New Years Resolutions 2008 - Page 2

I went for about 1/2 the day yesterday without a smoke and I started acting like a total @$$.  I am going to "cut back" first and take it slow.  Only smoke when I start acting like a royal turd.
Looks like I am already falling short of the last resolution on my list

Quitting Smoking:

When I smoked a lot, I cut back by taking an empty pack and putting 7 cigs in it to last me for the day ..... then when you get cravings, you have to see how much longer the day is and how many smokes that you have .... it discourages you from smoking too much and makes you ration the cigs .... after a week cut that back to 6 and so forth.  After you can do 3-4 cigs a day for 2 weeks, then you are ready to go cold-turkey.  After you completely stop, your attitude will take about 2 weeks to get back to normal and it'll take about 3 months to stop coughing ..... the cough gets worst about 3 weeks after you stop.

Also, start smoking half a cig at a time.

Working out helps the quitting.  When you are out of breath and nothing but your lungs are tired, you know why and it drives you to keep your lungs clean.


Losing Weight:

1) Exercise daily.  Even if it's as simple as parking in the last spot and walking for 10 minutes to the office and back.  Try to power walk it.
2) Don't eat ANYTHING within 4 hours of going to bed.
3) Eat enough that you are not full, but satisfied.
4) Drink water at all times.  An ounce of water per pound of body weight per day should be the target.
5) Have more sex.  Best cardio workout there is!  You can train muscles as well with various positions.  This also helps deal with stress (and can fit into the 1st recommendation).

I agree with your points above.  My biggest problem area is in the car on my way to and from work in the morning, at lunch, and on the way home.  I guess it's just because I am so used to smoking in the car.  i am definitely going to do as you said and only put a few smokes in an empty pack.
 
I always had a problem with my weight growing up and I lost all the fat before.  So I know how to lose it, it is just making myself do what I already know how to do.  Your suggestions on weight loss are good.  I am a big supporter of the "6 small meals a day" being the best method to lose weight and to maintain it.  it is just a PITA to prepare all of that food and bring it to work.  You are exactly right about the water intake too.  It is a lot more water than 8 glasses a day.  For me, I need to drink like 230 oz of water every day. That's almost 2 gallons!  That is another reason why drinking water helps you lose weight too.  because you are so full from the water.  Also, a half a grapefruit before bed is actually good for weight loss IMO.  i don't know what it is about grapefruit, but it works to keep the metabolism up.
Having more sex increases the likelihood of having another child.  That would cause weight gain and wallet strain

Let's see ..... as I remember it, the toughest times to quit are as follows:

1) After a meal
2) While driving (I used to do delivery ... argh!)
3) After sex (not bad IMO since my gf at the time didn't smoke)
4) When waiting ..... for anything
5) When drinking alcohol
6) After class

yeah i've heard that bout grapefruit as well, i think it has something to do with the high acidity in the citrus?

hah.. you could do like bruce willis' character on fifth element did and get ciggarrettes that are the reverse of your ty pical cigg where the longer portion is a filter, and the shorter portion is the tobacco.. i laughed my butt off when i first saw that..
 here's a pic i found, but i could have sworn it was just like i described... funny either way

http://www.yourprops.com/view_item.php?movie_prop=7358

After a meal is the absolute worst for wanting a cigarette.
 
I wish they made smokes like the ones you linked spaz.

Only Spaz would have found that!!!

couldnt you just cut the long part in half with a knife?

thyve found that most people who excersize to lose weight accomplish nothing, because excersize increases appetite, so they just eat more. you have to find the right mix of excersize, small amounts of healthy food, and large amounts of water.

As far as quitting smoking, they only thing i have to say is that you have to make sure NOT to replace the cigs with food or something else unhealthy.
that can make you very overweight very quickly.

I just found out something awesome.  My office is doing our own version of "The Biggest Loser."  Every pay period, the participands give $5 to the money keeper.  Then in the end (mid November - right before Thanksgiving) the company will match the amount of money in the pot.  there are 2 winners - the person with the most weight lost, and the person who lost the highest percentage of body weight (of course, both winners could be the same person.)  The weigh in is on January 7 (monday).  That means I have to try to gain as much weight as possible this weekend!  Anybody with good quick weight gain advice I'm all ears.  From tonight until Monday I am going to party hard and eat hard.  i think I'll go to the Chinese buffet and chow down a few times.  I also think I'll try to drink about 3 cases of budweiser.  Then on Sunday I'll eat as much salt as possible to retain water.  Monday morning right before weigh in I'll chug a bunch of water too.

This is the exact motivation I need!

have a buddy slip a toe on the scale ...... we used to do that in wrestling for people that were killing themselves to make weight!!!

Haha! Everyone is weighed alone in the office of the "weight keeper."  I think they are going to pat us down to make sure we don't have any 20lb logging chains around our necks or have any rolls of quarters stashed in our pockets.

Budweiser? Why don't you drink a high-carb real beer like Sam Adams or something potent. Also, you could try some weight gain powder...

Jon, first the "quitting smoking" thing and now this?  Can you win agin the hefers in your office?
I was about to crack up at the company Christmas party when I met the insurance administrator.  She's about 280 lbs at 5'5"-
totally had me picturing you in the ins. co's cubicles with fat bit**$ all around you.  There's no way to win if one of them sneaks in
a lipo.  I say do straight up cardio.  Lifting might result in gains- tho you still could gain weight and win the bodyfat reduction bet.
 
Talk sense to the wife- not all sex results in babies!!!
 
 
 

Jon ..... a lot of people gain weight from substituting eatting for smoking ...... may help you prepare ....... just make sure you get it back off!!!

Giving up smoking so that I could "win" a quadruple heart by-pass was not as easy as I might have implied BUT nicotine patches were a major help. Get your doctor on board then you dont pay for them. Oh sorry, I forgot that your health service is a profit making industry.

It sure is academic!!!!  I never liked the patches ..... tooo strong for me to back off after I cut back.  I'd actually get a nicotene buzz from them ...... on the plus side, while wearing the patch, the effects from a doobie would last like 3 times as long!!!

Well....Sam Adams was just a little too pricey and it is hard to drink say.....24 in a few days.  So I went with Miller High Life - it's cheap, tastes good, and I have to show loyalty to our company's largest commercial account - a Miller Distributor.  I found this website if anyone is interested in alcohol, calorie, and carb content in most beers: http://www.beer100.com/beercalories.htm.  Dang, Sam Adams Cream Stout has the most carbs of any beer on that list.  No wonder I've been gainaing weight.  i love that stuff!

I'm not worried about lifting resulting in gains either.  When I was in high school I started out fat and worked out like crazy.  I got down to about 176 in my best shape when I was lifting very heavily. I also know that is not an excuse I can use either (the excuse that muscle weighs more then fat so I must just be gaining muscle.)  Plus every bit more muscle you have on your body burns that much more fat when you aren't even doing anything.

Most of the women here are big, but think about it.  The only man I am competing against (I think) is the 62 year old CEO who is not even 200lbs in the first place.  Most of the women competing are in their 40's and 50's.  I am 24 so I already have an unfair advantage - first of all, because I'm a man; and second of all, because I'm much younger.  The only other woman I would have had to worry about went to school with me.  She is about 26, but she has already lost 40 lbs and now she doesn't even appear to be overweight anymore.  Several other women have already been dieting (my secretary, or assistant would be more politically correct, has already lost 30 lbs.) None of the previous lost weight counts.  I am sitting at about 235 or 240 right now.  I am hoping by monday I can fatten up to at least 250.  I know by November, if I stick to what I know, I can get down to 180.  then the last few days or so I can cut weight and probably lose another 10 lbs of water weight.  So if I am able to get down to 170 (for the weigh in day only) I will have lost 80 lbs (if I make it to 250 by Monday.)  That is a 32% decrease in weight and I doubt any of those women will lose 80 lbs either.  Plus I am the only one trying to gain 10 or 15 lbs by monday.  all of those women are afraid to gain anything.

I am going to start the first month by running every day and doing push ups and crunches.  Then I may join a gym and start lifting again after I don't feel like too much of a fat @$$.  The money is as good as mine come November!

quote:

ORIGINAL: academic

Giving up smoking so that I could "win" a quadruple heart by-pass was not as easy as I might have implied BUT nicotine patches were a major help. Get your doctor on board then you dont pay for them. Oh sorry, I forgot that your health service is a profit making industry.

 
I'd have to chew the gum.  I hate the patches.  they are too itchy. There is some new drug out there, I can't remember what it is called, but it is supposed to help you quit smoking without giving you any nicotine.  One of the nurses at the nursing home where my wife works used it and quit smoking.  Plus my health insurance is big into "Anti Tobacco" so I bet a lot of that stuff would be covered - I just have to check.  But I want to try to quit on my own first.  I am going to try the method Falkore suggested - only bringing 7 or so cigarettes with me every day, then cutting the number back every week or so till I can stop all together.
My dad had a heart attack(not a really bad one, but enough to be in the hospital for a few days) about 7 years ago and I am pretty sure smoking aided in the condition leading up to the attack.  My mom died of Congestive Heart Failure back in October of 2004.  She smoked too, but not for very long, maybe 10 years or so - compared to my dad smoking off-and-on for probably 30 years (he still smokes.)  I definitely believe smoking weakens the heart and lungs.  And I know now that heart problems run in my family.  I'm going to quit this year.  But I will never preach to anybody about quitting.  It's your body - smoke if you want to.  You may as well enjoy life while you are here.

Just remember that if you are low on energy, cut out the push-ups and crunches ..... the running is what will cut the weight ...... even better, use an eliptical ..... I sweat more on that than running.  Also, get a few pairs of sweat pants and shirts ..... you're going to be soaking them daily, so you'll want at least 3 sets.

I'm kind of mixed opinion on that.  I am of the school that believes in "shocking" the body - never let your body get used to a routine or it will plateau and you won't lose any weight or gain any muscle.  I will probalby run for a while going different routes as often as possible, then join a gym and get on the elliptical, maybe the stairmaster, etc.  When I join a gym I am going to tear it up on squats too.  I absolutely despise doing squats, but I know they are the best workout for your body.  I won't do any cardio on squat days - squats are enough.
I just hope I don't get sick and lose traction.  i am going to be taking vitamins like crazy.

I didn't mean not to do the strength training .... just that if you are worn out you can do more bad than good by over exerting yourself ..... if something needs to be dropped for the day, it's everything but cardio.

I agree ^

LOL ..... is that a first????      x843651930

By the time the patches started to become a problem, I was out of this world with the inside of my rib cage in public view. Afterwards, the hospital gave me di-hydrocodeine pain killers which kept me very "relaxed". No more cravings. The only problem was I lost the liking for beer too. There's always a down side.
I remember reading a newspaper column some years back. The writer was giving up the weed. His strategy was Day1. he stopped smoking. Day2 he made a solumn promise to start again tomorrow. Day3  he made the same promise and so on. he never did fulfil his promise.
Worth a try ?

quote:

ORIGINAL: academic
I remember reading a newspaper column some years back. The writer was giving up the weed. His strategy was Day1. he stopped smoking. Day2 he made a solumn promise to start again tomorrow. Day3  he made the same promise and so on. he never did fulfil his promise.
Worth a try ?

 
Haha that's a new way to think about it!