Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Thank you very much!! (I'm still learning to accept compliments so this had to be added).

Yeah, you might want to address that with your doctor. That is scary ****.

I actually still use E-Cigs and have had 0 issues. Nicotine, from the research i've done, is about as harmful as Caffeine. The Electronic cigarettes don't burn anything so it eliminated all the real negatives of smoking. I don't use as much, but at first it made stopping really easy for me. Yes, there where some craving as I don't think that the e-cigs provide as much nicotine or the other 4000 chemicals in cigarettes. Quitting everything is better, but after 25 years of 1 to 2 packs a day it is working for me. Nearly 60 pounds lost and quit smoking, I'd have never thought it would happen. Didn't even mean to quit smoking...

 

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Good luck! The best way to do it is cold turkey. I always used to smoke with some of my colleagues, and once I stopped going out for "coffee breaks" it helped a lot. I pretty much stopped hanging out at the places where I'd be tempted to smoke (outside the Starbucks, drinking with the boys etc).

Also, you'll just find yourself to be more awake more often when you're not smoking. And after the caffeine withdrawal wears down (I still drink coffee, but very little), you will just find less of a "crash" (and fewer peaks/troughs in how you feel). Personally, it was harder for me than people who smoke more because, well, I just told myself smoking a "little" wasn't a big deal.

 

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Thanks dude! Yeah, it's a big personal mountain for me that I haven't been able to climb yet...sort of a big personal thing, like it is for most smokers probably. Same with me with the cardio, I didn't do it for a long time because I didn't think I had it in me. I've already increased my endurance and lung capacity a lot while still smoking, but I feel like I'm hitting a ceiling and am ready to quit for this and so many other reasons.

 

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Yeah I like the idea of doing it cold turkey, get the nicotine totally out of the body, etc instead of prolonging the body's dependency on it...but I do think it's more important to me to just ditch the cigs - and if I can increase my odds by supplementing JUST nicotine to ease cravings, I think I'm going to go that route...I'm thinking instead of doing a 24/7 program like a patch or something I will either get these e-cigs or nicotine gum - so I can get a quick shot during my bad cravings, like when I'm out with friends.

I am gearing myself up and planning to quit on July 15th - problem is I have a 3 day out of town pool party to go to at the end of the month where everyone will be drinking/partying, etc...to survive that weekend without a cigarette I think I will need some gum or e-cigs or something...

 

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Never tried the patch but the e-cigs look and feel like a real smoke. I found that the ritual of smoking was as addicting as the actual smoking. Still occasionally find myself headed for the garage to smoke. Now I just laugh at myself. E-cigs can be done virtually anywhere (no planes) as it only blows out water vapor. Good luck with quitting.

 

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

Cool I will definitely check them out - thanks again!

 

Quitting Smoking: Effects on Cardio Performance?

I wish you good luck! Something I don't understand from reading all this though: If you can make it easier on yourself by using gum or still using coffee, why wouldn't you? From everything I can look at, I don't think coffee is bad for you. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the smoke that is the bad part, not strictly the nicotein per se. I mean maybe nicotein is a little bad for you but really minor. Why not just chew those for a couple weeks then phase them out slowly? Or is it just sort of a control thing, like you want to take control and say NO once and for all and that's all there is to it?