Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well with their current goals and having a great week so far! I met with Sandy (the Tobacco Treatment Specialist I am working with through Alegent) again last Thursday. We talked more in depth about me determining my quit date sometime in the near future, as well as some other options to help me quit smoking such as the patch. Sandy tested my carbon monoxide levels again, my initial test was conducted on 7/30/09 and I was at a level 8 then, and I was at a level 5 on 8/6/09! I dropped an additional 3 points within 7 days and now I am only 5 points from having a PERFECT carbon monoxide level! My next appointment with Sandy is in a couple of weeks and I will be sure to bring my Flip Cam with me to record some of what is discussed, as well as some of the advise and tools she provides me with.

One of the things Sandy and I discussed last week was switching to a different kind or brand of cigarettes in order to speed up the cutting back/ quitting process. As we all know, switching to a lighter brand of cigarettes is not any safer or healthier, but the point of this process is to get me away from the brand and kind of cigarettes I am used to and enjoy. On Saturday I began smoking “Ultra Lights” versus “Lights”, which I can honestly say I was not very thrilled about, but I still did what I needed to do! This week I am going to check with my insurance provider to see what kind of coverage I can get on different medications just in case that is the route Sandy and I decide is best to take.

I had a great time and learned a lot at Toni’s nutrition course last Tuesday! Toni did a great job providing us with different ways to incorporate various nutritional needs, and all of them were so easy that I think even with my time constraints I will be able to keep up with them! Toni also provided us with many different samples of foods, such as those that are low in fats and high in fiber. I have been working very hard to maintain my exercise schedule that Stacey put together for me, which currently consists of 15 minutes of walking and 15 minutes of resistance training two times a week. Lack of free time is my biggest obstacle concerning my exercise schedule, but I am hoping that with time this too will get easier and eventually I will be able to increase my routine.

Until next time!