quiting smoking and weight gain

[beatingthis]

It had bee over 3 month for me since I put the cigs down. I started poewr walking at the same time, now up to 15 miles a week. I also added weight traing. 4 days a week. Lungs are good no bad knees or shoulder. Doing 4 rebs os 25 for 7 different lifting.
My question is I have not lost weight or many inches. I really work out like a mad women. I do not eat over 1,800 to 1,900 cals in day but I could eat a horse. I am 51 years old 5 7" and my weight is 166 down from 170 after quiting smoking.

How many times a week should you exerise? I do 4 or 5 with weight training 4 days a week. I feel like that is all I do.

Thanks for your help. I would like to look and feel better but I don't want to spend my life on the treadmil.

Terry

[Jaquta]

That sounds pretty good walking wise.  I'm a slow walker/ runner but I aim for 10 minutes per km if walking and 5 minutes per km if running.  It can depend a bit on terrain, weather, motivation, etc but I find it useful as a rough guide.

I've found ab exercises have worked well for slimming down and toning up the waist.  They're also good for posture and core strength (which helps with the walking and running).

I too would like to see results yesterday but the best thing we can do in the meantime is to work towards achieving our goals.  Some say that being able to visualize the end result helps speed up the process.  I guess if nothing else it can keep us focused and motivated.

If you're hungry after your workouts you may need to address this.
A lot of people suggest eating within 30 minutes of exercise to aid recovery.  A favorite for me at the moment is yogurt.  I use to find berroca (vitamin B complex) really good too.  It was probably the sugar and caffeine in it. :(  Some people prefer sports drinks but if you try that watch the calories.  There are heaps of different foods you can eat to enhance recovery.  Maybe try a few options and see how you feel.
It could also be that you're a little dehydrated too.  Sometimes we identify dehydration as hunger.  Make sure you're well hydrated before, during and after exercise.

Not sure about a bear.  Gummy bear the sweets could help.  Our national netball team use lollies straight after a match while they're doing their cool-down.
I thought you meant beer and I thought that would account for having a big belly (beer gut).
Since you mention chewing.  Sugar-free chewing gum might help distract from the hunger but that's probably not something I would recommend.

Good luck.
J

[beatingthis]

Thank you for the info. I can now do3.5miles in 1 hour and full speed about 3.5 or 3.6 mph
Still ahving trouble with belly fat. I know this to will start to go down but I sure would like it to go down a bit fast.

I am a little confused about how much I should eat when hitting the weights as well as cardo. I am just crazy hungy , rice crackers and a little bit of fruit is not enough.
A bear would be nice. Chewing on one of them might help for a while lol

Terry

[Jaquta]

You could try looking at alternate ways to get the exercise in.  If it is fun and enjoyable it will feel less like a chore and you will want to do it.

I may have misinterpreted but from what you wrote I thought you said you had lost weight.  I hate converting those numbers to metric but you might already be in a healthy weight range so just need to maintain.  The hunger could be a result of having too few calories on the days you do work out (weight train, etc).
The numbers range from three times, to seven times per week.  

Maybe rewarding yourself for some of your achievements may help with motivation??

Just some ideas.  Do what works for you.  If you're not enjoying your workouts -try adjusting them.

J

[James G Beckerman, M.D.]

It seems like you have an impressive exercise regimen, and are eating appropriately.  It's fantastic that you quit smoking as well.

Muscle is certainly denser than fat and this may contribute to the higher number on the scale, but if you feel healthy, I might concentrate less on weight loss and just focus on fitness.