what about weight gain???
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3 months in, I'm about break even on my weight so far. Hoping my better lungs will let me start doing more activities. Thinking about joining into one of the Couch to 5k programs at work. Not 2013 probably, but 2014 I want at least a Disney Half Marathon. 
Years and years ago I got 'hypnotized' to quit smoking. I lasted 3 months. Aside from having cravings, I gained like 12 pounds. I really wasn't eating all that much more either. I owned/operated and did most of the classes at a Fitness Center so didn't eat much at all during the day since I was exercising. I was doing extra cardio plus my classes and had a gut on my like I was 3 months prego .... so I finally said, that's it .... back to the butts!! Now my husband is thrilled with this, but I told him if I start gaining weight all bets are off! I'm working out ... well, normally, last week I couldn't due to a small surgery done, but started back slowly this week, actually not until Wednesday. Plan to get back to normal next week. BUT ... I've noticed a pound and a half weight gain this week .... I'm HOPING it's just that it was my b-day over the weekend .... and we had ALOT to eat, plus ice cream cake and I wasn't as normally active. Anyone else have a weight gain issue???!!
Actually since I have started vaping I have far more energy than when I was smoking so I actually move around more now. Then with the dessert flavors, well I just vape away any cravings for sweets, and I have never liked salt so salty snacks were never around. I've actually lost about 20 pounds since I started vaping, but I've never been a small girl LOL I drop below 180 I look like I'm near starved to death. Good luck!
If you are exercising regularly and still gaining weight you need to take a good, unbiased, look at your routine and diet. The typical low to medium intensity cardio (aerobic, as in requiring oxygen, not Aerobics a form of exercise) is only slightly better than sitting on the couch and the additional calorie burn stops shortly after the exersize ends. High intensity, anaerobic, exersize burns more calories in a shorter amount of time and continues to burn calories above your BMR for hours, as much as 48 hours, after the workout.
High intensity training an be implemented in nearly every type of exersize. Instead of running at a steady pace for an extended time, run at 80-100% for a short amount of time (1-2 minutes is a good starting goal) and then at 30-50% for an "active recovery" phase. Once your heart rate and breathing have recovered to your normal 30-50% pace, up the intensity again. Rinse and repeat.
I work a lot with guys that are battling weight control problems. I usually start by challenging them to give me only 4 minutes per day of high intensity training. After the first or second week they are usually very surprised when they look at the scale to see they lost more weight in 20 minutes per week than they did with hours per week in months previous.
High intensity training an be implemented in nearly every type of exersize. Instead of running at a steady pace for an extended time, run at 80-100% for a short amount of time (1-2 minutes is a good starting goal) and then at 30-50% for an "active recovery" phase. Once your heart rate and breathing have recovered to your normal 30-50% pace, up the intensity again. Rinse and repeat.
I work a lot with guys that are battling weight control problems. I usually start by challenging them to give me only 4 minutes per day of high intensity training. After the first or second week they are usually very surprised when they look at the scale to see they lost more weight in 20 minutes per week than they did with hours per week in months previous.
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Havent really noticed a loss yet. However, it does help with stress wich is why i smoked in the first place. Good info on staying hydrated. And now that you mention it I do seem to be drinking more water. Hmmm. Intrestingly enough, this could kill 2 birds with one stone. I love to vape and luv that I can vape all day.
Hawkeye, Couch to 5k is an excellent program. It's a good balance of high intensity for weight loss and efficiency, and distance training for the 5k. Coincidently, high intensity training is one of te best ways to increase endurance by improving lung function and raising the aerobic/anaerobic threshold.
I work with several marathon runners, so I hear a lot of all of that. I've always said if/when I quit smoking I would start on my way to a Disney marathon. Now I guess I do need to put up soon.
Tho, as a teen, I used to bike a lot. I'm seriously thinking about investing a good bicycle and riding again. We have a lot of great trails in this region.Something I wish we could get more in the US ... when I lived in Germany as a kid dad and I would do Volksmarsch at least once a month. I know as a kid I had no problems walking 10k regularly. I need to get that back.
Years and years ago I got 'hypnotized' to quit smoking. I lasted 3 months. Aside from having cravings, I gained like 12 pounds. I really wasn't eating all that much more either. I owned/operated and did most of the classes at a Fitness Center so didn't eat much at all during the day since I was exercising. I was doing extra cardio plus my classes and had a gut on my like I was 3 months prego .... so I finally said, that's it .... back to the butts!! Now my husband is thrilled with this, but I told him if I start gaining weight all bets are off! I'm working out ... well, normally, last week I couldn't due to a small surgery done, but started back slowly this week, actually not until Wednesday. Plan to get back to normal next week. BUT ... I've noticed a pound and a half weight gain this week .... I'm HOPING it's just that it was my b-day over the weekend .... and we had ALOT to eat, plus ice cream cake and I wasn't as normally active. Anyone else have a weight gain issue???!!
I have had issues, but I fight it with a ton of cardio workouts. I rode mountain bike while smoking and it has been one of my main reasons for wanting to just breathe, so once I started vaping it got easier, so now I'm cranking out more miles. Normally, smoking, had I done the same milage, I would have lost tons of weight, but I've managed to stay the same weight with hard enthusiasm for cycling.
Just find some activity you love and you'll naturally stay in shape, that's the trick and most important. I can't quit riding over rocks and roots and flying over scenic paths on my bicycle, because it's simply awesome, not a grueling workout.
Oh, and if the pound and a half of weight gain wasn't constant, don't worry about it. Probably a just a fluctuation from water. After my rides, I'm sure I probably weigh that much more because I'm chugging almost a gallon (8.5 lbs I believe, of water in 2 hours).
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One thought on weight. If we're walking, running, or biking more than we did when we smoked, could it be that we're building more muscle mass than we might have previously?
I've been vaping for nearly 2 years now and didn't gain during the first year. But lately, I've been battling about 6 lbs that just won't go away. Then I realized ... I USED TO WALK while smoking .... walk, walk, walk down the alley, where nobody could see me puffing, or I'd pace on the patio with my cig while making phone calls. But I don't go outside and walk to vape .. I sit in my house and vape. Vaping has made me lazy Once this terrible heat (we had 108F today) is over, I'm walking off those 6 lbs!! Bet I can do it in a month.
Once this terrible heat (we had 108F today) is over, I'm walking off those 6 lbs!! Bet I can do it in a month.
I stopped smoking 3 years ago, I gained 10lbs (5Kg), drove me crazy!
I just couldn't shift it, I've always had a really fast metabolism, exercise regularly, always told ' you're so lucky you can eat anything' yeah? not for the past three years though! Everything seemed to come to a stand still.
Now that I've started vaping, I've already lost 4lbs in few weeks, beats the pants off my cardio routine! without much effort too (Sounds like a commercial)
I think my body had relied on Nic for so many years it just couldn't cope without that extra little lift! Not by much though, I only vape at 4mg, any higher and I get really bad headaches.
BTW Belated
wishes, Everybody should eat LOTS of CAKE on Birthdays
I just couldn't shift it, I've always had a really fast metabolism, exercise regularly, always told ' you're so lucky you can eat anything' yeah? not for the past three years though! Everything seemed to come to a stand still.
Now that I've started vaping, I've already lost 4lbs in few weeks, beats the pants off my cardio routine! without much effort too
(Sounds like a commercial)I think my body had relied on Nic for so many years it just couldn't cope without that extra little lift! Not by much though, I only vape at 4mg, any higher and I get really bad headaches.
BTW Belated
wishes, Everybody should eat LOTS of CAKE on Birthdays 
I know you know this (having owned a fitness center) , but "all that much more" isn't scientific measurement. How much MORE?
500 calories? 1,000? 1,500? How much fat, sugar? It adds up. I dunno if you were younger back then, or are still pretty young, but skipping meals would slow my metabolism to a CRAWL.
I'm in my 50s.....the key to keeping metabolism working is to eat often........but eat the right things. Under that regimen, I would probably have gained more than 12 pounds.
Ice cream? + not as active? Probably a pound or so sounds about right.
Of course, you should enjoy the cake and stuff, it was your birthday.
ok so i have had a little gain maybe 5 lbs but that is mainly from my McD's and Hardee's diet and like no excersize. My job is kind of a time drain. A lot of dead time. but here is the my 2 cents. (i know you have owned/operated but gotta take a step back to the basics)
A common misconception that people have is that eating less will make you lose weight. WRONG!!!! Eating right will actually make you lose weight. Your body need certain things to stay healthy. Fats, Carbs, Protien, etc. yes i said fats. there are good fats that you need. just google "good fats" and you'll get the idea. carbs translate into calories. calories in definition is a measurement of energy. Proteins help build and maintain muscles. Eating right can help you to maintain and even lose weight. You need to look at what you are eating. it will make a world of difference. if your really having trouble, then talk to a nutritionist. does a world of wonders.
as far as hitting the gym, there are a thousand different ways to work out. some are for "bulking" some are for "toning" and some are for "trimming". people get a misconception that lots of cardio will burn fat. truth is if you wanna burn fat off then you need to exert more energy (calories) then you take in. your fat stores in you body, think of them as energy stores. you have to work you body to the point where it has to use its stored energy. cardio does this but only if you do it right. this is exactly how you do it with cardio:
as far as nicotine goes, it is an appetite suppressor. drinking water is key to that. filling your belly with water will give you the full feeling and suppress appetite as well.
if you want some help with this stuff you might check out: Muscle & Strength: #1 Muscle Building & Fat Loss Site + Supplement Store
lots of help and advice on what to do there. as well as a lot of support.
good luck and best wishes.
(p.s. keep off the smokes, they really aren't worth it. they may help you lose weight but in the end you do more bad then good. being healthy takes work but is more rewarding.)
A common misconception that people have is that eating less will make you lose weight. WRONG!!!! Eating right will actually make you lose weight. Your body need certain things to stay healthy. Fats, Carbs, Protien, etc. yes i said fats. there are good fats that you need. just google "good fats" and you'll get the idea. carbs translate into calories. calories in definition is a measurement of energy. Proteins help build and maintain muscles. Eating right can help you to maintain and even lose weight. You need to look at what you are eating. it will make a world of difference. if your really having trouble, then talk to a nutritionist. does a world of wonders.
as far as hitting the gym, there are a thousand different ways to work out. some are for "bulking" some are for "toning" and some are for "trimming". people get a misconception that lots of cardio will burn fat. truth is if you wanna burn fat off then you need to exert more energy (calories) then you take in. your fat stores in you body, think of them as energy stores. you have to work you body to the point where it has to use its stored energy. cardio does this but only if you do it right. this is exactly how you do it with cardio:
as far as nicotine goes, it is an appetite suppressor. drinking water is key to that. filling your belly with water will give you the full feeling and suppress appetite as well.
if you want some help with this stuff you might check out: Muscle & Strength: #1 Muscle Building & Fat Loss Site + Supplement Store
lots of help and advice on what to do there. as well as a lot of support.
good luck and best wishes.
(p.s. keep off the smokes, they really aren't worth it. they may help you lose weight but in the end you do more bad then good. being healthy takes work but is more rewarding.)
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If you gain weight its from eating to much. Ether don't allow your self to snack or exercise more. Would you rather weigh a couple of pounds extra or die a slow agonizing death from some sort of cancer or lung disease.
Sounds to me like your leaving a door open so you can go back to analogs with out any guilt. Addiction is funny that way its just as much if not more in your head as physical. Thats why it such a hard thing to beat. In my opinion if you gain weight its of your own doing not because of vaping or patches ect.... those things don't have calories or trans or saturated fat.
If you want to quit smoking with vaping go for it you will probably be successful but don't sabotage your self and give your self a reason to go back to smoking before you quit, you've all ready lost the battle before you started.
Good luck!
Sounds to me like your leaving a door open so you can go back to analogs with out any guilt. Addiction is funny that way its just as much if not more in your head as physical. Thats why it such a hard thing to beat. In my opinion if you gain weight its of your own doing not because of vaping or patches ect.... those things don't have calories or trans or saturated fat.
If you want to quit smoking with vaping go for it you will probably be successful but don't sabotage your self and give your self a reason to go back to smoking before you quit, you've all ready lost the battle before you started.
Good luck!
Years and years ago I got 'hypnotized' to quit smoking. I lasted 3 months. Aside from having cravings, I gained like 12 pounds. I really wasn't eating all that much more either. I owned/operated and did most of the classes at a Fitness Center so didn't eat much at all during the day since I was exercising. I was doing extra cardio plus my classes and had a gut on my like I was 3 months prego .... so I finally said, that's it .... back to the butts!! Now my husband is thrilled with this, but I told him if I start gaining weight all bets are off! I'm working out ... well, normally, last week I couldn't due to a small surgery done, but started back slowly this week, actually not until Wednesday. Plan to get back to normal next week. BUT ... I've noticed a pound and a half weight gain this week .... I'm HOPING it's just that it was my b-day over the weekend .... and we had ALOT to eat, plus ice cream cake and I wasn't as normally active. Anyone else have a weight gain issue???!!
There are 2 reasons X-smokers gain weight. The lose of nicotine and the oral fixation.
Nicotine is a stimulant, so you will naturally gain weight when your body slows down.
The oral fixation is usually replaced by eating. Your not putting the cigarette to your mouth - its replaced with chips, chocolate, etc. Vaping replaces both of these very very smoothly I think.
You know I hadn't thought of that .... noticed I'm maybe 'retaining fluid' which is common for me, especially in the humid weather which we've been having lately. Water is the answer to that anyway and although I normally drink alot of it, I probably need more ... will give it a try, Thanx!!
3 months in, I'm about break even on my weight so far. Hoping my better lungs will let me start doing more activities. Thinking about joining into one of the Couch to 5k programs at work. Not 2013 probably, but 2014 I want at least a Disney Half Marathon.
3 months!! Good for you! Good luck in the Marathon! Although I've done aerobics for years ... I like the classes, hate the machines, but do it anyway ... I still wonder exactly 'why' people run!! LOL!! Just never was for me, but I certainly take my hat off to people who do it. My daughter in law does it alot and one of my daughters did one last year. Another friend who runs with my daughter in law does them all the time (daughter in law smokes, btw!!) .... they are thinking of the Princess Run this coming February at Disney World ... hubby and I thinking it's an excuse to go to Disney and cheer them on ... I say go for it!! Enjoy and keep up the good work!!
I hear ya Radar!! I am aware of all that ... I owned, managed and operated a Fitness Center years ago and did mainly Aerobics and taught most of the classes. I sold the gym, started doing contract classes in the area and then I had some health issues which caused me to stop a while back (not related to smoking btw) and gained some weight. I started back at a gym about 3 years ago ... did lots of cardio on the elyptical, a low impact aerobics class combined with some strength and a combo tai chi, yoga and pilates class and usually 2-3 pump classes a week. Weight wasn't coming off as fast as I wanted so started working with a Trainer ... made all the difference in the world. Found (which I guess I really knew all along, but just never focused on) I actually wasn't eating 'enough'!! Had to kick start the metabolism and get it out of starvation mode ... really eat healthy for the most part. Protien shake in the morning ... fruit in my 'travels' to whatever it is I'm doing, work out, then more protien .... like fat free cottage cheese, etc. within an hour after working out ... and small meals during the day ... lean meat and veggies in whole wheat fajita or something like that ... lots of fruit, fat free yogurt, sensible dinner. Trainer had me keep a log of grams of protien, carbs and fat ... fat never goes above 30 grams and is usually way under. I ended up losing like 17 pounds and got to a 16-17% body fat level. Not bad for a 60 year old lady!! Down to a size 2 or 4 depending. Changed gyms in January so not doing all the classes I did at the other place, but still cardio and Pump at least 3 to 4 times a week and maintaining. I really think it's been the 'birthday cake and goodies the last week' combinded with not working out due to the surgery. So, hopefully, this week I'm back on the regime .... and will work on the hi and lo intensity cardio you mentioned as well. I'm probably just being overly sensitive to the 'getting rid of the cigs' thing and using it as an excuse??!! LOL!! Thanx for your input!! I'll keep you posted!
I've been vaping for nearly 2 years now and didn't gain during the first year. But lately, I've been battling about 6 lbs that just won't go away. Then I realized ... I USED TO WALK while smoking .... walk, walk, walk down the alley, where nobody could see me puffing, or I'd pace on the patio with my cig while making phone calls. But I don't go outside and walk to vape .. I sit in my house and vape. Vaping has made me lazy
I still go outside to 'smoke/vape' LOL!!! But, then the heat isn't a huge factor for me ... but when it does get too hot, it's nice to be able to do it inside!! But, I enjoy my time outside with my 'fake cig'!! LOL!!
I stopped smoking 3 years ago, I gained 10lbs (5Kg), drove me crazy!
I just couldn't shift it, I've always had a really fast metabolism, exercise regularly, always told ' you're so lucky you can eat anything' yeah? not for the past three years though! Everything seemed to come to a stand still.
Now that I've started vaping, I've already lost 4lbs in few weeks, beats the pants off my cardio routine! without much effort too
I think my body had relied on Nic for so many years it just couldn't cope without that extra little lift! Not by much though, I only vape at 4mg, any higher and I get really bad headaches.
BTW Belated
Thanx for the b-day wishes and I DID eat lots of b-day cake ... uh and it was ICE CREAM CAKE!!
Good for you on dropping the weight! I'm hoping that this week when I get back into the swing of eating good and working out again ... and drinking lots of water (more than usual) I'll be fine ... but in the meantime, it's been over a week since I began this thing .... and it will be a week tomorrow that I had my last real cigarette and can't believe I'm doing okay!! - Status
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