Coming up to 9 months in a few days here. Feel awesome, and no looking back. I honestly thought about what a cigarette would taste like if I had one right now, and that thought was absolutely revolting.
Anyone who has quit for an extended duration of time, knows that foreign, stinging sensation you get when you have one again for the first time? I never want that feeling ever again.
Some interesting stats for myself:
-I have increased my maximum comfortable cycling distance from 25 kms to being able to pound off 100 kms on a Sunday.
-I have gone from a 170 lb maximum bench press to 345 lbs.
-I lost 35 pounds of fat, and regained about 25 pounds of muscle mass.
-I have gone from gasping for breath after 45 seconds on the ice, to being able to marathon entire periods if needed when we are short skaters.
-I went from a 38 inch waist, a 42 inch chest and 16 inch arms to a 34.5 inch waist and a 48 inch chest and 18.5 inch arms.
- My breath doesn't smell every morning like a cat sh1t in my mouth.
- My confidence has gone through the roof, and I am no longer hesitant around women.
Albeit I did hit the gym 3 months leading up to quitting, these are all changes that would have been impossible without kicking the habit. In 1 year, I totally changed my life, after I let cigarettes ruin it for 17 years.
The one thing I absolutely implore anyone thinking of quitting to do, is EXERCISE, work out, run, anything that involves physical activity. Once you see some progress, you will not want to ruin what you have accomplished with those evil little rolls of paper death. I am 37 years old, and I am in the best physical condition in my entire life. I no longer roll my eyes at the thought of working out, or dread the next big hill on a bike ride. I look forward to and am eager for those challenges. The first couple months sucked balls beyond all belief. But once you get a groove, you will not want to turn back.
To me, the absolute moment of redemption, was running into my ex girlfriend that I split up with last November. She was the one I really liked, and really wanted to settle down with. A major reason we split up was because of garbage lifestyle, my smelly tobacco condo, and my general abuse of my health. She had a suitcase of mine I needed to pick up, and she hasn't seen me in a full year almost to the day, and the last time we spoke face to face, I had a smoke hanging out of my mouth. When I rang her doorbell, she looked at me like like she didn't even recognize me, made a stupid little comment that made this whole year worth of commitment worth it ,"Wow, you look really good." I am not the greatest looking guy on the world, but I felt like Brad Pitt for a minute. I played it off all cool, but when I got back in my car, I was grinning from ear to ear the entire way home.
Quitting changed my life. The 2 months of pain you have to endure out of the gate, has a pot at the end of the rainbow full of riches money could never buy. What are you waiting for? Run that pack of cancer sticks under the kitchen faucet, and just do it.
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