So, it seems I've hit a plateau of sorts. It is unexpected because I still have so much weight to lose, but I guess after losing about 50lbs it kind of makes sense. What has contributed to this:

Quitting Smoking! Metabolism has likely slowed a bit w/ dropping a pack-a-day habit cold turkey. It has been just over 3 weeks, and in that time I've put on 8lbs.
Lax eating habits I no longer specifically track my calories, and the smoking cessation has lead to an increase in appetite (though this is generlly healthy calories). Also, my weekend consumption has been bad - fewer meals that are on the whole rather unhealthy, with increased frequency of bad snacks (girlfriend has introduced me to 2 new friends, Ben & Jerry).
Inconsistent exercise I am in the gym generally 3x-5x per week, but may go as many as 4 or 5 days without going. Also, I had not been doing cardio.

So, over the next few weeks... I am going to:

1. Not go more than 3 days without exercise (if this means jogging/running outside a day while I'm in Boston, then that's what I have to do).
2. Do cardio a minimum of 2x/week (conservative goal), but really look for 3x/week. Basically these first two are about mixing up my routine a bit. I will be swimming a little, but concentrating my cardio on running/jogging to work through the c25k plan.
3. Be more consistent with my diet, maybe going as far as to track on fitday for a couple weeks. Get more things like baby carrots and apples to make up for the increased appetite/cravings. Also use sugar-free candy/cough drops as they work on the oral fixation. Have a bad meal or two on the weekends, but make sure to keep to constant grazing, having breakfast, drinking lots of water.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Is it reasonable that I am indeed hitting a plateau, even though I am still at least 60lbs overweight? And has anyone else had a similar experience and worked through it?

Thanks!
-d

Diet-- it's almost always about diet

but forget about that for a minute and take time to congratulate yourself on quitting smoking.

You have added years of healthly living to your life and you should be very proud of yourself.

I hate to say this, but if you have not been consistent in diet or exercise, it can't be called a plateau.

Congrats on quitting smoking. Diet is the big key to all fitness goals.

I wholeheartedly agree!!!! This is a big, huge, monumental thing. Pat yourself on the back for that.

The rest of your steps to getting back on track seem right on the ball.

Thanks for the support on quitting smoking! It finally feels different this time, and it feels great to not be a slave to addiction. It's still tough sometimes, but I haven't had one puff in over three weeks, and though I asked my friend to let me have a drag once, I was actually very happy he said no



I have a tendency to agree, but the difference from my ideal (losing 1.5-2lbs every single week) is that I'm exercising at about 60-75%, and my diet would maybe average about 300 extra calories/day...

Hmmm... Looking at the 2 month weight graph... Okay, I maintained a 1+lb/week loss over the first month, and a 1lb/week gain over the second. I don't *think* that my change in behavior could account for so much gain (I'm certainly not on a 7000 calorie/week swing, maybe on the worst week would be 2500-3000 cal difference combining diet and exercise).

Does anyone know what sort of effect quitting smoking can/does have on metabolism?

So the plan remains, beef up the exercise and get a little more strict w/ the diet again.

DAVE... I found this...Ur not wrong about your metabolism slowing down once you quit smoking. Hope it helps!!




Cigarette smoking increases a person's metabolic rate in part by forcing the heart to beat faster. When a cigarette is inhaled, the smoker's heart may beat 10 to 20 times more per minute for a period of time. This causes extra stress on the heart and plays a role in heart disease, the most common cause of smoking-related death. And think about this: A smoking habit of 20 cigarettes a day puts approximately the same amount of stress on the heart as 90 pounds of extra weight would. When we stop smoking, heart rate slows down somewhat, causing metabolism to dip a bit as well.

While shifts in metabolism, along with dietary changes, can signal a slight weight gain, we can take steps to build our metabolic rate back up in ways that benefit our health rather than destroy it, as smoking does. If weight gain due to smoking cessation is something you fear or is a reality you're struggling with, use the tips below to help you keep your weight stable as you recover from nicotine addiction.

Wow...glad I've never smoked! You've been working at losing weight for a while; I'm not suprised that you've hit a little lull. I'm sure your lifestyle is drastically different from before. Sometimes you just need a little break! Don't beat yourself up, just step back into the rhythm you had in the beginning and the weight will start coming back off. Also, here's a wild guess: maybe you're retaining a bit of water as your body adjusts to smoking cessation. Either that or your PMSing.

damn, that lasts a month?? that explains a lot...

wont even go there as my wife lurks around here once and a while...Great Job dave..Many positive changes keep up the great work dude. ^5

Dave, try to sign up for a race, 5K, 10K or whatever that you requires training. It will mentally help to discipline yourself for exercise and eat properly.

It works for me. In order to run the marathon, I must train properly to build up endurance before the race. I must follow the training plan. My training plan requires long run every 3rd Sat. If I get lazy and have not trained well during the short run weeks, I will fall apart and unable to complete the long run on the 3rd Sat. It is a pressure when the race date is getting close. That will push me to be more discipline in exercising and proper eating.

Glooooovia

g-l-o-v-i-a

gloooovia

you were my queen, and i was your fool.

(that is to say, amen.)