No Smoking Day: Body-builder Mia Warwick did not let cigs win the fight

Jane Ball, News Editor Wednesday, March 13, 2013
3:00 PM

From serious smoker to kick-ass body-builder; Mia Warwick, who grew up in Havering, is living proof of a life turned around.

Mia gave up before falling pregnant with son Evan, now six

After nearly 20 years of puffing, Mia decided enough was enough. Her reason? She wanted a baby.

Here the 43-year-old mum of Evan, six, and Jasmine, four, tells us how she did it:

“I gave up January 24 2006 and have not had a single puff since.

“I had tried the patches, gum, group therapy, inhalers. Nothing helped.

“I was told about the book Alan Carr’s The Easy Way to quit smoking.

“I was hoping to have children before I got too old and did not want to try and give up when pregnant.

“I started reading the book and three-quarters through I decided to have a go.

“After a few days I realised I wasnt going to kill anyone. When I craved a fag at work, I ran down four flights of stairs to the basement car park where smokers went, I then hung around and then ran up the stairs again. This gave me an adrenaline buzz and the craving went away.

“The first two weeks were about breaking habits.

“Once in a blue moon I would have a dream I was smoking. Now it seems like a dream that I ever smoked.

“I fell pregnant around March 10 2006. I was healthy for my baby. It was the best decision of my life to give up.

“Now I’m training for a body building competition in April. Giving up helped me become so much fitter.”