Am I opening myself up to fail by making several changes all at the same time??

[stephie71]

I have 11 weeks until I go on holiday for which I would love to lose 1.5 - 2 stones for. I'm 42, love the wrong types of food and don't really do any exercise. However, as of Monday I feel the urge to stick to a healthy eating plan, make a start on the C25K program AND give up smoking!! The first two can happily go hand in hand but I also really want to stop smoking for my long term health as well as the fact that starting C25K seems pointless if I run back home and have a ciggie. I am hoping that I can break the habit of wanting a cigarette by having a glass of water instead as I could do with upping my water intake. Has anyone else every tried to make so many lifestyle changes at the same time? I'm sure I can do it if I really try (and I mean REALLY TRY because my willpower levels have never been too high) but I think that I may need the support of others on here to see me through it xx

[paul2014 Graduate]

Firstly good on you for taking such a step. It's a big one but one I can't see any reason you couldn't achieve

As you say, the first two can go hand in hand. However, when giving up smoking I've heard people can feel worse initially so I'm wondering if this will impact on your running? I don't smoke (well I did many moons ago but gave it up) but would one of those new fangled cigarette replacement thingys do as a stop gap? I'm assuming

they must help with the cravings?

[alliesp]

A friend did all 3 at once and is still going. She is 50ish hasn't smoked for 4 months , lost all her weight by going to slimming world (similar amount to you) and is now finishing a 10k training plan, along with 2-3 Pilates classes each week. She looks good, slim and healthy. I think doing other things to take your mind off the smoking is a good thing. Dieting is good as its too easy to reach for the food instead of smoking. When I gave up a few years ago I gained over 2 stone, which on my 8 stone frame was massive amount. Wish I had known about C25K back then. Obsessive types such as myself, need to replace one obsession with something else. Go for it if YOUR READY. Good luck.

[MarkyD Graduate]

Hi Stephie, I really think that you've made the first step. Having a lovely holiday to look forward to (and a beautiful beach body) can be a real incentive to make such changes. You are going to need a lot of motivational help - and that is what we are here for. Just be honest and come on this community and tell us how you are getting on.

I am an overweight 45 year old bloke, and early March I decided to lose some weight and eat healthily. I am using the food-tracking program Perfect Diet Tracker... I tell it exactly what I eat, and how much I want to lose in weight, and it tells me how many calories I can eat a day. This has made me replace a glass of wine with a glass of water, and forces me to go out and exercise so that I keep my net calories below the target. Once I'd lost some weight - about 4kg - I've started C25K. I'm using a pedometer as well to keep me active, so now I park the car as far from the supermarket door as possible and walk those few extra steps. Woke up this morning and really looked forward to my C25K run this lunchtime.

Just a word or two of warning - 2 stone lost in 11 weeks is a lot to lose quickly and you may feel tired and hungry. Also, why not set yourself a target to cut down smoking, maybe reward yourself in meeting a daily step goal with a cigarette? Or replace a 'smoking break' with a 'walking' break in the day?

[stephie71]

Many thanks for your positive responses. I tend to fail on lifestyle changes so quickly and really want to succeed this time round. Monday looks to be D-Day so if I make it through relatively unscathed maybe there will be some hope for me after all. The good thing is that I have recently started to take a novice interest in gardening which I am hoping will take my mind off the food and ciggie cravings that I am bound to encounter. That's the plan anyway. Time to dust off the trainers and download the C25K podcasts....wish me luck

[BoPeep9009 Graduate in reply to stephie71]

Hey Stephie!

Good for you i say and just GO FOR IT .. all of it .... keep it all in mind, all the time ....

I'm a novice here, just Week 3, but i don't think i'm very wrong when i vaguely prepare you for your Week 1 with a --- not going to be easy ---- don't worry about it, but just keep going ......

In case it's of any interest, i am 46, want to remove 14kg from my blobby body (good news here .... 2.5kg down at end of Week 2 of c25k with careful portion-sizing - think what i actually eat is pretty ok, i just eat far too much!) and went cold turkey on the smoking from 5 days before i started the running .... i promise you there is more space in my lungs this week than there was last week ..... hahahaha that sounds truly ridiculous i know!

Get Laura's podcasts onto your i-pod and get to bed early on Sunday!!!

[stephie71 in reply to BoPeep9009]

Inspirational Looks as though we are very similar in some respects. Sounds daft but I'm so glad to hear that I may struggle during the first week otherwise I might have lost enthusiasm when reality hit lol. Well done on going cold turkey with the smoking. That is what I intend to do although I will be buying a packet of nicotine gum over the weekend just in case I need that fix at any point. Here's hoping I can be as committed and successful as you have clearly been!!

[BoPeep9009 Graduate in reply to stephie71]

Yep, looks like it hey! Starting out on a very similar road .... to which there is no end .....no end to what we can achieve .... no end to always being careful what we eat .... no end to feeling chuffed at every little milestone! I'm indicating and getting off my old road for good!

Sounds very positive, doesn't it! Hahahaha .... no risk of me being dehydrated on a run .... HOW much water am i drinking hahahahah!

You can do it ...

[YJB1 Graduate]

Hi Stephie, good for you for being so determined to change your life like this! I think it will be hard but if you can push through the hard bits, each little success in one area will encourage you to keep going with the other things. I might be prejudiced here but I really think the C25K element is the key - as you get better and start to enjoy running, you won't want to smoke because it will affect your performance. And the running will speed up your weight loss so that will be encouraging too. When you get discouraged and feel like you can't do it (as most people seem to at times) just come on here and you will get all the support you could ever want. If you use Facebook you can also get more immediate 'on the go' support on our Facebook page 'C25Kers on Facebook'. Good luck!

[BoPeep9009 Graduate in reply to YJB1]

Hello! You're SO right! The C25K IS the key ... the desire to complete the programme like all these lovely people before us ( yourself included ) makes being lighter and not clogged up with cigarette smoke is the only way forward! Thanks for that!

[Rignold]

You can do anything you set your mind to. The hard part is making the decision to change, and you've already done that. I'm 46, and about 3 months ago had a medical incident that, whilst luckily not anywhere as severe as it could have been, was a real wakeup call to me. I overhauled my diet, cut down on alcohol and then gave it up entirely (I was a very heavy drinker - I suppose I am an alcoholic - and am now 60 days sober), and started C25k a few weeks later. I'm on W6 now, having repeated a couple. I've lost 6.4kg as of this morning. I went to a party with my wife on Saturday till 1.30AM and not only didn't have a drink, I didn't want one, thinking of my next run. I wake up feeling energetic in the morning (if sometimes a bit achey).

The longer I have been doing this, the easier it has been to stick to, and the more results I see, the more it makes me determined to make this a life change, rather than a quick fix. Everything is awesome when you're part of the C25k team, to paraphrase the song my kids sing endlessly.

You've got the bottle to make the changes you want, and you're going about it the right way, and can get all the support you need here, so go for it, Dude!

[BoPeep9009 Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Pretty impressive stuff there Rignold! Well done you! Final third and you'll be graduating .... nice work indeed!

[stephie71 in reply to Rignold]

Well done to you. You have made some extraordinary changes to your lifestyle and should be more than proud if your achievements. Keep up the great work

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I stopped smoking 20 years ago and was not trying to lose weight when I started C25k almost a year ago, so my advice is based solely on this wonderful training programme. The nine weeks running that you are about to embark on will change your life. You will not only be fitter and better toned, but you will also have improved self esteem and you will begin to be aware of your body in all sorts of new ways, which will probably have positive results in the weight loss and smoking areas too. It will test your will power, but it is designed to give you great satisfaction when you achieve each weeks targets. It is forgiving, in that you can repeat any run until you have completed it successfully and it also has a secret weapon........this forum, which can provide you with support, advice, inspiration and motivation. Go for it Stephie. I promise it will be worth it. Good luck.

[Hidden]

If you are anything like me, on the first run you will think you are dying, the second one is really hard because you are still aching and stiff from the first one, but after that you begin to see improvements so please do try very hard to push through the first week and on to a real visible difference in your fitness. You seem to have a good attitude to start with so it's up to you...

[MarkyD Graduate]

Don't wait until Monday... go tomorrow! For W1r1 you just need comfy clothes, something to play the podcast and any old pair of trainers. Or Go Now! you will not regret it for the rest of your life.

[Laurae Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

I think Mark is right, don't wait. If the time is right start now as you sound very motivated. If you do your first run today by the end of monday you could have run two under your belt. I would also agree with YJB1 the C25K is the key.Move it to your number one priority and the others will not seem as difficult. Good luck and keep posting for support and encouragemnet.Go for it!!!

[Nilzed]

Just remember, it is all one day at a time. You will have days when one or more of your big plans goes awry. But just wake up and start again.

If all your unhealthy habits are intertwined, i dont see how you could attack one without the others anyway. I couldnt.

[unikorn01]

If it helps, I quit smoking 2 years ago because my boss entered me into the great south run.

I was on 20 a day and quite frankly when it comes to running, I couldn't run a tap!!!!8-10

I was lucky in that one of my best friends is also a very motivational person and has pushed me on many matters to help me improve my life.

So I was going to the gym and swimming with her. doing circuit training with my boss and I read a book to help me stop smoking. (the best thing I ever did) having been a smoker for around 25 years, I started when I was 15 and quit 2 years ago.

The book, Alan Carrs easy way to stop smoking.

It took me two days, and I have never looked back. It was so easy.!!

I recommend it to everyone.

Unfortunately I am now in a job that sees me sat down for 8 hours a day and I have gained so much weight I am now 14 stones 6 my ideal weight about between 8-10 stone.

I still don't smoke and have just completed week 1 of the c25k xxx onwards and upwards. xxx

[stephie71]

Thanks again for all the positvity. I had a pretty full on weekend away so tomorrow will be the start of no smoking to break myself in gently. Healthy eating and first C25K 'run' as of today. Fingers crossed I complete the full half hour without keeling over lol

[MarkyD Graduate]

I was wondering how you are getting on?