News Articles » – Winter Haven News Chief

Winter Haven News Chief

Experts: You don’t have to give up that
trim shape with the cigarettes

By Kimberly Leach
Staff Writer
(Edited & Reprinted)

“It is a really common fear and we do try to eliminate that fear,” said Rena Greenberg, president of Wellness Seminars, Inc.

The seminars, sponsored by more than 40 Florida hospitals, uses behavior modification techniques and hypnosis to help participants stop smoking.

By emphasizing the image of a slender non-smoker, Greenberg and others who oversee the seminars encourage those battling the smoking habit to take on healthy substitutes instead of unhealthy habits like eating.

No one is immune to stress, but smokers have the unique dilemma of turning for their pack of cigarettes in times of crisis. For someone who is trying to quit, suddenly his or her security blanket is gone.

Yet, food does not have to be a calming substitute, Greenberg said.

“Many times the body is actually crying out for oxygen or taking a break,” she said.

She suggests drinking lots of water, deep-breathing exercises or healthy snacks such as carrots, celery or cinnamon sticks, or sugarless gum or candy. For those who simply miss the hand-to-mouth motion of cigarettes, a swizzle stick may suffice.

Self-hypnosis is another option.

“We are teaching people new ways to cope with stress. Hypnosis itself is a wonderful way to learn to cope with stress,” Greenberg said.

She said those who don’t gain weight after quitting smoking are the ones who exercise.

“A lot of participants just start to increase their activity and report that it’s easier to breathe. It becomes easier for them to do more.”

Many smokers are also under the misconception that their metabolism will slow if they quit smoking.

“Nicotine is a stimulant and there could be a metabolic shift, “ Greenberg said. “But it does normalize over time.”