It`s been 9 months since my last smoke!

[lookinforwalleye]

As some may recall I did the Champix program and I have been smoke free for nine months and the bad cravings are pretty much gone and that along with not be a slave to the nicotine cravings is great feeling, however the downside is I feel terrible I gained 25 pounds my clothes don`t fit always out of breathe and no get up and go.It really sucks when you have a hard time putting your bloody socks on in the morning.

So I made a pack to loose 40-50 pounds part of the motivation was provided by my doctor she said I look like most other mid fifties heart attack candidates,so to that end I started a low carb diet on Monday and joined Good Life Fitness and I already feel better and have lost 9 pounds already, it feels much better getting out in the morning or after work and doing a work-out instead of jumping on the lazy boy and destroying a bag of Doritos and washing them down with a bag of jelly beans!!

Going to Jamaica in February and my goal is fit into a Speedo! just kidding a normal bathing suit without all the rolls of blubber will do.

[John]

Congrat's, I remember it well! I am still 50# overweight but managed to kick the habit for good a few years ago. Unfortunately the years of 1-2 packs a day took it's toll and now I have COPD which is manageable but will get worse with age.

To those who are considering quitting do it now, you will never regret it...

[Raf]

nice work.

 

low-carb diets can be tough to follow but they are effective once you get rolling

 

i presume they got you lifting weights at good life? if not, it's a really good idea and i am of the belief that cardio is overrated (although not a bad thing at all!!) think of your body as a furnace, the more muscle you have the hotter it is & the more calories it burns -- even when you're doing sweet nothing.

[IndySKS]

Congrats on the nine months, putting up with a bit of weight gain is far better than the damage smoking will do to you. Your other option might have been to go through what i did this week. I have become a bit of a couch potato not getting out and doing much like i used to, i used a sore back as a crutch for the last year or so and have had high cholesterol for a number of years, i just recently started taking pills to lower it. Smoked most of my adult life and could tell i was starting to feel the effects of this. Fairly high stress job that has been hell for the last couple months and on Tuesday night it all caught up to me. I had some chest pain and took my self to the local hospital(apparently i should have not drove my self)turns out i had a complete blockage of one of the arteries that feeds your heart and 60 % on another. Long story but while the Dr. was inserting a stent in my heart he says...hey bud you got a will made up? Then proceeds to show me the damage i have done to my heart and arteries. Stop smoking, lower your cholesterol and reduce stress in your life or you will be back here in a year if you make it to the operating table. So I have the next 6 plus weeks to straighten things out and develop new habits and smoking wont be one of them. Your bit of weight gain maybe a blessing disguise, it just might help you get in shape and develop good habits.

[kickingfrog]

Good job. Stay strong.

 

Proper cardio is not overrated. Using the same cardio machine the same way for months on end is. Same thing goes for weight training.

 

Once you have made exercise a habit, look to add some variety to your workouts.

Edited October 30, 2010 by kickingfrog

[Grimace]

Well done. The beginning of November will be 9 months for me as well. I gained about 15 pounds. I went from 215 to 230. I feel great though, I can breath.

 

Congrats and good luck.

[mercman]

excellent !!!! i lost 55lbs since july 2009 doing W/W point system, quit drinking 21 years ago,stopped eating crap, have a home gym setup downstairs, and i am planning to quit smoking by xmas.Now i just gotta convince the wife that the bedroom is for sleeping and i may live a few years longer.

[Raf]

Proper cardio is not overrated. Using the same cardio machine the same way for months on end is. Same thing goes for weight training.

 

Very true. My issue with a lot of PTs is that they plop you on a treadmill like a hamster and either omit entirely or incorporate a very limited weight training program that consists of high-rep isolation exercises.

 

An approach like Sinclair mentioned, with heavy compound lifts, a bit of cardio for the ticker and most importantly, a sound diet will do wonders.

[lookinforwalleye]

Congrats on the nine months, putting up with a bit of weight gain is far better than the damage smoking will do to you. Your other option might have been to go through what i did this week. I have become a bit of a couch potato not getting out and doing much like i used to, i used a sore back as a crutch for the last year or so and have had high cholesterol for a number of years, i just recently started taking pills to lower it. Smoked most of my adult life and could tell i was starting to feel the effects of this. Fairly high stress job that has been hell for the last couple months and on Tuesday night it all caught up to me. I had some chest pain and took my self to the local hospital(apparently i should have not drove my self)turns out i had a complete blockage of one of the arteries that feeds your heart and 60 % on another. Long story but while the Dr. was inserting a stent in my heart he says...hey bud you got a will made up? Then proceeds to show me the damage i have done to my heart and arteries. Stop smoking, lower your cholesterol and reduce stress in your life or you will be back here in a year if you make it to the operating table. So I have the next 6 plus weeks to straighten things out and develop new habits and smoking wont be one of them. Your bit of weight gain maybe a blessing disguise, it just might help you get in shape and develop good habits.

 

 

Good luck with the smoking you might want to talk to your Doctor about Champix and I wish you well in developing good new habits.

[Pigeontroller]

Congrats...Hey Its 9 months for me too!

[ketchenany]

I quit the day I found out I had a child coming into this world, 33 years ago.

 

It gets easier as time goes by. Don't look back! :clapping:

[Fishnwire]

I haven't smoked in almost four years. At this point, I can't believe I ever smoked...what was I thinking?

[PikeMolester]

good job man. I never smoked but lost 50 pounds since april 2010. 251 down to 199-201 daily. Just eliminating those doritos, jellybeans,beer and doing 20 minutes of cardio daily will do wonders. But I'd do alot more to get your cholesterol down if you are a heart attack candidate

Edited October 30, 2010 by Canucker

[Woodsman]

Congrats on quitting also.

It's been almost 29 years for me. From a 4 pack a day smoker to zip, cold turkey. Sure was rough at first.

And yes I gained about 50 lbs also. Me at 285 lbs was not a pretty sight. Add a long beard & old ladies would cross the street before they would walk past me.

Back to my original 235 lbs but could benefit to lose another 20 lbs. I gave up the smokes but am keeping the beer for now.

[SRT8 smoker craft]

It's been 3 years in January for me I also used champix but seeing my Dad go through and pass away from lung cancer and finding out the wife was prego was a big incentive also .I gained 40lbs and have lost 20 of it but still need to loose 40 more would love to be back to 180-5ish again .

[Dave Bailey]

If this thought doesn't make people quit I don't know what will:

 

Q - What's the worst thing about getting a lung transplant?

 

A - Every time you cough you get a mouthful of somebody else's phlegm.

 

Stay strong.

[splashhopper]

I smoked two cigarettes and it stunted my growth !

 

what are u whining about ?

 

Congrats one 9 months.... keep up the good work.

Edited October 31, 2010 by splashhopper

[lakerguy]

Keep it up guys,good work.I also quit 10 months ago too.Champix helped and the promise to my son sealed the deal.

[Dave Bailey]

I smoked two cigarettes and it stunted my growth !

 

Stunted mine too, I won't say where...

[Guest Johnny Bass]

First? I understand its hard quitting smoking, being a habs fan and all.LOL But I quit 20 years ago and it was the best decision I ever made.I too compensated by eating more and gained a few pounds(But I wanted to). The best thing to do is stay active. Join a gym but dont burn yourself out by trying to do too much. Take your time and little by little you will see you are able to do more and more, and you will really start to notice the difference, looks and health wise after a few months. Stay away from those cigarettes! Your body will thank you when you are older! Stay Strong!

[elusive]

smoke trees

[bubbles]

Funny I am reading this and cannot figure out if I quit 2 or 3 years ago, I guess the point is it only gets easier and you soon forget all about it. My diet starts today, like everyone else I put on the lbs and it's time to get in some shape other than round.

We started a biggest loser amongst friends, $25 each, now there is a $475 incentive, I am sure that will help along with the bragging rights.

[AzuluSpookd]

Congrats to all of you who have quit.

 

January 1st of this year will be 2 full years for me not smoking.

 

I gained about 25 pounds as well, but that was lack of excersize and not watching what I was eating.

 

If you quit, you've gotta watch what you eat and stay off the treadmills! They are useless.

 

You've gotta put in the effort and run outside, if you want to lose fat and build your cardio.

 

Good luck to all!