How I quit eating fast food - part 1
“64 oz. soda? Does it come with a chance to win Boardwalk? Well then hit me Brutha!” - Metroknow, 26 lbs heavier
About 6 months ago, I completely quit eating fast food. For me, this was no minor feat. In the first part of this two-part series, I’ll tell you about my relationship (yes, relationship) with fast food. In part two, I’ll tell you exactly how I’m doing it, and how you can too.
I am definitely a card-carrying member of the fast food generation. I don’t know how many times I have made the decision on the size of a combo at McDonald’s based on which of the larger sizes included the most “extra” Monopoly game pieces, which generally led to winning - you guessed it - MORE fast food. I never won that extra-heavy Hummer with the dual 40 gallon fuel tanks.
Why do did I like Fast Food?
Like it or not, here’s the truth: fast food sells - in a BIG way. For me, here’s why:
1. Availability. In many parts of the country, we are simply overrun with fast food and junk food options. In L.A. suburbs, Portland suburbs, and most small towns, when you drive through the business district it looks like this: McDonalds, dry cleaners, cellular phone store, Jack-in-the-Box, stereo store, Starbucks, Taco Bell, KFC, cheap shoe store, Burger King, Wal-Mart, and then McDonalds again.
Repeat that cycle every 4-6 blocks, throw in an Olive Garden, a gas station, and a few 99-cent stores, and you have a drive across America that repeats itself like a Politician stumping from town to town, from sea to plastic-bag-filled shining sea.
Yes, fast food and dry cleaners are everywhere. And I’m not sure which one is more toxic. Someone oughta’ just get it over with and combine dry cleaners and fast food joints. After all, their prices are comparable, which leads me to…
2. Price. If there was ever an instance of pure self-destructive dietary temptation, it has been embodied in one thing: the ever-present-well-lit-open-24-hours-drive-thru menu. Double-cheeseburger for .99 cents at 4AM, and a taco? Without even having to sit upright in my SUV? Are you kidding me? I’ll take 3! And a shake and fries too? Good lord how can I NOT buy that?
It is a miracle that you cannot buy cigarettes at a fast food drive thru windows. No really - a true Miracle, as in someone oughta’ alert the Vatican. Whatever group of senators and congress-folk that passed that law may well have surpassed Mother Theresa in lives saved.
3. Taste. Now while some would disagree that for a set of us, fast food tastes, well, pretty dang good, think about it for a couple of seconds and you’ll see why I fall in the “tastes good” camp: Big chain fast food corporations pay tens of millions of dollars to figure out what taste, texture, and temperature combination will be more than just mildly non-offensive; the foodish items have to be so taste-filled and jolly good that an otherwise reasonable person will overlook every detail on where that combination of ingredients came from (and what it started out as), how far it’s traveled (and what rat nibbled on it), who’s touched it, dropped it, sneezed on it, reconstituted it, microwaved the heck out of it, then wrapped it in a container that will take 400 years to melt into the water table.
Your food product better be darn good to get us to forget all that.
That said, I am retraining my tastes, and it turns out that the real thing - you know, real food - actually tastes MUCH better, no matter what those voices in my head tell me every time I come within 500 feet of a container of Mountain Dew. Still doesn’t mean that super sugar taste isn’t sweet.
If I had that job, the one where you decide what goes on the 99-cent menu, I would already have it licked.
When asked how to improve the salability of an item, I would simply say, “Well that’s easy, Mr. Burns, sir! Add more cheap sugar substitute of course, preferably from a corn base, and a whole bunch of salt! Throw in some preservatives and cheap coloring, wrap it in a value menu, and you’ve got yourself the next McRib runaway smash hit! And the kids’ll LOVE it!”
I would be senior management material.
What, as a child of the deep fryer, did I do about it?
I obviously have an unholy relationship with fast food. Clearly. So what have I done about it?
Since the beginning of the year, I have successfully eliminated eating fast food, as well as soda in any form. Quit cold turkey. No more monopoly pieces. No more corn syrupy goodness in a pail. No chance of winning that Hummer.
So how am I doing with that so far? 90% of the time, amazingly well. The other 10%? I think the forces that be have been looking out for me. Let me explain.
Remember that one time? At band camp?
I confess. There was a point, a month ago, that I tried to give in and grab some fast food. I had both kids with me, and it had been a tough day. The three of us were hungry, tired, whiny, and wanting convenience. For me, that spells dietary trouble. And I am REALLY annoying when I whine.
I decided to just forget it - and give in.
I first pulled into the drive thru of the local Burgerville. For those not familiar with it, Burgerville is a local fast food chain that is considered better than average because they buy locally, organic foods, grass fed beef, free range eggs, and so forth. I rationalized, “well, if I’m going to do it, this is the place.” Nevermind that my old meal of choice was a couple of cheeseburgers, with extra sauce, a fry or two, and a seasonally fresh berry shake. Yeah, not exactly in my weight loss plan.
Unfortunately, Burgerville’s fatal flaw? Their drive-thru takes forEVER. Slow fast food. And with 2 tired kids, and no movement of the line, I gave up and moved on. Home? OH NO. I was going to have some fast food, and I was gonna’ have it NOW.
Enter: Taco Bell.
[Tangent: Can I just say that only a mega marketing giant like Taco Bell could pull off having a mascot that looks not unlike a shaved rat, and STILL get us to buy a handful of tacos with unusually finely ground “meat” as it’s central ingredient. But I digress.]
Taco Bell is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Surely I could eat some garbage there! Pulling up to the magic board of ordering love, I noticed that there was a little piece of paper stuck to the microphone post:
“Closed for computer problems.”
Taco Bell closed? What? This does not happen in the civilized world! I mean, if there is one thing you can count on, it’s the availability of melted cheese product at every corner of this great nation!
Being a geek and all, I must confess that I thought to myself, “In all likelihood, those are Windows computers. So did Microsoft actually just save me from myself???”
After that, I did indeed give up. And I was glad I did. We went home, made a simple dinner, and all was well.
No Fast Food.
What’s the secret? Hypnosis? Nose plugs? Pain therapy?
So how did I do it? What secret voodoo magic am I using to avoid the most prolific business in America (not scientific statement; it’s my view of the world from inside my own corn syrup glazed lenses)?
In part two, I’ll describe the steps I took to rid myself of the fast food beast. It’s not as difficult as you think.
[UPDATE 6/18/08: Here’s part 2: “How I stopped eating fast food - 20 ways to end the addiction“.]
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I won’t go as far as to say I’ve given up on ALL fast food but it is a very rare day when I indulge. Normally it’s only for a veggie burger so it’s not too bad.
One thing I have totally given up on is soda. I originally switched to diet soda but I was just drinking way too much of it. Now I just liquify bread. Or did I mean drink water?
Unfortunately, I eat entirely too much fast food. With my family during the summer especially, we are all pretty much on our own for many meals. So for convenience I eat a lot of fast food. Therefore, I’m looking forward to your second part. I was able to cut back on soda a lot during the fall and winter. I pretty much always had 2 to 3 sodas a day. Sodas are horrible for you, so I just decided I’d stop buying them at the store. I bought juices instead and tried to drink more water.
Metroknow:
You had me laughing throughout this whole article. I too have tried to succumb to the siren call of the fast food giants and been stymied by “the powers that be”. It can be so frustrating when you have finally decided to give up on a goal and then are unable to defeat yourself. Of course when you slow down and look back you realize it was all for the best.
I live in portland also so I recognize McLouglin (and/or 82nd). It is just as you describe (except I think you left out a McDonalds. LOL)
Looking forward to your follow up.
@Andrew: I know what you mean on the soda - In fact, at one point in my life during the internet boom I was drinking, without exaggeration, 8-10 mountain dews a day (18+ hour days for months on end). It is amazing that I have any teeth left at all.
@Tom: It really is a tough thing, particularly when it is your “culture” to do so. Hopefully the second part will have a few points that map well to your circumstance. Likewise on the soda. currently I drink Kombucha, which has some of the characteristics of soda but none of the negative effects.
@Kiz: I’m glad the humor shined through - sometimes I wonder if I am just sounding particularly odd, or it is actually funny to someone other than me. And you nailed the streets - both are very applicable! We actually first saw this on Beach Blvd. down in Southern California. It was staggering to drive for a solid hour from Whittier to the beach, and never go for more than 5 blocks without one of the big fast food chains repeating. Is it any wonder we are struggling with obesity?
It is just as bad up here in the great withe north. Even our little town has an A&W and a Sub Way. I have not managed to go completely off fast food yet but I am way better than I used to be. I don’t drink soda because it all tastes like mold to me. That is a bonus. You are doing great. I am looking forward to the rest of the story. I have a son your age. He is still addicted to pop and salty snacks. His wife won’t buy them for him but he just stops off at 7-11 or Macs and stocks up. We figure he looks about 7 months pregnant. He was in a ball tournament this weekend and injured his shoulder. I wonder? What makes guys think they can still slide into home plate or run all the bases like they did when they were in high school without any repercussions? He has a son about the same age as your little guy. BTW cute photos. Nice for us grannies.
Where is part 2 I can’t wait for it ! Especially when Part 1 is so good.
Seriously I need to get a handle on the fries and throw them out for good.
This wouldn’t be any easy feat for me either! I eat fast food probably about once per week, which I think is pretty good considering how readily available it is and how easy it is to just go out and grab a burger or something. If I were struggling with weight loss, I would definitely be more inclined to get off of fast food altogether, though.
Fun article, it caught me chuckling.
I’ve had those moments, when I ‘tried’ to do something that was not such a good habit, and something kept getting in the way. When they were thwarted in a good way, like the closed Taco Bell, I see that as a God-incidence. It’s that extra helping-hand that we need to be at our best.
Good stuff. Now I need to read the next part!
@Christine: Hi Christine! I sure do wish in some ways that soda tasted like mold to me too
Thanks for the encouragement too. Actually there are some bigger life changes going on for me right now, so your encouragement was great timing. AND, LOL, I was JUST telling my wife I was thinking about joining a softball league! So Funny!
@Kage: I promise, it is on it’s way. Thanks for the enthusiasm - And I totally know what you mean on the fries………
@Tony: Yep, I know for some folks they can manage going into a fast food joint and coming out with some lower calorie alternatives, but for me I can’t do it. I am too susceptible to aroma of fried things….
@SingerGC: I feel that way too in a sense, as if there is a “bigger picture” that I am part of, and I’m getting a little push in the right direction.
By all means…join the team! Any exercise is good. Just don’t slide or go all out around the bases. LOL BTW…He was a hero in his sons eyes with the slide. Noah told me all about it complete with sound effects and demonstrations.
Hi there, Sharon here, a strange route for me to get here, but wanted to reply, I mean comment. I think almost fit needs more photos of rima. and jonah. and the garden for us city dwellers of little soil. I love the quinoa recipe, as my husband is a huuuuuuuuggggeeeee fan, and actually (acts like he) likes it just tossed with boiling water.
I love the manners article, and often note to myself how I am not following those guidelines, like when I’m standing up eating from the cutting board without a utensil or plan, while checking my blackberry, flipping through mail, and giving someone else partial attention. I am sometimes guilty on all of your ten counts. Simutaeniously.
I don’t travel these comment parts much, and somehow I don’t think I’ll be invited back soon…maybe you prefer the good old fashioned private email way of communicating with the likes of me. You know, people do judge you by your friends I’ve found…
love you madly,
sharon
Hi MetroKnows,
Fast food is something everyone has indulged in and most of us would love to just say no to it. Why can’t we just do it!!! Oh, you just told us.
It is not easy to never eat fast food. I’ve been avoiding fast food for over a year but have to admit I do fall off the wagon every few months. I actually feel (get) sick after eating the junk food so why do I cave every 8 – 12 weeks? It is very frustrating. I just noticed Burger King has a veggie burger, think this is healthy or just another processed junk food taunted as healthy? I know it’s not healthy and I won’t try it.
Thanks for the entertaining and so helpful aricle!
Robin
Me again–
I heard on the local news today that a Sonic fast food place just opened here in St Paul. People were waiting over an hour - miles away to eat this fast food! I admit since I’m a nativeTexas gal I’ve had my share of Sonic food and will most likely eat it at least once more. I thought it was funny how I had just commented on this post about leaving the fast food behind, then saw all these people rushing to sample a New fast food place. OK, my favorite food from Sonic used to be the Chili Cheese Jalapeno burger. I don’t eat meat anymore but still remember how good this Hot burger was.
Please wish me luck to resist Sonic this weekend!!!
Robin
How to stop eating fast food | AlmostFit.com Says: 18.06.08 at 3:44 pm
[…] - 20 ways to end the addiction This is the conclusion to my first article in the series, “How I quit eating fast food”. If you think it might help others, please consider sharing it via Digg, StumbleUpon, or your […]
20 tactics to kill the fast food habit | AlmostFit.com Says: 18.06.08 at 9:37 pm
[…] parts one and two of this series, I described how I’ve quit eating fast food using 3 basic steps: […]
Loved the article! I had to laugh about the McD’s Monopoly game, because I’ve been a bit of an addict of the game in the past, with no wins other than food and an increased waistline.
I find that it wasn’t the taste of fast food so much that got me, instead of price, relative speed and convenience. As you say, weakest when tired. I don’t eat fast food very often these days… when I do indulge, inevitably I decide that it doesn’t really taste that good. Well, except for cookies and the Oreo McFlurry. The rest of it is pretty ugh compared to something I might make at home.
Our town is funny… for whatever reason, the fast food is all at one end of town, most of it up on a hill. Makes it a little easier to avoid.
Hi Cynthia! I’ve been wondering where you’ve been, both here and on Iowa Ave. — Glad to see you are still hangin’ out with the rest of us blog junkies.
Yeah I think the monopoly thing is a BRILLIANT marketing idea. It taps into that little gambling tickle many of us have, all while getting us hooked on sugar and salt. If they used Paris Hilton and Jake Gillenhall to sell it, boy they would REALLY be maximizing those human vices!
On the taste, I must admit, I do crave an Oreo Blizzard at Dairy Queen from time to time. As the AM/PM ads say, “too much good stuff.” — Oreos are definitely a childhood hook for me.
And what great luck on the configuration of your town! You know one of my suggestions that I pulled from the other article was to avoid the street where the restaurant is…..I thought it was a little too much, so I pulled it, but I actually do that. I take roads that don’t pass by the temptation when I can.
Thanks for the always insightful comments
When living in ND… for some reason I had a tough time avoiding DQ Blizzards. Fortunately, the DQ here is a little off my beaten path, so it’s not been a problem.
The bad part about the configuration of our town with most of the fast food being on one side of town… that is also the side of town that my gym resides, LOL!