I loved fast food and often resorted to eating that rather than cooking a wholesome meal at home. To share some background about me I want to tell you a little about me. There was a year that I remember the most when I was 19 years old and working in the retail industry. Every day for that year I ate tootsie roll candies and drank Pepsi soda pop. I ate very few home cooked meals and when I did eat a meal it was from Arby's, McDonald's, or some other fast food restaurant. This set the foundation for setting up bad eating habits for the coming years. Today a little more than 20 years later I have finally gotten a grasp on eating fast food and controlling my addiction to it. Last year (2012) I saw myself as an overweight person. Something I had never seen before. So I began to look at what I was eating, how much and when I was eating it. I also had to look at why I was eating it. All of which started back there when I was 18 years old and looking for a quick fix. You know that sugar and caffeine rush to work through the day so as to handle my two jobs. Here is what I did to stop eating junk food all day everyday for every occasion. Five simple steps to slow down and give up fast food. 1- Drink more water. Instead of 8-10 cups of water a day, I drink 12-14 cups of water a day. The water keeps me hydrated which lessen cravings for food late in the evening. 2- Limit Sugary Treats. Instead of (sugary sweets) restaurant apple pies and ice cream sundaes, I eat more fresh fruit per day of make a smoothie to cut down on unnecessary sugars. I also make cakes, pies etc at home and change the fat content by adding applesauce instead of oil or butter, and honey instead of white sugar. 3- Limit Fried foods. I also slowed down on fried chicken from the restaurant and instead bake my chicken and take the skin off. I still love French fries and instead of buying them at the restaurant I bake them at home in the oven on a cookie sheet. 4- Portion Control. Don't supersize the meal, bigger is not better. When you place your order in the restaurant don't supersize the meal. Making it bigger adds calories, and more fat content. Remember, more food and soda pop the more likely you are to over eat. Read for serving size. If 10 French fries is a serving practice eating only an exact serving. That's the best way to know how many calories and salt intake you are consuming. Also, write down what you eat and how many calories per serving and you can see what your food intake is for the day and what you can cut back on. 5- Are you hungry? Don't eat after your activity level settles down for the evening or 2 hours before bedtime. Ask yourself why and should you be eating this food? As an emotional eater, I have had to question was I hungry or rather frustrated by the course of events and turned to food for comfort. I have to look at eating from boredom and pay attention to my emotional state so as not to just eat when there is nothing better to do. In conclusion these five tips can help you to start on a road of healthy eating and promote healthier living. Since I started this I have lost what fluctuates between 40 and 60 lbs. I also have had lapses due to circumstances however, I due write down what I eat, try to stay in the serving size and I calorie count every day. I hope these suggestions work for you, and remember if you can't stop eating junk food altogether you can always cut back. Source
