Hello, this is my first post so I'll apologize ahead of time if do anything wrong!

 My wife and I are currently set to move into a new home and we've decided that with the change in living arrangments we'd like to also get healthy.

We are a young married couple, both are full time workers and we never seem to have a spare minute. We eat anything thats quick, we both drink coffee and smoke cigarettes. We're both skinny, but the lack of food and huge intake of caffeine and smoke, combined with a general lack of healthy food I'm sure can't be good for us!

 So, we just quit smoking. We haven't been long time smokers so I' m not really having any nicotine withdrawels, but Its frustrating to me when out of habit I reach down to grab a cigarette and there is nothing there. But, all things are going well so far, but its only been two day!

 To add to our health we figured we try and get into some regular excersize. We've always enjoyed hiking and the like, but we do it far to rarely, so we're going to invest some of our extra income from not smoking into two gym memberships. The problem is we have no idea what a good work out routine is for us. Also with our scheduals we're pretty much stuck to 24 hour gyms, which have no physical trainers to guide us while we're there.

 Finally we threw out the microwave and we're going to come up with a good grociery list so we can start eating right!

So, any tips, or suggestions? Any good books you'd recommend or past experiences that have helped you?

Thanks for all your help!

You have set up a big challenge and change for yourselves...all very worthy and all needing to be done.  Don't lose patience with yourselves as you make the changes.  Figure this will take about an entire year to accomplish.

My suggestion is to document a baseline for yourselves.  How much did you smoke?  What is your height, weight, and stamina.  (Can you walk up one flight of stairs without huffing and puffing?)  What times did you eat?  How much coffee did you drink (2 cups in morning.  2 at lunch 2 in the afternoon, 2 at dinner, etc.)

 Once you have established your baseline, then any achievements can be measured against that.  And you will need to see those achievements.  Even if your coffee consumption goes from 2 cups in the afternoon to 1, that is an achievement.  Make sure you check your baseline at least once a month and document the improvements/changes.

 Then work on substitutions.  If you are not smoking, what are you substituting for it?  (not candy!  please!)  The action of smoking (the habitual reaching into your pocke) will need to be replaced with reaching for something else and then finally not reaching at all.  Put something in your pocket that you can reach for...be it a pencil, a toy of some sort, anything that you can substitute for the cigarette.

A child will cry and cry if you take away a toy or some food or anything at all...but if you subsitute it with something else, the child is content.  So take away the bad food and the bad toy and substitute it with something good.

 And yes, join a gym, but even more important, join a support group of some sort.  Surround yourself with people who are living a healthy, active lifestyle, and soon you will be too!

And next year, when you take out your baseline and compare it, you will be astounded at the improvements, all baby steps...one at a time.

Good luck! 

First of all, congrats on your decision and on your actions....It takes more than just say "im going to change my life..." and I can tell from my own experience, Im almost 50 years old, and more healthy than ever in my life.

But I came from being a heavy smoker (for 25+ years and than order the patches from Luminos), drinker, and junk eater.... changed to a non-smoker,  light drinker,,, only a glass of wine on celebrations and cut the white flower,beef, sugar and the fats...Uau this feels good to say.....

I start walking 15min, went to 30 min, than 45 minutes, and today im jogging for 30 min everyday and getting ready for next year's marathon. I change my diet completely, and went from hell to heaven.....Its been more than 2 years that i dont catch even a little cold....and so does my family.....this why I feel you guys are going on the right direction..only one detail is missing on your message...Please allow me to give my suggestion here.....

It has become apparent to me that there are three distinct aspects to a healthy lifestyle that are all needed to offer you the absolute best protection for your health:
1. a healthy diet, 2. a modest exercise program, and 3. high quality, complete and balanced nutritional supplements. When you make one or two of these lifestyle changes, I guarantee your health will definitely improve. However, when you make all three lifestyle changes the results are phenomenal.You are both young and so thats the time to start on the prevention of deseases...even if you are healthy no one know what comes later....specially on modern times where FREE RADICALS are the number one enemy.

Please dont forget to take a suplement that will help to protect you guys FOREVER!!!
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Hi Z,

What I found useful is listening to the book "You on a Diet" on CD during my commute.  The information is very straight-forward and I can apply what I've learned immediately.

Best wishes and congrats on focusing on a healthy life-style with your life partner :D

A lot of fresh veggies and fruits. Recomment to read - Sonoma Diet.

If you can affort - personal trainer - that is the best spent money on yourself especially since you and your wife can exerise together.