Who here has given up fast food & junk food?

[Philosoraptor]

I made a vow a while back not to eat any more food I see advertised on t.v., junk food, and I am already noticing changes in my weight and health. I agree with the president that junk food is causing epidemic obesity and unnecessary health problems, including rampant diabetes.

Top offenders: McDonalds, Wendy's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John's, Taco Bell, etc., etc., etc.

Some of us have always been conscious of what good and bad food is, but many others are learning only now. What has been your experience? What is your opinion?

[lindisfarne]

1. "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." (avoid "edible food-like substances.")

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090323/7-rules-for-eating
Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

Probably the first two words are most important. "Eat food" means to eat real food -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, yes, fish and meat -- and to avoid what Pollan calls "edible food-like substances."

Here's how:

1. Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says.
2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
3. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.
4. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says.
5. It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'"
6. Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks.
7. Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.

[Wapsie B]

2. TV junk food as you put it has put 100# on me.

It goes way beyond having popcorn and candy at the movies. Much too easy to raid the fridge when a favorite show comes on. The cycle of nervous eating must be broken, and I know I'm far from being the only one.

[msongs]

3. no sugar, no flour. no TV nt

[RebelOne]

4. I never eat at any of those fast food junk food places. n/t

[alfredo]

5. Giving up sodas had dramatic effects on my weight.

Fast food is extremely rare.

[sarcasmo]

71. Bingo, the no soda thing has worked for me. Over a year soda free.

[alfredo]

73. I lost ten lbs

[sarcasmo]

76. If you drink two or three cans of Pepsi thats about 500 calories a day.

It's crazy to think something that easy can drop/add so many pounds.

[alfredo]

88. I had stopped liking them a long time before I stopped, but in some situations

that was the only thing available other than beer.

[JI7]

104. i haven't given it up completely but don't drink like 2-3 or even more cans i use to before

it's kind of hard at first but after a while it gets easier. the average i drink is maybe 1-2 days a week now and usually just 1 can each day.

with certain foods like pizza , i just like them with soda better.

[alfredo]

110. Moderation. I limit my self to one pizza a month, at most. Some months

I skip.

[SheilaT]

6. A year ago I moved part way across the country,

and decided against getting a TV. I decided I couldn't really afford the cost of cable, and my very small apartment didn't really have room for a TV. So I simply don't see the advertisements any more.

Because of difficulty in finding permanent work, I've had a very limited budget, so I simply don't eat out very much. Maybe five times in the past seven months or so. I've been able to lose about twenty pounds, and would like to lose another fifteen.

I know people here often trash the BMI thing, but I think it's highly useful, and for what it's worth, mine has dropped from 30 to 25.8. If I lose the next 15 pounds, I'll be at 23.2, which is still at the upper end of normal. What's scary is that at my current weight, which is still in the overweight category, I look quite good, have gotten many compliments, and I look almost slender. We are so used to seeing overweight and obese people that a normal weight adult looks thin to us.

Anyway, food that you prepare yourself, by which I mean you take raw ingredients and do all the preparing and cooking yourself, are much likelier to be healthy and good for you. Heating up a frozen entree doesn't really count. Plus, you can control portions.

There's also a strong feeling out there that it takes a long time to fix anything from scratch, which just isn't true. Yeah, if you decide to bake bread that's a bit of a time commitment, but a bread machine can do almost all of the work for you. I've become a huge fan of Rachael Ray's thirty minute meals, because she's right, you can fix a full meal in thirty minutes or less. And have leftovers for the next meal or two.

[LynneSin]

7. I'm trying but I have been pretty good with shopping only at Trader Joe's

I find that when I go to one of these mega-supermarkets I tend to overbuy and usually with stuff that probably isn't very good for me.

I never thought much of Trader Joe's but a friend had me go with her about a month ago. I found that they had a selection of just about all the items I enjoy eating (as part of my diet - I am trying to lose weight) and there was way less temptations then going to my local Pathmark, ACME, Shop-rite etc. etc. I also found the prices to very comparable to the mega-grocery stories, much better then I've seen at other health-food style grocery stores.

There are a few things that I do need from the big stores. I use Ulta for my beauty products (I like certain shampoos & face cleaning supplies) and I'm still figuring out what to do if I need cold meds or asperin. Plus one of my mainstays of my diet is Bumblebees Lemon Pepper Tuna and I do have to get that at the grocery store. So when I do have to go to the big store I make a list and get all that stuff at once and quickly so I avoid temptations.

[Mrs. Overall]

8. I've always been sort of health conscious, but with two teenagers, I became lax until

my spouse was laid off last year and we had to go on a very tight budget.

I totally stopped buying junk food for cost reasons and then realized I had been using it as an easy way to let my teens stuff their mouths.

Now, instead of crackers, chips, store bought cookies, etc... I buy big tubs of peanut butter and wholegrain breads, tortillas and cheese for quick quesadillas, more fruit, natural tortilla chips with a natural style salsa that our store makes, veggies and hummus, and I've taught my son to make a whole wheat brownie and whole wheat choc. chip cookies.

It's so much cheaper to make your own snacks and goodies and much healthier--no hfcs, msg, preservatives, sodium, etc...

On Edit: It can be time consuming, however, which is difficult if you are working and tired.

[JerseygirlCT]

9. I rarely eat fast food

(not worth the pain it causes), but I do like my one soda a day when I can get it. And no bottle or can is as good as the fountain stuff, over crushed ice.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. I prepare my meals from fresh ingredients and avoid prepared foods 99.99% of the time.

You can control the sodium and sugar that way too.

[Sparkly]

20. Stinky and I were just talking about that last night.

It's amazing how many yards of grocery store shelves we always pass by (boxes of mixes and "helpers," especially).

[Kali]

11. gave up the actual junk - tee vee - years ago

still hit the drive through occasionally, but live 15 miles from town so, not a huge temptation to just go for that reason.

[applegrove]

12. I watch so you think you can dance. And then I watch the news. That is it these days.

[Richard D]

13. I gave it up . . .

. . . (along with the TV) a very long time ago. Haven't missed either a bit.

[csziggy]

14. Mostly, especially sine we signed up for a CSA

Those big bags of organic produce really make it hard to use them up AND still be hungry for junk foods. I do keep some cereal around, but I am eating it less as a regular meal and more when I get a craving for junk food. Half a cup of Cheerio's gets rid of my craving for cookies and is slightly healthier with a lot fewer calories. When I started doing this, I'd eat more cereal to staunch that craving so I'm making progress.

Before my surgery, I bought some Nature Grain oatmeal bars in case I wanted something to eat and couldn't fix myself something else. I haven't even opened the box. If I don't eat them, I'll donate them to the Food Bank, I guess.

The biggest problem with the locally grown produce from the CSA (community supported agriculture) is that it is not as 'processed' as at the local supermarket. Greens have to be washed, over and over, and they don't discard every single leaf with an insect nibble. So there is much more preparation time involved.

The second 'problem' is that we are eating things we never ate before - I had fresh fennel for the first time last week (!), and neither of us were all that fond of Southern greens, much less some of the mystery greens we have gotten. But I'm using this as an opportunity to stretch my cooking abilities and try new things.

Right now, the challenge is for me to talk hubby through the process since chopping and cooking with one arm is just not possible! He's learned that you don't chop the entire branch of rosemary, but you have to take the stem out and just chop the leaves, to trim the stem and flower ends from squash, and how to smash garlic to peel and chop it. You'd think after 30 years of watching me cook, he would have learned a few of these before!

[Warpy]

15. I haven't eaten that stuff in decades

because I never liked the way it made me feel. After exhausting night shifts when I really couldn't get up the ambition to cook, I'd eat a peanut butter sandwich, anything but greasy grub laced with sugar.

The transition isn't an easy one. Everything tastes like cardboard until your taste buds readjust. In addition, you're going to feel out of step with the rest of the world.

The real test is eating fast food after you've been away from it for a couple of months. You are not going to believe what that stuff does to you.

[Mother Of Four]

109. Further down the thread-

I mentioned sugarless coffee. You are SO right, after your taste buds adjust the sugar tastes too sweet. You get the full flavor of food without all the additives, then everything else taste well...overdone. If that makes sense?

[lies and propaganda]

16. Never eat it.. and my garden is THRIVING!

Its easy because it tastes like shit and I dont eat that either ;p

want some garden porn? http://www.flickr.com/photos/combustionglassworks/sets/72157617620451344/

[Annces]

17. I am almost 100% vegetarian

after some help from reading vegetarian bloggers and getting involved with animal rights.

I think there is a conspiracy with pizza makers as far as vegetarian options. You almost can't find a veggie pizza in the stores that have like 50 varieties of brands. They all have meat on them.

Fast food - fattening, mostly deep fried chicken and hamburger. So I pass except when desperate.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

23. I am a vegan

because of what eating animal products does to the enviornment, and because of the unneeded killing and torture of animals. I feel better, look better and feel good about doing something to benefit animals and the enviornment. One of the best decisions I ever made.

[Annces]

25. absolutely agree

the more I learn, the more vegan I become. I wish there was a good soy cheese. Soy milk is really good.

Also interestingly I have some nieces who are vegetarians of their own accord, the parents are not. Some day the vegetarianism and veganism will be the social norm.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

33. My girlfriends nephew is a vegetarian

and his parents are not, he is 14. It may be that the younger generation is being exposed to the positives about being vegan/vegetarian and it is happening more and more, I hope so. I dont know if it will be the social norm, but being a vegan/vegetarian strictly for enviornmental reasons is making sense to more and more people. 1/3 of all fossil fuels produced in the United States go towards animal agriculture. Adopting a vegan diet actually does more to reduce emissions than driving a hybrid car! With the energy needed to produce a single hamburger, you could drive a small car twenty miles. It makes sense.

[flvegan]

59. Vegan cheese you say? Shazam!

Ask, and you shall receive.

http://www.teesecheese.com/

[Annces]

81. thanks for the link n/t

[AllieB]

111. This is what's in a lot of vegan cheeses:

"Purified water, natural whole ground cassava and/or arrowroot flours, high oleic sunflower and/or safflower and/or identity-preserved high oleic canola oil, coconut oil and/or palm fruit oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, natural vegan flavors (derived from plants), xanthan gum, sunflower lecithin, natural vegan enzymes, natural vegan bacterial cultures, citric acid, natural color."

It's highly processed vegetable oils.I'd hardly call it a whole food, and it's probably high in Omega-6, which isn't a good thing.

[JuniperLea]

70. Good for you!

I went full vegetarian for nearly five years, going to a nutritionist, and reading all the books... and it nearly killed me. Thankfully, my hair grew back and my teeth didn't suffer too badly, and the bone loss issue has been corrected.

I'm happy to know there are people like you who can live it fully! It really is best for the environment, just not best for ALL humans.

[AllieB]

77. I was in the same boat.

I definitely didn't thrive on the vegetarian diet and ended up with a variety of health problems.

[Contrary1]

18. I have a slice of pizza every now and then from my favorite joint...

other than that, I've had no fast food in over six months. I do have the "junk" once in a while. A few chips, a scoop of ice cream, a bit of dessert, I just don't go crazy with it.

I'm also walking 12-14,000 steps a day.

Down 45 pounds and counting. :-)

[tabbycat31]

19. I gave up fast food in 2005

I still have junk food cravings every now and then (I have a sweet tooth) but I make my snacks from scratch if I want it that bad.

I stay away from HFCS

[handmade34]

38. congratulations - HFCS is unhealthy stuff

I had a vicious sweet tooth most of my life - I finally cut out all high glycemic sweetners. I use Agave, Xylitol and/or date sugar

[tabbycat31]

54. I have a vicious sweet tooth

I just bake my cravings from scratch. Occasionally I will freeze cookie dough and put it in the toaster oven so I don't have to heat the whole place up.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

21. I gave all that stuff up

I lost lots of weight, feel better, look better, am better.

[sutz12]

22. Mostly...

I'll still eat more junk at a party than is good for me, but overall, I try to balance it out and eat good stuff. Veggies, lean meats, limited carbs of the high fiber kind, low sugar. I hardly ever do sodas of any kind. Won't touch "energy drinks." No alcohol, of course.

Of course, I'm a diabetic and I have to. But I feel better when I'm on the diet than off.

[ThatsMyBarack]

24. I only eat fast food....

On "road trips" to my skating competitions. Sometimes it's fun to try out greasy spoons that aren't in my neighborhood at home! ;)

[pdxmom]

26. I gave it up out of necessity. Doctor decided that I was in the beginning

stages of diabetes and my mother and grandmother were insulin-dependent. I had a choice to make...either pay attention to what I eat or also become insulin-dependent.

It's a lot more work, figuring out what I can and can't eat and what times of the day, etc. But it certainly has made a world of difference. I've got my sugar levels under control and I've lost about 12 pounds (but really didn't have to lose too much). It's been a huge help that my DH has played along with me...and he's lost 50 pounds since January. He didn't cut just the junk and fast foods, but also his total intake amount. I think that is also part of what creates the problem...people eat too damn much. Even too much of what is good for you may not be good for you.

Even if, for some reason, I need to do a fast food place (like traveling or whatever), I stick to salads or something that doesn't have a ton of fat, calories or carbs. There actually are options out there.

[closeupready]

42. Can I ask a dumb question totally unrelated to the topic? What is "DH"?

I've seen those initials before here, but I can not figure out what it stands for. TIA. (thanks in advance, lol). :hi:

[Sabriel]

53. Dear/darling Husband? n/t

[closeupready]

57. oh, yes, that's probably it. Thanks.

:)

[Thothmes]

107. Designated Hitter in the AL

[kestrel91316]

27. I don't eat at any of those places you mentioned anymore.

I must confess to an annual visit to In-And-Out Burger. And once or twice lunch from El Pollo Loco or Baja Fresh (trying for healthier choices there, too).

Didn't help my weight to give them up, that I can tell. I just eat more of the healthy calories, lol.

[zeemike]

28. My approach is to simplify my diet

Just buy the basics at the store...beans, rice, flower, salt, oil and ect...and make every thing from scratch
Last night for instance I had Mores and Christians...black beans and rice cooked with onions, garlic, and a little salt pork and 2 slices of homemade whole wheat bread and a drizzle of honey.
Someone called that a spartan diet but I thought it was great and my hunger was well satisfied.
And it was cheep.

Don't have TV reception and no cable so I use my TV to play movies I get from Netflix...And I love it.

[yellerpup]

29. We gave it up thirty years ago.

Last Monday I went through a security checkpoint at an airport and was held briefly because Homeland Security wasn't sure my driver's license was valid. At first, I thought he was kidding! After a few minutes of being intensely scrutinized, the fellows finally let me through. The guy whose suspicions were aroused first, pointed to my birthdate and said, "This should read at least 1959 if not 1969." I was born in 1949. When I arrived back home there was a news story about a 100-year-old man who still runs marathons and golfs. His secret: eat good food, get plenty of rest and don't take a bunch of pills! Maintaining good health is not that complicated. Fast food from the purveyors mentioned above SHOULD BE called "food substitute." That poison is not food at all.

[bertman]

30. I have. Many times.

[Mollis]

31. I gave it up a while back.

I am 18, and I figure I might as well start early. Since then I have lost 15 pounds. I feel a lot healthier, as well. I definitely have more energy.

[Arugula Latte]

40. That's great! You're lucky you got wise at a young age.

You only get one body, and yours could last you another 80 years. :)

[Mollis]

55. It's what I'm hoping

:)

[Javaman]

32. haven't had a bite in 20 years. nt

[Arugula Latte]

34. We stopped the fast food years ago, with the exception of Burgerville (I get veggie burgers).

Their slogan: "Fresh. Local. Sustainable." Great, great chain.

[turnpike]

35. I never ate any of it at any time.

I don't consider it food.

I hope to someday end my life with the distinction of being one of the few Americans who has never set foot in a McDonalds.

[handmade34]

36. gave up most junk long ago

...very occasionally will get side salad and plain baked potato at Wendys; ok $2.50 meal. Despite hating working on the road, I am extremely fortunate to have a food allowance and can hit lots of farmer's markets (San Diego's Littly Italy this weekend; YUM) eat at places like Sweet Tomatos and Souplantation, and good vegetarian and vegan restaurants(Old Wives Tale Vegan Restaurant in Portland Oregon, YUM - best carrot cake ever!). We can all encourage family and friends to eat as much local, organic, non-processed food as possible. Good for our health, good for the environment, good for local economies, good for the soul...

[BlooInBloo]

37. (gasp!)

[mainer]

39. Give up McDonald's french fries? Never!

Even Julia Child sang their praises.

(p.s.: and I only weigh 122 pounds. It's all in moderation. Just a few bites of something rich and delicious won't make you tip the scales.)

[trotsky]

41. I've found that (mostly) eliminating two foods from my diet has helped tremendously.

French fries & soda pop.

I said nearly, because I average probably about one pop a week and one serving of fries a month. Nothing wrong with indulging now and then, but you just can't make those unhealthy foods a regular part of your diet.

There are "healthier" options at most fast food places, too. You have to be smart. Skip the cheese and mayo. Opt for the grilled meat over the fried. Go for mustard instead of ketchup or BBQ sauce. And the thing is, the more people who start doing that, the more healthy options we will see. Companies follow the dollar.

[closeupready]

43. McDonald's is tasty, but makes me break out, so I limit that to once every two or three weeks.

But mostly, I eat pretty healthy.

[goodnight irene]

44. A long time ago...It just is garbage, pure and simple

And the people who claim that it's cheaper than "real" food haven't been in a grocery store in ages. It's not cheaper literally, and it's not cheaper when it comes to future problems. Plus, once you eat clean, good food, you physically will vomit trying to swallow it. Ew...

[beac]

45. Gave up fast food years ago. Only rarely eat "junk food"-- usually a bag of pretzels in the car on

long trips.

Weaned myself off of my diet soda addiction (6+ a day!) about eight months ago. I still crave one once in a while, but sparkling water (from RECYCLABLE aluminum cans, not bottles) mixed with fruit juice has been a great substitute for the "bubbly" part of the equation and home-brewed tea covers the caffeine. I especially like Yogi Tea's "Mexican Spice" which has a nice bite.

I'm also vegetarian and buy organic whenever possible.

[Akoto]

46. Not I. Love my junk food, in moderation.

I'm bedridden with chronic pain at age 24. I've long since decided that life itself is too damn cruel and short to not enjoy a cupcake.

[cali]

47. I never did eat fast food. Don't drink soda

occasionally indulge in potato chips, don't like candy bars. I'm just not tempted. I love to cook and I love good food. I credit my mother who never used prepared foods or a cake mix and who was into fresh and local 50 years ago. But then she grew up in France.

[Fire1]

68. France? That makes all the difference. I'll eat dirt if it's cooked

in France.:9

[cherokeeprogressive]

48. I loves me some In & Out!

Double-Double with grilled onions, fries, and a vanilla shake! It's worth a fifty mile drive for me; there isn't one on the mountain...

[Locrian]

49. no fast food

No carbs (cereal, flour, grains etc), no sugar.

[AllieB]

58. Me too. My carbs come from vegetables.

:-)

[lpbk2713]

50. I had a yearly routine physical this AM.

My BP was 140/90 so it looks like I'll have to make some dietary modifications.

[omega minimo]

51. Junk food is not food. Used to be a "treat." Not for everyday consumption.

Any overly processed food is good to avoid.

[mainer]

52. Food absolutism is so wearying.

I can understand not eating a particular food because you don't like the taste. But crowing that you have forever sworn off all "carbs, meat, french fries, sugar, cheese, dairy, blah blah blah" is rather sad, I think. Pretty soon your food universe shrinks smaller and smaller until all you're left with is lentils and broccoli. Not that there's anything wrong with lentils and broccoli, but if it's all you allow on your plate, then you are a prisoner of your own bizarre eating disorder.

I've observed several acquaintances who came down with cancer, and the first thing they did was restrict their diets, as a way of somehow asserting control. They went off meat, they went off fats and sugars and everything they loved, because they thought it would cure their disease. They died cachectic, miserable, and missing all the foods they'd once enjoyed.

The French and the Chinese have the most admired cuisines in the world. And they eat everything -- but in moderation. And very little obesity in either culture.

[lindisfarne]

65. Except much of what's sold in stores & restaurants isn't food.It's "edible food-like substances"nt

[mainer]

66. Then you're eating in the wrong restaurants

Have you tried Alice Waters? Or any number of chefs around the country who use locally sourced foods and only organic vegetables?

It's all a matter of being selective. And maybe paying a little more.

As for "stores," I assume you include supermarkets in that category? The last time I was in my local greengrocer, I saw organic greens, tomatoes, and meats readily available.

[AllieB]

78. Many Boston restaurants serve produce and meats from local farms.

They are listening to their clientele.

[Generator]

56. Are you mad?

Here's the deal, as soon as Obama ^cough ^cough gets us out of Iraq I'll give it all up.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I didn't even ask for a pony or prosecuting the Bush admin. Just something Obama actually promised. (health care I can afford?-bwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwh)

Until then cheap, easy, greasy fast food is a comfort that as an American I need and deserve.

[flvegan]

60. Everything in strict moderation.

I think that if folks understood nutrition, things would be different. Yeah, if once every few weeks, running late to work/school, you stop for an Egg McVomit it's not a big deal. Or have a moderate pizza now and then. Problem is, too many folks subsist on shit. I'm amazed and saddened every time I'm at the grocery by what folks have in their shopping carts. I'm not going to judge them, but there's something wrong when you know which gas pump to use to fuel your car, but you shovel garbage into your faces to fuel your body.

To the OP, I'm glad that you're seeing positive changes based on your conscious decision to care about what you eat.

[NeedleCast]

61. Give up? No. Moderate? Yes.

[fascisthunter]

62. I have cut down significantly...

if I eat out, it is rare and will be at a decent returante. Besides, everytime I eat fast food, I get the shits. The stuff they pass off as food, is poison.

[AllieB]

63. We eat locally-raised meats and dairy and organic produce.

We never eat the crap from McPuke's or Booger King. I saw 'Food Inc' the other day and started a thread on it. You can no longer call this crap 'food' since it has no nutritional value and is poisoning us.

[Warren DeMontague]

64. I won't touch that shit with a 20 foot pole, anymore.

I gave up most of it not long after my 30th birthday, along with making other lifestyle changes.

Haven't eaten red meat in years, much less a fast food burger, although I admit to occasionally being tempted by In & Out.

No overly processed foods, bleached grains, High Fructose Corn Syrup or hydrogenated oils. No shitty preservatives or crappy mass-produced snacks. No soda, sugary drinks or heavy sugar foods in general. My drinks of choice are coffee and tea, preferably green and unsweetened.

Mostly, now, I eat lower on the food chain, no fried food, not a whole lot of dairy (nonfat milk in lattes being the exception) .. I eat organic whenever possible, free range or sustainable fish & poultry. I had a year or so where I was completely vegetarian but that didn't last.

In the long run, though, it's been years since I overhauled my diet and I can honestly say that, along with regular exercise, it's made all the difference in the world. I'm in better shape than I was when I was 25, and I feel great.

[bigwillq]

67. Unfortunately, NO.

I don't eat fast food too much, but I have late-night snacks right before bed every night. usually Doritos and chocolate chip cookies.

[JuniperLea]

69. It really comes down to what you eat 85% of the time...

And as in religion or politics, it's been my experience that radical extremism in food can kill you. We're all a little different, and not everyone is cut out to be a vegetarian, or go can go without carbs. Moderation in all things, food included, is a good rule to live by.

[Left Is Write]

72. I agree. I eat really well most of the time -

but I definitely save room in my diet for things like nachos, margaritas, good cheeseburgers and baked goods.

I am nearly 43, generally healthy, have great blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and run several miles several days a week. I must be doing something right.

[JuniperLea]

74. I have nine years on you...

And I'm doing the same... but I walk:) Sometimes briskly in the sand... now THAT is a cardio workout!

[Skittles]

75. I will never give them up

and at 5'4" and 120 pounds, I don't need to

[shanti]

79. with all due respect, it's not just about your weight

it's about your HEALTH.

[Skittles]

80. Friday I swam across a lake and back - ten miles

do I sound unhealthy? By the way, I'm 52 and have eaten junk food most of my life.

[mainer]

84. With good genes, one can get away with just about anything

There are plenty of stories of ninety-year-olds who ate all the "wrong" foods and drank excessively. So if you're healthy and of normal weight at 52, junk food probably won't hurt you.

[Skittles]

85. dunno if it's the genes

one brother weighs 350 pounds, and both parents were diabetic. I just think exercising an hour every day (not counting the occasional midnight swim) lets me get away with eating junk. LOL, right now I am noshing on chocolate and cheese puffs :D

[mainer]

86. Exercise IS the ticket!

I got a treadmill for Christmas and started using it 45 minutes every day. Within 6 months, I'd lost 17 pounds. And that was without any diet modifications at all.

[Skittles]

87. WONDERFUL!

remember not to tie exercise solely to weight loss; remember, it is good for your heart, lungs, bones! Funny, I find it much, much easier to exercise every day than watch what I eat and wonder why it isn't the same for most people. :)

[shanti]

101. i used to be able to do that

had a "cast iron stomach".....no more...now i take famotidine 2x day.

[Art_from_Ark]

92. You are probably the exception to the rule for our age group

If I eat a small bag of potato chips, I feel bloated. A standard fast food meal of burger, fries and soft drink would really do a number on me. And I get a vigorous workout at least 4 days a week.

[Skittles]

95. I've also not yet seen my first gray hair

YEE HAW!!!

[Art_from_Ark]

98. When they were passing out the desirable genes

you must have been first in line.

Either that, or you never had kids. LOL.

[Skittles]

100. no kids but my mum had five

and got her first gray hair at age 62 :D

[Forkboy]

99. They're afraid they'll get their ass kicked.

No gray hair will go first. :)

[Art_from_Ark]

102. I wish I had that sort of authoritarian control over my hair

Instead, I got stuck with a bunch of rats jumping off a sinking ship :(

[shanti]

94. awesome!

i really mean it - but you're not the norm. what do you attribute your strong constitution to?

[Skittles]

97. I just live completely outside the norm

no regular sleep or eating hours, work all night (my lake swims are at midnight on my days off), sleep during the day, drink coffee non-stop, live on potato chips and chocolate (let me think - my last real "meal" was probably three weeks ago) - it just works for me

[Hippo_Tron]

82. I eat fast food but seldomly and I eat junk food in moderation

When I go grocery shopping I buy one junk food item, usually yogurt pretzels. They are a particularly good junk food because they are salty and sweet and thus I am not tempted to eat more than a few of them at a time.

Yes I'll eat fast food on the road (though usually I look for Subway because it's not as bad) or if it's super late at night or I'm in a huge hurry. But that's maybe 5 or 6 times a year or so.

[ellie]

83. I haven't eaten

that crap in years. I can't afford it. Even though there are 99 cent menus, it is still cheaper to make food and eat at home. There are leftovers and I get to control what goes in my meal. I work from home and have time to cook. I don't know if I would be able to do it if I had to commute to a job every day. People should do what they can and not feel bad about slipping up every once in a while. The road to good health is a marathon, not a sprint.

[krabigirl]

89. No, and it'sonly a matter of time before they are severely regulated and banned.

[Codeine]

90. I love fast food and junk food

as long as it's vegan. I just make sure to moderate things.

Fast food isn't making people fat, the culprit is eating too much and too often. Most people eat until they can no longer eat another bite, which is fucking repulsive and gluttonous.

[Blue-Jay]

91. Fuck it. I LIKE junk food.

Granted, I only eat junk food once every 2-3 weeks or so, but I like my yummy no-benefit food every once in a while.

In fact, I'm jonesin' for a burger from Wendy's right now.

[cliffordu]

93. Me. Years ago.

[Horse with no Name]

96. While on rare occasion I have no choice

I do not actively seek fast food like I used to.
I have lost 25 pounds in 6 months and I feel better.:)

[sakabatou]

103. I cut a lot out.

[Joe the Liberal]

105. Nope, can't say I have.....

I don't buy the food around here, my bro does and he is'nt exactly health conscience when it comes to eating food. x(

[slackmaster]

106. I haven't patronized any of your "top offenders"or anyone similar in over 10 years

I do occasionally indulge in an In-N-Out burger and fries.

Packaged junk like chips are generally out for me as well.

Sugary soft drinks, once in a blue moon.

It's helped me keep my weight under control. I'm a little heavier than I'd like to be, but I know damned well I'd qualify as a minor planet by now if I hadn't gotten control over my junk food urges.

[Mother Of Four]

108. I've lost 6.5 lbs -

In the last three weeks by:

Cutting sugar from my diet, I already had stopped soda a long time ago...Coffee was my big culprit. I was ingesting a whopping 2 tsp x 10 cups of coffee a day. Now that I'm used to it, sugarless coffee actually tastes better. (I don't eat creamer either)

Avoiding any bleached flour products: No tortillas, white bread, fake wheat bread, noodles, pancakes etc.

No matter HOW good the fries smell is pumped from the local fast food store- I refuse to give in (I'm a french fry fanatic) I feel 1000x better. I didn't eat alot of fast food, maybe once a week...but it's amazing how even that little messes you up.

I made room in my menu for at least one salad a day, not the chef type...VEGGIES. Mushrooms, lettuce, cabbage, carrots with a dressing I made from mustard and honey. It's pretty darn good.

The changes I had made before, much to my children's chagrin, was no more cereal- no chips- air popped popcorn instead of microwave, again the no soda rule etc. They eat Yogurt with granola in the morning, or cottage cheese with fruit. My girls who were getting a little on the fluffy side lost 15lbs and 20 lbs ( I have two) My boys dropped 10 and 12.

Funny thing is, their friends prefer to eat here. They come in and say "Mrs...what did you bake today?" it doesn't even occur to them that I use flax and applesauce in my baking now.

It's amazing how a few small changes in lifestyle over a period of time makes such a huge difference.