No Fast Food in 2018

Tami_in_Idaho · December 2017

I have been overweight and on a roller-coaster ride all my life. I have been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 9. I have lost several hundred pounds during my life, but sadly it is the same 20-30 pounds over and over again. I was raised mostly on fast food and as an adult I have been addicted to it. 6 years ago I lost 65 pounds using MFP, only to gain it back after having my son. He is almost 5 and here I am still not where I want to be weight wise or health wise. My goal for 2017 was to lose 60 pounds. I lost 20 and have been maintaining my weight for the last 4 months (not gaining it back during the holidays was HUGE for me!). I've given up soda, chips, white bread, white rice, white pasta and energy drinks as my first steps to getting healthy. This alone has made me feel a whole lot better (and I sleep way better too). Now with the New Year at hand I am setting some new goals. My main goal is to eat healthy. I am determined 2018 is the year of change and that, for me, means NO FAST FOOD (along with other food changes, but this is my BIGGEST challenge right now).

Packerjohn · December 2017

moosmum1972 wrote: »

Tami_in_Idaho wrote: »

I have been overweight and on a roller-coaster ride all my life. I have been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 9. I have lost several hundred pounds during my life, but sadly it is the same 20-30 pounds over and over again. I was raised mostly on fast food and as an adult I have been addicted to it. 6 years ago I lost 65 pounds using MFP, only to gain it back after having my son. He is almost 5 and here I am still not where I want to be weight wise or health wise. My goal for 2017 was to lose 60 pounds. I lost 20 and have been maintaining my weight for the last 4 months (not gaining it back during the holidays was HUGE for me!). I've given up soda, chips, white bread, white rice, white pasta and energy drinks as my first steps to getting healthy. This alone has made me feel a whole lot better (and I sleep way better too). Now with the New Year at hand I am setting some new goals. My main goal is to eat healthy. I am determined 2018 is the year of change and that, for me, means NO FAST FOOD (along with other food changes, but this is my BIGGEST challenge right now).

You know you don't have to give up those foods and still lose weight and be healthy.

Of course not. However, significantly reducing, especially the soda, chips and energy drinks is in most cases a good idea for losing weight and improving health.

Best of luck to the OP.

TeaBea · December 2017

Is no fast food going to be a permanent change? Because elimination diets have always backfired for me. I've lost the weight and regained too.

The whole "white foods are bad" is not true. Is whole grain whatever slightly better for you? Sure, but unless you really like the taste, that won't be a lasting change either. I like wheat bread, but dislike brown rice. The nutritional differences between brown & white rice are tiny.

Losing weight is just step #1. Keeping that weight off is often more difficult. Step #2 (keeping the weight off) requires lifelong changes. If you can eliminate your "list" forever (this time).....good for you.

My strategy is MODERATION. I "allow" myself fast food once a week. This makes me choosy. I log my fast food meal in MFP, this helps me learn the "price" of my fast food meal. I ask myself is it worth the calories. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no.

Elimination is not learning. I've eliminated until I couldn't take it anymore, then went back to "regular" eating habits. The problem is my "regular" eating habits = fat person.

I need to develop a new regular to keep the weight off for good.

kommodevaran · December 2017

Getting off the rollercoaster would have been my goal (it actually was, I just didn't see that it was what I had to do, and that it was what I was doing, as I joined MFP). No fast food, no white foods, etc etc, is keeping the rollercoaster going. Anything in moderation takes patience, and it doesn't look like much, and thus it takes a lot more discipline, but it's the only thing that works in the long run, and the long run is the only thing that really counts.

sak20011 · December 2017

I think at the end of the day the issue with fast food --for me---is that it is just not that satisfying in a lasting way. whereas I can make delicious meals from scratch with high satisfaction.... But it does take more time and planning and figuring out new things to eat.

lolliopopsnrainbows · December 2017

@Tami_in_Idaho - good luck, that's an impressive aim and you've got your history on your side which leads me to believe you might actually be able to do it! I, on the otherhand, have just ordered a takeaway to be delivered tonight for our NYE dinner

I've found a more powerful way of thinking for me has been to concentrate on what I CAN eat rather than what I can't! Often that's fruits, veggies, dark chocolate, nuts etc or in the instance of today for example, I will eat my takeaway and really enjoy it and not feel guilty about eating it. I prefer to use the method of crowding out the bad stuff by concentrating on the tasty tasty good stuff I can eat instead.

I wish you a happy and healthy 2018!

paygep · December 2017

I am going fast food free for 2018!! I don’t eat a lot of fast food usually, but I find myself stopping for donuts and coffee, or a bacon-egg-cheese biscuit more often and I need to lose weight, so I’m going to give it up all together. I’m planning to eat at home for the most part, and I’m keeping a bag of almonds and a bottle of water in my car so I won’t be tempted when I’m on the go. Cheers!

lemurcat12 · December 2017

I don't like fast food (depending on what you mean, I do go to Pret sometimes, get a turkey sandwich from Potbelly's or salad from Protein Bar on occasion), so didn't give it up.

I think one helpful thing (for any New Year's resolution) is not to focus on "I won't" but on how you will bring that about.

One related question is understanding what will make it hard.

Do you get fast food because it's convenient and you are tired and don't feel like cooking? Then giving it up is probably a great idea. Figure out what to do in such situations instead -- can you make leftovers and have them ready to be reheated? Have some ideas of fast things to cook at home? Other "pick up a fast dinner" options that fit your new goals?

Or is it because you really, really like fast food (certain dishes, I mean)? If so, finding other things you like as well might be an important thing to do, but in this case 100% giving them up may be less of a good idea. Instead, you could fit them in occasionally but make sure it's not too often.

I find it helps me more to focus on positive things -- I will make sure all my meals include a good amount of vegetables, for example, or I will learn to construct a healthful and calorie-appropriate diet so that it feels easy and is tasty.

dsboohead · December 2017

I would never say giving up on any one thing because then I set myself up for failure.
You can research on mfp's diary food search as well as fast food items to see what will fit your established calorics! Fast foods and there food items can be found and then you can see what you CAN have instead giving yourself restrictions which just puts you on a weight loss merry go round!
Cico works that way!

maryjennifer · December 2017

I plan on doing a no junk food challenge for January

lynn_glenmont · December 2017

lolliopopsnrainbows wrote: »

@Tami_in_Idaho - good luck, that's an impressive aim and you've got your history on your side which leads me to believe you might actually be able to do it! I, on the otherhand, have just ordered a takeaway to be delivered tonight for our NYE dinner I've found a more powerful way of thinking for me has been to concentrate on what I CAN eat rather than what I can't! Often that's fruits, veggies, dark chocolate, nuts etc or in the instance of today for example, I will eat my takeaway and really enjoy it and not feel guilty about eating it. I prefer to use the method of crowding out the bad stuff by concentrating on the tasty tasty good stuff I can eat instead.

I wish you a happy and healthy 2018!

This seems like selective reading of the OP. Do you mean the history where she loses and regains the same 20 to 30 pounds over and over again? Or the history where she lost 65 lbs on MFP only to regain it all? Or are we just talking about the most recent history of maintaining a 20 lb loss for four months?

Tami, in the past did you follow a very restrictive diet, giving up some or most of the things you're giving up this time? Or this something different you're trying?

Muscleflex79 · December 2017

Tami_in_Idaho wrote: »

I have been overweight and on a roller-coaster ride all my life. I have been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 9. I have lost several hundred pounds during my life, but sadly it is the same 20-30 pounds over and over again. I was raised mostly on fast food and as an adult I have been addicted to it. 6 years ago I lost 65 pounds using MFP, only to gain it back after having my son. He is almost 5 and here I am still not where I want to be weight wise or health wise. My goal for 2017 was to lose 60 pounds. I lost 20 and have been maintaining my weight for the last 4 months (not gaining it back during the holidays was HUGE for me!). I've given up soda, chips, white bread, white rice, white pasta and energy drinks as my first steps to getting healthy. This alone has made me feel a whole lot better (and I sleep way better too). Now with the New Year at hand I am setting some new goals. My main goal is to eat healthy. I am determined 2018 is the year of change and that, for me, means NO FAST FOOD (along with other food changes, but this is my BIGGEST challenge right now).

call me crazy, but why not just eat foods you enjoy within your calorie limits??

paperpudding · January 2018

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

Tami_in_Idaho wrote: »

I have been overweight and on a roller-coaster ride all my life. I have been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 9. I have lost several hundred pounds during my life, but sadly it is the same 20-30 pounds over and over again. I was raised mostly on fast food and as an adult I have been addicted to it. 6 years ago I lost 65 pounds using MFP, only to gain it back after having my son. He is almost 5 and here I am still not where I want to be weight wise or health wise. My goal for 2017 was to lose 60 pounds. I lost 20 and have been maintaining my weight for the last 4 months (not gaining it back during the holidays was HUGE for me!). I've given up soda, chips, white bread, white rice, white pasta and energy drinks as my first steps to getting healthy. This alone has made me feel a whole lot better (and I sleep way better too). Now with the New Year at hand I am setting some new goals. My main goal is to eat healthy. I am determined 2018 is the year of change and that, for me, means NO FAST FOOD (along with other food changes, but this is my BIGGEST challenge right now).

call me crazy, but why not just eat foods you enjoy within your calorie limits??

I guess because you have to change something and just eating less in quantity doesnt work for everyone - and cutting high calorie low nutrition foods like chips, sugary drinks, bread, rice is good way to cut calories as well as improving nutritional content of dietary intake
(i agree colour of bread and rice doesn't make much difference except the wholemeal bread, IME, is more filling presumably due to fibre)

Its not as if OP is planning to cut whole food groups or foods of nutritious value or something with no apparent logic (no eggs or fruit or something)

Orphia · January 2018

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Do you get fast food because it's convenient and you are tired and don't feel like cooking? Then giving it up is probably a great idea.

Disagree. I think fast food is a great idea if you're tired and don't feel like cooking.

Fast food doesn't have to be high calorie.

Fast food places are falling all over themselves providing "healthy choices".

Or you can have a small burger and fries if that's what will hit the spot. It's still nutritious if done occasionally.

Athijade · January 2018

I mean, I am giving up fast food and eating out for the most part but it's mostly due to money.

lemurcat12 · January 2018

Orphia wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Do you get fast food because it's convenient and you are tired and don't feel like cooking? Then giving it up is probably a great idea.

Disagree. I think fast food is a great idea if you're tired and don't feel like cooking.

If OP is consuming it for reasons other than she really likes it, and chooses higher cal items than she otherwise would, then yes it's a good idea to find other options.

If she really enjoys it, it would make more sense to me to fit it in occasionally, but lots of times people eat high cal foods for other reasons.

Sure, there are some vegetables (not many appealing choices, IMO), and some lower cal choices available, and if that's what you tend to want from a fast food place, great, but OP may find that what she wants when she goes to fast food is something else, and a healthier alternative she would enjoy is more available elsewhere.

Thr33N1N3 · January 2018

I think I like that challenge. I'm trying to cook all meals at home and not eat out at all. I don't know what they put in that food.

NoxeemaJackson · January 2018

Good luck! There are lots of health and financial benefits to reducing or eliminating fast food.
I DO still eat fast food, not as often as I used to.
But I knew that it wasn't realistic that I would NEVER eat fast food again (I'm on the road alot)
So, my go-tos:
Taco Bell:
bean burrito fresco style
2 chicken soft taco fresco style
black beans and guac
steak cantina bowl no rice

Wendy's:
Jr. double no cheese (the one from the value menu, not the big one
grilled chicken, no sauce
chili
jr. frosty

All of these are 300-400ish calories for a meal, and have high protein and/or fiber, except for the frosty, which I just really like and a junior frosty is 200 kcal

In other words, I knew I couldn't NEVER eat fast food, but I knew I could make better choices when I did.

Good luck to you!!

GottaBurnEmAll · January 2018

OP, I'm going to quote a post I made in another thread and then add some additional food for thought

Allow a veteran of the dieting wars share some advice.

It's a very wonderful thing to want to eat a nutritious, varied diet.

In the pursuit of that goal, don't let perfect become the enemy of good, and don't let the inevitable burden that the boundaries of too much restriction place upon you deter you from the larger goal of achieving permanent weight loss and management.

Too often, someone picks a way of eating as a means to an end and they post on these boards all full of enthusiasm for their new found plan only to crash and burn when the novelty wears off or the siren song of forbidden fruit becomes too irresistible for them to ignore. Without having taken any advice on board outside of their restrictive regimens, they are left floundering as to where to go from there and just give up.

I have some experience in giving things up. I didn't eat sugar for ten years. Ponder that. I never cheated. Not even once. I ultimately found it wasn't sustainable, and furthermore, I found it wasn't the only thing needed to manage my weight. I still managed to gain weight during that time because I was eating too much food. And all of it was healthy whole foods.

A proper understanding of energy balance (yes, that is what CICO means, CICO is not calorie counting or eat whatever you want, it's just the energy balance equation) is imperative no matter what you do.

So have at your clean eating and sugar free period for now, but read the forum stickies and stick around the forums and read the experiences of people who have been there and learned that a sustainable path isn't necessarily a restrictive one. Have a back up plan ready and be prepared with knowledge of how to manage your weight should you decide that hey, you know what? Maybe that candy bar in the grocery check out line isn't the worst thing in the world after all.

What struck me reading your post was how you kept talking about all of the things you were restricting and eliminating.

A very wise poster on here (holla @WinoGelato) often posts of how she thought of her process of changing her lifestyle in terms of what she could *add* to her life, and I think that is a more psychologically productive way of approaching a sustainable change.

If you want a healthier lifestyle, what can you add to it? More vegetables, more fruit, more home cooked meals, more movement in your day? What concrete steps can you take to achieve those goals?

Setting goals to achieve and then achieving them is a process that is self-affirming and builds upon itself in creating habits.

Restriction is often a demoralizing experience that leads to set backs and failure and all of us who have been down that road know that it is not a sustainable strategy.

It is commendable of you to want to have a more nutritious diet. I applaud that impulse you have. I just urge you to adjust how you approach achieving that goal.

Baby steps. Start by saying that you'll make one more home made meal per week, perhaps. Do that for a month. Then, do it again in another month. Add some more vegetables. Take a short walk every day.

Over time, the changes will add up, and you'll have built habits and a sustainable lifestyle.

No Fast Food in 2018

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