Military to Civilian Fitness

I know that everyone eats fast food once in a while, especially me. I am so busy, between work and college, I just don’t always have the time to make a healthy meal. Thus, fast food becomes the replacement. I think this might be one of the reasons I’ve packed on some weight in this recent stage of my life, but I can’t seem to give it up. So, I decided to do some research on how I can make better choices when I go to McDonalds.

I LOVE cheeseburgers. They are seriously in my top 5 favorite foods, especially fast food burgers. But sadly, these are very very bad for you. I have found a few ways to make it a little less damaging though. The buns on these sandwiches are loaded up with unnecessary carbs. I did find out a way to cut those carbs in half though. All I have to do is remove the top bun! The only downside is that it doesn’t protect my hands from the ketchup. But I’ve found a remedy for that too. The bottom bun isn’t protecting you from any sauces, and it’s smaller than the top bun, so just put your bottom bun on top and go without a bun on bottom. It’s a slightly inconvenient way to eat a burger, but it certainly makes a huge difference.

Another great choice to improve these tasty sandwiches is, thankfully, something I already do: add lettuce. Lettuce, while it doesn’t have much nutritional value, is a great companion for unhealthy foods because it helps your body with digestion. Lettuce helps push things along before they can cause too much damage and add to your stockpile of fat reserves.

As we all know, you can’t have a cheeseburger without having a few fries. However, these are so bad for you. They are made from potatoes which are technically a vegetable, but they don’t have very much nutritional value to begin with, and it’s completely counteracted by frying them. Honestly, the best thing to do is replace them with a different side dish, like a small salad. Most fast food places offer healthier choices anyways.

However, once in a while I can’t take it anymore and I desperately need some french fries. These types of cravings happen to anyone who drastically changes their diet, and the trick is not to binge. Rather, allow yourself to occasionally have a few fries, by simply ordering the smallest size on the menu (most places offer these for $1). That way, you satisfy your craving without destroying your diet.

Also, you don’t want to wash down your fast food with a calorie-loaded beverage. It’s better to get diet soda or, even better, just get water instead. Your body needs water to help digest, so this way you’re giving it everything it needs to process your unhealthy grub out of there as quick as possible.

Fast food is super tasty, but it is also super bad for you. However, just these small little choices will decrease the damage greatly to your quick meal, and now you can enjoy your meal without completely destroying your diet.