Do you know there are almost a hundred million American people going to a weight loss diet every year? Yes, almost a hundred million of them. It works, though. About ninety-five percent of them lose weight AND regain it in the next five years. Basically, they lose it now, and get back to their old body five years later. What makes it worse is that a third of them will gain more weight than before.

How could this happen? That’s the danger of following one diet program to another. Your weight loss will up and down like a yo-yo when you switch your weight loss diet program. Following the conventional weight loss diet program or using any weight loss drugs may cause you to gain more weight than you have before, and not to mention several illness of your health.

Read the newspaper today, and you’ll find out there are approximately sixty-five percent of people in America are overweight. Even if they know they need to stay thin, it seems like their body reject it. They start eating unhealthy or greasy foods, and thinking that they will stop tomorrow because tomorrow they will start their new weight loss diet plan. What they don’t realize is that tomorrow never comes. So, they keep repeating the same pattern all over again, and ended up with adopted several health disease such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and so on.

Also, obesity also donated about nineteen percent heart disease that costs about thirty billion dollars per year, and diabetes cases that costs nine billion dollars per year. Don’t doubt it, because this information came from the researchers at Harvard University.

So, how you could fight this obesity problem?

If you have REPEATEDLY fallen head over heels to many weight loss diet plans and programs that promise you to lose several pounds by tomorrow, it is time for you to stop. They bring you no good, and only cause you physical discomfort and a deep disappointment. It’s true you probably lose some weight, but what will you do if you stop it and your body gain more weight than before? Avoid any weight loss diet plan that forces you to eat just one type of food. It’s not healthy for you. A healthy diet is a balanced one that consists of several types of foods. What you want from your diet is the healthy, safe, and a permanent weight loss.

There are so many fad diet plans that you probably ever done before, such as Atkins diet, South Beach Diet, Cabbage Soup diet, the Grapefruit diet, Beverly Hills diet, Breatharian, the Rotation diet, Ornish Plan, and so on. If you really want to do a weight loss diet plan, pick the one that consists of variety of foods, and stick to it.

Give yourself about 6-12 months to follow the same diet pattern, and let your body recognize it. If, and only if, after that time ranges you’re still not lose weight, you could change the diet plan. But do remember; only choose the weight loss diet plan that keep you healthy.

Health does not mean that you put on weight and become obese. Or it does not mean that you unnecessarily do exercises or control your diet even when you have normal weight. Such activities generate many health problems.

Hygiene factor is also very important in health care ; a person who takes maintains cleanliness of his/her body and household has low chances of becoming ill. A person who has abnormally low weight may develop cancer malignancies as well as suffer frequent infections due to weak immune system.

The activities which increase the metabolism in the body must be adopted. The diet must be planned according to the physical condition you have. The person who can manage stress generating situation can prevent many diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Health care also includes the methods by which one protects and cures his diseases and infections. For this the role of health experts and doctors is highly important. One must seek the remedies for the disease and follow the instructions strictly in order to regain health. Mental and physical health must be maintained by utilizing all possible means as only a healthy person can contribute to the functioning of the smooth society.

It is the prime duty of a state to arrange for health care facilities for all of its citizens without concern for their social classes. Needy people must be provided with free medical treatments so they can allocate their low income on other social concerns.

Now that you’ve quit, you may feel that something’s missing, and this feeling may be linked to the times and situations in which you used to smoke. Some of the extra snacking you may be doing might also be linked to feeling sad, frustrated, or stressed. Many people, whether they have ever smoked or not, tend to eat more when they feel low, jittery, or nervous.

As tough as some of these roadblocks are, there are ways to get past them. How? By planning ahead! We will ask you to identify your roadblocks to healthy eating that are specifically related to having recently quit smoking. Later on, we’ll deal with some more general roadblocks to healthy eating. For now, let’s focus on keeping you off cigarettes and making sure you are keeping your eating in check.

Key to Overcoming Roadblocks, Anticipation and Cleverness

In other part, there has been discussion about the importance of anticipating roadblocks and temptations as the key to managing or avoiding them. From your experience over the last few days tracking your eating habits, try to think about what challenges may lay ahead for you. If you anticipate and think cleverly about ways you can cope with your challenges, you should be able to get past them.

Below are some of the most common roadblocks for ex-smokers trying to make healthy eating choices. Tips follow for how to get past each one. Even if some of these don’t apply to you, you can still use the tips as starting points for your own strategies.

- Roadblock: Increased feelings of hunger and overeating.

“After quitting, I started feeling hungry more often and tended to eat more, especially at those times when I used to smoke.”

How to Get Past It: Know if you are really hungry. Slow down. Eat balanced meals.

Knowing If You are Really Hungry. A point to ponder as you work on making healthy eating choices is the difference between hunger and appetite. Hunger is based on your body’s need for food to give it energy. Appetite, on the other hand, is when you eat based on your emotions or other factors like time of day. Sometimes our body gives us signs of physical hunger, such as a rumbling stomach or fatigue or irritability.

But other times, the sights and smells around us trigger us to eat, even though we really aren’t hungry. Do you notice any patterns in your food diary? Maybe you tended to eat when you were frustrated or stressed. Maybe you ate more when you were bored and irritable. People commonly lose control over their eating at these times and frequently overeat or eat when they aren’t really hungry. Your eating style is part of a system of habits just as your smoking habit was. Sometimes these habits have become so ingrained that we don’t even realize what we are doing.

Next time you open the refrigerator for foods, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I really hungry ?
• When was the last time I ate ?
• Would a snack do, or do I need a full meal ?

Make a list of five tasks you’ll do before eating anything to see if you are really hungry, you may not want a snack when you are done. For example, try taking a quick (2- or I 5-minute) walk (or longer), wash your face, stretch for a couple of minutes, file or paint your nails, or call a friend.

Slowing Yourself Down. In addition to considering whether you are really hungry before you eat, you may also want to find ways to slow down while in the process of eating. Try to chew your food more slowly. Try drinking water throughout each meal. It will slow you down and fill you up. Even after dinner, don’t linger at the table, get up and clean the kitchen or get indulged in some physical activity. Small steps like this will help you a lot.

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.

Here is a list of common excuses people use to get out of making physical activity a part of their lives:

I don’t have the time

Time is one of the main things people identify as a roadblock to physical activity. You may feel that your day is already too full, and fitting in physical activity is impossible or would be a major challenge. We will help you use your time study to help you find ways to fit some physical activity into your day, such as climbing the stairs at work or taking 2- or 5-minute walks, perhaps instead of having that cigarette at your coffee break.

Think about what would happen if for every cigarette you would have had in the course of a day, you decided to take a walk instead. You’d be much more active. Remember, you don’t have to find a single 30 or 45-minute block of time to exercise, those smaller bouts add up.

I’m just too tired to exercise right now

Being active can actually give you more energy. Physical activity increases your blood flow and can make you feel upbeat and alert. The more active you are, the more you will increase your stamina. This is especially important for you at this stage because you might feel some fatigue in the first few weeks after you’ve quit smoking. When you feel tired, try to push yourself a little, you won’t regret it.

I don’t have exercise equipment and can’t afford a gym membership

Physical activity does not require gym memberships or expensive classes. It can be done in the settings of your daily life, at home, in the office, or just about anywhere. Some people like to do their physical activity in front of the TV or while listening to music. A great thing about working physical activity into your routines is that you will be setting a wonderful example for the rest of your family. Once they see how great you’re doing, they may even want to join you.

I don’t know how to exercise

You don’t need to be an expert to work more activity into your life. You just need to be willing to try. We will help you find ways to transform moments of inactivity, in which you are sitting or not moving around, into more active ones.

The weather is bad (too hot or too cold)

Don’t let bad weather stand in your way. If it’s too hot or too cold to walk outside, you can always do some heavy housework or take a few trips up and down the stairs. Many towns have shopping malls with special hours for walkers. Mall walking can be a safe and climate-controlled place to walk year-round.

Swimming is great for those really hot days, but if you think that is too vigorous an activity for you right now, just walking a couple of laps around the pool can get the blood pumping. On cold winter days, take the kids sledding, walking in the snow is an excellent workout and a couple of trips up the slope can really get your heart rate going.

Nicotine can have different effects at different times, and most experienced smokers are pretty good at getting all of them. It can act as an “upper” and speed up many body reactions. Or it can act as a “downer” and reduce anxiety. How it works depends on several factors, the amount of nicotine in the body, the time passed since the last cigarette, stress level, and time of day.

Early in the day nicotine acts as a stimulant to many people. Later in the day it seems to act more as a sedative and helps people to relax. Nicotine also alters a person’s mood in this way; it helps smokers cope with low moods or sadness.

The fact that smoking may raise one’s mood, reduce anxiety, and even, increase alertness makes it all the more attractive. That’s why people who are under stress or feel nervous or bored often are at greater risk of becoming addicted to nicotine. What may be the most troublesome part of all of this is the fact that cigarettes are ideal ways of getting nicotine to people.

It only takes 7 seconds from the time you inhale to the time nicotine hits your brain. That’s why that first puff after a long movie feels so good. Physical activity is a great substitute for smoking in this regard. With it, you can reduce tension, raise your mood and help fight depression and anxiety without putting your health and well being at risk.

The habitual nature of smoking also contributes to the difficulty of quitting. Smokers get hooked on the taste, smell, and feel of cigarettes. They link smoking with many activities. Some people like to smoke when they are talking on the telephone or having a cup of coffee. Other people like to smoke at parties or when they are relaxing at home. The person who has smoked a pack a day for 20 years, would have inhaled the toxic gases over a million times (7 puffs per cigarette x 20 cigarettes a day x 365 days a year x 20 years = 1,022,000). The combination of nicotine addiction and these kinds of strong mental links makes smoking a tough habit to break.

Smoking is used by many people as a way of coping with life’s pressures, and nicotine withdrawal can increase your anxiety and stress. After quitting, many people turn to food to relieve feelings of anxiety and develop unhealthy eating habits. By coupling quitting smoking with eating balanced meals and healthy snacks, you can start to break the links between feelings of anxiety and use of both foods and cigarettes for comfort. Walking and other forms of physical activity can relieve stress, can help you sleep better, and can have an overall calming effect. And, in addition to physical activity and making healthy eating choices, there is a broad range of techniques to help you quit, including nicotine replacement, other medicines, and group smoking cessation programs to help you.

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.