You are about to be a nonsmoker!

On your quit date, put your plan into action.

You have your reasons for quitting. You made a quit plan. You know how you will deal with triggers, withdrawal symptoms, and challenges. You lined up your support and have any medicine you will use.

You are ready. You can do this.

Congratulations… You are about to become a nonsmoker!

Worried about weight gain?

Many new nonsmokers worry about gaining weight. Not everyone gains weight when they quit smoking. For people who do, the average weight gain is 5-10 pounds. But even if you gain weight, you can lose it after a couple of months.

People gain weight when they quit smoking because smoking burns calories more quickly and covers up the feeling of hunger. When you quit, your body gets back to normal and you feel the hunger that smoking covered up. Also, your mind can confuse cigarette cravings with hunger, making you want to eat too much.

To keep your weight down after you quit, there are two proven things you can do: be active and eat healthy foods. 

Simple ways to be active:

• Get moving. Small things add up! Take the stairs. Sweep the floor. Play ball with the kids.
• Take a 15- to 30-minute walk every day, maybe on your lunch hour or right before work.
• Get back to a sport you used to enjoy.
• Take an aerobics or yoga class.
• Exercise at home with a DVD or tape from the library.
• Get a friend to try something new with you—a class at the YMCA, a walk in the woods, biking along the many bike paths in Massachusetts.
• Volunteer! There are many ways to help your community and meet new people while being active. These could include gardening, building and repairing homes, coaching children, or giving walking tours.

Simple ways to eat better:

• Eat six smaller meals and snacks throughout the day.
• Watch the size of your portions. A single serving of meat is 3 ounces—the size of a deck of cards.
• Drink a glass of water when you want to eat something.
• Stay busy so you are not thinking about food.
• Keep low-fat, low-calorie foods on hand. Get rid of high-calorie snacks—if you don't have them, you can't eat them!
• Eat less red meat, cheese, and processed foods. Replace them with fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Try shopping at a local Massachusetts farmers' market.
• Brush your teeth after eating—you will be less tempted to eat if your mouth feels fresh and clean.
• If you are inspired, try a cooking class that features healthy recipes!

Try making some changes in your diet and everyday activities before your quit date. Keep to these new healthy habits after you have quit.

For easy ways to be active and eat better, visit Mass in Motion.

What to do if you slip and have a cigarette

A slip is when you have a cigarette after you have quit. It probably won’t happen to you, but it happens to some people.

If you have smoked a cigarette, don’t give up! You are not the only one who has ever done this, and it doesn’t mean you have failed. Just don’t have another cigarette, and keep moving forward with your plan to quit.

Learn from what happened. How you can prevent it from happening again? Look at your reasons to quit. Review your quit plan. Talk to a friend or counselor. Remember that you can quit!

When you quit, you became a nonsmoker. Don’t smoke at all! Having even one cigarette can make you more likely to start smoking again.

What to do if you relapse

If you have gone back to smoking, don't give up. You can try again, and each time you try, you are more likely to quit for good.

Take some time to think about what happened:

• Why did you start smoking again?
• What was going on when you had your first cigarette?
• What could you do differently next time?

Look at your quit plan and make changes. Then pick a new quit date and try again. Your friends, health care providers, and the counselors at the Massachusetts Smokers' Helpline will keep supporting you for as many tries as it takes.

You have learned from your experience, you have a new plan, and you are closer than ever to quitting smoking for good!

You can do it!