I confess. I used to smoke. I started in college. There were many reasons why I smoked but surprisingly, peer pressure wasn’t one of them. (I actually hung out with mostly non-smokers in my college days!) But being overweight has everything to do with it.
Aside from the obvious such as distracting me from my hunger and preventing me from eating our of boredom, a cigarette made me look cool. And when you have a thick build like me and your looks are mediocre, there’s not a lot going for you. And so the coolness factor becomes infinitely important. Holding that cigarette gives me my confidence. It saids to people “hey, I may not look gorgeous, but I have the attitude – that mysterious sexy edge.”
That’s how it started. Of course, then you start using smoking as a cure for everything. To take away your hunger because you’ve been on a perpetual diet. To take away your boredom for all the in-between moments in life. To calm myself in times of trouble. To “clear” my head when I am feeling highly emotional. And you continue this nasty habit because by then, you have form all sorts of silent bonds with any smokers you ever encountered in life. Now you are officially hooked and doomed.
So yes, I would blame my lung cancer (if I ever have one) on fat. It sounds like a lame excuse, but there is some truth in this and I’m sure some of you readers would resonate with me on this.
But thankfully, as I practice mindful eating and life coaching in recent years, the smoking habit naturally faded away. I have realized that smoking is not that different from my disastrous eating lifestyle. They are both destructive habits that I just took up to mask my problems underneath. Both meant to distract and so-called “cope.” Life coaching peeled off the layers to get to the bottom and allowed me to be aware of what my body really wants. Do I really need that cigarette? Does my body really want the nicotine at this time? Do I really feel like having that piece of oil-ridden crisp? In this way, the 2 problems are closely connected, and solving one naturally solves the other!
For those who have been less fortunate than me, the following may help you to kick that nasty habit. I know this has helped my dear brother, who is expecting a baby is less than 3 months time! I still believe that one can quit smoking by practicing consistant self-awareness, but this is the next best alternative for all you busy people out there. So give it a try if that’s what it takes! Though I do wonder about the presentation of it…does it still give you that “oh so cool” factor when it is a blue electronic light???
If you are using this product or will be using this product, do kindly let our readers know how effective or non-effective this product is!
