smoking and exercise

I started on MFP and quit smoking 5 months ago. I started C25K a couple of weeks after. . The weight loss has been slow as heck. But, for the first time in my life I run. Also when I was doing any type of cardio (30 day shred, kickboxing, ect) my heart would be beating out or my chest and my breathing wasn't heavy. I can't begin to describe what an amazing cardiovascular difference it made. I didn't notice any other major changes.

I quit by using the patch for 6 weeks and then stopped. It sucked. 5 months later I still need to tell myself that I will not go back. It is 1 million % worth it.

One thing at a time, and when you feel ready, buck up for one hell of a fight.
Smoking is the single worse thing you can do to ruin your health as you are aware.
Just wean down for 2 weeks, then quit cold turkey.
And it'll be the hardest addiction to break, so be ready for some painful days and nights.
I am not trying to create drama, but use vacation time of you have it, stay home and address this like one would any addiction.
Detox yourself that first week of "cold turkey" at home and punch through the pain.
And here's the miserable part.
Your hunger will BURN for a month after that first week. Just BURN!

Good luck to you, and I wish I had some little thing to say that would be the key to making this easy.
There is NOTHING.
Gird yourself for a tough fight, and no matter what, stay motivated and just KEEP PUNCHING!

lol, now im terrified:sick:

When the time is right, you can beat this.

I've been a smoker for about 4 years and was a pack a day smoker. I tried taking up running...Didn't happen for me, I would run for maybe 3 minutes and feel like I was dying because I couldn't breathe Very ****ty, vulnerable feeling. But honestly, I don't know if it was more the smoking or my extra weight. Since last week, I've been weaning off. I still smoke 2 or so a day as of right now, but I'm going to try to kick the habit completely next week. For all the other nic fits, I converted to the e-cigarette and I already notice a huge difference when I exercise. I know the feeling of not feeling like you're ready to quit, but once you are you WILL notice a difference, that's for sure. Good luck with your running

One thing at a time, and when you feel ready, buck up for one hell of a fight.
Smoking is the single worse thing you can do to ruin your health as you are aware.
Just wean down for 2 weeks, then quit cold turkey.
And it'll be the hardest addiction to break, so be ready for some painful days and nights.
I am not trying to create drama, but use vacation time of you have it, stay home and address this like one would any addiction.
Detox yourself that first week of "cold turkey" at home and punch through the pain.
And here's the miserable part.
Your hunger will BURN for a month after that first week. Just BURN!

Good luck to you, and I wish I had some little thing to say that would be the key to making this easy.
There is NOTHING.
Gird yourself for a tough fight, and no matter what, stay motivated and just KEEP PUNCHING!

I quit (again) a little over a month ago. Both times I stopped it was pretty much like this. I planned to quit in my holiday time so I could sit in my room away from everyone.
It's not easy but it is soooo worth it!
This time round I wonder why I went back... I won't be doing it again!

thanks guys, i know weightloss is an excuse to keep smoking....I think i was kindda hoping that if i got myself in shape it would be easier to give up.:blushing:

It will never seem like the right time to quit. You just need to do it one day, whether you wean yourself off of cigarettes, whether you do it with medication, or whether you quit cold turkey. I think that MOST people that are full smokers will tell you that they smoking makes it more difficult to exercise, your lungs are not as elastic and have tar in them, so they will not be as forgiving when exercising. The ones saying that they are light smokers on weekends may not have trouble, but they are not smoking 20+ a day. I used to smoke, for 7 years, and I was a teenager and had a huge difference in endurance. I could feel it. Now that I have been smoke free for 3 years I notice a huge difference with my lungs/exercise.

It is difficult to quit smoking, it is difficult to do anything that is worth it. You need to try many different ways to cope and see what works for you. You can do it:)

some great motivational stories here....I guess its pointless to lose weight and exercise and then kill myself with cigs. Perhaps its time i stopped making excuses and just give up.

I quit smoking about 20 years ago after watching my mother die of lung cancer.

Quitting may slow down your weight loss by a bit (you can't change everything overnight) and I'll warn you food tastes so good when your mouth doesn't taste like an ashtray. In terms of health I'm inclined to think quitting smoking should be your # 1 priority.

Good luck.

After 25 years of smoking, I quit in January (after a particularly scary bout with bronchitis). I used the patches for one week and got aggravated by them falling off when I sweated. It was really really hard.....and really really worth the quit.

My biggest fear about quiiting? Gaining weight.

I gained 20 lbs in one month...

But it was worth it because now I feel good enough to work hard and take the weight back off.

For the past couple of months I just put the money I didn't spend on cigarettes in a Jar. I spend that money on fitness friendly toys:
New bike
Running shoes
Fitbit Tracker
Turntable with USB port for my old albums....which I ripped to my computer....then put on my iPod
....okay that last one was a stretch but it was for my running and workouts so I can make anything fitness related.

Give yourself time and decide what is more important to you and you'll know when you are ready.
My mantra during the first two weeks smoke free, "I can always work off gained weight but I only have one set of lungs."

I have smoked a pack a day for about 23-24 years. I have quit cold turkey 3 times. The first was for two years, second 6 months and third 1 year. I don't know why I picked them back up. I hear people say that you gain weight when you quit. Is that because they substitute food for smoking or because it chemically does something to your body to make you gain?

Oh my gosh! Thank you sooo much for posting this topic! I smoke a pack a day so same as you and I exercise 40 minutes vigorously a day! I also do more moderate things such as walking and cleaning. I am 254 lbs and 5 foot 2 BTW. So far, it has not been easy but I've been committed. I huff and puff like crazy and have to drink water a couple times during my workouts but I always push through. Let me also add that I'm 23 years old and have been sedentary for pretty much all my life. I'm also an ex-addict to drugs and have been clean for over a year..well the hard stuff..I quit smoking pot a couple months ago. Anyway, I have been doing research and studies show that smokers that exercise even for only 15 minutes a day, prolong their life expectancy by a few years. So exercise is very good for smokers! Some may need to take it slow though..everybody is different.