Fast food and me

Morgan Spurlock speaking on May 6, 2011.

Last Friday, I attended a media law seminar and got to listen to Morgan Spurlock talk about some behind-the-scenes stuff regarding his movie "Super Size Me."

I hadn't seen the movie, but after seeing clips during Spurlock's talk (he loves and REALLY appreciates his attorneys, by the way), I decided to watch the documentary on Hulu.

I wish I could say fast food wasn't a big part of my diet before I decided to focus on my health, but of course, I'd be lying.

Mom tried to teach me better habits - she hated McDonalds and rarely took me - though I remember a few episodes of pretty amazing begging following my epic tantrums. No worries, though, I got my Happy Meal fixes from other relatives ...

Fast forward a few years and I have flashes of memories from the last decade of life on my own: Shakes at Jack In the Box with boyfriends; Mucho Nachos from Taco Bueno for a normal dinner; 16 oz. cups of crinkle cut fries and a 20 oz Coke from Del Taco after a bad day(s) at work; Sausage McGriddles for a weekend breakfast; Potato wedges covered in cheese, bacon and sour cream from Jack in the Box after a night of drinking; Arby's curly fries for a snack; Wendy's fried chicken sandwiches for lunches ... The list could go on and on (Don't even get me started on the sodas).

Man, I ate horrible things way too often in my life!  During one particularly hard summer right after my boyfriend and I split, I remember eating McDonalds at least 3 nights a week and possibly as many mornings. At that time, I'd lost my desire to do anything but eat and sleep. I did a lot of both things, sadly.

Thank goodness my habits are much improved, but it was slow-going. I had a dependency on fast food. It was fast and "cheap" and I was short on time and money. I never planned my meals and when I was too tired to cook, I'd stop somewhere. My story is the same as most Americans, sadly.

As one who eases into dramatic things such as entire life changes, I treated fast food as I treated other dietary changes. I knew I needed to cut it out, but I also felt like I needed it as a crutch for those times when I didn't have the time or energy to cook. When I started 50n50, I worked fast food into the plans. I kept a list of meals I could order at various restaurants that were less than 500 calories. I recommend it to most people also - it was a great way for me to start out on the quest for better living.

Slowly, I learned healthier ways to eat fast and cheap. I learned to plan my meals and work with a meal budget. Now, I cook enough for 2-4 meals all for the cost of a "value meal." I haven't completely cut out fast food, but it's more like once a month now - if that (I hate to admit it, especially after watching "Super Size Me," but I still love Chicken McNuggets!).



This evening while watching Spurlock's documentary,  I thought to myself, "When was the last time I even ate fast food?" And then I remembered when ... not two hours ago! Kevin and I walked up there for ice cream ... Hmmm.