Example Essay

Over the years I have noticed that I am taking advantage of my body. I am coming to realize that some of the habits that I have fallen into are starting to take their toll as I get older. I am a smoker. I puff about half a pack of cigarettes a day. I also have a nasty habit of not eating meals, but snacking throughout the day on junk food. Another bad habit I have is drinking way too much soda throughout the day. The effects that these habits are having on my body are becoming more evident as my age keeps increasing.

I love Caffeine-free Diet Pepsi. I drink this day and night. I won’t develop diabetes because of my soda drinking, because there is no sugar, but I have noticed that over the past few years, I have had to have some top fillings on my teeth because the acid in the soda is wearing away at my tooth enamel and my teeth are becoming extremely sensitive. I have tried to find other alternatives to drinking soda, but I can’t seem to find anything that satisfies this need for the soda. I switched to drinking Crystal Light for a few weeks, but soon became bored with the flavors. I tried to drink just water but soon became bored with that also. I don’t know what is in the Caffeine-free Diet Pepsi, but I just can’t get enough of it.

Another bad habit that I have, is snacking throughout the day instead of eating meals. My weight is seriously affected by this habit. I did not just develop this habit overnight. I have always eaten sporadically since I was a teenager. I just never developed the good eating habits I should have. Instead of sitting down for a meal, I will just find a quick snack in the cupboard and eat that. I can’t seem to find a solution to this habit either. I’m just too busy in the morning getting the kids to eat and getting them and me ready for school that breakfast is not even on my list of things to do. I often forget to even eat lunch because I am either at school or busy running errands. Supper time I usually cook a nice meal of meat, potatoes, veggies, or pasta for my family but I am so busy getting them what they want that I often just don’t want to sit down to eat. I would rather wait until they go to bed and have something when I can sit down. I am going to see a Nutritionist at the end of the month, so maybe she can give me some suggestions on how to break this habit.

The worst habit I have is smoking. I have been a smoker off and on for the past fifteen years. I quit with each of my three pregnancies only to start up again a few months after each child was born. I have noticed in the mornings that I am getting a “smoker’s cough” and I have also noticed a few new wrinkles on my face that I don’t want there. The problem with quitting is that when I do, I tend to overeat, and become almost impossible to deal with emotion wise. I smoke when I am frustrated, it gives me a five minute break to go outside and calm my nerves. I also smoke when I am bored. This is the habit I hate the most, but it is the hardest one to break. The patches make me shaky, the gum makes me gag, and cold turkey pretty much makes my family want to beat me.

My three bad habits are literally killing me. Soda hardens the arteries, eating unhealthy clogs the arteries, causes my obesity, puts me at risk for high cholesterol and heart disease, and smoking puts me at risk for cancer among other health conditions. I think that I need to take these habits and try to break them one at a time and give myself a few months in between each one so that I don’t send my body into shock. I am going to start with the Nutritionist and see if I can start a healthy way of eating first. Once I have my body feeling good, maybe I can cut out the soda and find a better alternative. I am going to need a lot of support to quit smoking. I know my kids and husband will be supportive, but getting them to deal with my “bitchiness” is going to be a major factor in gaining their support. If I can break these three habits, I know that I will be a much healthier person. I want to be around to enjoy my children and my grandchildren, and I never thought I would hear myself say this but I want to live long enough to be “old”. With my family’s support and my willingness to help myself, I believe that I can beat these habits. You only live once.