Beating the Fast Food Trap

Driving down the bypass is a test of willpower. I've heard it referred to as the Mayonnaise Mile because of all the fast food restaurants. The temptation to eat junk food is almost always present, even though I know I will likely feel bloated, sick, and tired if I eat it. What gets me past cravings for french fries and Cinnabons is faith and fueling my body with enough water and healthy food that I can keep right on driving instead of impulsively going to the drive-thru. I rarely go out to eat anymore, but when I do, here are a few things I keep in mind:

1. Green Diet. I do not go on diets because I have been on enough diets to know that diets don't work. I have never seen a fad diet that is sustainable. Every "diet" I have ever been on has resulted in gaining back all the weight I lost plus more. The only "diet" I do is a Green D.I.E.T. where green stands for plant-based and sustainable and diet is an acronym that helps me remember my goal to strengthen my body, mind and spirit: D = Drink More Water, I = Include Whole Fruits and Vegetables, E = Exercise, T = Think - will it hurt or heal me.

2. Portion size. MGH has a portion size kit that we will be using at an upcoming Great Weight Off Meetup. Restaurants typically serve 2-3 times the recommended serving size. Health experts recommend putting half of our food in a to go bag "before" you eat your meal. Who does that? Most of the overweight people I know are conditioned to eat everything on our plate or in the bag. I have gotten better at throwing food away once I am full, but it took a long time to release that clean-your-plate mindset.

3. Crowd out. Rather than feeling “deprived” by saying no junk food ever, crowd it out by eating the healthy food first. This is easier to do when dining in a restaurant than when eating fast-food because the options are limited when it comes to fast-food, but it can be done if you really want to. Eat a salad or baked potato first and get a "super-size" cup of water and see if that fills you up. Chances are it will. Dr. Roger Gould, author of Shrink Yourself sums up "real" hunger versus a craving this way, "If anything (like carrots sticks or celery) will do, you are hungry. If you are hungry for a specific food (like pizza or ice cream), it is a craving." I ask myself if anything will do to gauge whether I am physically hungry or if I am being influenced by old eating behaviors brought on by emotional or spiritual hunger. If I am craving something salty or sweet, I remember what Dr. Douglas Graham, author of The 80-10-10 Diet says: "If you are craving sugar, your body needs fruit. If you are craving salt, your body needs the nutrients provided by leafy green vegetables." This crowding out method is what has helped me overcome food addiction and is helping me transform my life!

If I am away from home, I pack my own healthy food. If I forget to grab my food, I prefer to go to a local farmer's market or grocery store and get fresh fruit and veggies, like carrots, cauliflower, and hummus, cherry tomatoes, a banana, orange, grapes, or salad with salsa from the salad bar. My favorite "fast-foods" are veggie burgers, salads or baked potato with salsa, veggie stirfry, tofu bowl, and veggie pizza. Yes, I'm a vegetarian. It works for me. I wish I would have done it years ago! :)

Kathy