venting/smoking/healthy life style, baby steps

Josyurtos23

Hi Gang,
Please allow me to vent....First a background. I am and overweight, smoking (3-5 a day, please read on before judging) 42 year old who just started an exercise plan with a trainer. I wish to be the weight i was 10 years ago, and exercise on a regular basis minimum of 3 times a week. Yes, i know i should quit smoking, the reasons are countless and I am working on that aspect of it. I wanted the exercising to be come a habit first, almost like taking baby steps. Sadly smoking really is an addiction that I should live without. Trust me, I'm thinking of quitting again and will quit again.

I finally started to do really well with my fitness pal and all of the exercises ive been given. The challenge i have right now is that i got sick with a chest cold. Another part of the problem is that i have post nasal drip which leads to the congestion. Yes, im sure that smoking had a lot to do with it. I do have an appointment with the Dr. on Monday to get myself checked out. I have been tested for asthma and was cleared of that. When im there i will ask him about my non smoking options.

Quitting really is the easy part, I've done it before and I'm sure I can do it again with patience...What I'm afraid of, not so much the side affects of quitting, its the fact that here it is I'm sick with a chest cold and I shouldn't exercise (or smoke for that matter) for a few days. I really wanted to get over that hump that ive gone through before.

Here is where the motivation gets lost. I've worked so hard to lose these 18 pounds, and just a few days ago to today, I have never felt so motivated and so much happier with my body image. Until this morning, when the coughing started. When i felt this way this morning its almost like im seeing this same pattern again for the 100th time. I start an exercise program for a couple of weeks and then get sick. When Im all better, i loose the motivation to exercise.

Any words of wisdom (not about the smoking, about the whole picture) would be appreciated. TIA

ncthomas09

Here's just a thought. Do you have ankle weights or something you could use to maybe do legs lifts or lift small weights with your arms? Even if its a couple of heavy books. If you do something like that you are still exercising and keeping active without having to do something that will make you short of breath and start coughing maybe!?!? Or if you can try to do some stretches. Maybe by doing small "baby steps" as you call them even through this can lead to bigger steps or maybe more motivation.

It is great that you are thinking of quitting, especially since there's more options now to help than there were even just a few years ago. But it's something you have to be ready to do. Just like you can tell lots of people about MFP but they won't start their weightloss/fitness journey until they are ready to do. Best of luck to you and I hope you can find and keep that motivation!