smoke-free program · 2018. 1. 29. · your quit date you will be fully committed to living...

Smoke-Free ProgramProvided by Matria WellCare

Smoke-Free Program •

You’ll breathe deeper, look better and feel younger than you have in years. It is an attainable goal. This science-based program was developed by former smokers who know what works.

Using the program is easy! Each week we’ll provide you with a specific goal and information and resources to help you achieve it. Then during theweek one of our expert coaches will provide you with personalized advicebased on your current situation. Just knowing that you have someone on yourside checking in on your progress will give you added motivation to stay with it.

If you’re able to use the Internet, you can log on for more support and personalizedtips on-line. Here is an overview of the program:

Week One: Countdown to Your Quit DateDo the prep work so you can quit for life! We can help you prepare during this seven-day countdown.

Week Two: Quitting Time!Fight off cravings, monitor your progress and stay smoke-free all week! You’re on your way.

Week Three: Your Support SystemLearn how family and friends can help you get through the rough spots. Don’t go it alone!

Week Four: Urge ControlRetrain your brain! Learn new ways to stay in control when old habits tempt you.

Week Five: Beat Stress, Beat SmokingFind creative ways to handle stress and you’ll have a better chance of beating your smoking habit.

Week Six: Stay Smoke-Free!Build on your success and look out for common lapses that could take you off track.

Ready to get started? Meet the challenge head-on and live smoke-free!

Healthy Regards!

Welcome to the Smoke-Free Program!

Imagine yourself as an ex-smoker.


Week 1: Countdown to Your Quit Date!

Your Goals This Week:

• Choose your quit date.• Use your PackWraps to track your

habit (page 16).• Learn about Nicotine Replacement

Therapy.

This week, lay the groundwork foryour smoke-free future. You can do it!

Your Smoke-Free CountdownThe butts stop here! Follow these five simple steps to begin topurge the urge.Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

No one quits smoking in a day — it takes preparation. For the next sevendays, you need to change the way you think about cigarettes, so that byyour quit date you will be fully committed to living smoke-free. This week,you will begin to:

• Understand your habit, and dig into the underlying reasons why you smoke.

• Prepare for your quit day, and discover how to lessen the urge to light up.• Develop a negative attitude toward cigarettes and smoking.

Here are five steps to take this week during your countdown to quitting:

1) Wait five minutes before you light upWe know you’re going to want to smoke during the next seven days, but follow this (seemingly simple) rule every time you get the urge. Focus your mind on anything else, find ways to stay busy, and declare your pack off-limits until five minutes elapse. Don’t be surprised to find yourself checking your watch a lot, wondering how five minutes can pass so slowly — or marveling that your urge to smoke simply passed, all by itself. Remember, you’re in training, so these five-minute tests will give you a chance to prepare for quitting for good.

Don’t fight yourself, but also work to cut out the smokes that seem least important to you at this time. If you can do that, you’ll begin to build confidence in your ability to give up your more “important” cigarettes come quit day. Carry your PackWraps (see page 16) with you and keep a log of every time you smoke, so you can see the patterns and triggers emerge.

2) Switch cigarette brandsYou don’t have to switch to a brand you absolutely hate, but at least switch to a brand you don’t normally smoke.For example, if you normally smoke menthol cigarettes, switch to a non-menthol brand (and vice versa). On your quit day, you’ll find it’s easier to stop smoking cigarettes you don’t really like anyway. You’ll also start to develop a negative attitude toward smoking.

3) Buy only ONE pack of cigarettes at a timeDo anything you can to make it less convenient to smoke. When you go out, carry only as many loose cigarettes as you think you’ll smoke, not the entire pack.

4) Call your dentistMake an appointment to have your teeth cleaned as soon after your quit day as possible. Cleaning your teeth will remove tar and nicotine stains and leave your mouth feeling refreshed, not tasting like a dirty ashtray. Plus, it will motivate you to stay smoke-free.

5) Tell your friendsMake sure all your friends and family know that you’re getting ready to quit smoking. Their support will be critical inhelping you get through the next six weeks.

Call Your Dentist!Get your teeth cleaned to remove the tar and nicotine stains.

Use that fresh feeling as motivation to stay smoke-free.

SMOKE-FREECONTRACT

My quit date is . I commit to making every effort to stop smoking by using the knowledge and tools from this program and my own self-will.

Signed: (Post this somewhere you can see it each day!)


The Facts About Nicotine Replacement TherapyPatches, gums, lozenges and prescription products help wean you off your dependency, but not by themselves.Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

Nicotine is an addictive drug that occurs naturally in the tobacco leaf.At low doses, nicotine can stimulate certain nerve cells, leading to feelings of alertness or relaxation. An overwhelming amount of research suggests smokers’ best opportunity to quit for good is to combine a stop-smoking behavior modification program with a nicotine replacementproduct. Studies show using the two in combination can double quitters’success rate.

Remember that the use of any nicotine replacement means you cannot smoke while using them. Consult with your physician, pharmacist or other healthcare provider before using any over-the-counter or prescription medications. Follow manufacturers’ instructions CAREFULLY when using all these products.

FDA-APPROVED NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPIESHere’s a quick rundown of today’s FDA-approved options:

The Bottom LineNicotine replacement therapies have played an important role for many smokers who have successfully kicked the habit.Be sure you use them as directed, and don’t try to “economize” — money is not the issue here, quitting smokingsuccessfully is.

Treatment Advantages Disadvantages

Nicotine Patches Available without a prescription; easy to use; only has to be applied oncefor a full day’s use.

Must be used for an extended period of time; may cause skin irritationsand temporary sleep problems

Nicotine Gum Available without a prescription; easy to use; fast-acting; can be used forover-powering urges

Must be used for an extended period of time; can lead to dependence.

Nicotine Nasal Spray Higher, faster-acting nicotine levels;can be used for overpowering urges.

Initially, users may experience nasaland throat irritation, coughing,sneezing and watery eyes; requiresa prescription.

Nicotine Inhaler Mimics some of the behavioralcomforts of holding a cigarette; easyto use; can be used for overpoweringurges.

May cause throat irritation andcoughing; requires a prescription;people with certain allergies may notbe able to use it; expensive.

Nicotine Lozenges Available without a prescription; easy to use; fast-acting; can be used forover-powering urges.

Must be used for 12 weeks.


Week 2: Quitting Time!


• Stay smoke-free all week!• Learn how to fight off cravings.• Complete the Smoke-Free Worksheet

(page 18) to identify the benefits of quitting.

• Start using the Daily Check-in (page 17).

Ready to start your smoke-free life? Itwon’t be easy. Fortunately, you’re not onyour own! Use your coach to help you staywith it.

Learning to QuitHere are some time-tested techniques to help you through your first cigarette-free days. Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

So you’ve reached your quit date. Already you should feel good that you’ve gotten to this point and committed to quitting. For the first 24 to 48 hours you’ll feel the strongest withdrawal symptoms. Keep your guard up! Once you overcome them, you’re on your way! Here are three strategies to help smooth your transition to a smoke-free lifestyle.

1) Vary your daily routine for the next few weeks.Your body is physically used to tobacco. To help it learn to live without it, you need to shake things up a bit. Here are some ways to skirt temptation:

• If you smoke when you drink alcohol, it’s a good idea to steer clear of your regular watering holes for a while.

• Change the order in which you normally do things — particularly your morning routine.• Avoid people who smoke whenever and wherever possible.• Take a different route when you go to the store, drive to work or visit friends.

2) Set aside the money you’re saving on cigarettes. Get a piggy bank or money jar and establish a new daily routine of depositing the money you used to spend on cigarettes each day. Then, when you reach your “milestone” smoke-free dates (1 month, 3 months, 1 year), use that money to reward yourself. It can be a great reminder of how expensive your habit was.

3) Keep busy.When you’re used to having a cigarette in your hand, at certain times you can feel unsettled without one. Here are some specific activities you can use to counter that feeling and give your body some hands-on activity:

• Buy some “Power Putty” or another squeezable stress ball. They’re great for working through tension when you have a craving.

• Chew on a toothpick, cinnamon stick, straw, any healthier alternative that substitutes for a cigarette.• Learn to knit, do needlepoint or yarn. The actions can be calming and you might make something you like! • Try playing a musical instrument. Strumming a guitar or playing a drum (even just toying with bongos) can be fun

and help reduce stress.• Work in a garden! Digging your hands in soil is a good countering technique, and it can be fun. If you don’t have

a garden of your own, look into volunteering at a local park.• Try drawing, painting, or another visual art such as photography. Immersing yourself in a creative activity can make

you feel good about yourself and take your mind off your cigarette cravings.• Learn magic, in particular card tricks. Or try other handheld hobbies such as yo-yos. They’re fun and can be great

conversation-starters! • Make yourself a nutritious dinner. Cooking is a great, relaxing activity with benefits — you get to eat what you create! • Use your Smoke-Free Worksheet to keep yourself focused on all the reasons you want to quit.

Feel like lighting up?The urge to smoke normally lasts for only 2 minutes,

and it will go away whether you smoke or not. Wait 5 minutes and chances are the urge will pass.

The average pack-a-day smokerspends $1,600 ayear on smoking.Remember themoney you can save before lighting up!

Did You Know?

Strong Urges: Research shows that the strongest cravings typically peak within 24 hours after quitting and then slowly taper off over the next few days or weeks. Every time you respond to an urge by NOT lighting up, your cravings will lose power — and you will gain power over nicotine.

Agitation and Irritability: When you quit smoking, it’s inevitable that you won’t feel like yourself for a while. Tell your friends, relatives and coworkers that you’re quitting smoking and warn them in advance that you may be a bit on edge. Do everything you can to help yourself relax.

Increased Coughing: When you quit smoking, the mucus plugs that formed in your lungs due to smoking start to break up and the cilia (tiny, hair-like fibers in the lung) begin to function effectively again. This may temporarily make you cough or clear your throat more. It’s annoying, but it won’t last.

Increased Appetite: Now that you no longer smoke, you may overeat as a substitute — or because your healing taste buds tell you food suddenly tastes better. Remember that it’s okay to eat between meals to hold off hunger, just stick with healthy snacks such as celery or carrot sticks, fruits and nuts.

Sleeplessness: Like it or not, when you smoked you were “doing drugs.” The day’s first cigarettes jump-started your brain and central nervous system, while later doses of nicotine calmed you down. If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, it’s because your body “misses” your late-evening and bedtime cigarettes. Create a routine for yourself and keep a regular bedtime. Also, avoid drinks containing caffeine and daytime napping.

Drowsiness: While some new nonsmokers have trouble falling asleep, others can’t seem to stay awake. This is the result of your body looking for its nicotine “kick.” One smart way to increase your energy level is to get more active.Take a walk, get some fresh air and try to increase your energy level. In any case, drowsiness is a temporary symptom.You’ll soon find you have more energy as a nonsmoker than you ever did as a smoker.

Remember: Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are common, and they will go away. They are signs of your body healing itself from the harmful effects of smoking. And when they pass, you’re a big step closer to a smoke-free life. If your withdrawal symptoms do not go away over long periods of time, consult your healthcare provider.


Coping with Nicotine WithdrawalYes, the discomforts when you stop puffing are a drag — but unlike the ill effects of smoking, they go away.Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

For some smokers it only takes days to start to feel withdrawal symptoms weaken and become less frequent; for others, it can take up to four weeks. Remember, it may not feel like it at the time, but the symptoms of withdrawal mean you’re winning! Here are some of the most common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and how to get through them:

Try deep breathing techniques to help relieve withdrawal symptoms:

Draw in a deep breaththrough your nose.

Hold the air in for 5 to 10 seconds.

Exhale very slowly through your mouth.

Repeat as necessary or until your desire to smoke passes.

Use Your Smoke-Free Worksheet! One page could save your life! This easy-to-use guide can

remind you of the health benefits of quitting. Look for it on page 18.


Getting SupportCall on a trusted nonsmoker who’ll be there for you when the going gets tough. Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

Quitting smoking is never easy, but it’s much more difficult without the support and understanding of friends, family members and/or coworkers. Kicking a smoking habit requires determination on your part, but there are bound to be times when you’ll find your resolve lagging. Here are some tips when choosing people to support your habit, and strategies for helping them help you.

Week 3: Your SupportSystem


• Ask friends or family members to support your quitting effort.

• Learn how to communicate with your support team.

• Begin retraining your reflexes.

This week, learn how those closestto you can help you get through therough spots.

1) Choose the right person for the job: Everyone on your quit-smoking support team should be a nonsmoker (this may seem obvious, but it is a MUST). However, a former smoker can be an excellent choice. Your supporters must be willing to get fully involved in your quitting program.They should be your sounding board whenever you need to vent, to regularly review your progress, and offer encouragement.

Also, feel free to recruit more than one coach. Sometimes it’s good to have someone at work who can give you support and help you avoid smoke-breaks, as well as a friend or family member who can help you at home. You can never have too much help when you’re trying to quit smoking!

2) Set the ground rules: At the beginning, discuss with your coach how youthink they can be most helpful to you. Every quitting experience is personal. No one knows better than you what you need to succeed. Think ahead and be as clear as possible.

3) Give three do’s — and don’ts: Let your support team in on a few specifics you think can be helpful to you. Tell afriend to drop by at 3:30 when you usually take a cigarette break. You don’t want lectures; sometimes you just need adistraction from thinking about smoking.

4) Don’t feel self-conscious: Your friend agreed to come aboard to help you get healthier. He or she has accepted the responsibility to offer a shoulder for you to lean on — so don’t be embarrassed about using it! When you have a need, call — that’s the whole point!

5) Schedule activities together: Go to lunch together at a nonsmoking restaurant, whether to discuss progress or just experience social situations without lighting up. Schedule regular walks to get in the habit of incorporating physicalactivity into your day.

6) Establish milestones: Let your coach know the dates that matter to you — a smokeless week, month, etc.Celebrating these benchmarks when you reach them gives you both a sense of shared accomplishment that canmotivate you to reach the next one.

Support is vital when trying to kick the cigarette habit; the help of a coach can be an important factor in success. A friendwho helps you quit is making a great gesture — so remember to do something nice for them when you’re smoke-free!

Wear a Rubber Band:Snap the rubber band whenever you have an urge to smoke.

It will remind you that the action you’re considering has a negative effect.

SUPPORTSYSTEM

I am not alone! My quit coachis:

He/she will help me get through the quitting process and live smoke-free!

[Note: this can be your phone coach or a friend or family member.]


Not Smoking Is Habit FormingDo you automatically reach for a smoke at certain times of day?Here’s how to retrain your reflexes.by Elizabeth Zipern

Pour a cup of coffee...and light a cigarette. Finish dinner...and grab a smoke. Get in the car...and pop the lighter. For smokers, reaching for a cigarette at certain times is as automatic as brushing your teeth in the morning. Changing the habit is one of the hardest challenges you’ve ever faced. Here are some ideas to start.

1) Set a tea time: For many smokers, cigarettes and coffee are joined at the hip. It’s far easier to give up caffeine than to drink coffee without a smoke. Try waking up to a cup of tea — milky East Indian-flavored tea is sublime — until you can enjoy coffee without a tobacco chaser.

2) Switch as you sip: If you always smoked with your left hand and drank coffee or tea with your right, use your left hand to drink tea, or vice versa.

3) Revise seating arrangements: Is there a spot where you always have your first cup of coffee — and cigarette — of the day? Take your tea elsewhere.

4) Walk away: Say good riddance to those furtive smoking breaks outside office buildings. Use your break time to walk instead. It’s a quick refresher and tranquilizer that helps you control your weight, too.

5) Be a teetolaler: Beware of wine, beer and cocktails since alcohol can dash your discipline and resolve. Stay out of bars and meet your friends elsewhere — restaurants, coffee shops, parks.

6) Occupy your hands: Find things to do with your hands to keep yourself occupied: Jingle your coins, roll a marble around your palm, play with a pen or pencil, twiddle your rings or fidget with a coffee stirrer. Whatever works!

7) Find a hobby: Finding a new skill can be a great way to distract yourself while keeping your hands busy. Try woodworking, painting, bread-making, knitting or puzzles.

8) Be positive: When giving up cigarettes makes you feel deprived, focus on all you’re getting in return. You’ll live longer, feel better, wrinkle less and reduce your risk of smoker’s diseases — cancer and heart disease, for starters.

9) Trust your senses: Remember, food tastes better. It smells better. And you don’t stink like an ashtray.

10) Reward yourself: Buy yourself something nice with the money you were shelling out for cigarettes. Get some flowers or a new perfume or cologne — and inhale to your heart’s content.

Tell the World!

If you haven’t yet told your friends and familyyou’re no longersmoking, make the announcement! Going public creates a very powerful incentive to stick to the pledge.

Be Positive

When giving up cigarettes makes you feel deprived, focus on all you’re getting in return. You’ll live longer, feel better, wrinkle lessand reduce your risk of smoker’s diseases.


Fight Cigarette Cravings!These tips can help you stay strong when you crave “just one little puff.”by Norine Dworkin

After you quit smoking, tobacco drifts into your thoughts like a lost love. Will the urge to focus on the “good times” trump your better judgment about hooking up again? Hang tough: Experts say if you can resist for just a few minutes, the craving for a puff will pass.Try these strategies to beat the clock:

1) B-r-e-a-t-h-e. When you’ve really got a jones for a cigarette, deep breathing can help you relax. Try this tip from Allen Elkin, Ph.D., author of Stress Management for Dummies (Hungry Minds, 1999):

• As you inhale, imagine you’re filling up a grapefruit-sized balloon behind your belly button.• Let your stomach expand.• Then let it out.• Do this until the urge passes.

2) Viva, aroma! Aromatherapist Valerie Ann Worwood, author of The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy (New World Library, 1991), suggests this recipe for chasing cravings. You’ll need:

• 10 drops nutmeg • 8 drops sandalwood• 12 drops pettigraine

1. Blend the nutmeg, sandalwood and pettigraine oils by shaking them up in a small, lidded jar.

2. Drop a small amount on a tissue and inhale when needed.3. You can also sniff the blend directly.

3) Keep your mouth busy. Herbalist James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy (Rodale, 1997), suggests stand-ins like licorice or yarrow — you’ll find these long, slender roots at health-food stores. One caveat: Chewing too much licorice isn’t recommended for people with high blood pressure. Some other ideas:

• Chew gum — it’s helped countless habit-kickers.• Tuck a coffee stirrer in your mouth.• Gnaw on a cinnamon stick or toothpick.

4) Play with a rubber band. Wear a loose rubber band around your wrist, suggests Jeffrey Baker, M.D., a family physician in State College, Pa., and give it a sharp snap when you want a smoke. Baker says this can be very useful for the strongest cravings: after dinner, in the car, at a coffee break and the urge for a cigarette first thing in the morning.

Surround Yourself with Signs: Keep a piece of paper in your wallet that says

“Smoking costs me way too much money!”

Week 4: Urge Control


• Find out how to stay strong and fight your cravings.

• Learn how to take control of urges before they get worse.

This week, learn new ways to stay in control when you’re tempted by old habits. Your coach can help!

Keep Your Mouth Busy:Chew on some

crunchy veggies such as carrots or green pepper strips to crunch

away the cravings.


Understanding UrgesBreak your associations between particular events and smoking, and you’ll be far less likely to light up. Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

For many smokers, drinking coffee, eating a big meal, riding in a car and other events almost automatically trigger an urge to smoke. These are known as “associations” because they’re activities you associate with smoking — and they can often lead to a cigarette. Whether or not that actually happens depends on you. If you fight the urge with the techniques you’ve learned in this program, it can be stopped deadin its tracks.

Research has charted how our reactions to certain situations can increase or decrease urges to smoke, and how anactive intervention can reduce or eliminate the urge to smoke. An “intervention” refers to anything you do to stop yourselffrom having a cigarette — from calling a friend for support to closing your eyes and taking deep breaths until the urgepasses.

Look at the list below and see whether you’re letting your urges get the best of you or meeting them head-on.

• No Intervention — Doing Nothing: If you’re doing something that you associate with smoking (like having a cup of coffee) that association can lead to an urge to smoke. When you don’t do anything to stop it, the urge increases in intensity, untilit’s so strong that you can’t control it. By the time you finish your coffee you find yourself lighting up a cigarette. This is the worst way to handle an urge, because you did nothing to confront it.

• Delayed Intervention — Flirting With the Brink: Again in this situation you allow your urge to smoke grow, until you finally call upon one of your intervention techniques (like getting up and taking a walk). You eventually gain control of your urge, but with much difficulty and a lot of wasted effort. If you keep handling urges this way, eventually you could put yourself in danger of weakening and lighting up.

• Reactive Intervention — Recognize, and Counterpunch: In this case you apply your intervention techniques at the first hint of your urge. With little energy spent, you quickly gain control and the urge never fully develops.

• Proactive Intervention — Stop It BEFORE It Starts: When you’re a comfortable nonsmoker, you’ll find you apply your intervention techniques when you’re aware of the associations — before your urge ever develops (you avoid that coffee shop altogether). You don’t waste energy and you stay in control of the situation. This should be your long-term goal for avoiding urges and staying smoke-free.

If you still identify more closely with the first two categories, don’t be discouraged! The process of learning to quit takestime. But if you keep at it, you’ll learn to take control and stop urges before they can gain momentum.

Don’t Give Up!Most important, don’t feel doomed if you succumb to a craving or even if you resume smoking. Many people quit for good only after several attempts. At the very least, every attempt is a little time off cigarettes, and that never hurts. Just keep trying until it sticks.

When you’re a comfortable nonsmoker, you’ll find you apply your intervention techniques when you’re aware of the associations — before your urge ever develops.

An “intervention” refers to anything you do to stop yourself from having a cigarette — from calling a friend for support to closing your eyes and taking deep breaths until the urge passes.

DivineIntervention


10 Ways to Ease Stress Some of the simplest ways to relax are also the most effective.by Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N.

Don’t know where to start in your bid to manage stress? Here are 10 simple ideas to help you let off some steam.

1) Have a laugh: Look for the humor in stressful situations. Laughter relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure and eases mental tension. Researchers find that laughter may also reduce levels of hormones that trigger stress response.

2) Make realistic plans: Don’t make dinner plans across town for 6 p.m. when you know getting stuck in traffic leaves you frazzled and annoyed. Think ahead to avoid triggers of stress.

3) Claim some private time: Balance your family, social and work demands by reserving time for yourself: hobbies, quiet strolls, soaking in a hot bath, watching a sunset or listening to music.

4) The pause that refreshes: Make mini-breaks part of your daily routine.Sit down and get comfortable, slowly take a deep breath, hold it, and then exhale very slowly.

5) Get moving: Physical activity is a time-tested stress reliever. Even a brisk walk can reduce the level of stress hormones in your blood. Start slowly, and work up to at least 30 minutes a day (or two 15-minute sessions).

6) “Use” your friends: Friends can be good medicine. Daily conversation and regular social engagements can help reduce stress. Your friends are there for you, and talking helps them de-stress, too.

7) Keep a “Stress Journal”: Identifying major causes of stress helps you avoid or handle them more effectively. Jot down the occasions that were stressful, or triggered anger or anxiety. Use your “Daily Check-in” (page 17) to keep a record.

8) Have a plan: Plot out realistic timings of daily activities, including work, sleep, relationships and recreation. You may find that you “plan” too many things each day.

9) Clean house: Removing physical clutter can be a prelude to purging emotionalclutter. Use your time and energy as efficiently as possible to organize your home andoffice. You may find you even enjoy it!

10) Don’t procrastinate: Loose ends — whether with family, friends or work issues — cause stress. Make a list of things you have to do. If it seems too long, prioritize the tasks that are most important and can reasonably be accomplished in a specified amount of time.

Week 5: Beat Stress, Beat Smoking!


• Find simple ways you can ease stress. • Learn to release your stress with

physical activity.• Develop a fitness plan that fits your

life.

Studies have connected stress to higher incidences of smoking. Handle stress and beat your habit!

You Deserve aBreak!

Balance your family, social and work demands by reservingtime for yourself: hobbies, quiet strolls, soaking in ahot bath, watching asunset or listening tomusic.

Healthy Body,Healthy Mind

Make sure you getenough of the following:

RestRegular exerciseGood dietTime offSupport


A Cardio Fitness Plan That WorksIncreasing your activity level not only helps your body get in shape, it provides a great emotional release. Start today!by Royce Flippin

Developing a cardio-fitness program takes more than good intentions — it requires a workable plan. Here’s how you can get started.

1) Pick aerobic activity that’s enjoyable and available.Don’t force yourself to do an exercise you can’t stand. If you don’t like it, you won’t do it for long. Build your programaround one or two activities that you truly look forward to, and that pose no logistical challenges. The most popularexercises — walking, jogging, bicycling and aerobics — all require minimal equipment, and can be done almostanywhere.

2) Plan your workouts in advance, with 3-5 exercise sessions per week.Mark all your planned exercise days for the month on a calendar with an asterisk or the letter “E,” and keep the calendar in a place where you’ll see it every day. Include the time of day, and what you plan to do. Cross off each workout after you’ve completedit. This can boost your confidence in your own ability to accomplish what you set out to do.

3) Set aside an hour for each exercise session.This allows for a five-minute warm-up, 30-45 minutes of actual exercise per workout (the duration needed for optimal health), a five-minute cool-down and a shower. If you’vebeen sedentary until now, start with 10 minutes of actual exercise per session and build up slowly.

4) Exercise at the same time every day.This predictability will make you less likely to skip workouts, and also allows you to plan your day around your exercisesessions. Plus, your body rhythms will fall into a routine, enhancing your energy level and performance.

5) Treat exercise time as a high-priority appointment.Once you’ve set up your exercise calendar, be prepared to fend off all suggestions from other people (usually non-exercisers) to “just skip it today.” Make your workout time sacred.

6) Make each workout invigorating, but stop before you feel fatigued.For optimal heart health, your heart rate should be somewhat elevated, but the effort should always feel comfortable.Walk away from each workout with the feeling that you could have gone a few minutes more.

7) Reward yourself each month for successfully completing your workouts.Give yourself a pat on the back for your own success. Your reward should always be something you really enjoy — amovie or a dinner at a nice restaurant.

8) As a short-term goal, aim for three solid months of regular exercise.Studies show that if you can stick to a new exercise program for three months, regular exercise becomes an ingrainedhabit, and takes on a momentum of its own.

Note: We suggest you consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Plan It! Mark all your planned exercise days for the month on a calendar with an asterisk or the letter “E,” and keep the calendar in a place where you’ll see it every day.

Don’t force yourself to do an exercise you can’t stand. If you don’t like it, you won’t do it for long.

Find ActivitiesYou LIke!


Staying Smoke-FreeStrategies to help sustain your lifelong commitment to be a comfortable nonsmoker. Adapted From SmokeStoppers®

It’s been six weeks since you started your program, and the fact that you’re still here means you are still committed to quitting. If you’re feeling comfortable without cigarettes, bravo! If you’re not quite there yet, keep at it!

Any ex-smoker may find themselves tempted down the road. When faced with temptation, remember all the reasons why you’re better off without cigarettes, and employ one of the following strategies to get past the urge.

What to Do — The “4 W’s” Whenever you need a little help fending off your urges to smoke, think of the “4 W’s”:

• Withdraw: Whenever possible, just get up and walk away from any situation that’s making you feel like smoking. Many times, just stepping away for five minutes is all you need to do.

• Wait: As you now know, the urge to smoke normally lasts about two minutes.So, wait it out! Busy yourself doing something else, and the urge to smoke will simply pass.

• Wander: Daydream. Think about something, someplace or someone you love.Go anywhere. Be anyone. Do anything — as long as it takes your mind off smoking.

• Wisdom: You know that cigarettes are dangerous and that smoking is not a smart move. Think about how good it feels to be free and in control as a non-smoker. Use your intellect. Make the smart choice.

Count the Improvements: Think about all the ways you feel better about yourself:

• You no longer smell like a dirty ashtray.• Your teeth are whiter.• Your breath is clean and fresh.• Your smoker’s cough is disappearing.• Your wallet is fatter from all the money you are saving.

These improvements are real. Do you want to give them up?

The End — of the BeginningNow that you’ve completed this program, you may be tempted to tell yourself that,because you’ve been smoke-free for a while, “just one” cigarette won’t hurt. And you’ll be wrong. We all know people who quit smoking for months, or even years, and then resumed their habit.

Your goal now is to remain smoke-free — for good. You can do it; you have the knowledge, and the strategies to stay in control. You know what makes cigarettes so tempting, and you know how to make them seem less so. You know the damage they do, and you know how quickly you reduce your disease risk — and reverse past damage — once you stop.

Quitting smoking is an ongoing process; every day you don’t light up, your health outlook gets a little brighter, your wallet stays a little fatter, and your urge to smoke gets a little less urgent. Stick with it, and stay healthy!

Week 6: Stay Smoke-Free!


• Learn strategies to help you overcome unexpected urges.

• Find ways to handle setbacks.• Complete a final assessment with

your coach.

You made it to Week Six! This week, build on your success and look outfor common lapses that could takeyou off track.

If you find yourself constantly thinking about cigarettes and wrestling with yourself in your mind, you need to reaffirm your commit-ment to quitting.

When You Savor theMoment...

You’ll probably find you’reenjoying life more.

You’ll be less stressed and more productive.

You’ll enjoy food more even as you eat less.

You’ll likely feel more open and generous.

You’ll appreciate the people around you more.


Surviving SlipupsThe goal is no cigarettes, period. But if you do slip up, make sure you know how to overcome it.Adapted from SmokeStoppers®

So you think you’ve got it licked — you haven’t smoked in days or weeks, you’ve got your urges under control. Then something happens, anddespite your best intentions, you give in to temptation. Does this meanyou’ve wasted your time? That you’re never going to be able quit for good?That you should just give up? NO!

All it means is that you’ve had a setback. One slipup — and even a single puff is a slipup — does not negate all theprogress you’ve made. What matters is where you go from here.

Handling a slipup. For someone in the process of quitting, a “slipup” is a brief, temporary return to smoking. It’s only a “relapse” if you return to full-time smoking.

Now, don’t kid yourself. There is no acceptable number of slipups. Your goal is to have none. But if you do slip up, it is what it is: A setback to be accepted and from which you can move on in a positive direction. It is not failure. Put your best foot forward after a slipup. Report it in your “Daily Check-in” (Page 17), then redouble your efforts to become and remain smoke-free.

Staying the course. The key after a slipup is to recommit to quitting. If you stop smoking right away you can isolate your mistake, learn from it and make sure it never happens again. Here are some of the top reasons people slipup, and ways to avoid them in the future.

• I needed a pick-me-up. Smoking can give you a “lift” because of the way nicotine acts on your brain. But it’s really just a short-term stimulant that leads to tension — and more craving. Remember that this is part of a destructive cycle that you want to stop.

• I needed to wind down and relax. Most ex-smokers find they have to learn how to handle stress differently afterquitting successfully. Look for new ways to relax such as deep breathing and getting physical activity.

• I was having trouble concentrating. You used to light a cigarette to help you focus on tasks. But remember, once you quit for good, you won’t be dependent on cigarettes as a “crutch,” and you may think more clearly most of the time.

• I was with others who were smoking. The temptation to smoke is stronger when you’re around other people who smoke. Avoid them for now. They’ll understand.

• I had just finished eating. Eating is one of the most common smoking “triggers.” To overcome this barrier, take a new action directly after eating; get up from the table immediately after eating and go for a brisk walk; anything active to keep your mind off smoking.

• I was drinking coffee, tea or soda. You may be craving the stimulation these drinks provide — or you simply may have gotten in the habit of having them with a cigarette. Try out some new beverages like herbal teas or fresh-fruit smoothies.

Relax! Most ex-smokers find they have to learn how to handle stress differently after they quit successfully. Look for new ways to relax such as deep breathing and getting physical activity.

While a cigarette may seem to give you a “lift” because of the way nicotine acts on your brain, it’s really just a short-term stimulant that leads to tension — and more cravings.

Does Smoking GiveYou a Boost?


Breakfast

Morning Mix • 1 small bowl of bran flakes

(or other high-fiber cereal) with skim milk (or soy milk) and fresh berries

• 1 soy-based energy bar• 1 sealed plastic bag with frozen

grapes or banana slices (use as suckers)

Lunch

Lingering Lunch • Sliced turkey breast on whole-

wheat bread with tomato slices and mustard

• 1 sealed plastic bag with mini-carrots, cherry tomatoes and sliced bell peppers

• 1 fresh apple sliced and topped with 8-10 almonds

Dinner

Dinner Deluxe • Pita Pizza: 1 whole-wheat pita

(unopened); layer on tomato sauce (from jar); chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen); chopped fresh tomato (or other vegetable of choice); and shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese. Heat in oven at 400° until cheese melts.

• Crudité: carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes with low-fat dip or salsa

• Berries a la mode: Fresh sliced berries sprinkled with 1 tsp. brown sugar and topped with low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

Food Tips

• If you find you need to keep your hands and mouth busy, try to spread a number of small meals and snacks throughout the day.

• Try drinking flavored seltzer, or water with a twist of citrus fruit, such as lemon or orange.• Low-calorie mints (2-5 calories per mint) can also be a “lifesaver,” but watch out for candies with higher calories, which

add up fast! • Avoid alcohol and the bar scene! When you have a drink in a bar and see other smokers, you’re asking for trouble.

Alcohol can decrease inhibitions, leading you to “just one smoke” that may lead to more.• Eat regularly scheduled meals and snacks to avoid being hungry. Hunger can trigger the urge to smoke.

Did You Know?Research suggests eating fish at least

twice a week may limit damage from tobacco.

Coach Recipe/Food Suggestions:

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Your Strategic Snacking MenuMany people struggle with their weight when they quit smoking. Try this menu to ward off hunger (and keep your handsbusy!) without overeating.

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Kicking the smoking habit takes focus. Use this printable worksheet to identify the benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle thatmatter most to you, and remind yourself why the results are worth the effort. Post this on your refrigerator at home, atyour desk at work, or put it in your wallet; read it each time you feel the urge to smoke.

Part One: Making a ChangeList your top three motivations for wanting to quit smoking. Try to think of reasons that will keep you motivated.(Examples: past illness, fear of getting sick; money spent on cigarettes; arguments with your spouse over the habit. Makeit as personal as possible!)

Part Two: What Are Your Top 3 Barriers To Quitting?Use this space to indicate the most difficult hurdles you think you’re going to have to overcome to stop smoking.

Part Three: How Will You Overcome Your Barriers?Write down specific strategies you can use when you feel the need to smoke.

Your Support SystemWrite down the name (or names) of someone close who will support your effort to quit smoking. Make sure you speakwith this person before your quit date and that they’re ready to be supportive of you as you go through this process.

Your Smoke-Free Worksheet

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Primary Quit CoachNAME

PHONE (preferably cell)

Secondary Quit CoachNAME

PHONE (preferably cell)

PHOTOCOPY THIS PAGE SO YOU CAN POST IT OR KEEP IT WITH YOU.


Your Notes

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