How come everything that’s supposed to be bad,
Makes me feel so good?
– Ye (probably)
If you wish, you can grab the N.W.A. Newsletter Playlist on Spotify here, all of the songs that have been featured in the newsletter are on the playlist.
Happy Friday, Coach J here from Anyman Fitness – and welcome to the latest edition of The N.W.A. Newsletter.
Each week with the N.W.A. Newsletter, I give you the best Nutrition, Weightlifting, and/or Attitude advice for you to start to use in your life today.
Tens of thousands of people have used this exact newsletter to gain muscle, lose fat, and become a better version of themselves…
Without any further ado, let’s get started..
N.W.A. Tip Of The Week
It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve been addicted to nicotine since I was 16 years old.
I played baseball in high school.
One of the older kids on the team introduced me to it.
He had a tin of Kodiak; he told me if I put a pinch in my lip and spit out the juice my head would start spinning.
Wouldn’t you know it, he was right.
Where some people hate that feeling, I loved it.
It didn’t take long before I was hooked, asking the seniors on the baseball team to go pick me up tins before games.
After my baseball career was over, I switched over to cigarettes.
In the early 2000’s, smoking was pretty popular; it’s not as rare as it is today.
A great night was a few pints at a bar with a pack of smokes.
Parliament Lights, or “P-funks”, if you will.
Eventually, I got married and my wife got pregnant.
I knew I didn’t want to be the smelly, nasty, “smoker Dad”, so I ditched that habit… and switched to nicotine pouches.
I was excited – nicotine in and of itself isn’t a carcinogen.
And if used in moderation, it might have health benefits associated with it.
Now, I wouldn’t be smoking tobacco.
I wouldn’t be putting tobacco into my lip.
I would just be getting the nicotine through a pouch.
No tobacco at all, totally clean.
Sounds great, right?
There is always a Catch-22 with these sorts of things.
The “benefits” of a pouch are…
Discreet…
Don’t smell…
Don’t smoke them…
Don’t need to spit…
Don’t cause skin irritation on your lip…
Can get them as strong as you want…
Can have one in any time, anywhere, and nobody will know…
But those “benefits” become negatives very quickly unless you’re extremely careful.
(Very similar in the way that, in my opinion, THC vape pens should be banned… too powerful and too discreet…)
Oh, so now I can do these nicotine pouches any time, anywhere, all day long, nobody will know, and they have the “halo” that they’re not dangerous?
SIGN ME UP!
Oh, sweet summer child… now naive can I be?
It wasn’t long before I was using pouches all day, every day.
I would only take them out when I ate, or slept.
Other than that, there was a pouch in my upper lip.
Sometimes I would toss 2 or 3 pouches in for good measure.
(Did you know nicotine is addictive, and you quickly find yourself wanting more and more? WHO KNEW?)
With that high level concentration of nicotine in my system at all times, I started to experience side effects.
Elevated blood pressure.
Being cold all the time (nicotine constricts circulation).
Being jittery and on edge.
Low-key anxious and stressed 24/7.
Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
Occasional heart palpitations.
I’ve wanted to stop for a few years now.
I’ve tried a half dozen times or so.
Each time, I would make it a week, then crack on the weekend.
Usually it was a single beer or spirit that would do me in.
Once the alcohol hit my blood stream, the urge to put in a pouch would amplify 100x and it would be my undoing.
A few months back, I stumbled across a book I want to share with you.
It’s an old book, written in 1985, but it’s made a huge difference for me (and it will for you, too, if you struggle with nicotine).
It’s called “The Easy Way To Stop Smoking” by Allen Carr.
I’ll give you some Cliff’s Notes…
- If you want to stop using nicotine, you need to change your mindset.
- Don’t focus on the negative health outcomes of using nicotine, that doesn’t work.
- Instead, focus on the fact that the positives you think nicotine has are complete and utter bullshit.
You say “nicotine helps me to relax” but then you also say “nicotine helps me to focus”…
Well, which is it?
Is it a relaxing substance, or a mind-focusing substance?
Sounds iffy to me…
You say “I need nicotine after a meal” but then you say “if I’m hungry, nicotine suppresses my appetite”…
Again… which is it?
Is nicotine an “after I’m full treat” or is it a “I use it when I’m hungry to decrease my appetite” substance?
After you debunk all of the “benefits” of using nicotine, you realize something.
All of the “positives” to nicotine are just relief from withdrawal symptoms, NOTHING more.
That was eye opening to me.
That first pouch in the morning with my coffee I enjoyed so much?
Relief from withdrawal from not having nicotine in my system all night.
That after-my-workout pouch I always looked forward to?
Relief from withdrawal from not having nicotine in my system as I worked out.
That after-my-meal nicotine pouch that seemed so satisfying?
Relief from withdrawal from not having nicotine while I was eating my meal.
The book also instructs you to focus on all of the positives of quitting.
More money in your pocket.
Less anxiety.
Lower blood pressure and resting heart rate.
Better workouts.
Better sexual performance (increased blood flow, ahem).
Better sleep.
Not being a slave to a silly chemical for the rest of your life.
After reading this book, Allen has convinced me.
Truth be told, I had avoided going “all in” on quitting for a long time; I had convinced myself that I enjoyed nicotine and wanted it in my life.
His book helped me see that I was just telling stories to myself.
I was addicted to a substance, nothing more.
Time to break the addiction!
It’s been a month since I’ve had any nicotine.
I also haven’t had any alcohol during that time, either.
The association is too much to handle for now, perhaps after I am very confident that I’m free of nicotine, I’ll have a drink and see if that nagging pull is still there.
But for now, I’m raw-dogging life, and it feels good.
My workouts have gotten MUCH better.
Weights are flying up.
Cardio is easier.
I fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow instead of tossing and turning for 30 minutes each night.
I have less anxiety and feel less stressed.
The first few days sucked.
By Day 4, it wasn’t too bad at all.
At that point, most of the nicotine is out of your system, and it’s all psychological.
Here’s to a substance free life!
How about you?
Have you ever struggled with quitting nicotine?
I’ve been coaching men and women in 1:1, personalized protocols since 2013.
Here’s an example from Sam – he lost 50 pounds in my program and now has a 6 pack at the age of 49:
To learn more about this unique, “All In” experience, tap here and fill out this quick form – it will go directly to my email inbox.
Looking forward to speaking with you.
More AF Content From Around the Web:
This is my entire gameplan to getting to 10% body fat:
- Eat 225 g protein per day
- Keep calories in check (10 x bodyweight)
- Walk 8k steps per day
- Lift 4-5 times per week for 40 minutes
- Sleep 7 hours, minimum
No more, no less. Keep it simple, execute daily.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Anyman Fitness N.W.A. Newsletter.
I’ll be back next week.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Best, Coach J
Anyman Fitness