This is my story on how I lost weight before I stopped smoking, how I came to stop smoking, and how after I stop smoking I am not losing any weight!

Approximately 8 months ago I was 223 LBs, smoked about 1 OZ of weed every 2 weeks, and smoked 1 1/2 pack of cigarettes a day for about 18 years. I started smoking weed when I was 16, and cigs since I was 18. 

Sometime in October 2013 approximately 8 months ago after I found out I weighed 223 LBs after a physical I decided it was time to lose weight and get into shape.  I stopped smoking weed but not cigarettes at this time.  I have no idea why. Anyway, there is a park near my house that totals 4 miles in perimeter that I made a goal and told myself  I would jog around without stopping.  My first day jogging I went out to the park and ran about 1/16th of a mile and shortly ran out of breathe started huffing,  puffing and gagging to the point I was going to throw up. My legs immediately swelled up and it took me 2 hours to walk back to my house from where I was( the park is about 10 minutes from my house)

I knew I had to take a different approach. After  a couple days of rest a just started walking around the park. It was a struggle at first just to walk around the park once, but I trained myself to eventually walk around the park 2-3 times a day. At some point I also opened a membership at 24 hour fitness. My only purpose of this membership was to use the elliptical to strengthen my legs. My first day at the gym I did 10 minutes and was out of breathe. For months and months I eventually trained myself not only to walk around the park 2-3 times a day but also walked from my house to the gym do 60 minutes on the elliptical then walked back home ( 6 mile round trip). 

 

I kept this routine until I flew to Vietnam January 29th (landed on Jan 31st). I was suppose to vacation in VN for 3 months, but it was cut short to only three weeks. I have a mental illness that cut my vacation short and sent me packing back to the states. When I was back in the California I relapsed and started excessively smoking weed again but it was only for a couple of weeks. Sometime early/mid March I clicked out of my relapse of smoking weed and started to walk around the park again.  After a few days of walking I weighed myself. I was only 175 lbs. I was amazed that I had lost so much weight. This is when I decided it was time to start actually running. No more walking and no more elliptical at the gym. Middle of March I started running, and my first day I was doing 1/2 a mile at time. I was amazed how much stamina, endurance, and leg strength I had. Anyhow I kept jogging and running and increased the distance a little bit at t a time leading up to April 14, 2013. After my last cig of this day I ran two miles straight. That night I woke up several times gasping for air, hacking and coughing. The next morning I had the sharpest pain in my right lung every time I took a breathe. This is when I realize that running was lot more important to me then smoking so I stopped smoking and haven't smoke that day.

A couple days later I flew to Canada to visit my grandmother. I didn't want to jog since I kept feeling the pain in my right lung. After a week I felt a little better so I went out to the park near my grandmothers house and ran 4 laps around the track (approx. 1 mile). After that run I  felt the pain again in my lung so I didn't jog the rest of my time in Calgary. In total I stopped jogging for 13days(minus the day I jogged 1 mile). The day I flew back to Cali April 29, 2013 that evening I walked around the park. The next day I started running again, but my body had changed. My lung no longer hurt, my legs were strong, and my lung capacity for air had reached another level. I started breaking my runs into miles at a time. Each morning I would run 2 miles, walk 1/2 a mile and run 1 1/2 miles until I finished the entire park. At night I went back out to the park and ran 1 mile walked 1/2 a mile, ran another mile, walked 1/2 a mile, and finished off the last mile for a total of 6 1/2 miles of running and 1 1/2 mile of walking a day!

All the jogging, running, walking, weight loss, quitting weed, and quitting smoking cigs, lead up Monday May 6, 2013. After taking Sat and Sun off I woke up that morning and decided I was going to go all the way. I jogged 4 miles around the whole park and never stopped. I ran 4 straight miles for 5 days straight last week!  Earlier this week Tuesday May 14, 2013  which mark my 1 month smoke free I decide I was going to jog an extra mile on top of my 4 miles. I jogged 5 miles straight without stopping.  In all this week I jogged 4 miles two days, and 5 miles 3 days.  Today and tomorrow I am taking off and Monday I will try to increase my jog to 6 miles straight (or at least 5 1/2 mile if I can't go 6 miles).

 

Okay so here is the downfall!  Even though I stopped smoking on April 15, 2013  when I weighed myself the middle of March which was over 1 1/2 month ago from I weighed 175Lbs. I just weighed myself and I weigh 171.8 LBs.  For the last month I have cut down to 1 meal a day(low calorie meal) and have jogged 5 days a week 4-5+ miles a day since the middle of March after. Although I have not gain weight I have not shed a pound even with the low calorie daily intake and miles of running daily   I thought by now I would be around the 155-165 max range but that is not the case!

So yeah this is my story on weight!

Correction! October 2012 not October 2013

Hi,

    I had a random crazy thought and thought I just share it with you guys.  Its going to seem off the wall and nothing to do with the subject matter of this forum but oh well...

 

I was thinking about a conversation a friend of mine and I had, and as I was watching a wildlife documentary on TV I randomly for some reason had a thought.  Anyhow, getting back to the conversation with my friend.  He brought up the fact that he was deathly afraid that if a life or death situation ever arose, what he would be afraid of the most is not having the strength to get away.  Then we both laugh and were joking about how if it came down to me, him, and another one of my friends in a life/death situation that he would definitely get away since he was the most fit.  That would leave me or my other friend assed out since we were both smokers, overweight,  and out of shape.  One of us if not both would be done for.  I know, I know!  it seems crazy I would be laughing about something like this but me and my friends are kind of strange characters.  This conversation took place almost over a year ago.

 

So that being said...recently I was watching a wildlife documentary on TV and it showed a pack of gazelles walking through the African safari heading towards a lion hiding low in the grass waiting for the gazelles to walk closer in an attempt to ambush.  As the gazelles walked closer and was in striking distance the lion jumped up  and the gazelles were off running.   The tiger was in full pursuit.  The gazelles were running, changing speed and direction, there were some gazelles ahead of the pack, some in the middle, but there was one gazelle that seem to be weaker then the others and was falling behind.  I watched as this tiger eventually caught up to the gazelle, tripped it, then as fast as the pursuit happened it ended with this gazelles neck was in the grasp of the tigers teeth.  Then 3 more tigers out of nowhere jump out ran over and they were just tearing this gazelle up and eating it alive.

 

Well anyway, where I am going with this is.  After watching this, and having my friends conversation come back to me.  I was thinking he is right.  That would be scary if you were in a situation and needed your heart and lungs to get away and you just simply didn't have the strength to do it. 

 

My whole point is imagine you are a gazelle.  Would you rather be one of the gazelles(doesn't smoke) ahead or in the middle of the pack that gets away or would you want to be that one gazelles(smoker) at the end of the pack struggling, huffing and puffing trying to get away but the tiger eventually catch up to, tear apart, and eat alive?   

 

8 months ago I weighed 223 LBs, I smoked a lot of pot and average over a pack of cigarettes a day.  I also had high blood pressure.  I am proud to say after putting together a cardio routine and sticking with it today I will weigh anywhere from 166.8 LBs to 171 LBs depending on when I weigh myself though out the day, whether it's after a jog, eating, or drinking fluids. I have always had high blood pressure my entire life but now it steady at 118/77.  Also I no longer smoke cigarettes or pot.  I have been smoke free from pot for months and cig smoke since April 15, 2013.  I jog 4-5 miles a day.

 

I am not bragging.  All I am saying when it comes down to it, you never know when you are going to need your lungs, and your heart to get out of a life or death situation!  I am just glad I am giving myself the best chance to survive!

 

If you are a smoker serious consider quitting.  Don't get caught slipping and out of shape!  That's all I have to say!

 

Not trying to scare you, just making you recognize!

Hi you two   Glad to be here! Thanks for your welcome and encouragement!

Hello,

         I agree.  Overall stop smoking just makes you feel better and the many benefits come with quitting.  I was just using the lion/gazelles as an example and maybe going a little extreme.  Truth is you just never know.  In the crazy world today you just don't know what to expected.  You never know when you will need to run, especially when your life is in danger.  Adrenaline alone can do many things, but you need strong lungs and heart to give yourself the best chance to survive. 

 

Lol@ Working On It

Hi,

    thanks for your support and encouragement.  Months ago I was very overweight. I was not aware how overweight I was until a weigh in during a physical.  I don't know I guess the thought me being 36 years old, getting older, being unfit, unmarried, no kids, no education, excessive smoking, pothead, fat and ugly, and pretty much a loser clicked in.  Everything came slowly.  Quitting smoking began by walking around a park near my house, making goals to lose weight, slowly but surely giving up unhealthy life threatening habits one at a time.  Smoking was actually the last habit I put away.  I guess at some point smoking contradicted with my cardio goals, so I had to make a choice.  I chose to get over the hump and be able to jog further distance without stopping.  I guess finding something more important then smoking was the driving force. 

Gratz! I want to go on a boat ride too, I am jealous!  Woot! to 50 days smoke free!

Hi,

    Gratz on 1 year mark.  I am  new to forum and only a few days over 1 month smoke free and it's feel like its been forever.  I can't imagine what it feels like to reach one year and go 365 days straight then continue past that.  The determination you must have to reach this day then continue on.  Within the past year I have turned into a health freak.  I given up many things, nail biting, smoking pot, etc.  I even took it to another level and extreme and stopped driving  my car.  All I can truly say is out of all the things I have given up and I  left behind, smoking is the hardest.  Only 4 things crosses my mind now a days school, money,  jogging/running and lastly smoking.  Although I know I will never smoke again, it still crosses my mind.  I think about it, I want it, I love it, and I miss it, but I know it will crush me if I touch it!

 

Anyhow, congratulations!

 

 

9 years?   That is insane and absolutely amazing!  This forum gets better and better!  Congratulations, I hope and wish I can log on one day and say 9 years one day too.

 

 

Props and respect!