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After quitting smoking. Smokers who quit have been shown to gain an average of around 3.5kg of body weight over twelve months after quitting. This is due to a variety of reasons. Nicotine tends to speed up metabolic rate and a significant drop is noted on quitting. Smoking also suppresses the taste and smell senses so that after smoking cessation, food can smell and taste better. Also, withdrawal from nicotine is a difficult experience and activities involving the hands and mouth (such as eating) are often used as a substitute for smoking.

Research carried out at the University of California, however, has shown that not all quitting smokers put on weight. There are those who gain a lot (over 12kg), those who gain a little (up to 3kg), those whose weight remains stable, and those who actually lose weight. In over 2000 twins studied over 16 years.

Comparisons of super-gainers with non-gainers after quitting showed that super-gainers were younger, of lower socioeconomic status, started smoking at a younger age, were heavier smokers, exercised less and drank more coffee than non-gainers. There were no differences in their body mass before quitting, the number of alcoholic drinks taken per month, or the likelihood of dieting to keep weight low. Hence, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors seem to influence whether there is weight gain or not after smoking.

Interestingly, comparisons between identical and non identical twins showed that there was considerable similarity in weight change after quitting amongst the identical twins. This suggests genetic factors may also be important in determining whether weight gain occurs after quitting smoking.

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How do we make use of this spotlight to control our thoughts. Our mind has an anxious area as well as a relaxing area. If we focus on the anxious area, we feel anxious, but if we actively focus on the relaxing area, we feel relaxed. When you feel anxious, do nothing about it, just direct the spotlight back to the relaxing area. Present repeatedly to yourself relaxing ideas, and ignore the anxious feelings. We cannot focus our single spotlight on relaxing and anxious ideas at the same time. In other words, we cannot feel relaxed and anxious at the same time. Remember, thought control is an active exercise; you have to put that spotlight repeatedly on the relaxing ideas. Do not reject anxious ideas, as the mere thought of rejection means focusing on them. Ignore them and they will disappear spontaneously.

In highway hypnosis, your focus is on the highway. Even if you take your eyes off the highway for a moment, you have to focus your attention back on the highway repeatedly. This is like darkening the theatre and the stage, so that the surrounding activities are ignored and the spotlight is focused on the highway alone. The shift from the awake state to the THS is quite natural for many people, but not for those who suffer from chronic insomnia. During the THS, the stage is dim and the spotlight is on some non-threatening and non-anxious part of the mind. Arousal messages are no longer sent to the sleep centre. The sleep centre takes over, and we drift into sleep.

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