Ex smoker 49, fatter. Any advice?

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makum102

Winger
Since packing in smoking last October I've put on a couple of stone. It ALL gone on me belly. Its flippin massive compared to the rest of me. I look like I'm pregnant at some points in the day!

Im 49, drive a lot, dont get much chance to exercise (busy working behind a desk when not driving).

I dont overeat. Everything we eat is fresh, healthy and not processed. Never bother with breakfast. Have 1 round (2 slices) of home made sarnies a day - usually cheese or tuna. Main meal early evening, odd bag of crisps / nuts. Dont eat chocolate / cakes or sweet stuff.

I enjoy a couple of G&T's most evenings - late on about an hour before bed - with slimline tonics.

Why am I getting fatter and what can anyone recommend to get rid bearing in mind age & lifestyle?
 


Quite simply you do infact overeat.

You may not be eating a tremendous amount of food, but ultimately it comes down to calories eaten vs calories expended and if you're pretty inactive due to driving and desk work, a relatively average caloric intake could be leading to weight gain.
 
Since packing in smoking last October I've put on a couple of stone. It ALL gone on me belly. Its flippin massive compared to the rest of me. I look like I'm pregnant at some points in the day!

Im 49, drive a lot, dont get much chance to exercise (busy working behind a desk when not driving).

I dont overeat. Everything we eat is fresh, healthy and not processed. Never bother with breakfast. Have 1 round (2 slices) of home made sarnies a day - usually cheese or tuna. Main meal early evening, odd bag of crisps / nuts. Dont eat chocolate / cakes or sweet stuff.

I enjoy a couple of G&T's most evenings - late on about an hour before bed - with slimline tonics.

Why am I getting fatter and what can anyone recommend to get rid bearing in mind age & lifestyle?

You've just got to find some time to exercise. The odd bag of nuts is canny calorific anarl!
 
Try noting calories for a few days. If it is unusually low, go to your GP and demand blood work.
 
Try noting calories for a few days. If it is unusually low, go to your GP and demand blood work.
Cheers lads.
Have blood works done regularly due to high BP. Slightly high cholesterol. I'm on both beta and alpha blockers, which work a treat for me high BP. Other than that A OK.

Strange thing is I'm not eating more than when I smoked. Could it be to do with stopping changed my metabolism?

Either way time for a diet...
 
Cheers lads.
Have blood works done regularly due to high BP. Slightly high cholesterol. I'm on both beta and alpha blockers, which work a treat for me high BP. Other than that A OK.

Strange thing is I'm not eating more than when I smoked. Could it be to do with stopping changed my metabolism?

Either way time for a diet...

Use my fitness pal to track what you eat. I used to think I wasn't eating much but when I tracked my food and seen the amount of calories in nuts, olives etc which you think you are being good eating instead of crisps you will be suprised by how many calories are in certain foods. Also portion sizes may be too large if you aren't eating that much shite
 
One thing that stood out for me but hasn't been mentioned yet is breakfast. DO bother with it. There are some potential benefits of delaying breakfast if you're exercising 1st but in layman's terms, if you're not doing any exercise even a small amount of protein & carbohydrate will kick start your metabolism out of it's fasting/hibernation state to start actively burning calories again
 
One thing that stood out for me but hasn't been mentioned yet is breakfast. DO bother with it. There are some potential benefits of delaying breakfast if you're exercising 1st but in layman's terms, if you're not doing any exercise even a small amount of protein & carbohydrate will kick start your metabolism out of it's fasting/hibernation state to start actively burning calories again

Hasn't that been proven to be bullshit about kick starting your metabolism? I never eat breakfast
 
The more you exercise the more you can eat. I would try an exercise you enjoy, otherwise you will struggle to stick to it. It is not impossible to incorporate it into your routine, even if it means taking stairs, walking and jogging more if possible.

As for food, little things can make a difference. I started making my now bread in a machine a couple of years ago - much healthier, low GI etc, and keeps you going longer without snacks. Some people cut out bread, to me that's not realistic, it could be seeing what works for you.
 
The more you exercise the more you can eat. I would try an exercise you enjoy, otherwise you will struggle to stick to it. It is not impossible to incorporate it into your routine, even if it means taking stairs, walking and jogging more if possible.

As for food, little things can make a difference. I started making my now bread in a machine a couple of years ago - much healthier, low GI etc, and keeps you going longer without snacks. Some people cut out bread, to me that's not realistic, it could be seeing what works for you.

I think this is an important point. Whenever I would try to eat "clean", I would end up struggling to stick to my plan, going off track, and thinking "well I've messed up now so fuck it" and binging. Now I go for more of a flexible approach that allows me to incorporate more of the foods I enjoy; I just make sure I fit them into my caloric and macronutrient needs (If It Fits Your Macros, basically). For me, the best thing about this approach is that the flexibility it affords means that you don't feel guilty for not sticking to a rigid plan (when this happens people usually binge).

It's no good doing a diet that you won't be able to stick to.
 
I think this is an important point. Whenever I would try to eat "clean", I would end up struggling to stick to my plan, going off track, and thinking "well I've messed up now so fuck it" and binging. Now I go for more of a flexible approach that allows me to incorporate more of the foods I enjoy; I just make sure I fit them into my caloric and macronutrient needs (If It Fits Your Macros, basically). For me, the best thing about this approach is that the flexibility it affords means that you don't feel guilty for not sticking to a rigid plan (when this happens people usually binge).

It's no good doing a diet that you won't be able to stick to.

Not sure why so many people overlook what you mentioned. It's something I've spoken about many times on here.
 
Not sure why so many people overlook what you mentioned. It's something I've spoken about many times on here.
To be honest, I remember reading your take on it quite a while back and that's what made me look into IIFYM in more depth... so thanks for that! I find the psychology of it all to be fascinating, and for the vast majority of people who just want to get a bit stronger and look a bit better, the idea of making yourself miserable by doing a diet that you don't like is madness and is destined to fail. Yesterday I went out for a meal (starter, main course and a coffee), had wine, beer, and gin and tonic, and ended up about 50 calories over my daily target having reached my desired protein intake. It just meant I didn't have breakfast and had a light (if protein-heavy) lunch. Funnily enough, although I was quite hungry by the time the food arrived, I felt stuffed by the end of the meal. That's unusual for me!

The main thing I'm finding is that I'm much happier sticking to good, nutrient dense foods when I know that I can have something "bad" if I want. As I said, in the past I would feel guilty and go off the rails, which isn't very healthy at all!
 
Quite simply you do infact overeat.

You may not be eating a tremendous amount of food, but ultimately it comes down to calories eaten vs calories expended and if you're pretty inactive due to driving and desk work, a relatively average caloric intake could be leading to weight gain.
Sounds like a sluggish metabolism too. I eat more now that when I was tubby, but I tend to 'graze' through the day like a horse which stimulates the metabolism, rather than having one or two big meals per day like a bear. Perhaps this would help the OP.
 
To be honest, I remember reading your take on it quite a while back and that's what made me look into IIFYM in more depth... so thanks for that! I find the psychology of it all to be fascinating, and for the vast majority of people who just want to get a bit stronger and look a bit better, the idea of making yourself miserable by doing a diet that you don't like is madness and is destined to fail. Yesterday I went out for a meal (starter, main course and a coffee), had wine, beer, and gin and tonic, and ended up about 50 calories over my daily target having reached my desired protein intake. It just meant I didn't have breakfast and had a light (if protein-heavy) lunch. Funnily enough, although I was quite hungry by the time the food arrived, I felt stuffed by the end of the meal. That's unusual for me!

The main thing I'm finding is that I'm much happier sticking to good, nutrient dense foods when I know that I can have something "bad" if I want. As I said, in the past I would feel guilty and go off the rails, which isn't very healthy at all!

Sounds like you have the right idea mate. A lot of 'IIFYM' advocates still don't comprehend the concept and end up pushing something that is totally against what the people who came up with the term intended.

But the psychology is massively important. As a coach, this is often the biggest issue, especially with people that have physique orientated goals.
 
Two weeks in using myfitnesspal set to loosing 1lb a week and already gone from 13 stone to 12 stone 7lb. With no additional exercise.

Craving crisps and cheese. Really craving a huge lump of cheddar. Oh and would kill for a pork pie!

I'm still eating Aldi's version of Quavers - 64 cals - at a rate of one bag a day, changed my bread to Danish - I never realised how fattening bread was! Dropped from around 8 cups of tea to 3 a day (with one sugar instead of two).

Still having a Saturday Indian takeaway blow out too.

Im feeling a bit fitter too but put me back out carrying 20 watering cans full round the back of the house to garden so will wait for that heal before starting an exercise plan (back to using hosepipe for now).
 
Two weeks in using myfitnesspal set to loosing 1lb a week and already gone from 13 stone to 12 stone 7lb. With no additional exercise.

Craving crisps and cheese. Really craving a huge lump of cheddar. Oh and would kill for a pork pie!

I'm still eating Aldi's version of Quavers - 64 cals - at a rate of one bag a day, changed my bread to Danish - I never realised how fattening bread was! Dropped from around 8 cups of tea to 3 a day (with one sugar instead of two).

Still having a Saturday Indian takeaway blow out too.

Im feeling a bit fitter too but put me back out carrying 20 watering cans full round the back of the house to garden so will wait for that heal before starting an exercise plan (back to using hosepipe for now).

It's surprising how many calories you notice are in things when you start watching what you eat. Sounds like you're doing canny tho. Nowt wrong with having the odd takeaway or whatever it is but it's finding the balance really. Pork pies are loaded with calories as well like haha. I was hungry and was just gonna grab one when I was in a shop last week, had a quick look and it was nearly 400 calories or something like that! Mental when you think daily intake is meant to be around 2000-2500.
 
Since packing in smoking last October I've put on a couple of stone. It ALL gone on me belly. Its flippin massive compared to the rest of me. I look like I'm pregnant at some points in the day!

Im 49, drive a lot, dont get much chance to exercise (busy working behind a desk when not driving).

I dont overeat. Everything we eat is fresh, healthy and not processed. Never bother with breakfast. Have 1 round (2 slices) of home made sarnies a day - usually cheese or tuna. Main meal early evening, odd bag of crisps / nuts. Dont eat chocolate / cakes or sweet stuff.

I enjoy a couple of G&T's most evenings - late on about an hour before bed - with slimline tonics.

Why am I getting fatter and what can anyone recommend to get rid bearing in mind age & lifestyle?
ive packed in (again) and I put a stone on in the first 2 months, didn't eat any more or any less, I was told one reason may be that when you smoke you put toxins in your body , and to get rid of them the body works hard to get rid of them thus speeding up the metabolisim, since you have packed in the body is relaxing as its not working as hard now, seems logical whether its true I don't know, , .
ive now lost the extra stone (9months in to packing in) feel healthier have more energy , lost the craving , and cant stand the smell of them,
 
Since packing in smoking last October I've put on a couple of stone. It ALL gone on me belly. Its flippin massive compared to the rest of me. I look like I'm pregnant at some points in the day!

Im 49, drive a lot, dont get much chance to exercise (busy working behind a desk when not driving).

I dont overeat. Everything we eat is fresh, healthy and not processed. Never bother with breakfast. Have 1 round (2 slices) of home made sarnies a day - usually cheese or tuna. Main meal early evening, odd bag of crisps / nuts. Dont eat chocolate / cakes or sweet stuff.

I enjoy a couple of G&T's most evenings - late on about an hour before bed - with slimline tonics.

Why am I getting fatter and what can anyone recommend to get rid bearing in mind age & lifestyle?

Gand T every night.

Stop this, bad for you and a ton of calories.

Also, find time for exercise. Its not just about weight. Your body, heart lungs etc need to work harder.

But the fact is that the weight that you have gained over the years needs to be removed, even is your net calorie intake is in balance at the moment.

Try the Dukan diet system. Book available in Amazon etc.
 
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