No more fast food!

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thrashersara88
thrashersara88 Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
For the last couple of years fast food and large restaurants portions have been a huge problem for me! Eating out is such a convenience that I have relied on it to allow myself to be lazy and not prepare meals. Not anymore. For the sake if my family and my own health I am committing to no longer eating out. Has anyone gone from eating out a few times a week to not at all? How quickly did you notice changes in your health and life?
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Replies

  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
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    What I select when I eat out is the biggie

    I have to travel with my job on occasion

    It is very easy for calories to sneak in with restaurant food compared to me cooking it.

    I eat lots of salads and grilled chicken or fish when I eat out

    Anything else is subject to lots of unknown calories.

  • williamwj2014
    williamwj2014 Posts: 750 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Yes...I don't eat out at all anymore unless I really crave something such as some Mexican food but for the most part, I don't eat at disgusting places like burger king/mcdonalds anymore as they tend to upset my stomach. You notice you feel less like crap by avoiding fast food and if I had to say how long it took to notice changes? Probably within the first few days..
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I eat out once a week or so still because some times I just don't want to cook!

    But most of the time, if I crave something, I can make it at home for lower calories anyway.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I lived on restaurant food and fast food almost exclusively. It was easier than cooking. Then I flipped, like a light switch. I didn't really notice that I felt better until six weeks later when I caved and had restaurant food and felt ucky. I got back on the horse. There were struggles - especially with freaking sodium - but eventually, I got where I wanted to be.

    Good for you, cleaning up your diet. You'll raise kids who don't end up fat and have healthy little bodies! Woot! :)

    If you fall down, get back up. Never quit!
  • williamwj2014
    williamwj2014 Posts: 750 Member
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    CharonCharon wrote: »
    See if you can say no to restaurants and fast food for 1 full month.
    Put sticky notes all over your house. Even in your car.
    Tell everyone you know about your goal and ask for support.
    Call a friend when you feel tempted.
    Fast food/ restaurants do not care about your health.
    They just care about digging in your wallet.


    Lol..."hey man, I need someone to talk to because I'm having the urge to go get fast food" "okay hold on, I'm at the burger king drive thru picking up something to eat"

    Yeah okay..self discipline is key.
  • duke7254
    duke7254 Posts: 6 Member
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    good for you! i don't have f/f often but do have it. my big thing is icecream. i am going to stop having it in the house. we finished the last of it a week or so ago. i will not replenish it. i'm not saying i won't go and get a cone once in a while. but it won't be in the house and we live a distance from ice cream places.. so, this should help me. good for you for doing something good for your body. :wink:
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    I don't eat out for lunch when I'm at work because it's easier for me to bring something that has a known calorie count to work, then I can eat it quickly and go for my lunchtime walk. This has helped me lose weight and exercise more in the past 4 months.

    I eat out at restaurants about once a week, and I make sure I stop eating before I get full.

    I eat fast food (which can be healthy) takeway maybe once a week, and again, I eat within my calorie limit.



  • Hannah220190
    Hannah220190 Posts: 83 Member
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    thrashersara88 wrote: »
    For the last couple of years fast food and large restaurants portions have been a huge problem for me! Eating out is such a convenience that I have relied on it to allow myself to be lazy and not prepare meals. Not anymore. For the sake if my family and my own health I am committing to no longer eating out. Has anyone gone from eating out a few times a week to not at all? How quickly did you notice changes in your health and life?

    I cannot remember the last time I had a takeaway or a form of fast food! I'd rather spend my money on buying fresh nutritious food to cook at home & enjoy a weekly meal out with my husband in a restaurant that serves decent quality!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    edited August 2015
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    thrashersara88 wrote: »
    For the last couple of years fast food and large restaurants portions have been a huge problem for me! Eating out is such a convenience that I have relied on it to allow myself to be lazy and not prepare meals. Not anymore. For the sake if my family and my own health I am committing to no longer eating out. Has anyone gone from eating out a few times a week to not at all? How quickly did you notice changes in your health and life?

    I do not eat fast food, with the exception of the occasional pizza, mainly because I find the taste disgusting, not for weight loss reasons. This is not the same as never eating out, there are other options than fast food. And even in fast food places, there are other options than a double cheeseburger and fries. You can control your portions and what you order in a restaurant, and still enjoy eating out. Schedule it e.g. as a once a week treat and see how it goes.
  • Natalierae886
    Natalierae886 Posts: 286 Member
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    I was constantly going to places like mcdonalds, subway and greggs. For the past 2 weeks ive made sure I havent gone any of them places, I havent ate chocolate either, ive had a couple of days where ive walked past and been tempted but im glad ive stopped myself. Ive lost 4lb so far and the weight wasnt shifting until I stopped going to them places.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    edited August 2015
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    You can still eat fast food if you want to, but maybe look at the menu ahead of time to make a better selection.

    Also, keep a snack in your purse so if you are driving past a drive thru and you are getting hungry, then eat your snack instead of hitting the drive thru.

    I still have pizza night once a week and I hit up "fast food" maybe once or twice a week depending on how crazy work is and if I remembered to pack a lunch or not. It hasn't hindered my weight loss.
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
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    The slow death from fast food is very popular in our society.
    I used to eat out every meal, and my wife and I laugh about it now, but I used to sneak fast foods while she was trying to help me lose weight.

    After a healthy breakfast, I pass through McD...and after tossing out her packed, healthy lunch, I'd head to KCF...and on the way home where lentil casserole awaited, I'd stop at Burger King.

    She wanted to have me tested for thyroid issues...lol
    My inability to lose weight must be some medical mystery! Well, not really... o:)

    I finally bucked up and committed myself. I hardly ever eat fast food and enjoy my transformed life.
    36bujv4jjz34.jpg
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    When I go out to eat, it fits my macro and calorie goals, so it doesn't make any difference in my health and life. Except to the extent eating Tex-Mex with copious chips and salsa makes it a much, much happier life.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    I eat out once a week or so still because some times I just don't want to cook!

    But most of the time, if I crave something, I can make it at home for lower calories anyway.

    I am the same way. We do take out once a week mostly because I need my Gluten free pizza fix and I love how my local Italian restaurant makes it. :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Eileen_S wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I eat out once a week or so still because some times I just don't want to cook!

    But most of the time, if I crave something, I can make it at home for lower calories anyway.

    I am the same way. We do take out once a week mostly because I need my Gluten free pizza fix and I love how my local Italian restaurant makes it. :)

    Yeah pizza is the main thing I'll eat out for if I want some. I've tried making my own and it's just not the same.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,082 Member
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    Natalierae886 wrote: »
    I was constantly going to places like mcdonalds, subway and greggs. For the past 2 weeks ive made sure I havent gone any of them places, I havent ate chocolate either, ive had a couple of days where ive walked past and been tempted but im glad ive stopped myself. Ive lost 4lb so far and the weight wasnt shifting until I stopped going to them places.

    2 weeks isn't really long enough to draw any conclusions.

    For myself, who has reached her goal weight and then kept it off for nearly 2 years - yes I eat fast food once or twice per week and yes I eat chocolate even more often than that.
    Quite possible to do so and to still lose / maintain weight - of course, only if you do so within your calorie allowance.
  • ShandaLeaS
    ShandaLeaS Posts: 136 Member
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    We ate out 5 days a week for lunch and at a minimum 4 dinners. We now eat out 1-2 times a week total. It was a big change and I'm doing OK with it, my kids and husband still squawk about it but it's becoming less.
  • Dandelie
    Dandelie Posts: 153 Member
    edited August 2015
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    thrashersara88 wrote: »
    How quickly did you notice changes in your health and life?

    I am about 60 days into my journey. Within the first three weeks, I didn't eat out. One night, we were rushed out the door after something happened. I didn't eat anything and didn't plan. We stopped at McD's. The first part of the meal I didn't notice because I was so hungry. The second was DISGUSTING! It made me want to throw up. I put it down and wouldn't eat any more. I haven't been back since. It's pretty soon after you cut things out that you will notice how your body is changing and your tastes move away. It is pretty easy to go past a fast food restaurant after tasting that nasty food.
  • br3adman
    br3adman Posts: 284 Member
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    I go two or 3 times a month and load up on protein at the Chinese place or seafood. Usually after eating 1400 cal all month and burning 600-1k calories a day I drop pounds after I eat out!

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