by Amber Weier

Created on: June 11, 2009

One quarter of a mile, thats how far away one local burger joint is from my house. This place has the best french fries I have ever eaten. I have always tried to be health conscious and limit my intake of unhealthy fast food and get regular exercise. I moved one year ago from a small town to a bigger city. I have found that with more options to stop and pick up dinner on my way home, I am more likely to call my fiance and ask if he wants fried chicken or tacos or pizza for dinner. I know I have food at home, and we could make a great salad or some pasta, but when it is six o'clock and I have been at work for ten hours, I am tired and I don't feel like standing in the kitchen for an hour and making a meal. We both work full time and get home when we should be eating dinner, not just starting to cook, it leaves us tired and in the mood for a quick fix . It was way to easy for us to fall into a pattern of getting something for dinner that was fast and tastey.

With the onset of summer, we have both noticed that over the past year we have put on weight, about 20lbs. each. We have sworn off the sodas in giant cups and cheese burgers with salty fries. It has been seven days and I have already lost 5lbs. I made salmon for dinner and we had raw veggies and went for a long walk, in the opposite direction of the burger place last night. We are drinking more water and eating more food than we ever ate when ordering fast food. I am amazed at how much better we feel, how much more energy we have and how much better we sleep. Even our cravings for sweet and salty things have been replaced with craving for good foods like fruit and crunchy vegetables.

Fast food is okay in moderation. We have made an agreement to only get fast food when we are traveling and cannot make food at home. We have made a conscious effort to take control of what we are eating and practice healthy habits to be the best we can be and have long and happy lives. It was easier than I thought it would be, and I am so glad we decided to change our habits. Living near places that offer those fast salty fat filled foods can really impact your health. I think it is important to think about everything that you are eating. Not only that, but think about what it is turning into and exercise accordingly. Fast food alone cannot provide the balanced nutrition that a person needs to live a healthy life. Make smart chioces when eating out.

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