Ade Rai is Indonesia's most famous bodybuilder and a passionate advocate of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. As a big man with a lot to say, he enjoys going against stereotypes.
Every second week he will be offering professional advice through this column.
Hi Ade,
I have been smoking for more than 15 years. I started because everyone around me smoked, so instead of inhaling their second-hand smoke, which I read somewhere was more dangerous, I'd rather smoke myself. Now, I am addicted and can't seem to stop, although I have tried nicotine patches. Do you have any suggestions on how to quit smoking? Thank you.
Robby
Jakarta
Hi Robby,
I am sorry to say no one starts smoking for the right reasons. Some of my smoker friends started smoking like you, to avoid being passive smokers. I would say they forgot to consider the simple fact that an active smoker actually inhales his/her own second-hand smoke too.
I know that some ingredients in tobacco are quite addictive, but I would like to point out several cases or instances where we are better off believing otherwise.
I have seen many people quit smoking instantly. A good friend of mine had a stroke caused by 30 years of smoking.
He had surgery, and right afterwards the urge to touch a single cigarette disappeared and never resurfaced again. He is alive and well today, and hasn't smoked a single cigarette since.
Another friend who had been smoking for 15 years recently found out that his mother (who was never an active smoker) had just been diagnosed with stadium III lung cancer. His father passed away two years ago from a heart attack.
Immediately after he found out about his mother's cancer, his favorite cigarettes suddenly tasted so bad on his lips that he quit smoking that very day.
The point of my stories are that willpower (or should I properly address it as brain power?) is much stronger than addictive substances in cigarettes. If we choose to believe the addictive substances are stronger than us, we admit defeat to them and let them control our lives. But, if we choose to believe our minds are the greatest control center of our lives, then no single addiction could last longer than we allow it.
I don't know what it is like to have a smoking addiction, so I may not be the right person to give advice. However I do have some opinions that hopefully could help you increase your chances of success in quitting.
Always know in your mind that:
Smoking is proven to reduce the quality of life and shorten your life span.
Smoking is unfair to those who love and care about us.
The pain of hurting our loved ones over the long-term is actually greater than the short-term pain of quitting.
The pleasure of long-term health and longevity far outweighs the short-term pleasure of smoking.
If we have the power to start, we have the power to quit.
I wish you the best of luck with your quit-plan. As hard or harsh as it may sound, a cold-turkey approach may be the best option.
Hi Ade Rai,
I am a mother of three kids, ranging from three to nine years old. I have been considered petite by my friends, but I don't like the way my body looks. After giving birth and being a full-time mother for years, I haven't had time to exercise at a local gym, and couldn't be bothered with measuring what I eat. Is there still any hope for me to have a flat tummy? Please be honest with me. Thank you.
Lia
Jakarta
Hi Lia,
Thank you for writing in, Lia. I am sure there is hope for you. We are never too old to get rich or get a proper education, so why should we limit ourselves to being too old to attain the body of our dreams?
Besides, who am I to say we don't have a hope when there are thousands of women around the world who shared your condition and actually achieved and live your dream today?
I understand every day is a tiring day for a mother of three. But you can actually use them as fuel for your motivation. You want and desperately need to be healthy and fit enough to take care of them because no one else could if you fell ill.
You can start with the belief that an effective exercise program actually starts at home. Here is an action-plan that you can start immediately today:
Wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual. To do this without sabotaging your rest time, you need to go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
Use the 30 minutes to do your cardio workout with an empty stomach. A solid walk that gets your heart rate up to beating twice per second during the exercise is a great start.
Modify your breakfast by changing the little things:
Have oatmeal instead of white porridge.
Spread a thin layer of fruit jam on your wholemeal bread instead of a thick layer of peanut butter on white bread.
Change your full-cream milk to low-fat or non-fat milk.
Use more egg-whites for your omelet and limit egg yolks to one a day.
Modify your lunch and dinner with the following guides:
Reduce the use of oils, margarine, cream, butter, salt, sugar and flour in all your dishes.
Increase your intake of vegetables and lean proteins.
Steam, bake, boil or roast your food instead of frying it.
Snack with:
A handful of roasted peanuts rather than a regular French fries or a pack of chips.
A piece of fruit rather than a glass of juice.
A cup of non-fat high-calcium milk rather than a cup of full-cream milk or a can of sugary drink.
As you can see, it only takes a few twists of creativity and you can have a good meal and exercise plan without a hassle. I hope you pursue your dream with a clear deadline. Set a goal for it and visualize it as you go through the exercise. This may increase your motivation as well as strengthen your resolution.
Best of luck with it and please remember to write back with your progress.
Thank you very much for all the kind letters and questions. I enjoy answering them and responding to you. Please keep them coming. My email is ask_aderai@yahoo.com. I would be more than happy to read them and reply to them. And lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
