PATCH PROGRAMME - LloydsPharmacy

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Change your routine If you smoke out of habit at certain times
of the day or when you do certain things, you must break
the habit. You can do this by changing your routine.
So, if you always smoke first thing in the morning, try
getting up a few minutes earlier and doing a few exercises
by an open window instead. If you smoke after a meal, get
up from the table straightaway and do the washing up or
go for a short walk. If you aIways smoke when you drink
coffee, try drinking hot chocolate instead. Look back at your
list of danger times and write in what you plan to do instead.
Become more active One of the benefits of not smoking
is that you will be able to breathe more easily and do more
exercise. So make the most of it. If it is a while since you
did any exercise, start with a gentle 10 minute walk or
swim and build up gradually until you are
exercising for at least 30 minutes a day. If you
already exercise, try taking up a different sport.
As well as taking your mind off smoking, it will also
help to keep your weight down. You may find that
after a few weeks of not smoking, you get a cough.
Don't worry - it is a normal healthy sign that your
body is getting rid of the tar and other impurities
from your lungs. After a few weeks your cough should
stop as your lungs become cleaner.
Watch your weight One of the myths about giving up
smoking is that you will always put on weight.
Of course some people do put on weight, because:
• They eat sweets instead of smoking cigarettes.
• Food tastes much better, so they eat more.
• Nicotine increases your metabolic rate so that you
burn off calories more easily when you smoke.
But if you are careful with your diet and you get more
exercise, there is no reason at all why you should put on
weight. If you use the patch programme, weight gain is
minimised because your metabolic rate
gradually adjusts to lower and lower amounts of
nicotine. There are a lot of books you can buy
on healthy eating, but here are just a
few tips on how to control your weight:
• Cut down on sweet or fatty foods.
• Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and high
fibre foods.
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