Fast Food No More.

It is amazing what you find when you peel back the layers of excuses that we are willing to come up with to defend the decisions we make. We tend to lie to ourselves so we can feel better for doing something we know is not good for us. Especially, when we are young and we think that nothing can hurt us. I put myself in this category of people that have made excuse for things and as I examine my life with the motto of "No More Excuses, I see that I am slowly jeopardizing my health.

I am not one of those men who is determined to never see the doctor. While, I have not seen my doctor in awhile, he is the one that told me that I am so healthy that I don't need the yearly check up unless I am feeling ill. Yet, I continue to not eat in the best way possible which I know in the back of my head will be an issue as I get older.

I gave up soda years ago and the main thing that I drink now is water.  This is how I was able to lose all that weight that I did about a year and a half ago. Soda was poisoning my body so much that it made me gain tons of weight that I didn't need to have. Plus, if you look what is in it, there is no way my body can operate at peak performance with me ingesting that. But, ask me what I eat. Fast food is a problem for me. The issue is because it is so easy to obtain and quite frankly it can be damn near addicting.

It is no secret that I love Burgers. You give me a great tasting burger and we will be friends for a long time. However, I knew this would be an issue when I starting my running regimen the first time.  I took the suggest from the woman who is now my girlfriend to substitute beef burgers for turkey burgers. The difference is indeed amazing. The flavor is unique and I would much rather have a turkey burger than a hamburger. So what is the issue for me?

Keep in mind that what I am about to say is just a list of excuses but I will just say them anyway.

Fast food places like Wendys, Burger King, and Mcdonalds are very convenient when you are tired from a long day of work and have no desire to cook. Two of the above have dollar menus that make it very easy to just get a quick lunch or dinner for next to nothing. It does wonders when you are broke. While, the burgers may be a certain calorie count, the french fries (which I think is made from pure crack) is what does the most damage. Being a single man that does not care to cook for just himself would rather get a chicken sandwich from Wendys then anything else.

Of course, I get it. I can easily go shopping and get some items that will allow me to eat for weeks if I just put in the effort. This would also be a money savor if I make large portions which I can then have lunch. Sometimes I cannot get over my own laziness.

At the same time, most of these place do have healthier options. Do I choose them? Of course not. Why? Because they are not filling and they are generally more expensive. A side salad is nothing when you consider it. Although, there are places that do have large salads for a decent price but considering that we are talking about fast food, where things are mostly processed, how healthy are we really talking about? My question to these fast food places is, how hard is it to make a turkey burger as opposed to a McRib (which is probably made from Unicorn meat anyway)?

I digress. The problem is squarely on my shoulders. I need to be the one to make the decisions on my own diet. I know that I am better off getting a box of sushi at Wegman's for roughly the same price as medium Crispy Chicken Sandwich meal at Wendys.

So I have made the decision to give up fast food. This list includes: McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys. and Taco Bell. I may add more. Keep in mind that this is not easy. There are times when I am not going to want to cook because my roommates pile the dishes high and I don't care to wash them. There will come a time when I forget to bring lunch and my funds are not as high as I would like them to be. Then there is the plain fact that I will undoubtedly crave this food. Soda was easy to give up but this is a whole different animal all together.

I am up for the challenge. No More Excuses.