DECATUR - A balanced diet and regular physical activity are only two pieces of a permanent, heart-healthy lifestyle. A third is breaking a bad habit: smoking.

One of the major trials for people who want to quit smoking is a fear of weight gain, said Andrea Hogan, instructor of Freedom from Smoking classes at the Greater Decatur Y.

Mark Daley said he gained 30 pounds when he quit in 2002, 15 years after he started. He said when he smoked, he never liked sweets. He didn't even eat cake or ice cream at birthday parties.

When he quit, he acquired a sweet tooth.

"You get your taste buds back," he said. "Food starts tasting like something. Your sense of smell gets better."

After two years of being smoke-free, he said he still hasn't completely overcome that sweet tooth. But he said he feels healthier all around, especially when exercising.

"I can breathe easier than when I was smoking," he said. "I don't cough and hack."

And although he hasn't lost all 30 pounds, he still said going smoke-free has been the best thing he's ever done.

"You'd have to gain somewhere between 60 and 90 pounds to have the same health effects that continuing to smoke would have on your body," he said. "A little weight gain is not near as unhealthy for you as smoking cigarettes are."

He said his mistake was not doing anything to prevent weight gain from the beginning.

"Just like quitting smoking, the commitment has to be there," he said.

Now, he has instructed two Freedom from Smoking classes at the Greater Decatur Y. He teaches the students that one way to avoid gaining weight is to mind what you substitute for a nicotine craving.

"Anything in moderation is OK, but again, it has to be healthy as opposed to unhealthy," he said. "You don't want to substitute a cigarette with a Snicker's bar. If you substitute the cigarette with a carrot stick, you're going to be healthier."

He advises to also find something to distract from a craving, which usually only lasts two to five minutes.

"As you go along through the process of quitting, the urges are less frequent and less severe," he said. "You've just got to find a way to occupy that time."

Finding an effective distraction depends on what triggers the craving, according to Hogan.

In her class, she had a mother-daughter team that smoked together. Because their smoke breaks also served as their bonding time, they started walking while talking instead.

Another woman realized she woke up early every day before work just to smoke her cigarette and drink her coffee. While taking Hogan's class, she learned she should wake up and immediately take a shower. The woman said she actually enjoyed sleeping in a little longer, Hogan said.

In addition to identifying the triggers and avoiding them, the seven-week Freedom from Smoking courses talk about stress management, weight management and deep breathing.

"We try to fix the whole picture and not just the smoking," Hogan said.

On the third week, they're expected to quit.

It's called a cold turkey program, but it is OK to use aids, such as nicotine gum, patch, nasal spray, inhaler or a prescription, such as Zyban.

"When they come into the program, it's not something that's magical," Hogan said. "They already decided to do it, and we're going to give them the tools to do it."

But almost every class member has tried to quit before, Hogan said.

According to the American Cancer Society, it takes a person an average of six attempts before they succeed.

What Hogan said made the biggest difference in the Freedom from Smoking classes is the group support.

"You have people who can hold you accountable," she said.

Yet, Daley said even with all the tools and the support, people won't quit smoking if they're not committed to the effort.

"They come to class thinking I'm going to give them something that's going to make them quit," he said. "I'm not. They're going to have to work for it."

The next Freedom from Smoking class will start Tuesday, June 7. For more information or to register, call Andrea Hogan at 872-3835, ext. 114.

Bethany Carson can be reached at bcarson@;herald-review.com or 421-6968.