Step 2 - Fast Food

OK, so this one's a no brainer. Its bad for you – I don't need a degree in nutrition to figure that one out. Really bad.

I started eating fast food regularly when I started my own company. More specifically, when I started working out of an office by myself. A slight detour of my morning commute took me close enough to a McDonald's, Whataburger and Chick Fil-A. I started eating breakfast 2-3 times a week. Then lunch would come around. With no coworkers to grab a bite to eat with, it was back to fast food row, this time to Wendy's or Taco Bell. At first it was one or the other. But it wasn't long before there were days I ate breakfast at McDonalds and lunch at Taco Bell. Or breakfast at Whataburger and lunch at Wendy's. Worst of all, I was so ashamed to admit it that I forced down another meal at dinner with my family later that night. There were times it was hard for me to fall asleep I felt so disgustingly full.

So, without any real pearls of wisdom about fast food (other than don't eat it), I thought it might make for a little repulsive fun to view my fast food nutritional content on two of my worst days:

Really Bad Day
Breakfast at Whataburger
Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit - 500 calories and 32 grams of fat
Potato Egg & Cheese Taquito - 470 calories and 27 grams of fat
Large Coke - 410 calories

Lunch at Wendys
2 Texas Double Cheeseburgers - 600 calories and 37 grams of fat
Large Fries - 550 calories and 20 grams of fat
Large 32 oz Coke - 310 calories

This must be what I ate when I was subconsciously trying to "cut back" - only 2,800 calories and 116 grams of fat. Don't think it can get any worse than that?

Really, Really Bad Day
Breakfast at McDonalds
Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit - 520 calories and 30 grams of fat
Sausage Biscuit - 410 calories and 27 grams of fat
Large 32 oz. Coke - 310 calories

Lunch at Taco Bell
Nachos Bellgrande - 770 calories and 44 grams of fat
2 Soft Taco Supremes - 500 calories and 26 grams of fat
Large 44 oz. Mountain Dew - 510 calories

Wow! Over 3,000 calories and 127 grams of fat. And I haven't even eaten dinner yet!?! I think it's safe to assume that, including dinner, there's been a day or two when I've consumed 5,000 calories and 200 grams of fat. That's cramming about 2.5-3 days of calories and fat into one day!?!

So, there you have it - fast food = bloated death.*

*Before all you "convenience" food executives sick your lawyers on me, I know there are plenty of "healthier to almost healthy" options at most of these places. There's even Subway, where that former fatty Jared set up camp and lost two Olsen twins. But by the time I slather on the mayo, cheese and oil to make those cardboard sandwiches even remotely edible, I might as well be hitting the Burger King. All I can say is if it has a drive thru, I'm going to avoid it like the plague.