THE SEVEN DAY STOP SMOKING PROGRAM
Nobody can convince you to quit smoking. No one can wave a magic wand and make it happen easily either. You can only quit when you want to quit more than you want to smoke.
For most people like yourself, knowing what to do is the real problem. The system contained here is 100 percent effective if you are willing to do everything taught herein.
Of all smokers 91 percent say they like to smoke. But at the same time 93 percent say they agree that smoking is dangerous to their health. So many people know they should quit, but they lack motivation and the knowledge of how to go about quitting permanently.
Of all people who quit smoking on their own, 75 to 85 percent were smoking again within six months. When questioned they believed they could have one or two and not get hooked again. Obviously, quitting means quitting. Once you stop you can not go back.
This program is designed to teach you how to quit, there are no scare tactics. No medical statistics. No hype. The program will simply teach you a successful easy way to quit smoking without pain, but you must make the effort. This next week you must be willing to do everything contained in this program.
No smoker can do the things in this program and still be a smoker. You must make a commitment to yourself, your friends and your family, right now, that you will not smoke another cigarette.
To make such a commitment you must first be motivated. The steps in this program are 100 percent successful. Everyone who does everything in this program successfully quits. The only ones who fail are those who do not do everything, or try to go cold turkey.
The program is easy. It takes away the desire to have a smoke. You will actually be able to rid yourself of the desire to smoke. Most smokers say, "If I could just get rid of the desire to smoke, if I could just feel like I did before I ever started to smoke, then I could quit with no problem. I want to quit, but it's hard to get past those little signals that go off inside telling me it's time to light up."
You had to learn to smoke to begin with does it make sense that you have to learn to quit?
Have you ever heard of Pavlov's dogs? Pavlov kept a dog in a cage with a special device attached to its saliva glands. Every time the dog was presented with food it would salivate. Pavlov would ring a bell then show the dog some food. The dog would salivate. After repeating this several times, Pavlov would ring the bell and not present any food, the dog salivated anyway, because the dog was conditioned to expect food every time he heard the bell.
Smokers are also conditioned to want to smoke when certain things take place. Little bells go off all day indicating it's time to for a smoke. When the steps in this program turn off those bells, quitting will be no problem at all.
That is just what this program will do. it teaches you how to turn off that bell. It teaches you how to quit.
Have you ever tried to quit on your own in the past and failed? Obviously, going it alone is not the best way. Let others know you are quitting or even better if you can help someone else to quit by sharing this program them, you will find when more than one quits you will be working together to help each other, which makes it easier for each individual to quit.
To begin, the first thing you must do is to write your own "Declaration of Independence" from cigarettes. Have it say something like: "I ___ declare my independence from smoking. To never smoke again and to live a longer healthier life." Now sign it, and hang it up somewhere in your home or office where everyone can see it.
You have now joined the team and declared your independence from tobacco.
The next thing you must do is empty your pockets of all cigarettes and matches. Be sure to take them all out.
Now, since you have committed yourself to quitting at this very moment, you must place all your cigarettes in a trash can. As you put them in the can crush each pack and say to yourself, "I will never smoke another cigarette again."
Now it's time to get down to business. Let`s review the steps to successfully quit. These steps are simple and easy to remember. But the only way they will work is for you to do them all. If you leave even one out you will run the risk of failure. You cannot do them fast or for one or two days either. you must do them for the next 7 days.
15 STEPS TO STOP SMOKING
1. Pray.
2. Avoid temptation.
3. Prepare.
4. Brush teeth.
5. Breakfast.
6. Brush teeth after every meal.
7. Emergency procedures.
8. Snacks.
9. Keep busy.
10. Drinks.
11. Friendly support.
12. Non-smokers.
13. Put up signs.
14. Help someone else to quit.
15. Thanks.
1. Pray. God, regardless of which church any of us belong to. loves us all. He does hear and answer prayers, and he does want us to be strong and healthy, If you are sincere, if you really do your best to follow these steps, He will give you the extra help that you need. You may also ask him to help you to remember the steps each day so you won't forget anything. You must begin each day with a short prayer to ask God for his help. If you will do your very best, and if you will ask God for his help, you will be blessed with success.
2. Avoid temptation. You have already begun working on this step by crushing those cigarettes. But that isn't the end of it. Just like a person on a diet shouldn't sit and look at a bowl of sweets, a person trying to quit smoking should not be placing them self in a position to have to fight off temptation. Get rid of all smoking materials. Even the sight of a pack or an ashtray, or even a box of matches can cause that bell to ring. Stay away from places where people are smoking. Don't try to be strong and put up with these things. As long as you let that bell keep ringing you will be asking for trouble.
If someone were to stand by you ringing a real bell, and if you couldn't stop them, it would eventually drive you crazy. The same thing happens if you let any smoking bells keep ringing.
Many people are afraid to stop smoking, so they keep a pack of cigarettes handy "Just in case." That is like keeping a loaded gun on the kitchen table "Just in case" someone tries to break into your house. Sooner or later it will go off, most likely when you do not want it to.
Either you want to quit or you don't. If you want to quit you must get rid of all the smoking items and reminders of your old habit.
3. Prepare. There are two ways to prepare. The first is to gain the knowledge of how to quit, and the second is to have all the items necessary to make the system work. This program can help you with the knowledge and understanding, but you must be the one to go to the store and buy the necessary items.
Each day, please remember to read over the 15 steps so you will have them fresh in your mind throughout the day. Remember, This program does not require you to do these things for the rest of your life, just for seven days.
4. Brush teeth. Every step of this program is vitally important. None can be left out, and none is "the most important" of "least important." But this one must be considered one of the more important steps because it is designed to start your day on the right foot. Don`t ever leave it out!
As mentioned earlier, there are many bells which cause you to want to smoke, this first step is designed to stop the first bell of the day. The moment you wake up in the morning you must jump right out of bed and head for the bathroom to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with a strong mouthwash.
Use a strong flavored toothpaste and a red, cinnamon flavored mouthwash. There are many brands, and you can use any kind, but cinnamon flavor words best.
The purpose of this step is to drastically change the taste in your mouth first thing. You see, you have been conditioned to want a cigarette first thing in the morning when you have that "morning mouth taste" in your mouth. If you can make a drastic change in your mouth you won't have that first bell go off.
Even if you don't usually have a cigarette right away when you wake up, this step is essential and must not be skipped. It will help you to get your day started without a first cigarette no matter when you usually have that first one.
5. Breakfast. Do you have breakfast in the morning? Most smokers don't. For the next seven days, and hopefully from now on, you must have a good, healthy, nutritional breakfast to get your day started on the right foot. You'll be surprised how good it will help you to feel.
Look what you've been doing. You've been putting pollution into your body with very little good nutrition. When you quit smoking your body needs as much good coming in as possible to help you to be strong and able to easily overcome the effects of smoking. You can clean the pollution out by putting lots of good in.
What is meant by a good breakfast is some whole grain cereal, either hot or cold, along with some fruit. You can add anything else you want to that, but those are the basics you need to include in your breakfast for each of the next seven days.
As you put better fuel into your body, doesn't it make sense that your body will run better? When you smoke, all kinds of impurities get into your system. In order to get them out we need to use a good cleaning system. Good nutrition will not only clean up the garbage inside you, but it will also fuel your system and give you lots of energy. It's so much easier to quit smoking when you're feeling good.
As soon as you finish your breakfast we want you to drink a cold glass of grapefruit juice. Orange will also work, but grapefruit works so much better. Most people don't care much for grapefruit juice, but for one week you can handle it.
The reason for this is that the taste of grapefruit juice is not a taste that you have been conditioned to. When you drink a glass of grapefruit juice a bell does not go off making you want a cigarette. Changing the taste in your mouth the moment you stop eating will turn off the cigarette bell.
In fact, this simple step works so well at turning off the after meal cigarette bell, you must do this after every meal. After every meal for the next seven days finish with a good size glass of grapefruit juice.
The other benefit of grapefruit juice is that it contains vitamin C. Vitamin C is the fastest known substance for cleaning nicotine out of the blood system. Isn't that great?! In fact, can you see that everything in this program is good for you. It's fantastic. You can quit smoking by doing good, healthy things for your body.
Since vitamin C is so helpful to quitting cigarettes, you should also take a vitamin C tablet after every meal. Buy a small bottle of vitamin C tablets and get the strongest dosage you can get. You can't overdose on vitamin C Your body uses what it needs and the rest is eliminated.
In this way you will constantly have plenty of vitamin C in your body working fast to clean out all the nicotine from your blood. It works great, and helps you feel better and be healthier too.
Now review. Every morning you will have a good nutritious breakfast ended with a cold glass of grapefruit juice and a vitamin C tablet. You will also finish each meal of the day with grapefruit juice and vitamin C.
6. Brush teeth after every meal. This time when you brush your teeth it is not to change the taste in your mouth like we did first thing in the morning, although they will be a help. The main reason you must brush your teeth is simply to clean them.
When you eat, particles of food get stuck in your teeth. Later in the day those particles may come out and hit a taste bud causing a bell to go off. It's totally a psychological thing. It happens sub-consciously. by following this step you will be taking precautions to prevent the bell from ringing.
If you will carefully follow each and every one of these steps given you so far. You will eliminate about 90 percent of the bells which will make you want a cigarette. It will take some effort on your part. You'll have to think and plan in advance, but you can do it. Hundreds of others already have, you can too.
7. Emergency procedures. As mentioned before, the steps discussed so far will stop the bell 90 percent of the time. There will be times when the bell will ring even though you have done everything mentioned so far. When that happens, have no fear! The program has several emergency procedures for you to follow which will turn off the bell when it rings.
The first step is quick and easy to use. You can do it anywhere. All you have to do is a little deep breathing exercise as soon explained.
Deep breathing does two great things for you. First it stopped the bell by sending five times more oxygen to your brain than normal. Your brain would much rather have oxygen than nicotine, so it turns off the bell for a cigarette.
Secondly, all that extra oxygen helps to clean your lungs. In order to get the bad gases out of your blood you have to put something good in. The good will push out the bad very quickly. Normally it will take weeks for this to happen, but by following this step, and others, you will get your system cleaned out in days. Deep breathing also speeds up the process of cleaning out the garbage in your lungs, This is a very long process, but that doesn't affect the bell, so that's okay.
If you should develop a cough (more than normal), don't let that scare you. It is to be expected as soon as your body discovers that you have stopped smoking it will begin to clean up right away. Coughing is your body's natural response to making that effort.
Another side effect of deep breathing is that you may get a bit light headed from all the oxygen rushing to your brain. This is to be expected and is not harmful in any way. Because of smoking you are just not used to all that oxygen, oxygen can't hurt you. So don't be concerned.
Not only can you use this as an emergency step, but you can also do this three or four times a day as a way to help your body overcome the effects of smoking faster. Do it often and you'll feel great.
Now here's how you do it. The idea is to empty your lungs of all the air that is in them, and then fill them up with as much air as possible. Start by breathing out all the air you can. When you think it's all out say the word "help" to get the last little puff of air out. And besides, that will remind you that you need all the help you can get. Try doing it three times. When you breath in try holding it in for several seconds. Start with two or three seconds and build up to ten. Don't go more that ten, however.
Now, Don't you feel great? Do you feel like having a cigarette after doing this exercise? It really is a marvelous thing to be able to get rid of the longing for a cigarette just by breathing.
The next emergency step is to just take a drink of grapefruit juice. You'll see what I mean once you give it a try. It quickly takes away that desire, and it gives you extra vitamin C.
If you want something that gives a more lasting effect, the mouthwash works fantastic. Just swish a little in your mouth and it will last for an hour or two. Some people have gotten a small plastic bottle so they could carry a little mouthwash around with them. It really works great.
Lastly, don't forget God. He is there waiting to help you if you will ask. If you do all you can. God will be right there to support you. When you need a little extra help, don't forget to pray.
8. Snacks. Many people are concerned that they will gain weight when they quit smoking. That is indeed a possibility. When you stop smoking it is normal to have a desire to munch. That's great! You should eat, but you must eat only those foods which will provide good nutrition. Remember, good nutrition will help you to quit.
This week you want to eat as much fruit and vegetables as you can get. Stay away from junk food as much as possible. When you want to munch, use fruits and vegetables. A good snack that many people have found very helpful is to slice carrots, celery, and other vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. Put them in a bowl with some water to keep them fresh and leave it in the refrigerator. In another bowl have some salad dressing, such as thousand island, blue cheese or some other favorite you may have. When you feel like munching you can just dip some of these raw vegetables in the dressing for a tasty, nutritious snack that will help your body to become healthier and fight off the effects of smoking.
Fruit also works, so have a good variety on hand to choose from.
9. Keep busy. If you allow yourself to sit around bored with nothing to do, chances are a bell will go off telling you to have a smoke. Prevent this by making an extra effort to stay busy all the time. Find projects you've put off for a while and do them. Go help a neighbor, friend , or relative. Volunteer to help with a civic group or organization. There's plenty to do. If nothing else is available, take a quick walk. There's nothing like a brisk walk in the fresh air to avoid a cigarette.
10. Drinks. This is vital. There is no way around it. You know for a fact that if you drink coffee, tea, or any kind of alcohol you will want a cigarette. That bell will ring. If you let the bell ring the system will not work.
Fortunately, the same steps which turn off the cigarette bell also turn off the longing for coffee and tea, which are also drugs. These steps also reduce the side effects caused by no more coffee or tea, If you follow all the steps exactly, it will work great.
Remember you must try the program to find out for yourself. You must start by having faith that what the program is true. Trust the program and give it a good try.
There is no reason why you cannot follow this step exactly.
You know yourself that these drinks cause the bell to ring. If you tell yourself that you can be strong and not smoke while you drink you will be asking for trouble. If you let the bell keep ringing, you may be able to deal with it for a while, but sooner or later you will end up back on cigarettes again.
If someone were to stand by you ringing a real bell, and if you couldn't stop them, before long it would drive you nuts. That's what will happen if you let the cigarette bell keep ringing.
It's only one week. Seven days, one day at a time. The program is not asking you to change your life. It's just asking you to change for a few days. At the end of the seven days it will be up to you what you do from there. Of course, you should think carefully of the advantages to your health by not drinking these things any more, but after seven days the choice is yours.
11. Friendly support. You need all the help you can get. Don't keep your efforts to stop smoking a secret. Tell all your friends and family. Everyone needs a little pat on the back, and when you tell them what you're doing they will naturally give you encouragement and support.
Some or your smoking friends may joke and give you a hard time, but most will give you great support. No one knows how hard it is to quit more than a smoker.
12. Non-smokers. It would be idealistic to think that you could avoid all smokers for a full week, but you can substantially reduce your contact with people who are smoking. The idea of this system of quitting is to make it easy for you, not difficult. This program has the things which will make quitting easy. Certainly you realize that it will be easier for you if you avoid being with smokers.
You are now a non-smoker, so go to non-smoking sections of restaurants, and visit shops where smoking isn't permitted. Stay away from parties, bars and meetings. Remember, this is just for seven days, not for the rest of your life. You can make an adjustment for one week.
13. Put up signs. Find and put up stop smoking signs, ads, articles, or anything else you can find that supports your effort. They will give you support and may make this your task a bit more pleasant. Put them up where you can see them. Put them around the house, office or anywhere else you hang out. These will be a gentle reminder of the commitment you have made to follow these 15 steps.
14. Help someone else to quit. As you help someone else stop smoking it will reinforce your own efforts and make the whole task easier. Meet at least once each day (more if possible) with this person to work together on this.
15. Thanks. Don't forget to thank God for his help, and ask him to help you to stay a non-smoker from now on.
You are now a non-smoker. This is a major achievement, the rewards of which are good health, happiness, and long life!
DISCLAIMER: It is the responsibility of the person using this stop smoking program to consult a physician to determine if this program is safe depending on individual health restrictions or limitations.
This material is not copyrighted. Feel free to copy and distribute.
Last Updated on 02/10/98 by Darren Perkins 