Any ex-smokers?

LauraSmyth28

Don't worry, this IS a fitness question.

I'm a smoker, about 10-15 a day. I've been a smoker for almost 10 years now.

I love exercise, I love to push myself....but lately I'm finding that my breathing is really holding me back. I get so out of breath I have to stop.

I'm basically looking for people to tell me how much their fitness levels improved when they stopped smoking, and that they DIDN'T gain any weight.

scottb81

I quit last year. Your fitness level will not improve by quitting smoking but your capacity to do aerobic exercise will increase almost immediately which will make it easier to do the exercises that will lead to increased fitness.

Like anything else, you will not gain weight if you eat less than you burn.

LauraSmyth28

I know I won't gain weight directly from quitting, but I know it's harder to stick to a calorie controlled diet when you're craving nicotine and a lot of people can turn to food instead.

That's why I was trying to get my diet under control before quitting. Excuses excuses, I just need to do it!

Thanks for the reply.

Cathyvil

I stopped smoking about 6 years ago after reading the book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allan Carr. A friend gave it to me after it worked for another friend of hers. I'm so very much not a self help book sort of person so I tossed it on the bookshelf where it sat for about 6 months. When I finally did pick it up, it pretty much worked like a charm. After getting through the first couple of days after reading the book, which you read at your own pace and smoke the whole time you are reading it, my cravings were almost all gone. A coworker had also used the same book, unbeknownst to me at the time, and had the same success. It basically brainwashes you into not wanting to smoke. Best thing I ever read and I'm a huge reader.

Good luck on stopping! I guarantee you will feel so much better and have much more stamina when you do :flowerforyou:

stormieweather

I quit when I started here in 2009 and lost 15 pounds. My current ticker is last year and this year. It took about a year to overcome the limitations of 34 years of smoking. When I sprint, I do still have minor breathing problems, but they're improving.

I feel a thousand times better and I have save a barge load of money. Totally worth those 3 days of agony when I went through withdrawals.

scapez

I was a pack a day for 30 years. Jeez, seeing that number makes me kind of sick.

At any rate, tomorrow with be 30 days smoke free with zero weight gain.

Good luck...you can do it! If I can, anyone can! :laugh:

almc170

Smoking will keep you from EVER making the kind of progress you'd like. Since I quit, I don't have any more wheezing! I can workout for more than 30 mins. at a time! I did gain about 10lbs after I quit, but I was still eating crap food, drinking beer, and not exercising consistently. Once I changed my diet and got moving more frequently, it was easy to drop the post-smoking weight. So eating right and exercising will certainly help stave off any weight gain.

Have you thought about trying the patch? It will help reduce cravings while allowing you to improve your fitness. By the time you're completely off nicotine (6-8 weeks), you should be able to see noticeable improvement. That in itself is a great motivator to not smoke.

cPT_Helice

When I first quit, 3 years ago, I lost 30 pounds. I don't stress eat, though. I missed my cigarettes and wasn't happy and when I'm not happy I don't eat much. After a while I gained back to my normal weight. So, overall..... no, I didn't gain. It is so liberating to not be a slave to butts anymore. I never have to worry about having enough or going out to get a pack or having cash on me or where i can or can't smoke. And....... I don't smell nasty anymore. Good Luck!!

VivicaJayne

That's exactly what it is : EXCUSES
It will be harder to stick to your calories, but you just have to do it. I quit smoking a couple months before MFP and controlling my urge for food was nothing compared to getting over a cigarette craving. Stop Thinking of it as a choice because it really isn't. Stop killing yourself and throw those things away!

LauraSmyth28

I've tried Allen Carr's books, patches, inhalors...will power, everything!

I think the only thing left for me to try is an electric cigarette. Not sure where to buy one but I will google.

Thanks everyone. I think I'm ready to finally give up.

VivicaJayne

Try a e-cigarette. That's how I quit.

VivicaJayne

21stcenturysmoke.com
They're super cheap and really really effective. Plus delightful to smoke especially if you get the menthol. It tastes like sweet mint. Good luck.

scottb81

I quit with these ecigs http://www.volcanoecigs.com/

Great product with great customer service.

phillips529

This is a good thread....today is my 1st day as a non smoker. One would say this is called Cold Turkey, but this has been a time in the making. After my many failed attempts I got smart this time. I started with changing my diet to eating clean, then I started to take care of my fitness and lastly was my smoking and here I am...QUIT DAY.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I really appreciated it!

almc170

This is a good thread....today is my 1st day as a non smoker. One would say this is called Cold Turkey, but this has been a time in the making. After my many failed attempts I got smart this time. I started with changing my diet to eating clean, then I started to take care of my fitness and lastly was my smoking and here I am...QUIT DAY.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I really appreciated it!

Good luck! You're doing the best thing you possibly can for your health!

BrianSharpe

I quit smoking a bit more than 20 years ago and one of the first things I noticed was that food tasted so much better!

Worrying about weight gain is a very poor reason not to quit smoking. The bottom line is that the health risks associated with smoking are far worse than putting back on a few pounds.

BrianSharpe

This is a good thread....today is my 1st day as a non smoker. One would say this is called Cold Turkey, but this has been a time in the making. After my many failed attempts I got smart this time. I started with changing my diet to eating clean, then I started to take care of my fitness and lastly was my smoking and here I am...QUIT DAY.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I really appreciated it!

Good luck - it may be tough but you'll be glad you quit!

dlaplume2

I quit smoking 12 years ago. I didnt' gain a lot of weight from quitting. At least not noticable, because 3 months later I got pregnant. :blushing:

I did read something though that makes sense. When you smoke it actually raises your blood sugar. When your blood sugar drops you crave another cigarette. If you replace smoking with sweets, it does the same thing to your blood sugar. Up and down and makes you crave more cigarettes, causing you to replace them with more sweets. Make sure you don't replace smoking with candies.

Best wishes

Sharonks

I have quit a multitude of times. I quit over a year ago, relapsed for a couple of months, then cold turkied in Nov and have stayed off since. Most of the times I have quit I either stayed the same weight or lost. I would lose because I felt so much better I would exercise more. I have used various prescription and OTC things and actually have the most success with cold turkey. It sucks for about 3 days then is much better. Good Luck!

tquig

I quit smoking a bit more than 20 years ago and one of the first things I noticed was that food tasted so much better!

Worrying about weight gain is a very poor reason not to quit smoking. The bottom line is that the health risks associated with smoking are far worse than putting back on a few pounds.

^^^^^^^^This

ashlibbie

I smoked for abou 5 years and just passed my 1 year mark of being a nonsmoker on December 28th