Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit

I'm right there with you, as I am your same height and build, and live in
Texas. I stopped smoking at the end of July, and I'm up from 190 to 200 at
6'2". I'm turning 40 in a few weeks and have been smoking since I was 17.
And I've been lethargic (but fairly slim) since I got out of the Army at 21.

You appear to be posting from Phoenix. http://www.valleyymca.org is the
place to go.

The cost simply cannot be beat, and they have personal trainers to help you
design a program that's right for you. And there's no 3-year contracts; you
pay by the month. I'm spending about half of my cigarette money on a family
membership for my whole family to go. Kids get swimming lessons while I go
get tormented by the roaming thug they hired for a trainer.

--
-tom


"Aquatic DubMonkey" <rewindme.RemoveThis@lunarmagazine.com> wrote in message
news:d3924eb0.0410071633.5a07d937@posting.google.com...
> Hello all. I have a dilleme here that I need some advice on. It
> certainly isn't an uncommon one for people in my shoes, but it is a
> pesky one. Heres the deal.
>
> I quit smoking in early August after spending about three months on
> the Nicotine Patch system. (I haven't actually smoked a cigarette
> since June 9th) Before quitting I smoked anywhere from a little less
> than a pack to about a pack and a half a day depending on various
> factors. I started smoking seven years ago, when I was 15.
>
> During, and especially after I had flushed all Nicotine from my
> system, I added on the pounds. I went from about 190 lbs at 6'1'' to
> 223 lbs. I'm now down to about 214 lbs, but it seems I could be doing
> more to speed up the process.
>
> Here are my questions. If I start a jogging routine, how much time
> a day should I start off with? I haven't been very active for the past
> 4 or four years.
>
> Also are there any suggestions regarding weather? Where I live it
> is very hot; right now, in early October, it is still averaging 95-98F
> (35-36.6 C) every day. What are some special precautions or measures
> I need to take considering the extreme heat I will be dealing with.
>
> Any other suggestions on starting a workout routine after a long
> period with virtually no exercise would be GREATLY appreciated.
>
>
> Thanks
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

rewindme.RemoveThis@lunarmagazine.com (Aquatic DubMonkey) wrote in message news:<d3924eb0.0410071633.5a07d937.RemoveThis@posting.google.com>..

> During, and especially after I had flushed all Nicotine from my
> system, I added on the pounds. I went from about 190 lbs at 6'1'' to
> 223 lbs. I'm now down to about 214 lbs, but it seems I could be doing
> more to speed up the process.
>
> Here are my questions. If I start a jogging routine, how much time
> a day should I start off with? I haven't been very active for the past
> 4 or four years.
>

If you're doing it just to lose weight I wouldn't bother. Something
like 95% of all quitters go back to their previous weight within a
year of quitting. If you still want to run, considering your weather
I'd start on a treadmill indoors until it cools down. And ABOVE ALL do
not try to run fast. If you're doing it to lose weight and be healthy
then slower is better, and running faster only increases your chances
of injury.
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

Start slowwwwwly!!

Don't even pick up the remote control, just push the buttons while it lays
on the couch next to you. And no triple digit channels for you,
Grasshopper!! You have to work your way up to them! If you can see the
remote through the spilled popcorn, it is still too soon to attempt triples.

After a couple of weeks you can start doing triples, but if you feel any
discomfort at all, back off and have a Ben & Jerry's (a nice tasty way of
icing anything that ails you!). Ben and Jerry did an amazing job making the
eating time of a pint of Cherry Garcia last just about the twenty minutes
recommended icing time.

Once you have mastered triples, you can move up to programming the VCR, but
you must be very careful not to over extend yourself. It's usually safer to
bribe a local kid to do it for you.

HTH,

Mike W. HOF++ or VIII M or 0.66666666666 OF

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
for existing.
One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of
eternity, of life,
of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to
comprehend a little
of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.

- Albert Einstein
"Aquatic DubMonkey" <rewindme.TakeThisOut@lunarmagazine.com> wrote in message
news:d3924eb0.0410071633.5a07d937@posting.google.com...
> Hello all. I have a dilleme here that I need some advice on. It
> certainly isn't an uncommon one for people in my shoes, but it is a
> pesky one. Heres the deal.
>
> I quit smoking in early August after spending about three months on
> the Nicotine Patch system. (I haven't actually smoked a cigarette
> since June 9th) Before quitting I smoked anywhere from a little less
> than a pack to about a pack and a half a day depending on various
> factors. I started smoking seven years ago, when I was 15.
>
> During, and especially after I had flushed all Nicotine from my
> system, I added on the pounds. I went from about 190 lbs at 6'1'' to
> 223 lbs. I'm now down to about 214 lbs, but it seems I could be doing
> more to speed up the process.
>
> Here are my questions. If I start a jogging routine, how much time
> a day should I start off with? I haven't been very active for the past
> 4 or four years.
>
> Also are there any suggestions regarding weather? Where I live it
> is very hot; right now, in early October, it is still averaging 95-98F
> (35-36.6 C) every day. What are some special precautions or measures
> I need to take considering the extreme heat I will be dealing with.
>
> Any other suggestions on starting a workout routine after a long
> period with virtually no exercise would be GREATLY appreciated.
>
>
> Thanks
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

"Mike W." <dropster69NO DeleteThis @SPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message news:<EMp9d.5647$eq1.580@trnddc08>...
>> The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
> for existing.
> One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of
> eternity, of life,
> of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to
> comprehend a little
> of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.
>
> - Albert Einstein

I never said that...
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

Walk or jog for 20 minutes. Change to walking as soon as your breathing
gets heavy. It could take anywhere from two weeks to six months to
jog without breathing hard for a full 20 minutes. No rush.
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

I see nothing wrong with those weights guys esp since you are both so
tall. lynn

Tom wrote:

> I'm right there with you, as I am your same height and build, and live in
> Texas. I stopped smoking at the end of July, and I'm up from 190 to 200 at
> 6'2". I'm turning 40 in a few weeks and have been smoking since I was 17.
> And I've been lethargic (but fairly slim) since I got out of the Army at 21.
>
> You appear to be posting from Phoenix. http://www.valleyymca.org is the
> place to go.
>
> The cost simply cannot be beat, and they have personal trainers to help you
> design a program that's right for you. And there's no 3-year contracts; you
> pay by the month. I'm spending about half of my cigarette money on a family
> membership for my whole family to go. Kids get swimming lessons while I go
> get tormented by the roaming thug they hired for a trainer.
>
> --
> -tom
>
> "Aquatic DubMonkey" <rewindme RemoveThis @lunarmagazine.com> wrote in message
> news:d3924eb0.0410071633.5a07d937@posting.google.com...
> > Hello all. I have a dilleme here that I need some advice on. It
> > certainly isn't an uncommon one for people in my shoes, but it is a
> > pesky one. Heres the deal.
> >
> > I quit smoking in early August after spending about three months on
> > the Nicotine Patch system. (I haven't actually smoked a cigarette
> > since June 9th) Before quitting I smoked anywhere from a little less
> > than a pack to about a pack and a half a day depending on various
> > factors. I started smoking seven years ago, when I was 15.
> >
> > During, and especially after I had flushed all Nicotine from my
> > system, I added on the pounds. I went from about 190 lbs at 6'1'' to
> > 223 lbs. I'm now down to about 214 lbs, but it seems I could be doing
> > more to speed up the process.
> >
> > Here are my questions. If I start a jogging routine, how much time
> > a day should I start off with? I haven't been very active for the past
> > 4 or four years.
> >
> > Also are there any suggestions regarding weather? Where I live it
> > is very hot; right now, in early October, it is still averaging 95-98F
> > (35-36.6 C) every day. What are some special precautions or measures
> > I need to take considering the extreme heat I will be dealing with.
> >
> > Any other suggestions on starting a workout routine after a long
> > period with virtually no exercise would be GREATLY appreciated.
> >
> >
> > Thanks
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

: D I like the way you think! lynn

"Mike W." wrote:

> Start slowwwwwly!!
>
> Don't even pick up the remote control, just push the buttons while it lays
> on the couch next to you. And no triple digit channels for you,
> Grasshopper!! You have to work your way up to them! If you can see the
> remote through the spilled popcorn, it is still too soon to attempt triples.
>
> After a couple of weeks you can start doing triples, but if you feel any
> discomfort at all, back off and have a Ben & Jerry's (a nice tasty way of
> icing anything that ails you!). Ben and Jerry did an amazing job making the
> eating time of a pint of Cherry Garcia last just about the twenty minutes
> recommended icing time.
>
> Once you have mastered triples, you can move up to programming the VCR, but
> you must be very careful not to over extend yourself. It's usually safer to
> bribe a local kid to do it for you.
>
> HTH,
>
> Mike W. HOF++ or VIII M or 0.66666666666 OF
>
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

Thanks to everybody for the help, and amusement. And yes,you are right
Tom, I live in Phoenix, and it does get past 110 in the summer, and
past 120 on rare occasions, I believe 122 is the record here,
something like 129 in Lake Havasu City, which is northwest of here.

Anyways, thanks for the help, I'm probably going to give the YMCA a
try, and if that doesn't work out, just do a routine of my own in my
neighborhood.
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

"Aquatic DubMonkey" <rewindme DeleteThis @lunarmagazine.com> wrote in message
news:d3924eb0.0410071633.5a07d937@posting.google.com...
> Hello all. I have a dilleme here that I need some advice on. It
> certainly isn't an uncommon one for people in my shoes, but it is a
> pesky one. Heres the deal.
>
> I quit smoking in early August after spending about three months on
> the Nicotine Patch system. (I haven't actually smoked a cigarette
> since June 9th) Before quitting I smoked anywhere from a little less
> than a pack to about a pack and a half a day depending on various
> factors. I started smoking seven years ago, when I was 15.
>
> During, and especially after I had flushed all Nicotine from my
> system, I added on the pounds. I went from about 190 lbs at 6'1'' to
> 223 lbs. I'm now down to about 214 lbs, but it seems I could be doing
> more to speed up the process.
>
> Here are my questions. If I start a jogging routine, how much time
> a day should I start off with? I haven't been very active for the past
> 4 or four years.
>
> Also are there any suggestions regarding weather? Where I live it
> is very hot; right now, in early October, it is still averaging 95-98F
> (35-36.6 C) every day. What are some special precautions or measures
> I need to take considering the extreme heat I will be dealing with.
>
> Any other suggestions on starting a workout routine after a long
> period with virtually no exercise would be GREATLY appreciated.
>
>
> Thanks

Be very careful...just because you've not smoked a cig in a couple of months
does not mean you've successfully quit, yet. I quit quite a few times
before I was ultimately successful about 15 years ago. In my experience, it
is quite common to congratulate yourself at the 1-3 month mark, but then
break down due to curiosity, boredom, or beer/alcohol at the 4-6 month mark
(or, even the 1 year mark). And, if you're at all like I was, having just
one or two "for old time's sake" will be enough to get you hooked all over
again.

That said, one of the things that really helped me to finally quit was
exercise. In my case, I re-discovered my childhood love of cycling. It
helped me to feel stronger immediately (the early gains in fitness are the
most dramatic), it helped to clear out my lungs, it helped with weight gain,
and it helped me to stay focused on something healthy.

So congrats on quitting, be very careful not to succumb to curiosity, and
find some sort of exercise routine that works for you (running, cycling,
weights, whatever) and stick with it.

Best of luck!

GG
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit 

<snip>
I haven't actually smoked a cigarette since June 9th
<snip>

Congrats mate. I've tried numerous times over the years, and am still on
the buggers.

<>

Exercise...
Starting a new exercise routine is like learning to walk. You need to start
of small and work your way up slowly. Remember the story about the Turtle
and the Hare; persistence pays off in the end. (I guess that's why I'm back
on the patch again... day 4... wish me luck)

I recommend to start with walking one or two kilometres a day, and gradually
increase them over the first few weeks. Once that has been achieved, move
up to power-walking (faster than walking but not quite jogging). Unless you
prefer to run, I'd stay with power-walking and get your distance up to about
10km daily. Maybe look into bicycle riding for those longer distances.

<>

Losing Weight...
You should be more concerned with blubbler loss than weight loss. As you
convert fat into muscle, you will actually GAIN weight, as muscle tissue
weighs more than fat.

Get yourself on a proper glycemic diet, drink plenty of water and make sure
you have all of the necessary foods and nutrients that you body needs.

--
Best of Health!
Anthony


Being truly healthy is about optimising your health ...
through supporting your own body's natural ability to heal itself ...
when your body heals you feel better, and you are more healthy.

http://glycoresearch.com
 >> Stay informed about: Losing Weight After Dropping the Nicotine Habit