Cigarettes were her pals. But a combination of exercise, a support group and Wellbutrin helped Renee kick a decades-old habit.
renee kinsella 44Her Goal
Quit smoking
Start As much as a pack a day
Finish 0 cigarettes
attorney—and also three children (Finn, 11; Rory, nine; and Charlotte, four). After the third, Renee stayed home to take care of the kids full time. Her life was full of changes, but she knew she could count on one constant: her cigarettes.
And though she quit during her pregnancies, Renee always drifted back to smoking four to eight butts a day. “Throw in good friends and a bottle of wine, and it could go up to a pack,” she said. But the habit scared her. “At night I sometimes dream about the cancer cells in my lungs,” Renee said when she started the More program. “I would be incredibly grateful to stop smoking forever.” After 40 days, she was headed in that direction.
Step One: Conquer Nicotine Cravings
Dr. Roberta Lee of the Continuum Center for Health & Healing in New York City ordered up a full arsenal of smoking-cessation tools for Renee: nicotine chewing gum (available over-the-counter) to satisfy some yearnings for the addictive chemical; the prescription antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion), which reduces nicotine cra-vings; an over-the-counter oral spray called Neu-ro-Science EndoTrex, which contains L-theanine, a relaxing amino acid found in green tea; and, to stave off irritability, SAM-e, a mild OTC mood-booster used in Europe.
The gum helped Renee temper severe cravings the week after she smoked her last cigarette, but she says she gave it up because it made her feel “a little sick.” She continued to take Wellbutrin and SAM-e and to carry around the calming spray—“my security blanket”—to use in the event of unexpected cravings.
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.
