I quit smoking 45 pounds ago - now what?

I have done the low carb and it was very successful, but I just do not have a desire to live off of meat and salad.  (I know there are more choices but it is restrictive and I just can not bring myself to going there again) I am concerned that now at 51 - I am not exercising, 45 pounds overweight and no clue what and where to go from here.

I have always been active and fit until the smoking started to take over and now I am ashamed of what I have become.  Not only that I have horses that are dying for attention but i am too heavy and my reflex's too slow.  I have never done calorie counting and I haven't a clue what foods to gravitate towards.  Salad - naturally, but I need more than salad.  i have had a craving for oatmeal - the old fashioned kind with bananas and maybe blueberries - yumm. Anyway I hope to make some friends and get some ideas.

As to exercise - I am statrting that. slowly but surely.  I started on my staionary bike and was doing some minor weight lifting and boxing with my husband.  I did it 2 nights in a row, and am an hurting all over right now!!!! So I guess it will be a little bit at a time.  So what is your story?  Favorite good foods? Motivation?

Finally 2 + years smoke free and now I am ready to embarke on another adventure!!! Getting my body back!

Ok, I've read all the replys here and decided this thread was the appropreiate place for me to do my first post.  I quit smoking too, I think about 9 or 10 years ago.  I know it sounds odd to not know for sure, All I know is that we quit not to long after our grandsons were born and that was 1999.  Anyway, I too gained tons of weight, but at the time I didn't care.  Now I do.  I have about 73 pounds to lose according to CC.  I admire anybody who can quit smoking, (including myself :) It's not easy!  The one tip I have for all those newly quit smokers.. when the time comes and you tell yourself.. "just one, won't hurt", don't do it.  I think that was hardest for me, but I knew just one would lead right back to a full time habit.  I'd been there before!  

I think the suggestions for an "ex smoker" group would be helpful, now all we need is someone who knows how to put it together!  Those who have not been there, just don't get it!

Laurinda

Ok, I've read all the replys here and decided this thread was the appropreiate place for me to do my first post.  I quit smoking too, I think about 9 or 10 years ago.  I know it sounds odd to not know for sure, All I know is that we quit not to long after our grandsons were born and that was 1999.  Anyway, I too gained tons of weight, but at the time I didn't care.  Now I do.  I have about 73 pounds to lose according to CC.  I admire anybody who can quit smoking, (including myself :) It's not easy!  The one tip I have for all those newly quit smokers.. when the time comes and you tell yourself.. "just one, won't hurt", don't do it.  I think that was hardest for me, but I knew just one would lead right back to a full time habit.  I'd been there before!  

I think the suggestions for an "ex smoker" group would be helpful, now all we need is someone who knows how to put it together!  Those who have not been there, just don't get it!

Laurinda

You can include me in your merry band of 'x-smokers'.  I used hypnosis and kicked the habit over two years and about 60 lbs ago.  Sucks!!  I was prepared to gain a few lbs...but a few turned into a few too many.  In all honesty I was actually thinking of taking up the habit again 'cause I'm not happy with the speed this weight is coming off.  I seem to remember that cutting  the calories was so much easier with a cigarette and a coffee....that usually curbed any cravings I had.  Then, I think about the cost of the bloody things now (about $10 here in Canada) and I just can't justify the expense or the fact that I'd go back to that habit after this long.  Still, the thought is there and I was actually wondering about the 'just one' thing. 

Hi All

I am also an  ex-smoker (just over 7 years now) and I gained about 25 lbs when i quit, I am finding it very hard to get rid of the them, I guess partly because my eating habits changed when I quit but also because of menopause, it seems to so much harder to loose weight after that set in, has anyone else noticed that?

I have to agree with those of you who say its the hardest thing you'ver done and the "just one wont hurt" thoughts ( I swear its the Devil himself whispering in your ear) are very strong and tempting, I have never given in to them because i know i would be back smoking a pack a day in very little time and the cost alone (im in Canada as well) is enough to deter me.

Looking forward to hearing from everyone and getting some tips maybe on this menopause thing if anyone has any ideas

Shailiz,

Please don't do it.  The weight thing is hard I know and, it's not healty, but smoking is even worse for your health.  We are at an age now that we won't be so lucky to side step the negative effects of smoking.  Lets see, what are the negatives about smoking.... they are expensive, they make you stink, they offend others (I know. that was not my main concern when I smoked either), they cause numerous health problems....

When I quit I swore I was not going to become one of those snooty ex-smokers, whom I considered to be worse than those who never smoked, but here I am, butting my nose into others business!

Work on the weight, it will be slow, but it will come off!  Remember how long it took you to stop smoking?  I do, it took me about 25 years!  See, I could quit whenever I wanted too, I wasn't  addicted... I just didn't "want" to quit... yeah.. right!  It was HARD!! Don't want to do that again.  No, sure it would help me get the weight off anyway..

Good luck and don't give up!

Laurinda

Original Post by nean53:

When I quit I swore I was not going to become one of those snooty ex-smokers, whom I considered to be worse than those who never smoked, but here I am.....

Laurinda

 I do so agree with this statement.  I stopped 3 1/2 years and 25 pounds ago and I never would have thought I would find the smell so offensive, but I do.  I have even had to stop reading a library book because it reeked!  I try to remember that I was on the other end of those cigarettes for years and keep quiet, but I make every effort to avoid contact with people who smoke.

I firmly believe cigarettes are just as bad an addiction as heroin or cocaine, but there is no rehab for smokers.  I absolutely support the idea of a group for ex-smokers, both to be a support system for the smoking and because I think we have a slightly different perspective on weight loss.

Thanks to all of you for your candor!

Glad to hear you quit smoking too.   I quit on sep 24th, 2009.   Gained only a little weight this time.   That is why I joined CC.  I have quit 3 times before and  I am staying quit this time.... I am now allergic to cigarettes and I decided not to gain this time so I am faithfully doing CC.

The excercising is hard due to bad knees and all too.  What do you do for the excercise.   The stationary bike bothers my back.  Any suggestions.   I do a little weight lifting but it is a little and I dont believe it is enough to help.   I walk when my body permits.   I do stay active like with knitting and crocheting, cooking and cleaning house and swim in the summer.  Any suggestions would be great and especially if it does not mean spending money.  I still have 2 kids in college that use up all my money.   lol

 March 2010 it will be 2 years I quit smoking.  I have gained about 40 pounds.  I am 58 years old and I have always had to work on my weight.  I joined a gym last week.  Very hard because I work full time and by the time I get off I am ready to go home.  I am gradually making a life style change.  This web site reminds me of the Weight Watchers site but it is free.  I am actually surprised at just how many calories I eat.  So this helps me to keep track of not only what I eat but how much.  

Congratulations on the two years.  40 lbs is not bad.   My husband gained that in the first 4 months lol.   Of course he needed to gain it too.   Good luck on the losing of weight.   Calorie Count has helped that I have not gained to much and if I really try I can actually lose weight too.   The weekends are hard for me since I am not home and eat out on the weekends.  Congrats again and good luck to the both of us.

I quit smoking on Christmas day 2009.  I had quit a very active job in Sept and then with quit smoking I have put on 40 lbs.  I have to loose it.  It hurt the other day when I was talking with my husband about it and he said he didn't want me to gain anymore weight cause he wasn't attractive to large women.  Now I have to tell you that blew me away because my husband is the sweetest and most lovable hubby you have ever met.  I just don't know how to get past that.  It really hurt.  I have got to loose some weight, not for him, no way but for me.  Glad I found this group.

Please send me some positive thoughts. I'm in the middle of my weight loss program and need to stop smoking. I just brought the Chantix home today. I'm not quite ready to quit, but I know it is something I have to do.

I've lost 70 pounds and just started going to the gym to take off the last 30. So far I'm sticking to my program. I'm a teacher and the kids come back on Monday. I will NOT stop smoking next week. But its going to be soon. Now that I've got enough weight off that I feel like moving around, I need better lungs.

Quitting smoking is the hardest thing a person can ever do,,,,,,,,, and one of the best things a person can ever do.  I quit a year ago with the help of a dear friend who was dying of COPD.  He struggled for every breath and the pain when he coughed was horrific.  Anyway you can quit is good... and try everything.  Eat a cigarette after you smoke one,,, that is a good one.  But trying to diet AND quit smoking is more than I could ever undertake.  My Dr told me to focus on quitting first and here I am a year later.  I did gain weight,,, and yes I am really out of shape and 20 lbs heaver than I was before quitting. 

So now I begin the slow process of losing the weight, but it is SO WORTH IT.  Ok,,,, so somehow writing down EVERYTHING I put in my mouth on here really is helping me.  I only started one week ago on here but on a "diet" for two weeks.  I didn't lose any weight the first week,, and the second 1 pound.  One lousy pound, but it IS coming off and I will celebrate every ounce! 

We can help each other and motivate each other to be the best we can be.  Oh ya,,,, menapause doesn't help either... 1200 calories ,,,,,,,,, really?  How can I only eat 1200 calories.........

I quit smoking just about the time I turned 40 and my metabolism started slowing, a double whammy.  I have been a little heavy all of my life, so adding too what was already there took me from overweight to obese to morbidly obese over a period of 15 years.  At 55 I weighed 280 and was starting into size 46 jeans.  I figured enough was enough.  I completely changed my eating habits, eliminating fatty foods and sugars and started eating small portions of healthier foods.  After 20 months I got down to 172  and size 34 jeans and stayed there for about a year.  The first fifty pounds I lost were the fastest (about 6 months)  and it got progressively slower as I went.  Sadly, I had regained about 30+ of what I had lost and am now working my way back to my goal weight.  

I prayed a lot about both quitting smoking and losing weight.  It helped, I sort of felt that if I were asking God for his help, then I had to do my part also.  

Regarding the low calories necessary to lose, there is another option, increase your output of energy to burn the difference. Currently I am burning about 400-800 calories a day on a bike trainer and maintaining a daily calorie deficit of about 600 calories. I am now at about 195, having lost about 10 pounds in the last two months.

A major yes on the quit smoking!  I quit last year, in fact it will be a year for me to be a non smoker on 2-1-11 (after smoking for 30 years), I also gained about 35 lbs quitting.  It took me 8 months to be able to be comfortable enough being a non smoker to then think about the horrible weight gain.  I was already overweight by 20-25 lbs before that so I had a bunch to lose.

I just used that same will  power it took to quit smoking and put it towards a healthy eating style.  I was having foot pain from being overweight and my doc told me to start exercising and eat 1500 calories a day.  He also suggested to find a free weight loss program on line to help me....and I found this progam.

I started on Sept 15th and have lost 31.6 lbs so far...I also bought an elliptical machine and spend 30 minutes every day on it.  Thats 350 calories worth folks...it really helps. The other thing that I have discovered that makes a huge difference is water, water and more water.  If I drink at least 20 oz every day and usually  more, the weight really comes off faster.  Its an amazing difference between drinking it and not...

That extra calorie burn really makes a difference.  It takes a diet that results  a barely perceptible long term program to one where you can really see the progress.  If one can put in 30 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical, or bike it will speed up the loses and give you the added benefit of better cardio health.  As I've gotten in better shape, I have increased my workouts to about 45 min per day resulting in 600 calorie average deficits.  That works out to about one pound in 6 days, a full five pounds a month without feeling like I'm starving.