Lifestyle changes

Let’s have a chat, shall we?

We vape as a general consensus to change a smoker into a non smoker… true there is still some nicotine, but you are walking away from adding 6-7k chemicals each puff you take from smoking… You with me so far? I am curious… what other changes have you done since turning to vape? Shed some pounds, got a new hair cut, starting working out or taking better care of yourself??

Post it here to help others… tell all about what you have done, or if you are just starting out, what your goals are! :smile:

Mine is to improve my life, to gain a better set of life skills and to enjoy the maximum quality of life as I can for myself, as well as seeing my kids turn into grown men… is all I can ask for!

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I dropped 20 lbs after the first year. I’m 6’1 and I weigh 168. I didn’t need to lose it, it just happened.

I have two boys, 11 & 14. We go running and swimming together. They just did a week long camp that introduced them to triathlons and my oldest wants to do his first one this fall. I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with them without vaping. That right there is the best reason I need to keep vaping.

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I went from a BMI of ~26 to >29… the point where I didn’t feel healthy anymore. It doesn’t help that my wife is a wonderful cook and after getting my taste back, I just kept eating until I couldn’t anymore.
This year I just made the conscious decision to shed some weight, simply by watching what I eat (cut back on sauce, watch volume of food, cut back on bakery and other goodies). I’m back to a BMI of 25 and I’m not done yet.

For the rest nothing much changed. I’ve always had little but regular exercise but when I do, I go for it 100%, even when I smoked.

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As I started taking my life a bit more serious, I decided to make a whole 360 switch. Not only did I stopped smoking, as so many other people around here, but I also changed my diet/life style to the same time. That was about 4 or 5 years ago, but I wasn’t very strict about it. Just a couple changes here and there, baby steps and not much of a noticeable result lol.

Around 2 years ago after some extreme and dramatic experiences in my life (not want to get into detail if that’s ok), I finally decided to be more strict and disciplined, as well as making much better overall choices, especially in my diet.

Lost 200 lb, or in other words went from a 6x X down to a S/M. It wasn’t easy but changed the way I see life nowadays. I go out more, and trying to be more open to things, especially people, which is not easy for me to be quite honest.

I reduced my nicotine, and since 11 month I am on 0 nic. Went from vaping 60 to 120 ml a day, down to well it I don’t know, because one day it’s more and others it’s less etc. But a 60ml lasts me around a week up to a week and a half.

I stopped being so damn obsessed with a lot of things, including vaping, don’t need a new mod/atomizer or 300 new flavors every day/week. Don’t need to mix 20 - 50 testers every night, or vape billions of different flavors all at once :rofl:

Sure I still can’t stick with just one juice, especially since I mix not only for myself, but I can finally mix 5-8 different recipes in bigger quantities And just rotate those, without losing my mind or sleep over it.

And funny enough, I did get a new hair cut and color lol, but not that important. Overall I would say, that it has been a long journey but something I needed to do, and I feel so much better. Looking back, I wish I could have slapped some sense into myself, but hey it’s never to late to start something new, right? :wink:

So if you are trying to make changes, I am all for it, don’t wait too long if that’s what you want, and so whatever makes you feel better/happier/healthier and what not!

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I just want to say I am proud of those that are posting… keep it up!! I know I am not the only one reading this thread! Let’s face it, we need all the encouragement, to see that it is possible to go from a bad lifestyle to something we can now have some pride and see progress where before vaping, we had let ourselves go, or sometimes we had just gone and checked out!

Some food for thought… or rather… taste for change…

Your “taste buds”* are your best friends… they are not like mine… or Joe Blow down the street… but uniquely all your own… They will change every 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months and by 3 yrs, you are no longer tasting what you used to a few years ago. This subjects our cravings, what we can and can not taste, what we really enjoy and what we can not stand to have around us…

If you are just starting out or even an old mixer, it’s a good ride and something I believe that should be personal… a new journey on how to life life on life’s terms… stop thinking like the addict, and find some strength that anything in your way, find out what you can do to step up and out… Rise above… You are worth so much more… you deserve the best! <3

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As you said, I stopped been an addict and one of the first things I was happy about is getting of the plane and not having that crave to go for a smoke, we know those changes…

We all had that initial atomizer/box/flavors/equipment craze, but after that we enjoyed our setups and started delving into mixing, and that changed my life, at my age, nearly retirement, I started learning something new and had the chance to help other people quit smoking and that’s exactly what I did.

I started to write about my experiences (mixing was relatively new) and on an Italian forum the admin made me a moderator so I kept writing and writing and helping others to either quit or to improve their mixing techniques or flavs % and I still do, that’s been a life changer, it’s probably just what I was meant for, helping others and been a bloody egomaniac :rofl:

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I got fatter, because food taste better to me… my blood pressure went significantly lower, though, so there’s that.

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Damn girl, that’s more than I’ve ever weight even when pregnant, that’s a lot to lose, good for you :+1:
I didn’t lose any weight but put on 20 kilo’s, I don’t know the lb for that, your measurements are weird, 450 grams to a pound, who came up with that?
I have been underweight in the past though and I was always told I could do with an extra 10 kilos.
No smoking and menopauze resulted in 20, I’ve lost about 10 of those now so I’m good.
I have stopped biting my nails since I vape and I don’t use nowhere near as much weed as I did before.
It is still a guilty pleasure but what the heck, I can’t stand alcohol and everyone needs something.
I had to go to hospital earlier this year and I was told I had the blood pressure of a young flower 120/75, (well I guess this one might be more accurate) :wilted_flower:
I do not smell like an ashtray anymore; I never realised how bad that smell was until I quit and smelled in on others.
I don’t cough up a lung every morning and my Raynaud’s disease has drastically improved.
I got a new dog last year and she has me walking miles everyday, playing football and stuff and I feel great.
My vape stays home during those walks, unlike the tobacco pouch that was always in my pocket.
Whenever I saw a green zone I started gasping for a smoke :laughing:

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Just a tip from someone who went through the same thing… It’s amazing how good healthy food/snacks taste too. Just a little change in diet can do wonders and you’ll feel a whole lot better too. The effect is at least as big as the change from smoking to vaping :wink:
I’m not a health freak, I still eat fast food and other unhealthy stuff but I balance it out. Lost 12kg over the last 8 months and if I lose another 6 I’m back at a medically ideal weight.

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I’ve been off combustible tobacco for 4 months.
I just counted on my fingers and realized it’s been 6. See? I don’t even care, I’ve quit counting.
I like that I can go to gatherings where smoking is frowned upon, and either sneak vape or step outside for 40 seconds and get my toots.
I can visit my mom without stinking and getting lectured. I can vape at work, with a little discretion involved. I can go to a movie and not Jones after an hour. Airplanes.
I can eat ice cream and not smell ashtray when my fingers get near my face.
I can kiss my non smoking girlfriend and not make her taste smoke. I am not one of the pathetic looking sorry folk standing outside of buildings sucking on a cigarette for 7 minutes.
I can inhale as much or as little nicotine as I want.
In fact, I am going to need to lower some of my flavor’s nicotine down to 3 from 6 because some are so delicious I want to over-vape them.
My blood pressure is down 20 points.
I don’t wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air.
I can drive with my windows rolled up.
I can watch tv or read a book and vape, indoors, even in bed sometimes.
There are no butts around anymore.
If I spill, the room smells like a dessert.
My car upholstery gets an occasional glycerine spot, but never burn holes.
I can pair my non combustible flavors with beer, ice cream, whiskey, other people’s cigarette smoke, rain, hot, cold, whatever.
I can hold someone’s baby and not feel like a smelly jerk.
And I’ve noticed a more keen sense of taste and smell. There are more layers to flavors then I ever knew.

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I’ve been working on quite a few lately. As most of the wonderful people here know, I lost damn near everything last year in the Camp Fire of November 2018. Since then, I am working on performing a 180 in my life. As of November 7th, 2018 I was in the deepest and darkest pit of depression and self loathing I have ever seen. Apathy ruled. About the only thing I did was eat, sleep and watch the rest of the world go on without me. I had distanced myself from family, friends and my community. Overweight and over medicated, I was actively preparing for my departure from this realm.

That fire was quite possibly the best thing to happen to me.

I have actively decided that my life is worth something. I have lost 25lbs( still have 75-80 to go) my relationship with my wife is better than it has been in YEARS, I started volunteering at an animal rescue for pets displaced/left behind from the fire, started attending town council meetings to have a voice in the way my little town is reborn. I’ve reached out to friends again and am working on rebuilding those relationships. Family I’ve not talked to in months now get a phone call every two to three weeks, just to check in. I’m working on getting myself off the pain meds, simply because I need a vacation from the damn drugs, if for nothing else than to see where my pain levels actually reside.

I’m hopeful for what my future holds.

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It’s great to hear this and great seeing you post on elr. Keep it up.

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All this news is amazing @paingawd, you rock!! I know it took a hard place for this turn around, but you are doing fantastic!! thanks for your story, we really do need more positives in the community! <3

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Working on it, my brother!

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That is fantastic to hear brother :+1:

If you need anything you know how to get a hold of me and I am so happy to hear how your doing now.

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It’s great to hear you’re doing better now.

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Thanks, brother!

It’s a bit of a slow process, but forward is forward!

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Working on getting myself back in the game. I’ve got things to do. THINGS I tell you!

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Mine was the stench in my hair and clothes. Don’t miss that in the least!

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I understand. I’m old and have people that love me.
I’m fortunate to have that.
None of them are excited or elated that I am doing this, in fact they all think it’s weird I think.
But its working for me and because they loved me when I was a smoker they still love me now.
I don’t know what I would do without people who care about me.
And at least pretend that they are glad I’m vaping rather than smoking.

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