Support can be found in your family, but not only there. Coworkers, friends, members of your social club, or church are all people you can recruit to be on your support team. When it comes to motivation and how others can help, it is clearly up to you.

Some may want a celebration, others a simple pat on the back, and still others singing telegrams. Examine what will work for you and then let the significant people in your life know about it. Tell them how important quitting is to you and how you are counting on their help.

Nobody can quit for you, but they surely can cooperate with you. Ask your friends who smoke not to offer you a cigarette and, at least in those most challenging times, not to smoke around you. You can even put this in writing in the form of a “contract” or provide them with information and resource materials, such as the American Lung Association’s brochure on “How to Help a Friend Quit Smoking.”

You may also want to ask a close friend or two to act as your accountability partner or quitting “coach.” Having a coach to work with you can get you through difficult times. You could ask your coach to call and check in with you. A few words of encouragement could be what you need if you start to feel discouraged. A phone call can also help you fight a craving. After a few minutes on the phone, the urge to smoke is likely to pass.

Key Point: Nobody can read another’s mind, unless you say what you want, your friends and family may do the wrong thing when trying to be helpful. They may ask you how quitting smoking is going when you don’t want to talk about it or tell you to “look on the bright side” when all you want is to talk about how much you miss cigarettes. Tell them how you need them to help. Remember quitting smoking is much easier if you have got help.

If you determined that you are ready to get going, set a couple of realistic goals for yourself. The important thing is that you don’t rush in too quickly and set yourself up for failure. Staying off cigarettes is a tough thing to do, and for starters, we want you to use physical activity to help you accomplish this goal.

Look at your time study. For some of those moments of inactivity, try to fill in ways to be more active. For example, if you find yourself sitting at your desk during the day, make a point of getting up once in a while and taking a walk across the office. If you find yourself sitting in front of the TV, try to get up during each commercial break and walk around the house. Or you can try some of the quick activities if you feel that you can do more.

Moderate-Intensity Activities

Regular, vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day can positively affect your health, especially your weight. Our research has shown, however, that doing moderate-intensity physical activity in bouts of at least 10 minutes and totaling at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week or more can help with weight management and physical fitness.

If you don’t have a 30-minute block of time to be physically active, you can enjoy some of the same benefits by breaking up your physical activity and doing some at different times during the day. If you are struggling to find the time, try fitting in three or four 10 or 15 minute brisk walks throughout the day.

Just deciding to quit, no matter how determined you are, does not always mean you’ll succeed. Statistics show that most initial decisions to quit smoking are usually followed by periods of relapse. But this does not have to happen to you. With a little planning, you can avoid some of the pitfalls.

Think of it this way: quitting smoking is like building a house, its stability really depends on the foundation you lay. Physical activity, healthy eating, a nurturing support network, and a solid plan of action are your building blocks, not only for your success in quitting smoking but in developing a healthy lifestyle.

When preparing to quit smoking, two things should be kept in mind: first, quitting is not an event. It is a process. Whether you have tried to quit before or are doing so for the first time, quitting smoking requires commitment on your part. Commitment does not mean rushing toward your goal, but rather, taking the time to figure out a plan you will be able to stick to in order to achieve your goal.

Second, although time frames are important in managing your quitting process, they should not be too rigid. The procedure one follows to quit smoking may not be suitable for another; it might carry a high potential for failure, which may only leave you frustrated.

This means taking your time when you decide to quit smoking, but make sure you get rid of the smoking habit. Remember that doing it right means doing what’s right for you. No two people are the same and plans to quit smoking should fit your everyday activities, not disrupt them.

If you smoke more than a pack a day, you may want to consider using nicotine gum or patches, or discuss other prescription medications with your doctor. If you plan to use a quit aid such as nicotine gum or patches, you can find them in most drug stores or large supermarkets with drug departments.

Be sure to carefully follow the directions on the packaging, and if you plan to use nicotine gum, make sure to avoid eating and drinking for at least 15 minutes before chewing it and an additional 15 minutes while chewing it to prevent reduced absorption of the nicotine. Especially avoid drinking acidic beverages, such as coffee or soft drinks that can interfere with the efficacy of the gum.

Get Rid of Your Cigarettes

Before your Quit Day, throw away all of the cigarettes in your home or anywhere else you may have a stash: in the pocket of your coat, in the car, or in the office. Do the same with lighters, ashtrays and matches. Make it impossible to get a cigarette without going to a lot of trouble.

Stock up on Healthy Snacks

Eating healthy snacks is a great way to get you through your Quit Day and satisfy the craving to smoke. Place a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table and stock your cupboard with some low-calorie, easy-to-grab foods. Having healthy snacks around the house and your workspace can help when you need something to satisfy your urge to smoke. Below are some suggestions for healthy snack foods to stock up on before your Quit Day:

Beverages:

- Low-calorie beverages, such as sugar-free iced tea, sodas, and flavored waters.

Produce

-Your favorite (raw) vegetables. Carrots, celery, cauliflower, and peppers are great snacks; try them with low-fat dressing or cottage cheese.

-Fruits: apples to eat on your way to work or for baking with cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar. Buy ingredients for fruit salad or delicious smoothies, using peaches, plums, pineapple (fresh or canned), pears, cantaloupe, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries ( which are rich in vitamin too ) ! Don’t forget to look in the frozen food aisle at the store because you’ll be able to find an assortment of frozen fruits that are great to eat cold.

Non-Perishables:

The snack and cereal aisles can offer some sweet and crunchy alternatives such as low-calorie fruit bars and fig bars, oven-baked chips and pretzels, air-popped or low-fat popcorn. Mso try wheat or graham crackers, rice cakes, ready-to-eat cereal (to munch on, without milk), or shredded wheat. Buy sugarless gum or candy to keep around the office or in your purse, briefcase, or backpack.

Frozen Foods:

Frozen fruit bars, sugar-free popsicles, and low- or non-fat frozen yogurt are great desserts or in-between meal treats.

Dairy:

Buy 1% or skim milk (mix with cocoa for sweetness if you like) and low-fat cheese sticks (string cheese) .

DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF
While eating fruits, carrot sticks, or other healthy foods is an excellent replacement for smoking, sometimes a piece of it just doesn’t satisfy and ifs that piece of chocolate that you really crave. If a piece of chocolate will keep you from reaching for a cigarette, then so be it. Just be sure that if you are going to eat some of the more fattening or high-calorie foods, you do so in moderation.

You don’t have to deny yourself food, but keep in mind that the foods you’re craving may be high in calories. Try eating an apple or a celery stick to satisfy most of your cravings, and reserve a piece of chocolate for the really tough craving. If you tend to snack on chips, replace them with baked chips or pretzels or other low fats yet delicious meal.

Or maybe you’ve tried to start being more physically active, but simply couldn’t find the time. We can show you how to get past these kinds of barriers by planning ahead and finding ways to fit a brisk walk into your day, maybe even after dinner when you feel the temptation to smoke.

Planning ahead includes a close look at your reasons for wanting to make certain changes in your life. You may be concerned about your health and the dangers of smoking but are worried that you will gain weight if you quit. You may want to eat more balanced meals, but think they will take too much time to prepare. The process of identifying your reasons for wanting to change can help you see the difference between the things you can control and those you cannot.

Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to any kind of change is self-doubt, worrying about how hard it may be or making excuses for why it can’t happen now. Realizing your reasons for wanting to make changes in your life may be what convinces you to stop smoking and make other healthy decisions. And if you’re not sure how to begin to change your routine, we will take you through some exercises that can help get you on the right track.

Planning ahead also means looking at parts of your everyday life that might make it difficult to stop smoking. Habits become part of our daily routines and many times we don’t even realize we’ve developed them, which makes them difficult to break. The solution is to first recognize them. Understanding your eating habits, for example, knowing when you tend to overeat and how you feel when you do, can highlight opportunities for change. Being aware of the obstacles in your daily life will help you find ways around them or replace them with healthier choices.

For example, you can cope with cigarette cravings by eating healthy snack foods, such as fruit popsicles, graham crackers, or low-fat yogurts. The next time you are tempted to devour a bag of potato chips, you can decide ahead of time that you will stop and take a brisk walk before eating even one chip. In all likelihood you won’t go back to the chips because the craving will have passed. Managing your cravings is an important element of quitting smoking, and you can do it, as long as you plan ahead.

Barriers can also be overcome by simply removing temptations from your physical environment. Getting rid of the cigarettes and ashtrays in your home or office is an absolute must for avoiding the temptation to smoke. If you want to start increasing your level of physical activity, clear a corner of the living room where you can stretch, do breathing exercises or put that exercise equipment that has been gathering dust in the basement. Friends, family and co-workers can also help get you through the tough times, even those who are not very supportive at first. Start by informing everyone you know that you want to quit. People who don’t smoke will be happy to hear it and the smokers in your life will likely respect your choice. They may even want to try it themselves.

Planning healthy meals with friends, taking a yoga or dance class, playing soccer with the kids are all ways that you can fill the time you may have spent smoking with fun activities that are also good for your health. A nurturing and supportive environment to help kick start your health journey is a valuable asset when trying to make tough changes. We’ll give you some advice on how to gain the support of your friends and family if you aren’t sure where to begin.

We will go further into the process of identifying your obstacles to success and providing simple, practical tips for how to get past them. Rewards are a big part of the plan and give you something to look forward to. Each time you get past a hurdle or reach a milestone, celebrate your success by buying that new pair of shoes you always wanted, going out to the movies, or letting yourself sleep in for a change.

Many people tend to smoke at specific times during the day or reach for a cigarette in stressful times or when feeling low. The same goes for eating and physical activity. Some people overeat when they are nervous or don’t go to the gym because they feel too depressed. In fact, smoking, physical activity, and eating style are often part of the same system of habits.

The three tend to work off each other and links between certain behaviors can be very strong and difficult to undo. But it is also for this reason that physical activity and healthy eating practices can help you kick your smoking habit.

Here is an example: Many smokers like to have a cigarette after a meal. Then, when they quit, they use food as a substitute for smoking and often gain weight as a result. But finding healthier food substitutes, such as an apple or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream after dinner can help you get through the cravings and avoid gaining extra weight.

Did you know that smoking can decrease your stamina for physical activity? You may have felt this the last time you tried to go for a jog or climbed a steep set of stairs. But increasing your level of activity in even the simplest ways can build your stamina back up. And believe it or not, being more physically active can also help curb your cigarette cravings.

There are several ways to cope with the stressful effects of quitting smoking and managing your weight. Managing your stress, as well as your down time, can be achieved through relaxation exercises, deep breathing, and of course, physical activity and healthy eating. We will give you many tips on how to substitute more healthy behaviors for smoking. Think of these as your instruments for an exciting new experiment. Routines could get boring, but it is an opportunity to test different ways of making your daily life more dynamic.

People who smoke now have to stand outside to get their fix. In addition, many states have instituted high taxes on cigarettes in an attempt to discourage smoking, thereby increasing the cost of that nicotine. For example, a pack a day in many states costs roughly $2,500 per year, more than enough for a health club membership and maybe even a personal trainer or a great vacation.

The American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control: 2003 is a great resource for finding out about the tobacco control laws in your state. It can be accessed via the American Lung Associations website at www.lungusa.org under “tobacco control.” The site also provides information about new research on state tobacco laws, which has shown that high taxes and bans have indeed been effective in getting people to quit smoking.

Despite the fact that fewer people are smoking, the cost to society is still very high. Smoking costs the nation over $150 billion per year in health care costs and lost productivity from missing days at work. Personally, it could cost you your life, which is why you should quit today.

The good news: there are ways to quit smoking and stay smoke-free. Making healthy food choices and incorporating physical activity in your daily routines are central themes with us because they can help you avoid gaining weight or minimize the amount of weight you gain. They are also a vital part of developing a healthy lifestyle.

Physical activity and healthy eating go hand in hand and are well-known ways to prevent cancer and coronary heart disease, the primary causes of death in the United States. Physical activity and healthy eating reinforce each other, and can also reinforce your decision to quit smoking. Within a year of quitting you will reduce your chances of getting heart disease by as much as half. But the way in which you quit, by using physical activity arid healthy eating to help you in the process, also significantly lowers health risks, including heart disease.

We understand that quitting is a difficult process and that it takes time. If you aren’t quite ready, we will help you get there and we hope you are proud of yourself. This is a huge step forward in the likelihood that you will one day be an ex-smoker.