our articles that offer diet and exercise tips, recipes and information on procedures and heart disease.

Dr. Bobish and her team focus on preventative care and are here to support you. Alpine Cardiology provides patients with education as well as compassionate care and treatment. We are committed to keeping you healthy and heart smart! Request an appointment at 989-448-7002

Guide to a Healthy Heart

We are committed to keeping Northern Michigan healthy and heart-smart!

Over the next several months we will be publishing a series of articles that will become A Guide to a Healthy Heart. By breaking these guidelines into chapters we are able to offer more in depth information on the topics. Watch our Facebook page or website for the latest article.

Alpine Cardiology’s goal is to give you a better understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle and to take care of your heart. To take the mystery out of what the tests are and what they mean. To encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how to reduce your risk. The more you know and understand the more likely you are to be successful in reducing risk and having a healthier lifestyle.

Links to published chapters are below if you would like to explore the guide more.