Fat People Run Too!

9 weeks ago, I would go to any fast food restaurant of choice, and order what looked good at the time.  No worry about what was in it, how bad it was etc.  It's what is pushed, marketed etc. that we generally choose to eat.  A lot of this is common sense, but there are those of us out there that've just never given it much thought.

My intent here is not to give any restaurants mentioned a bad name, but rather point out that they each have ways that a descent meal can be had, but that they don't necessarily make it a point to let you know that.  The healthier choices in fast food joints aren't typically what sells.  It's the big juicy burger with cheese/bacon, the nice golden fried pieces of chicken, those beer battered onion rings..that's what sells, that's what you see on TV!

We'll start with a mid-west favorite: Culver's  (just watch what pops up right in front of you when you launch their site) Made famous largely by their "Butter Burgers", Culver's is a great place to eat with very good food.

Let's look at a typical meal for me @ Culver's before I got healthy and starting making more wise choices when eating out:

The Culver's Bacon Deluxe Double - Serving Size/weight: 288grams

• 752 Calories
• 47 grams of fat (22 of which are saturated)
• 1351 mg Sodium

WARNING: My opinions in this post &/or blog are likely to offend
some. If it does, I apologize and hope that you'll take it for what it
is: My opinion, and me calling it as I see it. My intent isn't to
offend you!
Sometimes I wonder how or why I didn't see it coming. Eating foods
like those found attached to this post may have had something to do
with it! 6 weeks ago, I probably could have eaten most if not all of
this dessert and thought nothing of it. Not any more.
Just making the choice to be healthier in general has shone a light on
how we as a nation (me included) have become as a majority,
overweight. As I look around at the grocery store it's largely
obvious! Just about everything is pre-made and full of fat and
nutritionless ingredients. Making the choice to eat the "right" thing
vs. the quickest, or best looking option goes a long way in and of
it's self, all exercise aside. I mean really, 6 weeks ago, I'd have
had no problem putting down a hungry man XXL meal and a 20oz Dr.
Pepper and maybe some cookies for dessert! Now, before I go for that,
I think... Do I really need 50+ grams of fat 2000mg of sodium, 1000
calories and 80 grams+ of sugar from a single meal?! Common sense
should say no, but the convenience factor, quickness of preperation
etc said yes and before I knew it, I was at nearly 300lbs.
The majority of fast food places are exactly the same. Most of your
choices there have something fried in them and are loaded with cheese
to boot. I had to stop eating the QPC with fries and a Mr. Pib. Simple
enough choice right? Not really when you see those nice shiny
pictures and that tasty looking burger and it's cheese and bacon!
Almost every time I'm in a fast food place now, I think of seeing my
dad in the ICU after having had a heart attack and 5 way bypass surgery.
It's a choice now. I can eat the quick/easy, or I can eat the right
option. Each day, it gets easier to make the right choice and
continue on the road of getting healthy.
All that said, if you're making the right choices, you can afford to
eat the occasional piece of cake, brownie, fried food etc. without
worrying about it.