Struggling with Addiction: My Journey to Quit Smoking

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It is August 2012. I’m rocking back and forth in my recliner, smoking a cigarette. I’m alone in my apartment, surrounded by fast-food trash. Trash on the table, trash on the floor. Trash everywhere. In between drags of my cigarette, I try to suppress a gargling cough that is creeping out of my lungs and into my throat. I do not want to cough. I do not want to be sick again. But I know I am. It is bronchitis and it is my third bout of it this year. I know that I need to quit smoking temporarily in order to get over the bronchitis. Like most smokers, I am always trying to quit. I think to myself, if I have to quit for a few days anyway, knowing that the first few days are the hardest part; maybe I should use this opportunity to quit for good. …show more content…

I lost between two to four pounds per week and everyone around me noticed. My friends and family members were so supportive and happy for me. The results I was seeing combined with the positive feedback from everyone kept me insanely motivated to keep up the hard work. I did not struggle with temptation to “cheat” or skip my workouts. I found it surprisingly easy to stay on track because it was so rewarding and fulfilling. For the first time in my life, I felt in control and empowered. By October 2013, I had lost two hundred pounds. And although I was still twenty pounds away from my goal weight, I finally looked and felt like a “normal” person. I could fit into a size twelve jeans. I was able to wear a cute Halloween costume for the first time in my life. I started dating. I ran a 5K. In the time that has passed since then, I have kept off the original two hundred pounds and lost an additional ten pounds. It’s been much harder to lose weight now that I am so close to my goal weight. I still count calories and go to the gym as often as I can. Last September I met my soulmate and we are engaged to be married. Eating healthy and staying fit are priorities for him too so we cook together and work out together. We are so happy together and feel so fortunate that we found each

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