Day 27 - The Personal Trainer

The day of my last post, I found my gym and my personal trainer. I have been in the gym at least 2 hours per day ever since.

If you want to see just how out of shape cigarette smoking has made you, hire a personal trainer. Things that should be easy are now nausea inducing torture. But fear not, the nausea goes away after about 2 or 3 sessions. Ultimately, you will feel great. I actually look forward to my training sessions now.

I know that personal trainers are not in everyone's budget, so there are some great exercise DVDs out there. Try to find one that will focus on full body aerobic conditioning (i.e. Boot Camp, Jillian Michaels) and stretching.

Each step in the process of re-gaining my health is another memory that will keep me from ever touching tobacco again. I use the e-cig less and less every day. Four weeks ago, I was going through one cartridge (1 pack nicotine equivalent) every other day. Now one cartridge has lasted over one week. At this rate, I may be nicotine-free by summer.

Good luck to everyone out there that is struggling with the grips of tobacco.

Next :


The New Diet

Day 19 - The Struggle with Weight

I spent all of last week in San Francisco for work. The e-cig is still working very well and I am now 19 days tobacco-free. There is an unfortunate side-effect, and it is the same one that plagues most people that quit smoking - weight gain.

I have tried to run at least every other day, but that does not seem to be helping my weight. It has been helping my cardio-vascular system.

I have decided that I will not quit smoking and then become ill with obesity related illnesses. So, today begins the search for a gym that I enjoy, and a personal trainer to push me.

As time goes on, these posts will be geared more toward re-gaining your overall health as opposed to only e-cig options. I know that a lot of you that have quit tobacco are now in need of the next step (myself included). So, look forward to tips from personal trainers and nutritionists from now on.

Next Time:
Finding an exercise program that is right for you

Day 11 - The Detox

The past two days have been a series of temptations, but I am now 11 days tobacco-free. I passed the tests of football, nachos, cheap beer, airports, long drives and hotel boredom. I also find myself using the e-cig less and less as time goes on.
There is no longer a "Fear of Beer" as evidenced by the picture to the left. How can something like that be scary?

Today, I thought I would discuss some of the ways that you can detoxify your body of the tobacco chemicals that have built up over the years. I reviewed many different medical and "new-age" websites, and these are the most common recommendations (Please consult a physician before starting any detoxification or exercise regimen):

Water - Nature's natural cleanser. Try to stay very hydrated with 8 - 12   8oz glasses of water per day. There is such a thing as over-hydration, so don't go crazy with this.

Fresh Air - Get outside for at least 30 minutes every day. This is very important for lung rehabilitation.

Exercise/ Sweat - While your outside, you may as well take a walk or a jog. Sweating will purge toxins through your skin.

Multi-Vitamins/ Calcium - Smoking can inhibit the body's ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients. Use a good multi-vitamin to replenish what your body has been lacking.

Green Tea - The benefits of this ancient remedy are numerous and range from heart health to weight loss. All good things for former tobacco smokers

Cayenne Pepper - The ancient Cajun cure-all. It has many of the benefits of green tea with increased circulation, lung health and raised metabolism. There is a famous detox program that forces you to fast and ingest only lemon, cayenne and maple syrup. But, to get the benefits without the fasting, mix cayenne pepper, fresh squeezed lemon juice and water. Take a 2 ounce shot of it with every meal.

Next Time:


* The Battle of the Bulge

As always, Good luck and good health!

Day 9 - The E-Cig Owners Survey

As promised, I have the results of an informal survey of current e-cig owners. I want to thank the members of Vapor Talk for helping us with this discussion.
The question that I posed was quite simple:  What are the positives and negatives of switching from tobacco to electronic cigarettes?


I will start with the negatives. There were not very many, and most were associated with the e-cigs that are re-fillable. Finding the correct e-liquid, strength of nicotine and PG/VG % were the most sited.

The positives were varied and numerous. Some of the most mentioned were:

Money savings
Guilt-free smoking in public/around kids
No more odors on clothes, in cars and in the house
The ability to run again (I would say this is the best one that I have encountered thus far)
No need to roll down the car window in the rain.
No need to stand outside in the rain or cold.
Whiter teeth

Nearly all of the responders also suggested e-cig systems. None of them recommended the one that I currently use. The top recommendation by far was the eGo electronic cigarette. Also receiving mention was the Vapor4Life . I suggest doing a bit of research before choosing the system that is right for you.

For information on the eGo : ForeverVapor.com   or    VaporTalkStore.com

Vapor4Life:  Vapor4Life.com

Several of the e-cig makers have put out Valentine's Day specials. Some will include chocolate flavored cigarettes, candy and teddy bears. If that is something that interests you, simply Google-Valentines Day Electronic Cigarettes, and a large variety will appear. These will probably not be the best quality e-cigs. But if that is what you need to do to encourage someone to put down tobacco, then by all means, do it.

Coming up tomorrow:


* Surviving the Super Bowl festivities without tobacco for the first time in 25 years

As always, Good luck and good health!

Day 7 - The Benefits Timeline

I am closing in on 1 week tobacco-free. Today's post will focus on the long-term benefits of remaining that way. The following are the short and long term effects of quitting smoking and have not been evaluated as far as e-cigs are concerned. But, the vital signs that I can monitor have all followed this timeline more or less:



20 Minutes
Blood pressure drops to normal
Pulse rate drops to normal
Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal
8 Hours
Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal
Oxygen level in the blood increases to normal
24 Hours
Chance of heart attack decreases
48 Hours
Nerve endings start regrowing
Ability to smell and taste is enhanced
2 Weeks to 3 Months
Circulation improves
Walking becomes easier
Lung function increases up to 30 percent
1 To 9 Months
Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease
Cilia regrow in the lungs, increasing the lungs ability to handle mucus, clean themselves and reduce infection
Overall energy increases
1 Year
Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker
5 Years
Lung cancer death rate decreases by almost half
Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker five to fifteen years after quitting
Risk of oral cancers is half that of a smoker
10 Years
Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a non-smoker
Pre-cancerous cells have been replaced
Risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, cervix and pancreas decreases
15 Years
Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker

Tomorrow:
*Results from a survey that I have been conducting with current e-cig users.

*Some gift ideas for Valentine's Day


Until then, Good luck and good health!

Day 6 - The Pleasure and the Pain

It occurred to me last night that I have only been extolling the virtues of the e-cig. I don't want there to be any mistake, it has not all been a bed of roses. The e-cig is is the best system for quitting tobacco that I have used. But, there is still a certain amount of will-power that is involved. There are also physical things to take into account. The newest thing is the acne. As my skin purges itself of the tobacco chemicals, it is making me look like a high school kid on Retin-A. Also, if you end up with the new energy that I have, there are muscle aches and shin splints to deal with.
With that said, I am enjoying every minute of this!

In the last three days, I have had two jogs, a bike ride and two trips to the gym. I ache from head to toe, but it feels great.

My visit to the doctor's office yielded encouraging news. Blood pressure is down 20 points(now normal), Resting pulse rate is down 15 and weight is down 3 lbs.

There are many of you out there that have joined me on this journey. For all of you, I wish you good luck and good health!