Leading a healthier lifestyle

For most of us we believe vaping is healthier than smoking

But what about eating healthier, exercising more regularly and other healthy habits?

What have you changed since you switched to vaping to lead a healthier lifestyle?
What benefits have you observed?

Nothing stinks of smoke anymore.

For me, that is in the pipeline, in my case I currently live in joburg but I travel to cape town weekly for work and end up staying at a guest house. Therefore my food choice is limited and I have to buy food during the week and to be honest alot of the time I don't go with the healthiest option. But will be moving back to cape town soon and then I will begin my transformation.

what I did notice though is that when I take the stairs instead of the lift at work, I don't end up breathing like I just ran a marathon, so it will make exercise easier.

For me the change has been massive... nearly dead to alive and rocking! I exercise a lot more and eat a lot better as well! Giving up smoking was a real life-changing event for me!

Here are my comments and observations:

Exercising

For me, I have exercised a bit more regularly since I switched to vaping 6 years ago. I always did some form of exercise even when I smoked but things have improved since I switched. Vaping has made me more conscious of my health I guess.

I do on average about one/two exercise sessions more per week than I did before. So if I did 2 per week before (admittedly too little) I am now doing about 3 to 4. I do a range of spinning, swimming, walking, weight training and playing tennis with my wife. With regard to weight training, I have lowered the weight, increased the repetitions and turned it into more of a cardio type of workout.

I have observed that my heart rate while doing the same exercise (spinning, which I religiously track with my Heart Rate monitor) is on average 10 beats per minute lower since I stopped smoking. So that is a good thing.

Overall, I do feel healthier and a bit stronger. No question about that.

Eating

I have always tried to eat better - balanced meals, limited cakes, chocolates etc. Yes I know I love my chips and they are not good but I don't actually eat them that often. Only once or twice a month

When I switched to vaping I became more conscious of my eating habits. Its been easier to eat healthier since I am more aware of it than when I smoked.

My weight has fluctuated over the past 6 years - I have had good periods and not so good periods. But on balance I would say vaping has led me to eat a bit healthier. There are other factors that come into play such as work and life stresses - but I am trying to make more of an effort these days to eat better. Vaping instead of smoking and doing a bit more exercise has helped to push me to eat better. More work needs to be done here though.

Headaches

This is interesting. Since switching to vaping I get FAR fewer headaches. I used to get 3 to 4 major headaches a month that required painkillers. So 30-40 a year. Now I get 1 every 2 months. So about 12 a year. And its dropping. In 2018 I only got 6 of these headaches. Remarkable how it has dropped. (Yes I do track it.)

And another thing - the headaches I get now are not as bad. Crikey, I used to get bad headaches when I smoked. On a few occasions I would even have to lie down for a while. Haven't had one of those in about 3 years!

I strongly suspect there was something in the cigarettes that caused my headaches. It could also be helped by drinking more water with vaping. Or just overall being a bit healthier.

Drinking Water

I believe I am drinking more water since I switched to vaping. I always tried to drink water (even when I smoked) but am now much better with it. I usually drink about 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day. When I smoked I think some days I hardly drank much or forgot to. Now with vaping I always have a bottle nearby and sip it frequently. There are still days when I drink less but on balance I would say I am better hydrated.

Overall

I can confidently say that since I switched to vaping my overall health has improved. Not just from not smoking but all the other things. Exercising more regularly and eating a bit healthier.

In a sense, the vaping has served as a continual reminder of the health benefits of stopping the smoking - so it has egged me on to adopt other healthier choices.

I suppose I could always do better and I do strive to improve all the time - but its been a major win.

100% on the headaches Hi Ho @Silver! I used to live on Myprodol and in the last 4 years, I think I have taken a Myprodol twice!

Headaches - virtually none since I stopped smoking. I used to carry headache tablets in the car, at home, at work, with my secretary and on my person all the time. Spare headache tablets was as important to me as spare cigarettes and lighters - I could never run out. Now I have some at home only.

Chest pains - all gone. I used to get severe chest pains often and had a light heart attack in 2015 - still took more than a year before I gave up smoking after another serious chat with my GP.

Exercise - started cycling again and try to get on the bike at least twice per week. Working up to a 100km cycle - just over 55km at the moment, but the coming winter (my first since 2012) is slowing me down now.

Eating habits - something that I struggle to change - more than giving up smoking. Luckily I have a high metabolism, so weight gain is not a challenge for me and my last general checkup with the GP was fine.

Overall I am in much better health and so are those around me. So when anyone tries to tell me that vaping is as bad as smoking, I can only smile and remind myself that I am living proof of the real truth.




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My journey:

Smoked for almost 14 years. Unlike many who stay thin or lose weight when they smoke I was the opposite as I hated the smell it left on my hands, in my mouth and on my clothes. So to rid the smell in my mouth I would eat uncontrollable amounts of food and also because of the lack of taste I just was never satisfied and wanted to try other foods.

This all lead to me gaining an excessive amount of weight. Subsequently In 2009 I was diagnosed with epilepsy and I decided to leave the stinkies, I did so with no help of a vape for about 1.5years during this period I lost a lot of weight, about 20kgs or so.

After picking up the stinkies again in 2011 I started gaining again due to the smell thing and also smoking made me lazy to exercise for some reason. I was surprisingly never really unfit but I looked like a beached whale and often didnt get to enjoy my exercising like I do now.

In came vaping and when I finally gave up the smokes completely at vapecon 2017 with the help of my gusto(everyone here knows my strong bond with this device), I started noticing a huge decrease in weight. With minimal exercise I managed to lose 40kgs in just 6.5 months.

Im over a year since I lost all the weight and have maintained my weight for the year which is a huge achievement thus far. I feel great, I'm able to run and play soccer with my kids and do a whole lot more.

Vaping really made a great impact on my life but to this day I will always maintain that a cigarette was the greatest thing I have ever had the pleasure of consuming. 6 centimeters of pure bliss.

My weight loss:

Great to read all the feedback!

@Rob Fisher and @RenaldoRheeder - glad to hear about your confirmations on the headaches issue. Vaping for the win on that front.

@Jengz - that is truly remarkable! Congrats man and long may it last and continue!

Well, I don't kill as many people as I used to. Does that count?

From being constantly tired and out of breath to:

Enough said.

Regards

I don't eat quite as many chocolates as I used to (and I'm diabetic so I shouldn't be eating any!). If I really want a chocolate I vape my favourite chocolate juice!! It doesn't always work though. There's just something special about a piece of Cadbury's milk chocolate melting in the mouth. Or a Bar-One (melted in the microwave) and poured over sliced banana.

Oh ... forgot ... this thread is about healthy things. Well, bananas are healthy

I quit smoking to see if it will help me to exercise more easily. I have always had quite good eating habits due to the fact that I am a picky eater and don't have a sweet tooth (I have no idea why I enjoy vaping sweet liquid...)

I had very severe lung problems for the past 3 - 4 years. Bronchitis at least every second month. I sometimes had problems just moving about the house. During this time I gained a lot of weight. I think it is a combination of all the medication I was on and hardly moving. I honestly can't believe I kept smoking during all this.

Since I started vaping I have had a stuffy nose here and there but I have had sinus problems all my life so that is not really an issue. I exercise almost every day and I am off most of the chronic medication I was on. I have started to lose some weight. I feel a lot more energetic. I sleep better at night. I can't remember the last time I coughed and that was something I did all day every day. I had dark circles under my eyes that was gone within a week of not smoking.

Rob Fisher said:

100% on the headaches Hi Ho @Silver! I used to live on Myprodol and in the last 4 years, I think I have taken a Myprodol twice!
View attachment 167147

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I've almost finished a box in a week

Raindance said:

From being constantly tired and out of breath to:
View attachment 167184
Enough said.

Regards

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Great stuff @Raindance - that is excellent!

Elmien said:

I quit smoking to see if it will help me to exercise more easily. I have always had quite good eating habits due to the fact that I am a picky eater and don't have a sweet tooth (I have no idea why I enjoy vaping sweet liquid...)

I had very severe lung problems for the past 3 - 4 years. Bronchitis at least every second month. I sometimes had problems just moving about the house. During this time I gained a lot of weight. I think it is a combination of all the medication I was on and hardly moving. I honestly can't believe I kept smoking during all this.

Since I started vaping I have had a stuffy nose here and there but I have had sinus problems all my life so that is not really an issue. I exercise almost every day and I am off most of the chronic medication I was on. I have started to lose some weight. I feel a lot more energetic. I sleep better at night. I can't remember the last time I coughed and that was something I did all day every day. I had dark circles under my eyes that was gone within a week of not smoking.

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Wow, @Elmien - that is just fantastic to hear
So glad for you that the vaping has helped so much.
And the exercise
You are doing great!!!!

Christos said:

I've almost finished a box in a week

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Oh no @Christos , thats not good.
Maybe its got to do with the time in front of the PC - or maybe the eyes are straining?
Have the headaches changed at all since you started vaping?

Silver said:

Oh no @Christos , thats not good.
Maybe its got to do with the time in front of the PC - or maybe the eyes are straining?
Have the headaches changed at all since you started vaping?

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No, they didnt drop in frequency when I stopped smoking
I suffer from chronic migraines.

I have actually been seeing my doctor about the migraines and am down to one every week as opposed to every 2nd day. 90% of the time its because of something I eat these days e.g. yellow cheese. Thankfully there is white cheddar available!
Ive had a stroke of good luck and success with the migraines but my doctor and I have been working through treatments for about a year and a half.

I have however upped my exercise from about 3 hours to 6 hours a week since I stopped vaping. The switch was gradual.
I have tried 12 hours a week but I have found more than 6 hours is actually a waste of my time with no benefit.

The myprodol has been for ear ache. While everyone around me is dying of bronchitis all I got was a serious ear ache!

My huge screen has made a big difference in the eye strain department. As much as people think its for gaming (occasional) the greatest benefit has been enhancing my productivity!
Also, I like to take only one device down to my desk at a time so I am forced to get up and stretch the body and eyes to fetch a device from upstairs when the device is empty.

Christos said:

No, they didnt drop in frequency when I stopped smoking
I suffer from chronic migraines.

I have actually been seeing my doctor about the migraines and am down to one every week as opposed to every 2nd day. 90% of the time its because of something I eat these days e.g. yellow cheese. Thankfully there is white cheddar available!
Ive had a stroke of good luck and success with the migraines but my doctor and I have been working through treatments for about a year and a half.

I have however upped my exercise from about 3 hours to 6 hours a week since I stopped vaping. The switch was gradual.
I have tried 12 hours a week but I have found more than 6 hours is actually a waste of my time with no benefit.

The myprodol has been for ear ache. While everyone around me is dying of bronchitis all I got was a serious ear ache!

My huge screen has made a big difference in the eye strain department. As much as people think its for gaming (occasional) the greatest benefit has been enhancing my productivity!
Also, I like to take only one device down to my desk at a time so I am forced to get up and stretch the body and eyes to fetch a device from upstairs when the device is empty.

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I find that I’m allergic to preservatives - forced me to stop eating bacon and preserved meat, my breathing is better and I stopped breaking out in hives. Culprit was sulphites. I don’t even drink alcohol so I had to have an hard look at what I eat. I’m also dairy and gluten intolerant.

RainstormZA said:

I find that I’m allergic to preservatives - forced me to stop eating bacon and preserved meat, my breathing is better and I stopped breaking out in hives. Culprit was sulphites. I don’t even drink alcohol so I had to have an hard look at what I eat. I’m also dairy and gluten intolerant.

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I have also found it to be mostly preservative ingredients.
A major one as well for me is tartrazine.
Over time and because of not smoking I can actually taste the preservatives in some fruit juices and wont drink them etc.

So i could say vaping has helped me taste better to identify what I shouldn't be eating or drinking.

Christos said:

No, they didnt drop in frequency when I stopped smoking
I suffer from chronic migraines.

I have actually been seeing my doctor about the migraines and am down to one every week as opposed to every 2nd day. 90% of the time its because of something I eat these days e.g. yellow cheese. Thankfully there is white cheddar available!
Ive had a stroke of good luck and success with the migraines but my doctor and I have been working through treatments for about a year and a half.

I have however upped my exercise from about 3 hours to 6 hours a week since I stopped vaping. The switch was gradual.
I have tried 12 hours a week but I have found more than 6 hours is actually a waste of my time with no benefit.

The myprodol has been for ear ache. While everyone around me is dying of bronchitis all I got was a serious ear ache!

My huge screen has made a big difference in the eye strain department. As much as people think its for gaming (occasional) the greatest benefit has been enhancing my productivity!
Also, I like to take only one device down to my desk at a time so I am forced to get up and stretch the body and eyes to fetch a device from upstairs when the device is empty.

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Sorry to hear about this @Christos
But at least you working on it with the doctor and it has improved.

Your computer screen is amazing!
I can just imagine how much more productive you are with that

I think I'm a weird case here because smoking numbed my sense of smell and taste whereas it's always been sensitive e.g. a new perfume would trigger a migraine etc.
Smoking numbed that for me so my sensory profile was not as sensitive.

Stopping smoking made me extremely sensitive to smells and hence I have always been very selective with juices. There have been a few juices that have given me instant migraines like anything with blueberry in it as it smells like acetone to me...

Elmien said:

I quit smoking to see if it will help me to exercise more easily. I have always had quite good eating habits due to the fact that I am a picky eater and don't have a sweet tooth (I have no idea why I enjoy vaping sweet liquid...)

I had very severe lung problems for the past 3 - 4 years. Bronchitis at least every second month. I sometimes had problems just moving about the house. During this time I gained a lot of weight. I think it is a combination of all the medication I was on and hardly moving. I honestly can't believe I kept smoking during all this.

Since I started vaping I have had a stuffy nose here and there but I have had sinus problems all my life so that is not really an issue. I exercise almost every day and I am off most of the chronic medication I was on. I have started to lose some weight. I feel a lot more energetic. I sleep better at night. I can't remember the last time I coughed and that was something I did all day every day. I had dark circles under my eyes that was gone within a week of not smoking.

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WOW @Elmien that's fantastic - a huge improvement!

Christos said:

I think I'm a weird case here because smoking numbed my sense of smell and taste whereas it's always been sensitive e.g. a new perfume would trigger a migraine etc.
Smoking numbed that for me so my sensory profile was not as sensitive.

Stopping smoking made me extremely sensitive to smells and hence I have always been very selective with juices. There have been a few juices that have given me instant migraines like anything with blueberry in it as it smells like acetone to me...

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@Christos Your reaction to perfume is an allergy. My brother gets hayfever if I, or anyone else, wears perfume in his presence.

The migraines are probably the same thing and what is interesting is that two smokers who have recently tried vaping have said that it gives them a very bad headache.

Hooked said:

The migraines are probably the same thing and what is interesting is that two smokers who have recently tried vaping have said that it gives them a very bad headache.

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I got bad headaches in my first 3 months of vaping and was convinced that it was vaping related and tried VG only juices and PG only juices and different juices and non-menthol juices and was about to go back to smoking when the headaches stopped... just in time... I'm convinced it was a side effect of giving up smoking as the poisons left my system.