Fast Food Free
 

Since I started my weight loss journey (a little over a month ago) I have not had one bite of fast food. NO McDonald's, no Burger King, no Wendy's etc. This might be the longest I've ever gone without stopping to grab some lunch at one of the big chains!

I'm not going to lie, I do still crave a regular hamburger and small fries from McDonalds with some sweet and sour sauce to dip my fries in, but somehow I have resisted the temptation.

How is everyone else doing with fast food? Do you cave occasionally or eat a healthier choice if presented with fast food being the only option?

What are your methods to keep away?

I've stayed away from fast food for over a year now, but last week there was a pizza party in the office...
I gave in and had 1 piece of pepperoni pizza and became ill a couple minutes later- I knew it would happen, but I just had to find out.
So for me, my motivation against Fast Food is stomach illness from all the over processed, fatty, grezzy,salty, starchy ingredients they call food:D

I haven't had any fast food in 1 yr and 4 months :). IF fast food is the ONLY option for someone (which I find hard to believe), then grab a salad and leave off the fat dressing.

I am motivated by the fact that for a very few minutes of enjoyment- I would have to work days to get it off!

I eat fast food once a week. My kids have a regular play date at McDonald's every Friday. At first it was absolutely killing me to go there and get the salad, but now I actually look forward to it. I get the bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken and the balsamic vinegarette dressing, total it's like 280 calories, and pretty close to what I might make at home. I know some of you are thinking that the kids are getting horrible food, and that's true. But during the winter around here there are not many options for kinder-recreation, our McD's has a playland. So the kids get a bad fast food lunch and a quality cardio workout running around with their buds. Believe me, after you've been cooped inside with 3 young children for days on end because it's too cold to go outside for more than 10 minutes, a little bit of fast food is worth the trade off just to get them a little worn out.

I haven't had a burger and fries in months, honestly couldn't tell you how long it's been. I do still grab fast food occasionally, maybe once every week to every other week, usually when it's been a crazy busy workday and I'm running late. The hubs has many talents, but cooking ain't one of them. It's usually Subway since that's on the way, occasionally Taco Bell, but that's out of my way. Surprisingly you can get some fairly decent stuff at Taco Bell, especially if you order off the fresco menu. I used to go to Wendy's a lot, but they've really gone downhill as far as healthy choices go. I still have 2 pizza places and the chinese restaurant in my cel phone, I used to order it on my way home and it would be ready as I drove by. Haven't done that in ages either.

Thank you guys for all your input!

My boyfriend (who had always been a huge fast food guy) stopped eating fast food entirely at the beginning of the year after a terrible bout with food poisoning from Arby's. Seeing him wicked sick and the lack of him getting fast food since then has definitely helped me resist!

I'm actually feeling healthier and my wallet is feeling better too!

I find fast food tastes really greasy after being away from it for awhile so when I do splurge on occasion, it really isn't that good. Since I didn't enjoy it all that much, it takes a lot longer before I get a craving again. In fact, if I go it's more out of convenience than cravings anymore. Although I am still not to the point where I chose a salad over a cheeseburger! :p Thankfully I don't go often so that's probably okay; the last time was probably 2 months ago.

That is how i got fat in the first place was eating fast food. I am never going to eat fast food again, there are way too many options out there and it has been 6 months now and i don't miss it one bit. My goal is to be healthy not just a good weight.

I've collected all the nutritional pamphlets from the fast food restaraunts in my area. Whenever I want burger king or mcdonalds, I just study the pamphlet.....usually stops the craving dead in it's tracks. Did you know McDonalds french fries are 500 calories. Now picture the pile of veggies you could eat to get 500 cal.

That is where i am at now. Instead of the burger and fries for 900 calories, i can have the most gourmet seafood and vegetable dinner out there. And it is cheaper too!!

The money i use to give to big corporations and their fast food just to make me fat is another reason not to eat their again! The money i have saved since starting is amazing!

I've never been much of a fast-food addict, but I was at McDonalds with a group about a month ago and managed to eat a meal that made me full but not ill and was 525 calories. I had a hamburger, side salad with balsamic vinaigrette (1/2 pkg), a fruit parfait for dessert and a diet coke. Not too bad. McDonalds has a nutrition calculator you can use before you go to decide what choices to make. If I hadn't used it, I probably would've ordered a cheeseburger and small fries and still would've been hungry and ordered some other high-calorie high-fat item afterwards.

I don't really crave fast food, except maybe KFC once in awhile but I can count the times I had fast food in the past calendar year and that may have been a couple times. My kids are grown and moved away, so I don't have to take them and like others have commented, it just doesn't taste right after being away from it. What I do is make my own fast food, by baking it instead of frying it or making it myself in the case of pizza with ground white turkey and fat free cheese and cutting it into proportion sizes and freezing them on a tray in the freezer and then popping them in a bag. I may make one serving of fries in the toaster oven and a breaded chicken filet with a bun and that is lower in calorie than Wendy's. I use ff mayonnaise and pile up the lettuce and onions and other low calorie condiments if I desire.

I have found that all fast food can be made at home, if not in advance, such as tacos, at least in a low calorie way. I know snack foods weren't addressed, but where I used to eat potato chips by the large family bag, I have learned to substitute tortilla chips, which I don't care for as much but an individual serving with some salsa takes away the salt craving. I can now have a bag of chips in the house for a low cal sandwich, like a turkey burger, when I want it.

As you see, I am not really on a restrictive diet, but what I think is a healthy one that doesn't deprive me, if I eat the proper proportion. Extra-large fries and a double quarter pounder or double whopper with cheese followed up by a large diet whatever, which is what I used to eat is not only not healthy, but to me average weight people just don't eat that way, most of the time.

fast foods
 

Today I would like to begin ending my relationship with fast food. My husband is in the Air Force and overseas, fast food wasn't tempting at all to me. I lost 30 lbs and now I've gained it all back. Everywhere I look there is something new to try and I can't controld myself. I would like to get back in the habit of only eating at home. Case and point, Chick-Fil-A has a new spicy chicken sandwich, I'd really like one and I'm struggling to pass it by. I lack discipline and control. I will really need the support of you all. I am new to FitDay and still learning the site.

MSunderstood601: Congrats on recognizing that you crave fast food! That's an awesome first step.

It's now been over two months since I've had fast food. I'm not going to lie, I still crave that McDonald's burger that I first wrote about on this thread. Somehow I have resisted the urge. (I grab a yogurt or something yummy when I want fast food now) I know you can do it if you consciously think about it.

Try and think about the money you could be saving by eating at home instead? That's what keeps me eating at home instead of taking the easy way out. (I'm a cheap-o and money is tight at the moment)

Congrats on joining fitday as well. Since I started I've lost 17.6 pounds. This is the first time in my life I have consciously tried to change my life for the better and become healthy.

mmmm....
 

I'm trying to remember the last time that I had fast food. It's had to have been over 6 months ago. I wasn't even eating healthy back then, I stopped getting fast food when my husband got laid off back in October. Just didn't have the spare money to spend.

I guess that the closest thing that I've had to a fast food meal was a fried chicken liver snak pack meal with mixed vegetables and a small iced tea from the local grocery store cafe thing. I ate all the vegetables and only half the meat with the coating picked off.

I have to say that I do miss the mandarine orange cups and Ceasars salads from Wendys and the parfaits from McD.

Never have been much of a burger eater...not even at home.

My weakness now is the fried catfish fillets that my hubby makes. So, just about once a week I eat a couple fillets and a handful of french fries. Fried catfish isn't the healthiest...but, it just tastes sooooooooooo good.

Nope, I'm done with fast food. Subway is as close as I'll get and that is bad enough will all the chemicals and crap they add to their bread and meat.

Once in a while, a small fries and a salad with your own low calorie dressing is a reasonable treat. My mom used to keep a small bottle in her purse when she was dieting.

What works for me when I crave something that is tasty but isn't dietary is focusing on nutrition. Many of us need to restrict calories to lose weight but by doing so, we are also giving up extra sources essential nutrients - its very hard to be a healthy dieter. There are very few fast food choices that contain adequate nutrition, most of it is wasteful calories. There are many reasons we seek to curb wastefulness - food should not be an exception for a healthy daily lifestyle. Every person is worth wholesome nourishment and timely splurges, so time your splurges well and focus on feeding your body's needs before its wants.

Good luck !!

I love Pizza... I try to treat myself to a slice every so often just so I don't binge out on a large pizza to myself. :)

Oh the deja vu. i was like 30kgs over weight at 18 and i use to eat fast foods multiple times a day. I regret it so bad and try to avoid it as much as possible. Keep it up and try stay away

Luckily most of the 'fast food' chains have realized that there is a segment of the population that wants to eat healthier. I was working out of town, staying in a hotel and therefore eating out for all my meals during the week. I was only home on the weekend. I would eat a Grilled Chicken Ranch Salad with basalmic vinagrette dressing from McDonalds or a Southwest Chili salad from Wendys (without the sour cream or dressing) daily. Not perfect choices but half the calories of a Big Mac and Fries! Now when I am traveling with my family and we stop along the way I have no trouble eating a salad while the rest of the family has burgers and chicken nuggets.

I also used to eat fast food way too regularly. Nachos from the local taco shop at least once a week, taco bell a couple times a week, McDonalds just about every Saturday night after drinking, and several "snacks" from the Wendy's drive-thru throughout the week (I do believe those new 99 cent mini burgers were my undoing).

I started Atkins, so fatty/salty burger cravings can easily be solved by just making the patties with real cheese at home, and when I am just too lazy to cook them, I just get a couple of "flying dutchmen" from in-n-out. These are just the burgers and cheese with no bread or toppings. I have to admit that I still really crave some taco bell bean burritos though, and once I am finished with induction phase on this diet I am going to have to figure out some kind of low carb alternative for a bean burrito.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________
stats, inspired by Ron

Male, 6'0" tall, 37 y/o

Starting weight, 4/19/10 (started Atkins) = 287
6/16/10 (finished Atkins book & started Fitday) = 261
latest weight 6/28/10 = 255
mini goal (wedding) 9/4/10 = 220
ultimate goal for lifetime maintenance by 4/19/11 (one year mark, 100 pounds loss) = 187
If I can acheive this goal, it will be my lightest weight since high school

I rarely hit the drive thru, but if I do, I'll get something like a chicken sandwich w/o mayo, and it's only a few hundred calories. I can't do fast food salads... I don't know if they all still use preservatives, but I've gotten really sick in the past and don't chance it. A small fry at McDonald's is 250 calories, so I allow myself that as a treat once in a while. I still love a good In & Out burger and fries, but that's a very rare treat these days! If I deprived myself completely, I'd crash and burn, so I let myself have little treats and make up for it with a good workout or lower calorie meals the rest of the day. :rolleyes:

No fast food for me yet! I just started taking grad classes at night and boy is it hard after a three hour long night class NOT to stop at a McDonald's and pick up a burger on the way home!!!!

I'm still craving it and it's been months since I've had it...ughhh I wish it would just go away!!!

How is everyone else doing?

I've found the FF cravings go away for me. I've been Mac-free for four months now. The only thing I get from MDs now is a $1.00 icecream cone once in a while--for 150 cals, they make a fairly benign (if not particulary healthy) high carb snack and satiates that sweet craving.

Ughhh, I had the WORST craving for McDonald's after class tonight. I was really hungry and I really WANTED to stop and pick up a hamburger and fries. I resorted to calling my boyfriend for an intervention.

It worked. I came home, and ate two poached eggs and an english muffin.

Am I the only one that still craves fast food??

No, you're not the only one... Two nights ago I cheated with french fries and chicken nuggets... I feel SOOO guilty now that you cannot imagine. You did the right thing going home, I will have to diet a whole week to catch up now. Argggggg!
How do you feel being in your healthy weight?!!?!

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in the fast food realm! It feels good to be in my "healthy range" but I still have a ways to go till I hit my goal.

I unfortunately live across the street from the largest fair ground in New England. It begins this Friday and lasts 17 days. It's going to be soo hard not to eat everything in sight. I know I will not be able to resist the mini doughnuts..... ughhhh!!!!!

I don't know what my game plan is yet... Maybe do the gym twice as much?