My biggest struggle: Fast food!
hiyomi
Posts: 906 Member
Hi everyone, I'm looking for anyone here that also struggles with the same issue as me, which is that I love fast food and always go to it, and I mean excessively! Growing up, my parents always went out to eat daily for lunch and dinner and sometimes even breakfast as well. I basically grew up on fast food and in my adult years it's still one thing that I always go to. I can stay within calorie range and still eat out fast food, but it doesn't come without its challenges. I would like to eat less fast food and do more home cooking, but the temptation is hard to break. The convience and ease of it.. The greasy tasting goodness, excuse my fattiness talking lol. Anyone here have the same struggle with fast food? I don't mean eating out 3 times a week, I'm talking about eating out 7 to 10 times per week..how did you break the habit?
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Replies
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I haven't yet! Just last week I went out for 2 whoppers after staying away for a week haha it's definitely hard when I had it for 1 (or 2 ) meals at least 6-7 days a week! I've been trying to plan my meals ahead and go to the grocery store and prep some lunches or drink a meal replacement in the morning so I know I have no reason to hit the drive thru. Some days it works other days I find myself ordering a #2 again.. But try to cut it out once a week then twice a week and go from there so you won't beat yourself up for it
someone also suggested to eat a salad and drink 8 oz of water first then go for the bad food after and see if you still want it. Good luck my fellow Taco Belle lol :P 4 -
I would try to recreate your favourite fast food things in a more healthy way. For example, you can get good quality beef burgers and nice bread rolls / buns / baps or whatever you call them and make them at home. Put all your favourite toppings on. Then bit by bit cut down on the calorie laden stuff. You could even try making your own burger patties when you start getting adventurous. Same with your favourite Chinese or Indian takeaway. There are loads of recipes online to make your own versions, and then you can start to make them just a bit healthier until you've weaned yourself off eating quite so much fast food. You never know may find a love for cooking along the way...! All the best5
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I think my story is comparable, so I hope you can get something out of this even though it isn't exactly the same. I grew up with home cooked meals, and eating out was a an occasional treat, but I always longed for the sweet and the fatty. My "solution" was to get as much sweets and snacks and junk as possible as soon as I was on my own. Add to this that I was well aware of how I "should" be eating - lean protein, lots of veg and fiber - and I did value my health, and I was really afraid of getting sick, and I was devastated seeing my weight only get higher, so oops, a dilemma, and the constant conflict made me exhausted and paralysed, and temporarily soothing the feelings of letting myself down, was easy with large amounts of the foods I "wasn't supposed to have". See how this becomes a struggle?
MFP actually set me straight. I have learnt a lot in here - and from other sources as well, and from being more assertive and mindful - it all comes together:
No foods are essentially good or bad, it's all about context - dosage and frequency.
Taste is important. Food is supposed to be delicious because we need to eat.
Good advice can turn bad. Oftentimes rules are set too tight, in order to protect us, so the resulting perfectionism and feeling of defeat leads to failing to adhere to even the easy bits.
Cooking can and should be fun and produce delicious results. Use just enough fat, sugar and salt to make great food.9 -
i started watching documentaries about junk foods and fast foods on netflix, so now everytime i see fast foods, i barf lol11
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Fast food is my biggest weakness! And yes, sometimes three times in one day. It's how I gained 20 lbs over the fall and winter. The motivation comes and goes, but when I am dedicated to my counting calories then I still allow myself a single cheeseburger, no fried, or a six inch from subway, or a grilled chicken sandwich from Chik Fil a , or the southwest salad from McDonald's. Those are my go to items. You just have to learn to tell yourself no. It is hard! But doable. Good luck!2
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I've worked fast foods in to my diet for years. Lol, the past couple of weeks, I've had fast food somewhere in the day every day! And haven't gained. But of course I'd also want to eat more VOLUME, so I'll have to cut back a little and get back to cooking again.
You can eat fast food. Just make better choices. I would urge you to have at least one nutrient dense meal a day though.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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There are some good fast food options out there.
You definitely can lose weight eating fast food.like with all food, it's all about the portions2 -
Hi everyone, I'm looking for anyone here that also struggles with the same issue as me, which is that I love fast food and always go to it, and I mean excessively! Growing up, my parents always went out to eat daily for lunch and dinner and sometimes even breakfast as well. I basically grew up on fast food and in my adult years it's still one thing that I always go to.
I don't share the challenge -- fast food was a special treat when I was a kid and I lost my taste for it as an adult -- but there are other indulgences I enjoy (ordering in Indian if I'm tired, for example), and I don't know why it wouldn't be the same.
If it's a special treat and something you love, treat it like that. Decide you will do it, I dunno, one dinner and one lunch per week, whatever seems reasonable, and then those are your treats. Use the other meals to find other things you like too.
If it's the convenience, think about how to make meals easy and convenient in other ways, like by preplanning, learning some fast to prepare meals, having leftovers available.1 -
Eating fast food is totally up to you, you can still lose weight eating fast food. For me I stopped eating fast food before I even started losing weight (just personal preference) I lost the taste for it after a few months. Same thing happened to me with soda, after not having it for a few months it doesnt appeal to me anymore. However maybe once a month we will order a pizza, so if thats classified as fast food then I still get it once in awhile.
Expirementing with new recipes is fun, I tried out two new recipes over the weekend, and both came out great and I'm adding them to my recipe book.0 -
Something tells me you have friends or family that live with you that are influencing you. That will be 50% of your fight.1
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I am still struggling as well...doing intermittent fasting and going a different route (where there is hardly any fast food restaurants to catch my eye) before and after work has helped a lot.
Focusing on your macros more in addition to staying in a calorie deficit might help also. If you lower your fat intact, it forces you to kind of not eat out as much because most fast food restaurants have nothing but high fats in their food. Carbs could be another focus to lower as well. But I love carbs so I chose fats to lower instead and it's worked so far.
Now I still eat out but its not the 14 to 20 times a week like 2 months ago. Now its 2 or 3 times a week and usually subway or healthier options at another fast food joint.
Although every week I pick one day and one meal out of that one day to eat something fatty and high carb so I won't feel deprived but believe me when I say I work for it.4 -
Also like others have said you could still eat out as much as you want as long as you stay within a deficit but believe me when I say you are eventually going to get tired of trying to outrun a crappy diet.
CICO + watching your macros will help bunches
And it really helps to work for it througout the week and savor that nice juicy burger and fries on Saturday or Sunday or maybe just in my case lol0 -
I usually eat at Subway on Tuesdays because I work late and just want something quick. Other than that, try making your own versions of fast food - once you see how much better you can do, the appeal dies down.
When you compare a home-grilled beef-and-mushroom burger with roasted tomato and caramelized onion served on a homemade bun to the bland gray patties at the big chains you won't see a reason to return.2 -
I feel your pain! My husband was raised just like you, so his nights to cook were always pizza, Italian, or Chinese food ordered in. Taco bell is my weakness, and ice cream from just about anywhere.
You have to be better than your desire for fast food. If losing weight really is a priority, you'll make it a priority. Start small with at least 1 home cooked meal every day and if you do go out, cut your portion size down. I ate out twice on Saturday and I was still really close to my calorie goal because I didn't eat as much as I would have pre-MFP. I find that if I force myself to eat breakfast at home and take a lunch to work (and don't branch out and eat whatever's in the cafeteria) and if I have a meal plan set in my head before I leave work, then I'm MUCH more likely to stick to it. And I've banned my husband from ordering out... that's helped too, haha.1 -
ruffalicious wrote: »i started watching documentaries about junk foods and fast foods on netflix, so now everytime i see fast foods, i barf lol
Misinformation isn't a good thing. So many of these "documentaries" cherry pick information presented to serve the agenda that they are pushing.
OP - you can eat fast food at every meal and maintain your weight. However, you will begin to find your choices rather limited. I would start by figuring out what things you can re-create on your own.....only make them healthier. Because it's your recipe, you can make them tastier too.
You don't have to eliminate fast food, but a reduction in fast food would serve you well.6 -
Hi everyone, I'm looking for anyone here that also struggles with the same issue as me, which is that I love fast food and always go to it, and I mean excessively! Growing up, my parents always went out to eat daily for lunch and dinner and sometimes even breakfast as well. I basically grew up on fast food and in my adult years it's still one thing that I always go to. I can stay within calorie range and still eat out fast food, but it doesn't come without its challenges. I would like to eat less fast food and do more home cooking, but the temptation is hard to break. The convience and ease of it.. The greasy tasting goodness, excuse my fattiness talking lol. Anyone here have the same struggle with fast food? I don't mean eating out 3 times a week, I'm talking about eating out 7 to 10 times per week..how did you break the habit?
Fast food is the worst to eat when trying to lose weight. There is so much sodium in it. Even a basic salad from a fast food restaurant has more calories than fixing one at home. But with that - I too used to love it. I have to cut it out almost completely any time I'm trying to lose weight. I take my kids to Chickfila at times and I will eat a few nuggets but that's it or I just get a bottled water and wait til I get home to eat. I don't limit myself completely but I do make better choices now. I know that my body just doesn't do well with fast food. I also like feeling less bloated and yucky too. Fast food always made me feel horrible after eating it. I don't miss that part.6 -
rankinsect wrote: »I usually eat at Subway on Tuesdays because I work late and just want something quick. Other than that, try making your own versions of fast food - once you see how much better you can do, the appeal dies down.
When you compare a home-grilled beef-and-mushroom burger with roasted tomato and caramelized onion served on a homemade bun to the bland gray patties at the big chains you won't see a reason to return.
Love this idea! I have a big mac special sauce recipe I make that tastes just like the big mac sauce and you can make a meal at home with a lot less calories using it.0 -
I eat a lot of fast food.. It has not hindered my goals in anyway. I just count the calories like anything else.3
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perkymommy wrote: »Hi everyone, I'm looking for anyone here that also struggles with the same issue as me, which is that I love fast food and always go to it, and I mean excessively! Growing up, my parents always went out to eat daily for lunch and dinner and sometimes even breakfast as well. I basically grew up on fast food and in my adult years it's still one thing that I always go to. I can stay within calorie range and still eat out fast food, but it doesn't come without its challenges. I would like to eat less fast food and do more home cooking, but the temptation is hard to break. The convience and ease of it.. The greasy tasting goodness, excuse my fattiness talking lol. Anyone here have the same struggle with fast food? I don't mean eating out 3 times a week, I'm talking about eating out 7 to 10 times per week..how did you break the habit?
Fast food is the worst to eat when trying to lose weight. There is so much sodium in it. Even a basic salad from a fast food restaurant has more calories than fixing one at home. But with that - I too used to love it. I have to cut it out almost completely any time I'm trying to lose weight. I take my kids to Chickfila at times and I will eat a few nuggets but that's it or I just get a bottled water and wait til I get home to eat. I don't limit myself completely but I do make better choices now. I know that my body just doesn't do well with fast food. I also like feeling less bloated and yucky too. Fast food always made me feel horrible after eating it. I don't miss that part.
A McDonald's side salad (which is pretty basic) has 15 calories before you add the dressing.
For a full meal salad, the Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad has 350 calories before you add the dressing, which is still pretty reasonable (hold the glaze and the tortilla strips and it goes down to 260). I feel as if lots of people can make salads at home that have more calories -- I know I have.
Should people research the calories in fast food salads before ordering? Sure. But for lots of people, they can be a reasonable option. To say that any basic fast food salad has more calories than what people are making at home just isn't accurate.5 -
It is so convenient to hit a drive thru on the way home from work. And I do love those shredded chicken burritos with extra avocado sauce from Taco Bell. I've cut back quite a bit, but still get those convenient cravings. It's why I'm stuck around the same 5-6 pound gain and loss. It's so tough!!0
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You have to, have to go to the grocery store at least once a week, so you have other options. Even if you just make sandwiches from the deli meat. Then cook something. I usually cook once a week and then freeze it in tupperware containers. My freezer will be packed with 8-10 meals, that i just have to heat up to take to work. Plus you will find it is cheaper. My weakness is also chic-fil-a, but I have a salad instead of the fries.0
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Wow, this post could have seriously been written by ME! Girl, I am right there with you-grew up on fast food and takeout and developed this weird mentality that eating at home, whether it was a family dinner or now as an adult cooking for myself, is depriving myself. Gross, right?! I found myself at 291.4lbs in mid-June and I could feel the condition of my body declining quickly. Literally everything left me out of breath, my knees hurt all the freaking time, my heart would race for no reason, my anxiety was at an all-time high, I more or less quit socializing because I was so self-conscious about my appearance...the list of negative junk goes on and on. Since then, I've lost 19.2lbs and, even though that isn't much, I already feel relief as my knees don't hurt quite so much, my pants are fitting a bit better, and my exercise stamina is improving a little at a time. In terms of breaking that unhealthy relationship with fast food, it's been a bumpy road. I decided to have one "cheat" meal (I hate that phrase but folks know what I mean) per week- only one meal, and only at dinner IF I have a successful weigh-in that morning. For example, I weigh myself on Monday mornings and if I lost weight, I'll eat a splurge meal for dinner. I don't go insane and eat like 3,000+ calories- I just get my favorite fast food meal, eat it, LOG IT IN MFP (very important) and the next day I drink 3-4 liters of water (that's daily anyway) and get right back on track with my meal plan. I admit, I do struggle a little with feeling guilty afterward, but I see week after week that this ONE meal doesn't negatively impact me- I'm still losing weight.
Beyond the once-a-week cheat meal, I have basically learned over time exactly what fast food options I can and cannot work into my daily calorie goal. For example, I can get a large chili from Wendy's for 270 calories and it's full of protein and very filling, but I don't eat the crackers that come with it because they're calorie dense and just unnecessary for me to include in my day. I also know I can eat an egg white delight mcmuffin from McDonalds for like 350 calories and it satisfies my fast food urge without breaking the calorie bank.
I've found that my fast-food addiction is only partially related to the food- I got so used to eating while driving that it's IMPULSIVE for me to have food in the car with me now. It's almost like a muscle memory issue. So strange. Anyway, I have learned over time that I can eat more and feel more full during a 24 hour period if I eat way less fast food and way more stuff that I cook and prepare at home. It's made me less dependent on that fast food fix and more dependent on myself, which makes me feel so much more in control.
I'm someone who follows the calories in/calories out method of weight loss so I don't think any particular type of food is evil. I don't throw every food item into the "good" or "bad" column. Instead, I view food on the spectrum from "less" to "more." I determine where each meal would fall on the spectrum of how often I should eat it and I plan my eating that way. Yesterday, I had two slices of pizza for lunch. At dinner, I made a big salad because I knew my lunch was calorie-dense. This morning's weigh-in, I lost 3lbs in the last 7 days so the balance does work as long as you are in a calorie deficit.
Sorry to have written a novel here, but fast food has been a big struggle for me so I hope you can find a way to balance that with other options that can give you the health results you're looking for. Good luck!6 -
A year ago I was in a similar boat, although with bar food rather than fast food. If you want to cook more at home and can afford it and live somewhere it's available, I'd suggest you try one of the meal kit delivery services - Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, etc. It has made a huge difference for us to get that box every week, and my husband has generally found the recipes fairly easy to follow (he does all the cooking). Blue Apron was more "learn new cooking techniques!" than Hello Fresh, which are the two we've tried. I like the HF recipes better and there's usually enough for two dinners and one leftovers lunch in each meal. As others have said, you don't have to stop eating fast food entirely, but swapping out for three home cooked meals a week will likely be a big change.2
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For me it started making me sick in high school I grew up with 80% of my meals being from McDonald's. It got to the point where I would throw up whenever I ate (involuntarily). I ended up having to cut meat and dairy out and take probiotics. After a few years from age 17 to 21 I finally fixed my gastrointestinal tract. I still don't eat out much cause I'm scared it will happen again. My mom had to have her gall bladder removed cause of the grease she ate. She still eats it and than must rush to a bathroom within 10 minutes of eating.
I would say the trick for me still is if I am craving it I will get a kids cheeseburger OR a small fry, than go home and eat something healthy. I also always have healthy snacks with me like an apple and almonds.1 -
I think you have really good insight. You know that this habit is associated with family time and good memories. You also know how to eat within limits (not without a struggle). I like your idea of gradually cutting back without cutting it out completely.
How about establishing a few new family traditions? Even if you are just a family of one. You could pick a night of the week that is home cooked night. Make sure it stays fun and interesting. Pick themes.1 -
Everybody jumps all over me when I say this and I get that fast food is a business and not obligated to care about your health blah blah blah...
But they don't give a damn about you... If they can profit by selling you poison in a bag, they will do so systematically...
It's obvious they think we are all complete Fools by the way they market to us...
Once in a while isn't going to kill you, but they want you to come there 7 days a week and have teams of chemist and food engineers, and marketers that do everything they can to make sure that you do...
Realizing this was half the battle for me13 -
Practical advice...
Put it off until Friday, don't say I'm never going to have it again, but I'm going to wait until Friday, then reward myself. Then do it again the next week, eventually you will have momentum and will not want to sacrifice your progress for one Friday treat.. N
Tell yourself that you will have it again eventually but your just not sure when. Keep that free meal in your pocket and save it for when the time is right, and I bet it stays in your pocket a lot longer than you'd think...6 -
Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »Everybody jumps all over me when I say this and I get that fast food is a business and not obligated to care about your health blah blah blah...
But they don't give a damn about you... If they can profit by selling you poison in a bag, they will do so systematically...
It's obvious they think we are all complete Fools by the way they market to us...
Once in a while isn't going to kill you, but they want you to come there 7 days a week and have teams of chemist and food engineers, and marketers that do everything they can to make sure that you do...
Realizing this was half the battle for me
Nobody denies that businesses (including fast food) aren't obligated to care about our health.
Are you under the impression that there is an industry that does care about you personally or isn't trying to make a profit?4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »Everybody jumps all over me when I say this and I get that fast food is a business and not obligated to care about your health blah blah blah...
But they don't give a damn about you... If they can profit by selling you poison in a bag, they will do so systematically...
It's obvious they think we are all complete Fools by the way they market to us...
Once in a while isn't going to kill you, but they want you to come there 7 days a week and have teams of chemist and food engineers, and marketers that do everything they can to make sure that you do...
Realizing this was half the battle for me
Nobody denies that businesses (including fast food) aren't obligated to care about our health.
Are you under the impression that there is an industry that does care about you personally or isn't trying to make a profit?
Did I say anyone was denying this?
Did I say I was?
And do you honestly fail to see the difference between the fast food industry trying to profit off of your own health and say... The movie industry trying to get you to see their films...
Your question implies that you obviously agree with me when I say the fast food industry does not give a damn about you or your health...
Therfore you fail to make any argument, if that's what you were trying to do...1 -
Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »Everybody jumps all over me when I say this and I get that fast food is a business and not obligated to care about your health blah blah blah...
But they don't give a damn about you... If they can profit by selling you poison in a bag, they will do so systematically...
It's obvious they think we are all complete Fools by the way they market to us...
Once in a while isn't going to kill you, but they want you to come there 7 days a week and have teams of chemist and food engineers, and marketers that do everything they can to make sure that you do...
Realizing this was half the battle for me
Nobody denies that businesses (including fast food) aren't obligated to care about our health.
Are you under the impression that there is an industry that does care about you personally or isn't trying to make a profit?
Did I say anyone was denying this?
Did I say I was?
And do you honestly fail to see the difference between the fast food industry trying to profit off of your own health and say... The movie industry trying to get you to see their films...
Your question implies that you obviously agree with me when I say the fast food industry does not give a damn about you or your health...
Therfore you fail to make an argument, if that's what you were trying to do...
You prefaced with with this: "Everybody jumps all over me when I say this . . ." but now you say that nobody denies it? That doesn't make sense.
Or is the "this" referring to some other statement? What, specifically, are people jumping on you for?
I don't think that any industry has a particular concern for me. What I question is why people hold this against fast food in particular instead of, say, the movie industry (which also has the capacity to harm people).
I agree with you that fast food isn't obligated to care about our health and doesn't care about us personally. My argument (since you didn't pick it up in the previous post) is why is this more significant for fast food than it is for all the other industries that have identical non-obligations?
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