Quit Smoking, Need Advice

senordingdong

So as the title says, I've quit smoking.
I've been off them for four weeks now and really want to get fit again, and stop the huge weight gain that is associated with stopping smoking.

I've been going jogging here and there but someone suggested to me that I should be doing cross training* as that will get better results quicker.
I'm not sure myself and tbh, I found the cross training abit intense and was wondering if it might be a bad idea to dive into something so intense.

Any ex smokers that can advise me here?

dahat

Have been off the smokes for 10 weeks now....
Have started jogging also,really enjoying it.
Have never tried cross training but as an ex smoker jogging i know your jogging will improve as the mucas associated with smoking eases.
As with any type of training a well balanced diet will help also

senordingdong

That's what I'm hoping but what would you recommend to help stamina or endurance?

Blazer

Great stuff first off.
..start off with doing something you enjoy and if you prefer jogging then so be it.
If you want to mix it up do about 20 mins of light weights before your job and you'll really feel the difference in your cardio workouts. Then you'll know what a sweat is
I took up running as well and within a few weeks was well on the road to healthiness, however you need to change your diet etc as you will definitely eat more now that you've stopped smoking. It was the one mistake I made and even when I ran a marathon I was still 14stone 5lbs or something like that...only about 8lbs down from my weight when I gave them up.. It was the fittest I'd ever been but I was still a fatty (my first time going off them I put on 3 stone over 4 years)
Weights and then cardio will give you the fastest toning and weight loss as long as you control your diet...

robodonkey

Like others have said, well done on quitting!
By now you're BP and general health will be headed the right direction.

I was a smoker for close on 20 years (35 a day at my "peak").
Gave up 2003 after coughing myself a hernia in my sleep :eek:

Since that fateful morning, I've been slowly undoing the damage of 20 years and, I'm now (at 38) in the best shape of my life!
I run 6k 2 days week, do weights 2 nights and bootcamp 2 nights a week.

Running with folks who have never smoked I do notice a different fitness level, and I think it's possible I've reduced lungh capacity and/or a different "level" due to the years of smoking - maybe someone on here could comment? I have heard that giving up before 30 allowed your lungs to regenerate, I was a couple of years late for that magic number.

Either way, as others have noted, a mixed bag of training and push yourself so your body adapts and normalises!

I found this chart helpful when giving up too:

http://blisstree.com/files/2007/06/smoking_timeline_2070x1530.gif


Well done again

senordingdong

robodonkey wrote: »

Running with folks who have never smoked I do notice a different fitness level, and I think it's possible I've reduced lungh capacity and/or a different "level" due to the years of smoking - maybe someone on here could comment?

Thanks for that.
Yeah I've been wondering about the lung capacity thing too, does anybody know the best way to improve it?
Swimming was suggested to me but I don't have access to an affordable pool.

robodonkey

I was trying to find some medical publications on long term lung capacity expectations of ex smokers, interwebs is filled with the standard benefits list (see my earlier link) but nothing relevant or citing the long term associated problems from having been a smoker trying to get fit.

I did also find these plastic jobbies: http://www.powerbreathe.com

Anyone use these? Probably no better than a good training session?

Tonto86

To be honest I always thought the weight gain was physiological, you ,only put on weight if you substitute smokes with food

robodonkey

As fas as I know, smoking does suppress appetite (not sure if that's a psychological end-result or a physiological response to nicotine).
Either way, giving up will lead to an increase in appetite, not good when combined with lower (likely anyway) fitness level etc.

Combining the giving up with a renewed vigour in the gym makes sense though, get those endorphins excited about something other than nicotine hits!

:cool:

Goldenlady

Congrats. I too am in the process of trying to give them up.... again.
I was off them for 4 months, and ran a half marathon, but managed to put on over half a stone so went back! Disaster!
My doctor told me that every cigarette burns 10 calories and they do speed up your metabolism, so naturally you will still put on a couple of pounds no matter how hard you train.... but this time im determined.....
Best of luck to you, ill be checking in to see how the training is going

senordingdong

Goldenlady wrote: »

Congrats. I too am in the process of trying to give them up.... again.
I was off them for 4 months, and ran a half marathon, but managed to put on over half a stone so went back! Disaster!
My doctor told me that every cigarette burns 10 calories and they do speed up your metabolism, so naturally you will still put on a couple of pounds no matter how hard you train.... but this time im determined.....
Best of luck to you, ill be checking in to see how the training is going

Yeah that's the stuff that has me worried, so I'm trying to hit the exercise instead of snacking all the time.