Quit to Fit Week 2: Stay focused to stay off the smokes

Brought to you by NiQuitin.

Nobody is perfect.

It's week two of Quit To Fit! Can you believe it? Yes, you probably can, that can't have been the easiest week to get through. Our teams certainly found it tough enough. No wonder - it's hard to quit smoking. We know it and you know it. It's one thing to say you're quitting but to stay off the smokes for good is a real accomplishment. This week is all about staying focused and keeping that accomplishment going, but also making sure you take it easy on yourself too. Remember that people make mistakes. Everyone messes up and falls off the bandwagon. For some people that means scoffing a bar of chocolate when you're supposed to be on a diet, and for many it means giving in to that cigarette craving after you've sworn to yourself that you've stopped for good. If this happens, don't be too hard on yourself. The worst thing to do after that is to give up altogether. Too many people think: "oh well, I've failed. Might as well give up now." Don't do that. Of course, do your best to cut out the smokes completely but if you end up having one, just pick yourself up and keep going. Our addiction expert and life coach, Raul Aparici, likens the struggle to bowling: "Some lucky people will pick up a bowling ball, throw it down the lane and get a strike first time. But for most of us the experience will be rather different. We may miss completely and throw our ball down the gutter, to the amused laughter of our friends; or we may knock a couple of pins, maybe three. The truth is, as much as we would all like to be proficient at bowling, it's going to take a degree of trial and error until we become a bit better at the game. "Quitting follows the same pattern. We may have a romantic notion of the quitter as someone who one day decides to quit and never smokes again. And we, of course, measure ourselves against this mythical creature and fall short every time." In fact, if you're someone who has tried to quit before and failed, or even if you had a moment of weakness last week, you're in the majority. Most people only successfully quit after eight to twelve attempts. Quit To Fit is here to make the process as easy and enjoyable as possible, so hopefully you'll be fully off the cigarettes before long but if you do falter, you're certainly not alone. "Be kind to yourself if you don't get a strike first time," says Raul. "There's already another ball waiting for you to pick it up and try again." It will get easier and easier, and all the time you're learning more about what to do and what not to do to keep yourself going. And remember - every time you fight that craving successfully - every time you knock down a pin - celebrate! Keep positive and keep focused, and don't worry too much if you slip up. As Raul says about failure - "it is integral to the process of success." Keep up to date with how our teams are doing on Instagram. Follow along with the campaign and let us know how you're getting on with the #QuitToFit hashtag. Brought to you by NiQuitin. Combining nicotine patches and nicotine lozenges is clinically proven to be an unbeatable way of quitting.* Try the NiQuitin 14mg patch for 24-hour craving control and NiQuitin 1.5mg mini lozenges for craving relief.  NiQuitin Clear 21mg, 14mg & 7mg 24 hrs transdermal patches and NiQuitin 1.5mg & 4mg Mini Lozenges are stop smoking aids that contain nicotine but you still require willpower. Always read the label.

*Provides significant improvements in quit rates compared to the patch alone.

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