Any smokers?

stella77
stella77 Posts: 282
edited September 22 in Motivation and Support
Just wondering if there are any smokers there who do well with food/exrecise/losing weight.
I was a non-smoker during my pregnancy and then started again soon after. I am doing OK losing weight now, but am afraid that if I attempt to stop - I will gain weight again.

And I would love to take up running, but smoking kind of seems to interfere with that...

Any smokers-runners-exercises? Is there such a thing as a fit smoker?

Replies

  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    I am a smoker, and currently trying to quit. I dont believe smokers can be healthy. BUT I do work out 5-6 days a week for 45+ min a day and/or walk 1 mile 2-3 days a week. I am losing weight steadily. I am now down to 6 cigarettes a day and yes its hard not to eat when I want a smoke. But i refuse to gain back the weight from not smoking. Good luck and I hope you can quit smoking!
  • mmetickle
    mmetickle Posts: 1
    I'm off the cigarettes for 4 weeks, after managing to put 9lbs on in 3 weeks I started myfitnesspal to monitor what was going in my mouth! And have lost 5 of the 9lbs in the first 10 days! Plus I have started doing exercise classes, step & aerobics and can notice how much more I can do without struggling with breathing!

    Good luck!:smile:
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    I came to the conclusion a little while ago that no, there cannot be a truly fit smoker.

    I was trying to lose weight and carry on smoking, the weight was going but at a slow pace. My smoking was holding me back when i exercised and i became more aware of how unhealthy i really am. Losing weight is not the same thing as being fit i realised. So i binned the ciggies about a month ago (not the first time in my 10 year smoking career) and within a week noticed a marked increase in stamina at the gym.

    I am losing weight at a steady pace and can feel my fitness increasing, its going a lot better than when i was smoking.
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
    I have a neighbor who used to go for a run & have a cigarette on his cool down. But I think he quit smoking.:tongue:
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    I quit smoking a few years ago. Even though I was not regularly exercising at the time, I noticed a drastic increase in my energy almost overnight. I didn't feel as "weighed down". It was easier to wake up in the morning and stay focused.

    I also gained some non-health related perks too. My hair stopped smelling like smoke. Even though I always smoked outside, my hair and clothes would always retain some of the funk. My skin also looked so much better. The grayness went away.

    Quitting is never a bad idea, no matter what the reason. Whether it be for fitness or sheer vanity, quitting will ALWAYS be the right choice! Good luck with whatever you decide!
  • dragonfly__
    dragonfly__ Posts: 172 Member
    I am an ex-smoker and I also help people quit smoking as part of my job. For those trying to quit but worried about weight gain keep this in mind. You body burns an extra 200 calories a day to process the nicotine you are putting in your body. When you quit smoking you are not longer burning that 200 calories so it is like you just added 200 calories to your diet. When you quit smoking take a look at your diet and see if there is not 200 empty calories you can get rid of. A lot of times that is as easy as cutting back one regular soda or a candy bar. Also, for the oral craving you seek do to no longer having the cigs trying using sugar free gum as a subtitute. Also, carrot sticks and cerely can be cut into shapes and lengths of cigs. Fool the eye, fool the mind. Getting over the actual physical addiction is the toughest. The rest of the battle are just little fixes here and there to get you to a more healthy you. :)
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    LOL!! I have a cousin who used to jog two miles to the grocery store for a workout, buy a pack of Oreos, or a pint of ice cream, and eat on the way back home!!!
    I have a neighbor who used to go for a run & have a cigarette on his cool down. But I think he quit smoking.:tongue:
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
    Just cigars.

    I'm watching what I eat; I quit drinking; I'm trying to get in some form of exercise every day. Wife won't let me date.

    Cigars are all I have left. You'll have to take them from me at gunpoint.
  • kimdoes
    kimdoes Posts: 90
    I am a smoker. I quit for almost 2 years (Nov 2007 - Oct 2009) and gained 40 lbs immediately. I dieted, I exercised, I even started playing on a soccer team and though we lost every game, I never lost a lb. I gave up and started smoking again. I gradually gained another 15 lbs over the last year. Though I have regrets for starting back, I am afraid if I quit again, I'll blow up like a hot air balloon! I am FINALLY losing this weight. My Dr told me to work on my weight issues for now and we'll deal with the smoking later.
  • kimdoes
    kimdoes Posts: 90
    :tongue: hahaha Wife won't let you date??
  • IAmDanMarshall
    IAmDanMarshall Posts: 44 Member
    Here's the simplest way to put it:

    If you're willing to make these changes to get healthy-- eating better, noting your calories, going to the gym, joining MFP-- why not make one more and give up cigarettes, which are arguably more of a detriment to your long term health than being overweight? I quit a 10 year pack a day habit on April 14 of this year, and there are not words to express how glad I am that I quit. I know that you've heard this all before, and I'm sure there's a part of you that's sick of hearing it... but you definitely have the capacity within you to quit, and you will thank yourself daily once you do!
  • IAmDanMarshall
    IAmDanMarshall Posts: 44 Member
    Also, I definitely did gain a few pounds, but I've lost them (and some more) since joining MFP, joining a gym, and becoming a vegan. If you do gain weight, you'll be able to lost it by making healthy lifestyle choices.
  • ahsongbird
    ahsongbird Posts: 712 Member
    I decided to quit two days ago b/c I realized there was no reason to keep smoking when what I was trying to do was prolong my life.
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
    :tongue: hahaha Wife won't let you date??

    Kind of narrow minded, huh?
  • dietcokaholic2
    dietcokaholic2 Posts: 42
    I quit smoking almost 5 months ago when I had a heart attack at the age of 38! I haven't gained any weight. I've been on a 1200 calorie diet and ride my exercise bike an hour a day. I have lost over 17 pounds in the past 55 days.. I wish you the best! It is not easy to do both .. If you need someone who has been the, I am here!
  • Cledlund
    Cledlund Posts: 1 Member
    I'm a smoker in the process of quitting. Today will be day 2 without a smoke. I'm using an electronic cigarette to curb the nicotine withdrawls. Some might say that is cheating but if it is harmless compared to a real cig..I'm gonna use it. So far doing pretty well. E Cig also helps with the physical addition aspects such as exhaling smoke, seeing that little red cherry light up, and holding a cig in general. Check out www.xhaleo2.com if you get a chance. I'm not trying to sell their products just using this one as an example. There are many other makers out there as far as I know. Good luck with everything. Hopefully I'll make it this time and feel healthy enough to start exercise.
  • stella77
    stella77 Posts: 282
    Thank you all for your encouraging responses. I started smoking when I was 19 (a bit late to call it peer pressure) and never attempted to quit until I got pregnant (and not immediately, I might add). But then I found a book called Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr and it really helped me quit.
    I qained 50lbs (or 25kgs) during my pregnancy - and I am not sure if that was pregnancy or quitting smoking that did it.

    I started again 2 months after my son was born and I sort of thought, let me just have one and see. I didn't even feel any cravings - I don't know what I was thinking. I was smoke free and pretty happy for a while...
    Anyway - I got hooked again.
    I know it is possible to stop and to feel good about it too (I really can't do anything that requires willpower, be it diet, exercise or quiting smoking - so the method I had in the book, was not based on willpower, thank God, which is why it probably worked for me)

    Anyhow - I believe you who say that it is easier to wake up in the morning and keep going when you are NOT smoking!

    I do however understand the person who said:
    "Though I have regrets for starting back, I am afraid if I quit again, I'll blow up like a hot air balloon! I am FINALLY losing this weight. My Dr told me to work on my weight issues for now and we'll deal with the smoking later."

    I think I may go on as well and see if I get down to a steady weight and then quit again. That may give me some time to change my eating habits through this site.

    Any other advice is welcome...
  • IAmDanMarshall
    IAmDanMarshall Posts: 44 Member
    My girlfriend quit cold turkey, she's been smoke-free for over two months and I'm super proud of her. I took Chantix, so it's not like I did it through sheer force of will or anything like that. It's a very difficult thing to do, and I've seen many different things work for different folks. Just keep trying different ways to quit until you find the one that works for you! Chantix was kind of the last straw for me, especially with the different potential side effects (which I fortunately did not really end up having to deal with). I decided that if I am going to take a drug like this that could cause some serious side effects, that this would have to be IT. I decided that there was no other alternative other than to quit, and I ended up doing it.
  • stella77
    stella77 Posts: 282
    I know people who have quit with Chantix with no side effects. I may consider that one too eventually!
  • lilyinlove
    lilyinlove Posts: 441 Member
    I quit 2 weeks ago...I did not loose or gain anything...so I dropped around 200 cals from my diet and am very slowly loosing again. I feel so much better that I am in control of my life again and not the stupid cigarettes.
  • amanda_623
    amanda_623 Posts: 3 Member
    Running is a great way to quit smoking. I'm only up to two miles, but I've cut down to one cigarette a day. Exercise helps keep you on the right track to becoming a healthier person. The less I smoked the easier it was to run too. I've noticed how much better my breathing is now, which is a plus. I definitely suggest giving running a try, but start out slow. It took me a few weeks just to get through a mile without stopping. Smoking a pack a day probably wasn't helping matters either. Also, I haven't gained any weight since cutting down. Once this pack is through I'm never buying another one! Good luck! =]
  • kimdoes
    kimdoes Posts: 90
    :tongue: hahaha Wife won't let you date??

    Kind of narrow minded, huh?

    How dare her!? hahaha That's hilarious! :)
  • kimdoes
    kimdoes Posts: 90
    I quit 2 weeks ago...I did not loose or gain anything...so I dropped around 200 cals from my diet and am very slowly loosing again. I feel so much better that I am in control of my life again and not the stupid cigarettes.

    Way to go Laura! You're doing great!
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