How I did it: I used to eat fast food at least once a day.  What can I say? Its the American way. haha.  Then, I calculated my BMI and was pretty upset to learn that I was way beyond my healthy range. So, I decided to make a few changes, and giving up fast food was on the top of my list.  I educated myself on how truly disgusting fast food is, what it leaves in your system, its nutritional information, etc.  I also stopped carrying cash, due to the fact that I have a strict "no charges under ten dollars" rule on my debit card.  Eventually, I made the switch to eating at home, not on the run and really began to allow myself to enjoy and savor food rather than wolfing down cheeseburger after cheeseburger in the car.

Lessons & tips:
1) Educate yourself. You will be in shock at what this crap does to your body.

2) Plan ahead. If you know you'll be out and about during meal times, bring a sack lunch or even just a healthy snack to hold you over until you can make a healthy meal decision. 

3) Put eating in perspective. Before I kicked my drive thru habit, I didn't really think about eating. It was just something I did whenever I felt like it. Take some time to really think about eating. Food is supposed to be our body's fuel. Wouldn't you rather put "premium" in your system?

4) Don't go cold turkey. Planning meals ahead of time takes practice and sometimes fast food is simply the only thing you can do.  Also, cutting a regular part of your diet can lead to cravings and impulsive binges. haha. I can attest to this.

Resources: Good old fashioned internet search browsers were a great tool to find information on the facts about fast food.

Did You Know? --
By law, fast food restaurants are required to have nutritional information available to the public.  You can usually go to the counter and ask for a pamphlet, or something of that effect.

Oct 04, 2008, 10:58AM PDT | 3 comments | 7 cheers