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Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Can I quit smoking using Electronic cigarettes?

Although I am not a heavy smoker, I have got to the stage where I am totally sick of smoking all together.
The only problem is, I enjoy the actual routine of having a cigarette in my hand and smoking it. 
I tend to enjoy this routine the most when I am driving, especially when I'm traveling to and from work...
Roll up, roll up! I prefered smoking "rollies"...
Until now, I have smoked roll up cigarettes. I much preferred these to actual cigarettes for several reasons:
  • I enjoyed rolling them.
  • I could light a roll-up cigarette, take a few drags of it and put it down, and it would go out.
  • I could control how thin I wanted to make them.
  • They were easier to smoke than normal cigarettes.
  • They were lighter in weight than a normal cigarette.
  • They were a "healthier" option* compared to normal cigarettes... 
* I say roll ups are healthier because they have less chemicals in the tobacco than a cigarette does. My reasoning is the fact a cigarette is designed to stay lit until it burns out, it contains more chemicals to stay alight...

Although I smoked roll-up cigarettes because of these reasons, I was still not enjoying them...

As far as my health is concerned, I am constantly coughing and trying to clear my throat and in the mornings I wake up all phlegmy and bunged up. 
I often feel sick in the mornings and I have occasionally thrown up because of the catarrh and horrible mucus stuff building up in my lungs.

It's not good for my health and not a good image when I am coughing and clearing my throat constantly whilst having conversations with customers at my work.

My electronic cigarette!
I heard about the electronic cigarette from Jan's brother and her sister who are trying to quit. 
I thought it sounded like a good product to try.

The idea behind the electronic cigarette is that it doesn't contain any tar or toxins, doesn't emit smoke or ash, is a non flammable product and still delivers nicotine to quell the actual cravings associated with cigarettes. (You can find out more information at http://www.10motives.com/ )

As for my smoking habits, I decided I wanted to try one, as I thought it would be perfect to keep in the car, enabling me to have a few puffs on my journeys to and from work, without having to actually light up and smoke!

I bought one today from Tesco. (It costs £5.99).
It claims to be the equivalent of about 30 normal cigarettes. 

My initial reaction is that it feels a lot heavier than a normal cigarette. However, once you get used to it, the weight isn't much of an issue.
The device is fairly large - it is very similar to smoking a super-king size cigarette. 

(I probably have noticed the size and weight more because I am used to smoking roll up cigarettes).

It tastes quite similar to a cigarette, and the device emits a vapour when you inhale, so when you exhale there is actual smoke! 
The E-cigarette has a glowing tip and creates realistic smoke to exhale!
It seems to be much better than any other imitation cigarette I have tried, and the fact I still have the "smoke" (a harmless vapour rather than a poisonous cloud of cigarette smoke) makes the sensation seem that much more realistic! 
The tip also glows, similar to a real cigarette. (Although the device I have has a blue tip rather than a more natural red one)...

I'll see how I get on with it and keep everyone posted!

Are you trying to quit smoking? Perhaps you have quit? Whatever your stories about breaking the habit are, leave your comments below!

- TheLittlerich


Monday, 9 January 2012

Why do we make New Years resolutions if we have no plans on keeping them?

Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone had a good new year, didn't get (too) drunk, and celebrated the arrival of 2012 in style?

Personally, we went to a family house party, just a small gathering with the kids running about, the adults joining in with the party games and all having a merry time.

Just like everybody else, as the bells tolled at midnight, everybody across the world made their New Years Resolutions, and probably by about the 3rd Janurary most of these resolutions have been broken...

So why do people make big life-changing plans when we are moving from one year into the next?

I can totally accept moving into a new year can mark a fresh new start, the chance to make the decision to change your life for the better or the chance to quit a bad habit.

However, if these changes are all swept under the carpet under a week, is there any point in making them in the first place?

Whether you have decided to quit drinking / smoking / unhealthy eating or start going to the gym more often, these kind of changes will not happen if you decide to change it overnight.
Making these kind of changes will take time, and maybe New Year isn't the most sensible time to decide this is how you are going to live your life...

The chances are, if you were not prepared to make these changes in the previous year, they won't happen in the new year...

Should "New Years Resolutions" be disbanded in that case? They give people a false hope that because the calendar has changed so will they... Or does it give people a new hope to find the courage to make the changes required to live a happy life?

Your comments please.

- TheLittlerich.