Step Two: Fill the Cigarette Vacuum
By her third week, Renee thought she had “passed the worst.” But Lee told her, “To really stop smoking, you need to find other things that are equally pleasurable to fill your days.”
And so Renee embarked on a quest to discover new passions in her life. By the end of the 40 days, the scorecard read: quilting, no! guitar lessons, yes! Renee also found a once-a-week meeting for former smokers at a hospital near her apartment. “It’s really helpful to be in a supportive group of people who understand what it is like to crave a cigarette,” she said.
Step Three: Become an Exerciser
While Renee had always walked a lot, her smoking made it hard to see herself as a fitness person. But within a few days of getting off cigarettes, she began walking on her husband’s treadmill for 45 minutes almost every morning. She also started training twice a week with Jeff Young, the team’s exercise physiologist. Young, who says one of the benefits of exercising is that it helps ex-smokers redefine themselves as healthy people, pushed Renee hard—and she responded. “I realized that I’m capable of doing much more than I thought I could. My name and ‘runner’ don’t go together—but Jeff has me jogging on the treadmill!” Renee said.
After 40 smoke-free days, Renee was stunned by her transformation. “I can’t believe I’m not smoking!” she said.
An epilogue
Renee has not lit up since January 15.
