Weight gain? But other Great Benefits

[Tonyrat]

Hey guys! Just another update... weight down to 215... for 195 lbs lost!! About 24.9% body fat... still more to go to get under 10% lol... but getting there slowly but surely... at this point, it's more about trading fat for muscle, rather than losing "weight" (I actually haven't lost any weight for 3 weeks, but have dropped 5 lbs of body fat and gained 5 lbs lean in that time frame, and went down a couple more inches at the waist.. which is now 34" instead of my starting point of 64"... can you imagine? That's over 5' in diameter!!! It's horrifying to think I let myself get that big! Oh well, it's gone now )

I've updated my profile pic so you can see what I look like right now... good bit different lol... people I've known for years that hadn't seen me in a year or so SIMPLY DO NOT recognize me.. and then they don't even believe it's me until I laugh or do something familiar like that... it's a RIOT! (Of course, now everyone asks me... "oh did you get that bypass surgery?" ...ummm.. NOPE... old school diet and exercise!) I've also put up a couple pics in my album here on ECF if you want to see a body shot, etc. Again, not where I want to be yet, but looking and feeling soooo much better!!

...and since this IS after all a vaping forum... still VERY HAPPILY vaping (got QUITE a kit now, which I keep in a handy dandy tackle box, which is great for storing ALL things vaping), and still charismatically evangelical about it hahahahahah!!! Got several friends now doing it, and they love it too The ONLY thing I hate is when I demo it, someone grabs my PV and tries it without asking... kinda gross, lol. 8-o Oh well, that's what new carts are for.

Anyhow, off topic... been vaping Johnson's Creek stuff, which I really love... but keep hearing about this Atomic Fireball flavor from TV that I'm now dying to try (I was a SUCKER for Hot Tomales and Atomic Fireballs back in my um... "big boned" days)... just wish I knew if it was 100% USA origin (or rathern 0% chinese in origin, a personal ethical policy of mine, sorry china!) Anyone know? Those Tasty Vapes look like amazing flavors to try! 0 Calorie deserts!! YUM!

 

[Katattack]

That is awesome Tony. Sure you look great but most importantly for your health.

 

[Tonyrat]

That is awesome Tony. Sure you look great but most importantly for your health.

Yep, absolutely Vaping and not smoking + regular exercise and good body composition make for a much healther me, and I'm sure glad to be on this track rather than the old one of 410 lbs headed for emphysema ...which was a track surely headed for an early death lol (seriously, I was in baddddd shape)

 

[Poeia]

Wow, Tonyrat, that's really impressive. How are you measuring your body fat?

I haven't lost any weight but one thing that's helped me not gain any since I quit smoking is that I'm never in drug stores any more. I used to go in at least 4 or 5 times a week to buy cigarettes. And the candy bars are right there by the cash register...

My big problem is when I'm at work. I eat a ton of carbs and not healthy ones. But I think part of that is that I'm still playing with my nicotine levels. I'm not getting enough in the morning (and am using the carbs to try to get some energy) but I'm getting too much at night to get a good night's sleep. My big project this weekend is to find good morning, all day and night nicotine levels.

 

[Tonyrat]

Wow, Tonyrat, that's really impressive. How are you measuring your body fat?

I've been using a special scale that uses BIA (bioelectric impedence analysis) to measure body fat... it sends a harmless electrical impulse up through your body, and based on the rate of return of various voltages (the fact that fat resists moreso than muscle, which is mostly water) it is able to get a pretty good read on your body fat percentage... it's pretty nifty. Not as spot-on accurate as the gold standard methods, like underwater weighing and DEXA scans, which are like $100 or $200 a pop. With BIA, as long as you consistently measure under the same conditions, such as measuring at the same time of day (pref morning), eat the same things the day or two before to ensure digestive system content consistency, make sure you pee before you measure, don't drink anything beforehand (hence the importance of doing it in the morning), wear the same clothes, use the same exact scale, etc., basically, exactly duplicate the conditions as best as possible, then it's reasonably accurate in terms of how much you gained or lost... though it says I'm at 24.9%, it can really be somewhere between 23% and 27%. The progress, and accurately tracking that progress, is what's key. As I approach the 15% or 10% mark, I'll probably get a DEXA scan done and use that as a calibration adjustment for my spreadsheet, and keep using the scale, factoring in the difference.

I haven't lost any weight but one thing that's helped me not gain any since I quit smoking is that I'm never in drug stores any more. I used to go in at least 4 or 5 times a week to buy cigarettes. And the candy bars are right there by the cash register...

...YEP... they getcha every time with those impulse buys... I've completely sworn off candy... one of my biggest weaknesses... so I'm not tempted at the store anymore because I can't say "oh I'll just not have my candy later"... I can't have it at ALL... and that helps me say no all of the time. Except Halloween... I had a few pieces at Halloween hehe

My big problem is when I'm at work. I eat a ton of carbs and not healthy ones. But I think part of that is that I'm still playing with my nicotine levels. I'm not getting enough in the morning (and am using the carbs to try to get some energy) but I'm getting too much at night to get a good night's sleep. My big project this weekend is to find good morning, all day and night nicotine levels.

I don't know if this helps... but COFFEE has been helpful to me... I already use the high from JC, so I can't go higher without switching brands... and the caffeine is a big help in the morning til my vapes take over. Tea's good too if you don't like coffee... I figure caffeine and nicotine are so much alike anyhow, that any vaper wouldn't mind the substitute, so I like to think that's good advice... but judge for yourself I wish you the VERY best of luck avoiding those nasty carbs in the morning ... oh, one other thing... try a piece of fruit or two... they give you a healthy boost of fructose... if you want to go the super-healthy route... keep an apple by your bed so you have it first thing when you wake up, and that may help... just a thought!

 

[Rainbowz]

Great story Tonyrat!!!

You are obviously on the right track. You rock!

 

[CaptJay]

very impressive man, more power to ya

 

[NCC]

... but put it out after a puff or 3. I just really prefer vaping, hands down. I'm getting back a keen sense of smell and taste. But here's my question, I also got a sudden wieght gain of 10 pounds. I was wondering if anybody else got this?

ya, I can relate to lighting an analog and then putting it out after several drags. Yuck!

I have only been off analogs for about a month. But, I apparently have lost a few pounds ... apparently, because I haven't stepped on a scale. But, I'm able to easily fit into some old jeans which were too tight before. I wonder if anyone else has LOST weight?

Also, and don't think I'm crazy, but I think my hearing is better, too. Maybe with the junk out of my sinuses my ears work better.

Interesting: I thought the sound system in my car had been sounding better lately (it's better than my home stereo ). I haven't mentioned it to anyone because I figured it was just my imagination. Perhaps it's not.

Good vaping to ya!


EDIT: Yikes! I just realized I responded to a post from seven months ago! LOL

 

[Lisaf01]

WOW! Tony!

Amazing progress, I think I said it before, but it's definitely worth saying again.... You really are an inspiration to us all.

Keep up the good work, you're looking great and even more importantly, feeling great.

 

[logbas34]

I don't think it's crazy you said you could hear better after you stopped smoking.

1st off, high blood pressure, and thicker blood, and decreased oxygen in your blood, could possibly make it so that there isn't as much oxygen going to the ears which in some diseases like tinnitus to become worse, I know I have it! so I could see that maybe to some extent having better blood supply could help make hearing a little better

who knows?

 

[Metstoo]

I just read this whole thread and, wow! Tonyrat, congratulations! You are very inspiring! Way to go!!

Like most women who smoke, my biggest worry about quitting smoking is gaining weight. I quit smoking for 2 years through hypnotism many years ago and, despite my best efforts, gained 20 lbs. I was so proud of myself back then because I managed to stay smoke-free through a major earthquake, 9/11, getting fired for the first time ever and several other major crisis events but... looking back now I realize that instead of smoking, I just dealt with the stress through eating junk. Two years after quitting smoking, I started again and immediately lost most of that extra weight... which only reinforced the smoking/weight connection.

Knowing all this now, I have been looking for a way to quit smoking that will work on cravings AND the emotional/stress issues. Patches and gum weren't the answer. Honestly? I can't recall exactly what led me to e-cigs, but I think I've found my solution in vaping! Yay!!

Another reason... I suspect I have inherited my mother's hypothyroid condition and losing weight has become damn near impossible. I did an experiment and went on a strict 1400 calories a day diet with moderate to heavy (aerobics and strength) exercise 2-3 a week. I did it religiously for 5 weeks straight. I lost only 3 lbs and no inches. Until I find some way to manage my hormonal issue, quitting smoking and gaining 10-20 lbs is just NOT an option right now.

Now with my PV, I'm very hopeful that I can quit the smoking AND get healthier!

 

[Drummel]

Hehe, I put on 14 pounds while on analogs. I've weighed 128 pounds since the beginning of High School. Now 15 years later and all of a sudden I found my midsection a wee bit bigger, noticed more so when tying my shoes. Ok so 142 isn't a horrible thing, but man did it sneak up on me. (again this was before I switched to digital)

Maybe it'll keep me warmer in the cold, but we'll see what age and the future holds.

 

[Whitbit]

That is awesome Tonyrat! Before I could quit smoking I started excercising and eating better, and I lost 25 pounds this year. I look and feel great even though I have about 25 more pounds to lose.

Now that I am not smoking and vaping instead, I plan on going back to the gym after having a week off to adjust to the vaping, and getting back on the old elliptical (I love those things! I could never use a treadmill)

Good luck with the rest of your journey!!

 

[Tonyrat]

I just read this whole thread and, wow! Tonyrat, congratulations! You are very inspiring! Way to go!!

Thank you Metstoo!

Knowing all this now, I have been looking for a way to quit smoking that will work on cravings AND the emotional/stress issues. Patches and gum weren't the answer. Honestly? I can't recall exactly what led me to e-cigs, but I think I've found my solution in vaping! Yay!!

Metstoo... I'm sooo happy for you that you found vaping.. and as you can see, the community is FANTASTIC and EXTREMELY supportive!! So, if you're running into issues and such, don't be afraid to post... lots of folks are out here ready to help

Another reason... I suspect I have inherited my mother's hypothyroid condition and losing weight has become damn near impossible. I did an experiment and went on a strict 1400 calories a day diet with moderate to heavy (aerobics and strength) exercise 2-3 a week. I did it religiously for 5 weeks straight. I lost only 3 lbs and no inches. Until I find some way to manage my hormonal issue, quitting smoking and gaining 10-20 lbs is just NOT an option right now.

I've done a TON of research on weight gain and weight loss... and health in general... over the past year, and I believe I can offer at least a little bit of help to you on this issue. I'm no doc, so take this with a grain of salt of course, but I hope it helps.

Alright, first off... hypothyroidism doesn't mean you can't lose weight, it only means your RMR (resting metabolic rate - your rate of calorie consumption for only life's most essential functions - breathing, heart beating, etc.) may be a little lower than "normal".

Bottom line, nobody's body can violate the laws of physics!! Not even with a hypothyroid condition... you can't get more energy out of a closed system than what's put into it... so if you don't put more energy into your body, then it must convert matter into energy or you'd stop moving (i.e. DIE, lol), so it's all about energy balance. Spend more energy than you put in, and you WILL lose weight. The trick is in knowing how much energy you're expending. (Counting the calories you're putting IN is relatively easy by comparison.)

I would suggest that you check out this site that I use for RMR info and to know how much you're likely to burn under normal conditions with and/or without various forms of exercise: Calories Burned, BMI, BMR & RMR Calculator | CaloriesPerHour.com If you enter your gender, current weight, height, and age, it will give you a pretty good guess what your RMR is. For example, a 40-year old woman that's 5'5" and 160 lbs will have a RMR of 1,397 calories per day. That means if she consumes 1,397 calories per day, and doesn't do any activity, she'll maintain her weight... assuming normal physiology otherwise. I don't know what your stats are, but if you were eating 1,400 calories a day, unless you're pretty big and/or pretty tall, you may find that cardio 3 times a week will not cause very fast weight loss... even if you burned an extra 1,750 calories a week, then it will take 6 weeks to lose 3 pounds... which seems consistent with what you said you did. (And btw... ANY weight loss, even 3 lbs over 5 or 6 weeks... is GREAT PROGRESS... DON'T GIVE UP!! Just imagine after a year (52 weeks) how that 3 lbs turns into 30 lbs lost!! Besides, losing too fast (as a percentage of body weight lost) can be very, very unhealthy... slow weight loss is DEFINITELY better for your health. Oh, and about the inches... you have NO choice where the fat comes from... eventually it will all go, but not necessarily from where you want it to come from, i.e. stomach right when you want it. For example, I noticed in the past 2 weeks... no change in waist size, but the skin on my arms is a good bit thinner... go figure!!)

If you do have a hypothyroid condition, then your RMR will be a bit lower, and that may be something out of your control... so up the calorie burn. Longer low-intensity cardio sessions will burn MANY calories without as much perceived effort.. it just takes more time, that's all. Plus, add resistence training (weight lifting) to put on lean tissue... this will trade fat for muscle, and you won't look like a body builder (that's not possible without EXTREME EFFORT)... you'll just look super healthy. So even if your weight doesn't change, who cares? As long as your body fat has been lowered and you look and feel healthier than ever.

There's really so much more to learn, but I hope that gets your started... if you really want to keep the weight off, or lose some, etc., learn as much as you can... and keep track of all your results... and you'll find out that even with hypothyroidism, you can acheive your goals.





A couple of tips to help you (and anyone wanting to get or stay at a healthy weight)...

1. There's no magic bullet, sorry, but anyone that says otherwise is either trying to sell something or grossly misinformed. You can't think "I'll go on a diet" because eventually, you'll be "off the diet" once you reach your goal. And then the pounds come back. You just need to decide if you really want to do it or not, realizing it is going to take a long time to acheive your goals, and it's going to be a lifelong change in your activities and in the way you eat. It's simple in concept, but you have to want it for yourself.
2. Stay the HECK away from soda and other high calorie beverages, other than a glass of milk a day. Soda (pop, whatever), and energy drinks are very, VERY bad for you, all the way around. Not a positive thing about them... other than being awfully tasty. (I used to drink a case of Mt. Dew a day... 12 cans of soda minimum... at 180 calories a pop... that's 2,160 from soda alone. Sad, but true. I've read that even diet soda is very bad for you and won't really help you lose weight... dunno for sure, but I avoid soda altogether at this point to avoid ANY temptation.
3. Stay away from desserts in general... allow yourself only very limited sweets... you need SOME carbs, but sadly, most people's diet is like mostly carbs and sat fats... sigh. Frankly, fruit is much better for you than pound cake.
4. Eat TRULY healthy and count them calories... don't fake it or take exceptions other than what you've already planned (like a weekly visit to your favorite restaurant, but don't get too crazy), and follow the food pyramid, it really DOES WORK. Lots of fruit and veggies.
5. Exercise... a lot... and have fun with it. Find something you like, so it's not a burden. I love my elliptical because I can glide along listening to music in the privacy of my own home... that's my thing. If you like something else, like hiking or biking, then do that... alot. (Don't overdo it of course, do some research or ask your doc on what's a healthy dose, not the minimal amount to get by, but what's doable.)
6. Learn all you can about nutrition and good excercise. It's worth the work... very much so.
7. On the positive side, once you decide to do it, after a few months, you won't crave all the "bad stuff" anymore... your entire thinking, what you want, what you like, completely changes... so the lifelong change stops being an every day fight, and just becomes... well, normal.
8. Check out the P90x program. Google it. I haven't tried it yet, but I know people that did very well with it, so I will be giving that a go myself in a month or two. It's an excercise plan for building lean tissue with a great nutritional plan. It focuses on "muscle confusion" to build muscle very quickly... in a good way, not in a grotesque way. (Unless you want to ) Strictly speaking though, I can't vouch for it, not having tried it yet myself... but it seems like something fun to do when I need to give my regular routines a rest, so I will try it then.
9. This one's important... USE ANY AND ALL pshychological tricks on yourself to stay motivated until the results speak for themselves and your new habits become part of who you are. I would grab my big gut every day and yell at it... "GO AWAY!" hahaha... that must sound sooo silly... but it worked for me. Made me feel like it wasn't really ME, but something terribly inconvenient that was simply attached to me that needed to go... and I like to think it worked. So let's say you don't have a huge gut to scream at like I did... but rather, let's say you like getting compliments... then doll yourself up. Dress super nice and do your hair nice, even when you don't have to. The more compliments you get, the more it fuels your desire to be the best you that you can be. If that's what motivates you, then use it. Don't be shy, it's your health at stake. Think about what motivates you and make sure you do all you can to see that motivation be a part of your life every day.

I hope that helps you... and anyone else patient enough to have read that.

 

[Tonyrat]

That is awesome Tonyrat! Before I could quit smoking I started excercising and eating better, and I lost 25 pounds this year. I look and feel great even though I have about 25 more pounds to lose.

Now that I am not smoking and vaping instead, I plan on going back to the gym after having a week off to adjust to the vaping, and getting back on the old elliptical (I love those things! I could never use a treadmill)

Good luck with the rest of your journey!!

Awesome!! So good to hear others focusing on their overall health too... and btw... I love my elliptical too hehe... I actually bought two, the first one broke (wal-mart cheapie) so then I got an Agile DMT which is an amazing elliptical... pricy, but well worth it... I LOVE that thing. Good luck with your journey too!!

Oh, and start easy on the elliptical if you're just getting off the smokes... I actually started WHILE smoking... and it was sooo unreal... scary at times even (I'll never tell, lol)... the vaping really improved things dramatically, but for me it took about a month or so to clear all the gunk out, and to start to get my pulmonary health back on track. Just pay close attention to your body, and don't overdo it... and most of all... have fun with it!

 

[MsSki]

No wieght gain here ( knock on wood) yet
Tara

 

[Remie]

After reading this thread, I had to comment - Tony, you are amazing and an inspiration!!

I read all the threads regarding weight gain from quitting smoking because I have the opposite problem (and it is a problem) - I was hoping that one of the side effects from quitting would be gaining some weight.

I'm over a month smoke free (and loving vaping!) - but I've actually lost a couple of pounds

In any case, Congrats, and thank you for sharing your story... you really made a life style change and you are proving that education, commitment and making changes and choices works! I am personally impressed, and inspired.

 

[Dracorana]

I've been using a special scale that uses BIA (bioelectric impedence analysis) to measure body fat... it sends a harmless electrical impulse up through your body, and based on the rate of return of various voltages (the fact that fat resists moreso than muscle, which is mostly water) it is able to get a pretty good read on your body fat percentage... it's pretty nifty.

I have one of these scales, had it for a few years now, mine has settings for men and women...now here is my problem with them, if I accidentally hit the button that lets it think I am a man instead of a woman it drops my body fat by quite a bit. This tells me it's still only estimating by the height and weight and gender entered.

 

[Tonyrat]

I have one of these scales, had it for a few years now, mine has settings for men and women...now here is my problem with them, if I accidentally hit the button that lets it think I am a man instead of a woman it drops my body fat by quite a bit. This tells me it's still only estimating by the height and weight and gender entered.

This is going to vary by scale to scale, from manufacturer to manufacturer... as they all use their own proprietary formulas... but gender IS always important to the forumla used to measure the body fat based on the electrical reading it takes. That's mostly because the signal is sent up one leg and the circuit is completed down the other leg... and since there are drastic physiological differences between men and women in the trunk region (good thing too, lol) then it makes perfect sense that the reading would have to be run through a different formula for men and women (or one of the coefficients in the formula would need to change, etc.) Either way, different results for gender is normal, and expected. However, if you keep all the settings the same, and strap on other items to your legs so they touch your skin, then swap those out with yet other items that have vastly different electrical resistance, but the same weight, then you'll change the reading... so they do work as advertised. (What can I say, I was skeptical myself!!) They're just not as precise as DEXA scanning, of course. Again, though, it's about monitoring the trend moreso than getting a perfect fix on your body fat down to the tenth of a percent. After all, you're interested in your results of changes to your body composition, not a "number", right? The "number" is only important if you have a percentage objective like I do (10%)... and then only as you're getting close to it.

 

[Dracorana]

Tony, I agree with what you're saying to an extent. I have had one of these for years. I personally say if you want to use it as a baseline for when you start vs what you would like to lean towards, then fine, but I don't think anyone should ever expect them to be accurate. I mean a good portion of the measurement is done purely by how hydrated you are. Honestly, as long as you use a ketogenic based diet with exercise(and honestly if it's a strict ketogenic diet you don't really even need exercise)you're going to burn body fat.