Smoking but wanna get fit
asgerdur1994
Posts: 27
I've been smoking cigarettes daily for 5 years but I really really wanna get in an amazing shape... I've reduced smoking down to like 2-5 a day, but its hard to quit since I work a really stressful job (I'm a waitress at a popular restaurant). I'd like to stop completely before Christmas.. anyone have any experience or advice? 
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Replies
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quit smoking first...its a killer. please do it. I smoked 20 plus years...Whyquit.com did it for me...once you've quit --say 6 months or longer- then you can worry about weight. you can't reduce- you have to quit cold turkey.0
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I quit too! On amazon, you can order tobacco free ciggarets which are nice because then atleast you have something to smoke while you break free of addiction. Then you can taper down your smoking. Good luck!!!
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Buy nicotine gum. And keep telling yourself he quickest way to quit is to. Not buy them. THen chew the gym for cravings and slowly switch to bubble gum. Go tk the gym will help. It's all in the mind0
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MooninCancer wrote: »quit smoking first...its a killer. please do it. I smoked 20 plus years...Whyquit.com did it for me...once you've quit --say 6 months or longer- then you can worry about weight. you can't reduce- you have to quit cold turkey.
I also quit cold turkey 18 months ago, after a 20 year habit. Whyquit.com was a huge help! Great facebook page too for support! When I quit, it was the first step to getting healthy. Yes, I gained some weight, but about 6 months after quitting, I started eating a lot healthier, found MFP and started lifting. Never been happier!0 -
I was a smoker for 20 years...the last five or so of that I was smoking around 2-3 PAD. I used the e-cig to help me quit. I picked up an e-cig and never picked up a cigarette again...of course, that was a conscious decision and early on I was tempted to partake in the real thing almost daily.
As the weeks went by, it became easier and easier and I started reducing my nicotine dosage as well...about 9 month later I was down to zero nicotine; about the same time, my battery died on me and I just gave up the habit altogether...I haven't looked back and I've been smoke free for over two years now.
In the process, I found that regular exercise was a much better stress reliever than nicotine and smoking. I have a pretty stressful job myself...I'm the CFO of a multi million dollar company and am in charged with accounting for all those millions...to boot, I'm a father of two boys, a husband, the holder of a mortgage and other various debt instruments. I'm convinced that if I can quite, anyone can.0 -
There are so many other better ways to handle stress. Making your clothes and hair stink like an ashtray isn't one of them.0
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If I told myself I had to quit before I could get in shape, I would still be 60 lbs overweight, and I would still be smoking (which I am).
I'm not proud of smoking, and am actively trying to quit, but I smoke a pack a day and I can run a sub-2 hour half-marathon, a 45m 10k and a 22 minute 5k.
You don't need to quit before you start working on other aspects of your health, it probably helps, but don't let the fact that you smoke deter you from being active and watching what you eat.
Just go out there and do it. It won't be easy, and smoking will be a huge reason for that, but you can still do it.0 -
Personally, it took me years to quit trying most methods short of hypnosis (nothing against it, just did not have a hypnotherapist close by at the time). I left college smoking 2 packs a day. I probably tried to quit about 8 times, finally succeeding in 2008, having my last cigarette that summer.
I would say that each failed attempt to quit was a failure, but in reality, it was not. Each time I quit, I smoked less when I started until I got to the point where you were at, I'd smoke about a 1/4 pack a day.
For me, quitting smoking was just like starting my weight loss journey. When I started my journey because "I should do it", I failed in both instances. When I started my journey because it was time to do so and I wanted to do it more than anything, I did well.
When I had my last cigarette, it was time and I knew it was time. I finally stopped cold turkey in the end and when it was time, I honestly can say I really had no urges to start again.
If you are having a tough time, the stop smoking methods all helped. I did the nicotine patches which really did take the edge off. What I didn't like about those was that I had adhesive marks all up and down my arms that were touch to get off.
I did Zyban and that also worked well, but if I recall, there was a seizure risk with it if you used it with alcohol, which as a young person at the time, not drinking was a real issue for me.
My favorite by far was the nicotine gum. I liked it because if you needed a set schedule to get your nicotine in, you could do that. As you began to ween off the smokes, you could use less if you didn't need the nicotine. If I were to start smoking again, this would be the method I'd turn to first to stop.
Good Luck and keep trying! It really sucks at first, but eventually the cravings get fewer and farther between. One day, you'll realize you've gone a year or two without wanting one.0 -
I quit about 3 weeks ago, I still have about 8 lbs to lose, they are coming off slower, but still coming off! I used the gum, and then slowly switched to regular gum, I maybe have a piece of gum a day now. My workouts are SO much easier, I can go further, faster, for longer. I am SOOO HAPPY with my decision. I was going to wait until I got done losing, but then decided that I just kept putting it off and putting it off and just went for it! Good Luck!!!0
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I quit smoking with 2 1/2 weeks of Chantix. It was a lot easier than I expected. Smoke-free for 7+ years now. Good luck.0
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I haven't had a cigarette since April 17, 2011... at that time I couldn't see myself NOT smoking... and these years, months, weeks and days later I frame it like this... I haven't quit smoking.. I am just going to see how long I can go before lighting up again... so far... 1289 days.. give or take a da.. so from one stranger to another... how long can you go without lighting up again?0
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I quit cold turkey when I had a cold. I just didn't want them and so I seized the opportunity. I also downloaded an app call myQuitTime - you put in how much you smoked, how much they cost, etc. and over time it tells you how much money you've saved, how long you've gone without, how much of your life you've gotten back, etc. Love it - and it was free. When I have a craving (and years later I still do if I'm hanging out with smokers) I look at the app and remind myself how far I've come. You will feel so much better if you quit. With that being said, I had an uncle who ran marathons, participated in Iron Man competitions and lit up afterward. You can be a smoker and be superfit - but why would you? You'll just be that much better if you quit. And, he eventually quit smoking too. Good luck...it's not easy, but it's worth it.0
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I went to the doctor for a Zyban RX in order to be able to quit.0
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I quit 5 years ago. I used nicotine gum. I found it helped greatly because not only was a getting a bit of nicotine, I had someething to do to keep my mouth occupied too. Sadly, I'm still chewing the gum 5 years later lol. It's gotta be better than smoking tho right? I can chew gum anywhere, and I don't stink.0
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I never smoked but my parents did for years. They went cold turkey and bought a massive piggy bank and put in 5 quid every day (price of a pack of cigarettes back then) for a year. At the end of the year they slaughtered the piggy bank and went on a nice holiday together with the money previously wasted on cigarettes.0
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I quit smoking cold turkey 15 years ago after heavily smoking for 12 years. I wish there was something profound that I could share that helped me quit, but for me it just boiled down to sheer determination. That and the idea of ever having to endure that first day again if I failed...I never wanted to feel that again! Also I don't think life gets any less stressful as we go through time. Maybe that's where the saying 'no time like the present' comes from?
All the best to you in kicking the habit!0 -
Honestly, I smoked on and off for the better part of thirty years. I'd quit for a month or two or three here and there, and I quit when I was pregnant, but I always went back. The only reason I truly quit smoking for good this past April, was because I had a hysterectomy. I don't allow smoking in my apartment, because it's carpeted all the way through and I didn't want my home to smell like an ashtray. So, I smoked on the balcony. But, after having major surgery, standing on the balcony was an impossible task. In the long run, it was so much better for me, because now I'm able to go to the gym and do what I need to do without being horribly out of breath, and I don't miss it at all. I can't stand the smell of cigarettes anymore, and I have absolutely no desire to smoke.
My advice to you is to talk to your doctor. Get your doctor and your family and friends involved. Set a date to quit. Mark it on the calendar. But, at the bottom of it all, if you're not ready it won't happen. Best of luck to you!0 -
I smoked a pack a day for about 12 years. I quit 7 years ago and I still think about cigarettes every day but have stayed strong! When I quit, I put on about 50 lbs in 6 months. That's why I'm on here. It was still worth it. I don't smell like cigarettes, my kids were conceived and born after I quit so I never exposed them to it.
I used Chantix. It gave me seriously F*ed up dreams but was the only thing that worked for me.0 -
I had been smoking for about 10 years when I first gave up. I used the champix pills and they worked well even though the pills made me feel pretty gross while taking them it was a small price to pay to be smoke free. I went a full year not smoking, then hit a low point in life and immediately the first thing I reached for was a cigarette. I have been smoking again now for almost 2 years but have made the decision that today is my last day. You can for sure be fit and somewhat healthy while smoking but I'll never truely feel at my best if I'm still sucking on smokes (plus, here in NZ our government wants a smokefree country so prices for cigarettes are getting ridiculous!)0
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I quit cold turkey when I was diagnosed with COPD at the age of 28, after smoking for just 9 years. Granted, I was a heavy smoker, but well, you always think it wont happen to you and then it does. I used nicotine inhalators to quit.0
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GuitarJerry wrote: »It took many failed attempts at cold turkey before it finally stuck. What really drove it is my mom dying of cancer. She didn't smoke, but died of breast cancer. But, it really made me think about all that, and I watched her deteriorate from a happy healthy person, to someone that could barely take 5 steps. I'd rather not go through that, or at least, I don't want to increase my odds of it happening.
I think visualization can be an awesome technique. While I never smoked tobacco (had to grow it as a kid for our cash crop) I started calling added sugar poison. A guy asked my son if I would really die if I ate something with sugar in it. Actually added sugar does cause me great physical pain.
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I quit in March. It ended up being a lot easier than I expected it to be. The hard part was making up my mind, once and for all, to actually really do it...and mean it. Once I decided and meant it, it was like a switch in my head. I no longer wanted to smoke. I haven't been tempted even once to go back to it. But getting into that mindset of really wanting to quit, of truly meaning it, of labeling myself a nonsmoker, was very, very difficult.
That being said, I would encourage you not to put off fitness. Once you get into lifting and get some cardio going, you'll find yourself with a desire to make better food choices and drink more water and...you'll want to quit smoking. It can really help with your motivation.0 -
Graelwyn75 wrote: »I quit cold turkey when I was diagnosed with COPD at the age of 28, after smoking for just 9 years. Granted, I was a heavy smoker, but well, you always think it wont happen to you and then it does. I used nicotine inhalators to quit.
Wow. I am 36, and that is a hardcore, sobering reality. I have almost 10 years on you, and smoked for 23 years. Yes, that's correct, I started smoking regularly at age 13. I LOVED to smoke. LOVED it. I would rather have had a Marlboro Lights Menthol than my next breath of air. With the exception of when I was pregnant/nursing, I smoked anywhere from a pack, to a pack and a half a day.
My mother in law had lung cancer, and had part of her right lung removed. She had COPD as well, and died at age 60. It wasn't enough to stop me. I never let my child see me smoke, and had been hiding it from my husband for years. Ironically enough, while taking a completely unrelated medication (meaning, not for smoking cessation), I just stopped. I was sitting on my front porch one night, and lit up a cigarette as I always did. I took a few draws off of it, and it didn't even taste good. I looked down at my cigarette, and honestly was in shock, but said to myself, "I don't even want this." I didn't finish it. I got up and threw a half smoked cigarette out in the road and walked in the house.
That was around the end of August. I haven't smoked since. I'll be honest, I really thought I'd die with smoking. I *knew* I needed to quit, and that I should, I'd tried a few times, but only half-heartedly, as I really loved smoking.
I'm glad I quit. I feel better. I breathe better. My car smells nice. I don't have to sneak around, or sneak out to feed my addiction. I know my health will improve over time.
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Cold turkey. But you have to be prepared to do it. I promised my wife that once she got pregnant I would quit. When we did, she gave me approximately 3 weeks to figure it out. When the day came, I quit and never went back after smoking 20 years.asgerdur1994 wrote: »I've been smoking cigarettes daily for 5 years but I really really wanna get in an amazing shape... I've reduced smoking down to like 2-5 a day, but its hard to quit since I work a really stressful job (I'm a waitress at a popular restaurant). I'd like to stop completely before Christmas.. anyone have any experience or advice?
Smoking is one of my biggest regrets because I know it's hampered my endurance. Luckily for me, there's not been any issues or major tissue damage in my lungs. A friend of mine is now dealing with stage 4 lung cancer from 30 years of smoking.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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True. Right now my boxing classes (actually hitting a bag) are really popular and frequented by people who have high stress positions. They tell me it's their therapy and they are doing something great for themselves physically at the same time (most have lost between 30lbs-50lbs). And when they get home, they've been more relaxed.There are so many other better ways to handle stress. Making your clothes and hair stink like an ashtray isn't one of them.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Cold turkey. But you have to be prepared to do it. I promised my wife that once she got pregnant I would quit. When we did, she gave me approximately 3 weeks to figure it out. When the day came, I quit and never went back after smoking 20 years.asgerdur1994 wrote: »I've been smoking cigarettes daily for 5 years but I really really wanna get in an amazing shape... I've reduced smoking down to like 2-5 a day, but its hard to quit since I work a really stressful job (I'm a waitress at a popular restaurant). I'd like to stop completely before Christmas.. anyone have any experience or advice?
Smoking is one of my biggest regrets because I know it's hampered my endurance. Luckily for me, there's not been any issues or major tissue damage in my lungs. A friend of mine is now dealing with stage 4 lung cancer from 30 years of smoking.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yep I think your right, seems when I try to cut back I find myself rewarding myself with a smoke if I make it a 1/2 day with out one. You would think that with all the bad things that can happen and all the good things that matter , I would flush'em done the toilet.
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Yeah, I don't really think that cutting it down would have worked for me because I would have found reasons to have another even if I reached my limit.
Cold turkey. But you have to be prepared to do it. I promised my wife that once she got pregnant I would quit. When we did, she gave me approximately 3 weeks to figure it out. When the day came, I quit and never went back after smoking 20 years.asgerdur1994 wrote: »I've been smoking cigarettes daily for 5 years but I really really wanna get in an amazing shape... I've reduced smoking down to like 2-5 a day, but its hard to quit since I work a really stressful job (I'm a waitress at a popular restaurant). I'd like to stop completely before Christmas.. anyone have any experience or advice?
Smoking is one of my biggest regrets because I know it's hampered my endurance. Luckily for me, there's not been any issues or major tissue damage in my lungs. A friend of mine is now dealing with stage 4 lung cancer from 30 years of smoking.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yep I think your right, seems when I try to cut back I find myself rewarding myself with a smoke if I make it a 1/2 day with out one. You would think that with all the bad things that can happen and all the good things that matter , I would flush'em done the toilet.
I did have dreams of smoking for like 2 months, but eventually they faded. Unlike some former smokers, the smell doesn't bother me nor do I care if people smoke in public. I just hope they find the reason to quit someday because there's really no benefit to it except keeping the people who work in the industry employed.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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