Gr8 Health Blog – The best Gr8 Health decision of my life

The best Gr8 Health decision of my life.

It came in January 2010. That was when I decided to stop smoking cigarettes. At the time I was only 28, but surprisingly had been smoking cigarettes for 14 years.  I was smoking a lot: more than a pack a day.

But nearly 6 years ago I had enough.

A friend of mine suggested the book, “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking,” by Allen Carr. I’m not a “self-help book” type of person, but after many failed attempts in the past, that included everything from going cold turkey, to patches, to lozenges and gums. I figured a book couldn’t hurt.

There’s a lot to learn in the book, but the basic takeaway is this: come up with a plan, pick a date and promise yourself you’ll never smoke again. Will power also plays a part, because you have to not want to smoke.

That brings me to the pictures. They were taken on New Year’s Day. I was in Newport, RI for New Year’s Eve with my fraternity brothers. The next day we did the Polar Bear Plunge. While walking through a snow storm, smoking a cigarette, on my way to jump in the ocean, I said, “This is it.” What better time to stop an addiction to something that made me smell, was running me broke, ruining my health and that I didn’t even enjoy?

Since then, by putting away the money I would’ve spent on cigarettes, I’ve saved nearly $17,000. Not only that, I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m able to get my teeth whitened, and my cologne is no longer used to cover-up the bad smell.

My decision to stop smoking cigarettes was the best Gr8 Health decision of my life.