Quit to Fit Week 3: Celebrating your success to date

*In partnership with NiQuitin.

Three is the magic number!

So we've made it to week three. Well done! Things are looking up but this type of life change can take its toll. Our life coach Raul Aparici says you've turned a corner and that you'll be rediscovering simple pleasures that you'd forgotten as a smoker.

What to expect?

"Week three is a celebration because the worst of the cravings will now have ended for most people," explains Raul. "Now your taste buds are slowly remembering what it’s like to really taste healthy food. That makes it a perfect time to take a cookery class." Raul has some advice if you're struggling with mood swings. Fuelling your body with the right food can definitely help. "Depression can come in the third week," he warns. "If you’re feeling that, the best way to deal with it is to move around and get active. Remember the importance of nourishment and keeping your body going with good food and healthy ingredients." "Think of the journey. This is always very hard work. It’s all about moving forward. If you’re feeling stuck mentally, a lot of the time you can get unstuck by moving around physically."

The Challenge

This week's challenge is to take a cookery class to try something new and to give your reawakened taste buds a bit of a treat. People can be afraid of putting on weight when they quit and it can happen. You're conditioned to lift a cigarette to your mouth at regular intervals as a smoker. The temptation is there to swap the cigarettes with sugary snacks but this is a great chance to develop some healthier eating habits at an early stage. "Going to the cooking class is a chance to get used to tasting good food again and it also keeps your hands busy with chopping stuff and making the food," says Raul. "You’re doing a good thing. You have a chance to rediscover a new way of life or, if you’re already healthy, you can rediscover tastes and food experiences again." You've shown great strength to make it this far but the journey is only beginning! Be sure to keep following the Quit to Fit campaign over the next seven weeks as we line up more challenges and offer more advice on how to succeed. Follow our JOE teams' progress on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #QuitToFit. Get involved and post your own updates using the hashtag. NiQuitin is an unbeatable* way of quitting smoking. Try the NiQuitin 14mg patch for 24-hour craving control and the new NiQuitin Fresh Mint 2mg gum to hit sudden cravings hard with great flavour! NiQuitin 14mg Clear Patches and NiQuitin Fresh Mint 2mg gum 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. *No purchase or use of NiQuitin is required. T&Cs apply. *In partnership with NiQuitin.