Don't Give in to Fast Food Urges Even When You're Working Out Regularly!

For those of you that have started to eat in a more healthy manner and exercise on a regular basis, congratulations! You crossed the initial hurdle by putting your plan into action working towards your weight loss goal. If you have been diligently eating healthy for more than a week and have put in at least a couple workouts, you are well on your way to getting all of this to become a routine, a habit that just becomes second nature. 

 

That's ultimately what you want to happen. 

 

You eventually want to think of fruits and vegetables as just food. Eating salads is just considered a meal, nothing out of the ordinary or special about it. When you aren't internally struggling with the choice between burgers and salads, you are safely on the other side. The side of the fence that is healthy. 

 

The difficult part is getting to that side. The side that isn't constantly in battle with oneself over what to eat and what not to eat. What's healthy and what's not healthy. This is what many people find the hardest to overcome when changing over to a healthy lifestyle. However with a little effort and restraint, you may find that once you get past the two month mark, these struggles get less and less strenuous.

 

From my own personal experience, completely revamping my eating habits to avoid the fast food urges is what I found most difficult about this whole process. Those desires to pull into the drive thru on the way home from work to order a double bacon cheeseburger combo with extra large fries and a soda - boy was that hard! That was practically a daily struggle for me and honestly when I first started this journey, I gave into the temptation on more than one occasion. 

 

Blame it on weak willpower, or the maybe the route I drove home from work since it plastered about seven different fast food spots directly in my path. Regardless of the reason, I was not successful on my first attempt at incorporating a healthy diet on a regular basis. 

 

One thought that kept resounding was, "Greg, you're gonna do the Insanity workout later tonight, why not get a Carl's Jr. Super Star combo cause you're gonna work off all those calories anyways!" 

 

What great logic to have huh? That's why on a number of occasions I gave into that temptation and ate the gluttonous meal that had well over 1,700 calories, along with way too much fat, sugar, and sodium. 

 

Looking back on my struggles, I've realized it's important to keep in mind that just because you plan on exercising today, or if you've already worked out, don't feel as though you "earned" the right to have a meal that's not considered healthy or beneficial to your body. A workout and a fattening meal do not nullify, or cancel each other out. 

 

Even if they did, I would have to attempt a workout that would burn about 1,700 calories which could take close to three hours. If you have ever devoured a Super Star combo with large fries and a large soda, one of the last things you feel like doing afterwards is exercising, especially for a duration of three hours! 

 

Do your body a favor and don't put it through that ordeal especially if you are concerned about developing healthier eating habits. When you are able to avoid the unhealthy choices, you will find a more active and productive self that will be more in tune with what you want to accomplish. Take it from me, there's no bright light on the other side of that double bacon cheeseburger combo. 

 

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Gregory L. Gomez has been teaching 5th grade in the LAUSD for the past 12 years and has now embarked on a journey to lose weight, eat healthier, and finally get in shape! Follow his progress on HealthyChoicesInLife.com as he strives to lose 60 pounds through consistent exercise and healthy eating habits.