Stop Smoking

I made it one year without smoking! Today marks the first anniversary of my last cigarette. Actually, I’m celebrating my first leap year without smoking. It has been a long road, but I’m so glad I decided to quit and am very proud that I stayed smoke-free for this long.

Like I said in my Eleven Month Update, I don’t miss it often. Even those times are few and far between now that I am starting to see the benefits of eating well, exercising, and living a healthier life in general.

I could not have made it this far without a lot of help. The Lady has been instrumental in this journey and I know I couldn’t have done it without her. She acts as both a motivator and supporter in my efforts to kick the habit. Thank you so much.

I think to celebrate my first full year without smoking since high school, I will get my teeth whitened. It has been bothering me lately that the side I always held the cigarette in is stained darker than the other side. I spoke briefly to my dental hygienist about this today (I had a couple cavities filled) and she said she would get more information for me. More updates to come!

It’s not a resolution or anything, but the lady and I joined a gym on January 5. She found that her employer struck a deal with Lifestyle Fitness that would give her a considerable discount. We went for a free workout and ended up signing up with the Premier package.

The gym is a really nice place. A few months back, it underwent a complete remodeling. There are now two racquetball courts; a three-lane pool; whirlpool; saunas; sound-proof stretching/yoga room; full basketball court; dozens of treadmills, bikes, and elliptical machines; tanning booths; and tons and tons of free-weights and weight machines (literally).

We are now about two month into working out. This week was a bad one… Tuesday, I had to get up early to vote… Wednesday night we had a concert to go to so we didn’t go that morning… Thursday we were exhausted from the night before so we didn’t go… Friday we were exhausted from the night before so we didn’t go… Saturday we were snowed in and I doubt the gym was open due to the 10 inches of snow that fell in the previous 24 hours.

Despite this minor setback, we are working out 3-5 times each week and are starting to see some results. We lift weights on days one, three, and five and run or ellipticalize on the even days. We certainly feel better, but we both see changes when we look in the mirror. My belly doesn’t stick out quite as far and my squishy arms have started looking like real arms.

We’re aware that this is a marathon, not a sprint. And we’re in it for the long haul. This combined with the Abs Diet and we’re well on our way to much healthier, happier lifestyles.