Hi All,
I hope everything is going well with you.
As some of you may have experienced in your own right, quitting smoking was the best decision I ever made, however, replacing my cravings with food was not! Two years prior to my quit, I worked hard to lose the 40 lbs that were making me rather unhealthy. After my quick, I substituted cigarettes for unhealthy snacks and I stopped working out. Sadly, that resulted in a 40 lbs weight gain!
Since joining the gym in January 2016, I've been working hard and trying to stay on track with my exercise regimen. Some days it's a struggle because I don't enjoy exercise. However, I am not blessed with the kind of genes or body type that allows me to rest on my laurels. That means I have to do some form of exercise whether I like it or not! The good thing about hard work though, is it does pay off. It might take awhile, but positive choices tend to have positive results.
I'm so happy to report that while I still have a ways to go, I've successfully lost 20 lbs! I'm also down one clothing size.
The best part is, I didn't give up and go back to smoking. I did the hard thing and made healthy lifestyle choices. A year and a half later, I eat better most of the time, I plan my meals, prepare my meals rather than eat out or eat lots of junk food. I also exercise 4 times a week and I make sure I'm active for a minimum of 30 per day, 7 days a week. Most weeks I average about 500 active minutes per week. I used some of the money I saved (now that I no longer need to shell out money for cigarettes) and invested in a Fitbit to help me track my progress and set realistic goals. The good news is, it gets easier. The more you do it, the easier it gets. It's all about creating healthy habits. At the end of the day, I didn't quit smoking to improve my health only to become unhealthy due to obesity.
I can honestly say, my quit has been a journey so far, but I'm enjoying the little victories along the way.
Here's to losing the next 20 lbs and staying smoke free! I look forward to celebrating my 4 year anniversary in November!
Whether you're thinking about quitting, you've recently quit, or you quit years ago, just know that quitting smoking is the best decision you will ever make in your life!
