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