Training & Nutrition - Popeye's, Taco Hell, McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Chinese TakeOut, Etc.

It's all poison. Yet I succumb once (or twice) a week - kids/wife clamoring, inpatient, unwilling to follow Dad's healthy intentions. Their apathy toward my goals hurts.

I wake up the next day sick - extra long ride, eat like a bird for two days just to rid the crap outta my system. It's horrible food and I always regret it.

Yet I still do it. I'm bombarded by it daily, begged for it by the family, tempted by it for the sake of not cooking a meal that day cause it's late.

I know it's my fault but it's a hurdle I can not seem to clear. I need inspiration.
How do you cope?

:hug:

Yeah, that's some nasty stuff. I just don't eat it, as in I stay away. For me it takes no effort at all. I just don't eat it. Actually, as we all know the smell is vented from the roof into the local neighborhood, it repulses me like the smell of decaying feces. So, I guess, the bottom line is to just stay away. Will power for most, and for myself, no desire at all to consume things I don't like the smell of.

I had the same issue with my ex wife. Lifetime McD's addict.
Eventually I refused to order anything and just sat there staring at her and my kid. I would then drag them to a healthier place for my food. :p
Later on they both started to like healthy places like souper salad or sweet tomatoes but fast food hell still crept in.
After we split my son (5) was very annoyed with me when I refuse to visit fast food joints.
He got over it.
That and i am now a vegetarian. FF places are difficult to find things to eat.

When My bike group did a joint lunch together , we stopped at mom and pop style restaurants that made their waffles/pancakes from scratch.. An ideal lunch for a hard ride. I suggest French toast. High on carbos , and use honey rather than maple syrup. \
McDonald's for a group ride lunch break. Never.

I did that once. I cramped for 30 min afterward.
The sad thing is as I finished my worthless food at McD's I noticed a health food store across the street.

The problem starts in the kitchen. Learn to prepare and more importantly appreciate real food.

That stuff is nasty, I never eat it.

It doesn't take any longer to make a big salad with deli turkey or chicken sausage or something like that, if you have the ingredients in the fridge. Big piece of thick whole wheat toast on the side, add a few nice veggies like avocado, tomato, cucumber, a few nuts or cheese if you want.

^Exactly, it is actually faster than fast food because you don't have to travel anywhere.

It takes quite a bit of work but one can find things that are halfway decent at a fast food place. Unfortunately, it limits you to such a small selection that it is almost a pointless endeavor.

<snip> Their apathy toward my goals hurts. <snip> I need inspiration.
How do you cope?

:hug:

My wife calls her attitude "cautious support" because I tend to go to extremes and then head off another direction. When I switched from cooking steak and potatoes to organic grains and veggies, it didn't go over so well. So I've backed off a bit, and try to prepare meals where there is some meat is on the side, to satisfy both the vegetarians and the meat cravers. It's a lot of work, and the attitudes are far from inspirational. For me, it's the weekends that matter - getting things planned out and shopping done so the evening prep is minimal.

And as for the attitudes, while I don't like it, I've had to develop a "I'm doing what is best for me, and for us, and if you don't like it that's okay, because your attitude isn't going to stop me." It's like yet another training obstacle to overcome.

Ugh! Not only I don't eat it, I hold my breath walking by fast food places. It smells like rotting garbage! I can't understand why people eat that stuff.

Actually, there is one dish my wife picks up at KFC now and then. It is a bowl and contains mashed potatoes topped with sweet corn and gravy and small chicken chunks and cheddar cheese. It isn't nasty at all, but that's about all I eat that isn't from home or a nice restaurant. I eat home prepared about 95% of the time. Otherwise no. I'm just not good with buying and eating anything "ready to eat."

Hey, you can win the TdF eating that stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oon45kkLzsQ

Ugh! Not only I don't eat it, I hold my breath walking by fast food places. It smells like rotting garbage! I can't understand why people eat that stuff.

I believe that garbage is addictive.
The sad thing is for the most part it is empty calories. I swear I can eat a large amount of food at McD's and be hungry before I make it out the door.

maybe eat at subway (but also eat right there).

There are usually healthy options at fast food places. Sure, they aren't as healthy as at home, but usually you can still have a good meal while eating out. Some of you people take it too serious though, seriously you get sick from it? It's still food, and its cooked. Fast food really isn't that bad considering what humans have eaten over the past 3000+ years.

There are usually healthy options at fast food places. Sure, they aren't as healthy as at home, but usually you can still have a good meal while eating out. Some of you people take it too serious though, seriously you get sick from it? It's still food, and its cooked. Fast food really isn't that bad considering what humans have eaten over the past 3000+ years.


Point taken. But honestly I think what humans ate 3k years ago was better for us...it wasn't cooked in oil, radiated, tainted with hormones, washed in ammonia, loaded with preservatives, sprinkled with a cup of MSG - then fried!

Sure - if you have a small order of fries at McD's you won't get sick. But come on - who really goes with the family and just eats a small fry? If I were single I could do it. But then I would probably live on beer.

One thought is to still go there with the family, but instead of a big mac, get a regular cheesburger. You can still enjoy a bit but not go overboard.

You can still go regulary with the family and eat something small then get yourself a Big Mac once in a blue moon.

One other strategy is to have some nuts/peanut butter/fruit/milk before you go that way you aren't as tempted when you get there. That works for me too

I hit up the McD's all the time. I only get a movie and a Yogurt parfait, though.

Fast food really isn't that bad considering what humans have eaten over the past 3000+ years.

Ever hear of the "Paleo Diet"? A lot of people, including endurance athletes, are going back to what we ate before the advent of agriculture, as it is closest to what we evolved to eat. And fast food is not "food" in the sense of it having pure food ingredients. Most of it is more of a food "product", containing fillers and additives you probably want to avoid.
When I have fast food, I opt for a carne asada taco. It's seasoned meat, with pico de gallo (seasoned veggies) on it. Sometimes I'll add guacamole (seasoned fruit and veggies). No filler, although the beef isn't likely to be hormone free. Ground up animal products (like hamburger) - who knows what all is in there. Well, we know there is likely a fairly high concentration of e-coli. That said, I have a real weakness for sausage, so do as I say, not as I do.

As Michael Pollan says: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

I live in a town that doesn't have any chain fast food places. It has restaurants (pubs), but they tend to be a little on the expensive side so we don't go very often. There is a take-away place, but the food there isn't particularly appealing. We go to the city about once a month, or once every three weeks or so now and we will usually drop by a fast food place then, but that's not too bad.

If you go, look for the healthy options ... grilled chicken instead of breaded chicken, salads, etc.

You said ... "Sure - if you have a small order of fries at McD's you won't get sick. But come on - who really goes with the family and just eats a small fry?"

Well ... I do. But as for you ... you're the father, right? Shouldn't you be setting an example for your kids? You don't want them to be those obese kids in all the statistics do you? Choose the smaller portions, choose the healthier options ... and if you (or they) are still hungry later in the evening, eat some fruit.

This bears repeating:

One other strategy is to have some nuts/peanut butter/fruit/milk before you go that way you aren't as tempted when you get there. That works for me too
Slap together a quick PB&J before you hop in the car. By the time you get to the restaurant you'll hopefully have enough of a full sensation that you won't need to order something, or can convince yourself to order something smaller.

I'd try to take baby steps with the wife and kids. Keep some quick "junk" foods in the house - frozen pizza, frozen chickens wings, stuff like that. No, it's not very healthy food but it's better than you will get at McDs, and if you start getting into the habit of that then the path to making fresh pizza or whatever gets a little easier.

Changing your own diet can take a while. Changing someone else's diet can take a long, long time. Be patient, consistent and set the best example you can.

Oh, and if you don't mind playing dirty - buy her a copy of Fast Food Nation (http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Dark-All-American/dp/0060838582/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286417227&sr=1-1).

I get a kick out of some people that think that by going to those "healthy food" restaurants that they're getting the healthiest food money can by. I hate to brake it to them but whenever you go to a restaurant, any restaurant you have no idea whats in your food or how it was prepaired. I don'e even trust the produce at the super markets, it seems as if every day we're hearing on the news about salmanella in the produce, I solved this problem by growing my own veggies, and fruit, and preseving alot of it for the winter, I know how my garden produce is grown with no poison sprays, and I don't irrigate it with contaminated water, like many of the commercial growers have been caught doing, can you say E coli. All that being said I don't eat very much fast food either, but when my kids were small I took them to Micky D's, and all the other fast food joints, but I never let them "live "on that stuff, but if eaten in moderation I see nothing wrong with the family getting fast food once in a while, remember moderation is the key, and besides some times momma needs a break from the kitchen.
Paul

Even though I've been on a weight-loss diet I like a good Chinese buffet every now and again. The ones with sushi and other kinds of fish and seafood are my favorites. I chow down on fruit, salad, and fried food. Hey, you only live once.

i consider myself to be a pretty healthy eater, when i do get out of my loop and eat at one of those places i tend to go nuts, like order the big mac meal large with the milk shake, or an entire pizza for myself, a 10 piece bucket of chicken with 4 sides, it never makes me sick, actually the next day i feel great, usually my workouts are really really good, probably cause mentally i feel guilty for eating that stuff, but i sure can see the salt crystals forming on my skin.

That stuff is nasty, I never eat it.

It doesn't take any longer to make a big salad with deli turkey or chicken sausage or something like that, if you have the ingredients in the fridge. Big piece of thick whole wheat toast on the side, add a few nice veggies like avocado, tomato, cucumber, a few nuts or cheese if you want.


^Exactly, it is actually faster than fast food because you don't have to travel anywhere.

+1

You need to find a couple of easy, healthy recipes you can make quickly at home. One of my staples is whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta. You can use prepared sauce (look for a version with low sugar) and add some protein (ground beef, turkey). Toss together a side salad from prepackaged lettuce & veggies, add some whole-grain bread or garlic toast, and you're good to go in about 15 minutes.

Another option is stir-fry. You can cook up shrimp or use leftover beef or chicken. Get some frozen stir-fry veggies and instant rice. Once again, dinner is done in about 15minutes.

+1

You need to find a couple of easy, healthy recipes you can make quickly at home. One of my staples is whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta. You can use prepared sauce (look for a version with low sugar) and add some protein (ground beef, turkey). Toss together a side salad from prepackaged lettuce & veggies, add some whole-grain bread or garlic toast, and you're good to go in about 15 minutes.

Another option is stir-fry. You can cook up shrimp or use leftover beef or chicken. Get some frozen stir-fry veggies and instant rice. Once again, dinner is done in about 15minutes.

Eating out at fast food places isn't just for ease. Most of the time it's a hassle to eat out, whereas it would just talk a walk to the kitchen to eat at the house. I eat at home every day, but every once in a while it's nice to have an Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich or Pizza Hut Pizza every once in a blue moon.

Ever hear of the "Paleo Diet"? A lot of people, including endurance athletes, are going back to what we ate before the advent of agriculture, as it is closest to what we evolved to eat.

We evolved to eat whatever we could catch live or find dead, somehow that doesn't sound that particularly appetizing.

One thing that's "helping" me avoid greasy, fatty foods is my gallbladder. Eat greasy, fatty foods ... be in agony for the rest of the evening and night. Avoid greasy, fatty foods ... be a lot more comfortable.

+1
I have a terrible stomach. Fried foods severely screw with it.

Took me about 20 minutes to prepare this.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss312/fang66/003a.jpg
and about half of that time was spent fending off this beast
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss312/fang66/031a.jpg

This bears repeating:

Oh, and if you don't mind playing dirty - buy her a copy of Fast Food Nation (http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Dark-All-American/dp/0060838582/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286417227&sr=1-1).

i think "Supersize Me" streams on netflix. so does "Obesity: killer at large" and a few others like King Corn and Food Inc.

+1
I have a terrible stomach. Fried foods severely screw with it.

I don't think it's terrible stomach. It's a stomach that knows what's good for it. ;-)
My weakness are/were chicken wings from this one pub. I've stopped eating them because every time my stomach would hurt. It was time to smarten up.

We evolved to eat whatever we could catch live or find dead <snip>

And collect from plants...

I lived close to a KFC for a number of years - that cured me of going there more than once a year (if that).

I don't think I've even set foot in the golden arches for 10 years but I do enjoy pizza (we have a local chain that is fantastic) & the occasional trip to Arby's. It's pretty easy in my household, both of my kids are avid competitive soccer players and have taken their nutrition counseling very seriously - lots of chicken, vegetable, fresh fruits, pasta (sorry - still don't do the whole wheat version) etc. It's a lot easier when your kids haven't been brainwashed by that funny looking clown.

Personally, I don't care for food from KFC, Macdonalds, Pizza Hut etc - it never tastes good to me so I never eat it. We don't have these fast food outlets anywhere near where I live anyway. I do however, like to get some chinese or indian takeout once in a while.

I don't mind KFC once in a blue moon, although I'd rather hit up Church's or Popeye's. Wendy's or BK get an occasional visit from me. Yogurt parfait is the only McD's product I can handle, well the occasional pair of apple pies also.

Pizza Hut and Dominos pizzas are inedible to me, for whatever reason. I can tolerate a Papa John's but even that is barely palatable.

Chicken wings and pizza are my weakness. But it's only certain pizzas, and certain wings. Someone could offer me a slice of Domino's and I could pass it up like a herpes infested hooker. On the other hand, there were some of those unlimited toppings $10 Papa John's pizzas I created that I could eat even AFTER I ate dinner. As far as the wings go, I'm picky about those too, but not as much...

Ugh! Not only I don't eat it, I hold my breath walking by fast food places. It smells like rotting garbage! I can't understand why people eat that stuff.
+1


+1
I have a terrible stomach. Fried foods severely screw with it.
Same here. Perhaps having gastritis is a good thing for some?


Took me about 20 minutes to prepare this.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss312/fang66/003a.jpg
While that looks delicious, I would have cut it all up and mixed in a bowl to eat like a salad to shave 7 minutes off the preparation time.

+1


Same here. Perhaps having gastritis is a good thing for some?


Perhaps. :p
Then again I can't eat meat and am lactose intolerant. Watching me at a restaurant try to find something I can eat is a real treat.

[QUOTE=travelmama;11587129
While that looks delicious, I would have cut it all up and mixed in a bowl to eat like a salad to shave 7 minutes off the preparation time.[/QUOTE]

And shave off some eating time ;)

Come on people, what no love for the awesome pic of my cat? :notamused: She will destroy you all.:eek:

She scares us. :p

I am trying to encorporate everything possible from all your comments and suggestions. But the biggest impact was realized when I made my wife read this thread.

She has pledged to not expose me to anymore fast food. She will feed the kids junk when I'm not around and keep more healthy food in the kitchen incase I get famished. She has promised to respect my goals and help.

THANKS TO ALL!

Awesome!

I am trying to encorporate everything possible from all your comments and suggestions. But the biggest impact was realized when I made my wife read this thread.

She has pledged to not expose me to anymore fast food. She will feed the kids junk when I'm not around and keep more healthy food in the kitchen incase I get famished. She has promised to respect my goals and help.

THANKS TO ALL!

Good luck, I hope that once your family are exposed to real food they will gradually realise how much better it is not just for their health but also their taste buds.

She scares us. :p


She scares most people except my wife and I. I've actually heard people say things like "what the F..." the first time they see her.

And shave off some eating time ;)

Come on people, what no love for the awesome pic of my cat? :notamused: She will destroy you all.:eek:

I:love: your cat.

I am trying to encorporate everything possible from all your comments and suggestions. But the biggest impact was realized when I made my wife read this thread.

She has pledged to not expose me to anymore fast food. She will feed the kids junk when I'm not around and keep more healthy food in the kitchen incase I get famished. She has promised to respect my goals and help.

THANKS TO ALL!

Great but the kids don't need that junk either. Perhaps she should keep a log of how much money she is wasting on the fast food on top of groceries in the house. Once she sees the numbers, she may want to cut it out altogether and buy herself a bike.

I:love: your cat.

Me too. Please make sure you tell her that, okay? You know, in case I ever visit.

Great but the kids don't need that junk either. Perhaps she should keep a log of how much money she is wasting on the fast food on top of groceries in the house. Once she sees the numbers, she may want to cut it out altogether and buy herself a bike.

+1

It's important to teach kids good eating habits when they are young so they don't end up with type 2 diabetes at the age of 12 or something.

http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0n_d00.htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/endocrine/type2.html