THE SMOKING 15

Because the last time I tried to quit, I gained 15 pounds in less than a month.

“If starting smoking had the same side effects of quitting smoking, a lot less people would smoke.”

Quit Smoking Naturally

MY SMOKING CESSATION STORY

Let me start by saying there is nothing natural about smoking. We all know it’s bad for us, yet even when we want to quit, we smoke anyway. I’ve quit and relapsed too many times to count now and so I’m well aware of the awful side effects that come with smoking cessation, in fact, I know them like the back of my hand.

Last year was my last attempt to quit smoking. I made it 35 days without a cigarette, and within that time, despite eating a low calorie, high protein diet, I gained 15 pounds. That’s a 15% increase in body weight in about one month, that could be described as “rapid weight gain.” The weight gain was not about how I looked, it was about how fatigued I felt on a daily basis. I actually felt “unhealthier” as a non-smoker, despite eating healthy and getting exercise. I was so fatigued that I napped 2-3 hours every afternoon. Constant brain fog made it difficult to complete projects or even respond to emails for work. Overall, I didn’t feel that “I have so much energy now that I’ve quit smoking” that so many people promise you in cessation.

When I relapsed, it wasn’t like I gave into a craving. I consciously made a decision to start smoking again because I wanted to feel clear minded and energetic again. Within 10 days, the 15 pounds I gained in cessation just seemed to evaporate. I had energy and a clear mind again and no longer had to count calories. I felt great but wished I didn’t have to smoke to feel this way. So I started researching every clinical study I could find on what changes in smoking cessation and why we gain weight.

And here we are.

My research is shared with you here and in my upcoming quit I’ll be testing the research on myself and sharing my results with you as I attempt to quit and restore my body to it’s natural pre-smoking state, while trying to minimize weight gain and withdrawal symptoms.

I believe that when we quit smoking, we should feel amazing. Quitting smoking should feel rewarding, not punishing. We should gain energy, not lose energy and we shouldn’t have to put ourselves on a permanent diet of cigarettes (and our favorite foods) to try to manage our weight (which didn’t even work for me anyway).

Honestly I’m all good with gaining a little weight as a trade for a healthier life - as long as I can still eat what I want, and have energy to do the things I want to do.

So when I say “quit smoking naturally” what I mean is helping my body to eliminate toxins and bacteria accumulated from smoking and replenishing nutrients we’ve depleted, to assist the body in what it wants to do, which is restore itself to its natural pre-smoking state.

Okay, let’s do this.

K

disclaimer

I’m not a doctor, I’m just very experienced in smoking and quitting smoking. If you have questions about taking supplements, always consult your doctor, be honest about your smoking habits and let them know of any pre-existing conditions. ( read full disclaimer here )