1 year without McDonalds completed

[Matte]

Thought I would share... 1 year ago I decided no more McDonalds, as it is by far the fastest easiest best located fast food chain.  I would guess that even though I allowed myself other fast food I maybe ate 1/4 the fast food or less.  I Went from a couple times a week to every couple weeks.  I'm thinking that my next goal will be taking it up a notch to avoiding all fast food burgers and fries.  It surprised me about the backlash I got from wife, familyand friends.  It really bothered them that I wouldn't eat it at all (or stop there (without a ton of wining from passengers) while driving a group) especially travelling and such it caused lots of strife in the early months.

[G-dog]

Congratulations! Especially for resisting pressure from others - that is never easy.

[sheepstache]

That's pretty cool!

[Dicey]

Hooray! As a vegetarian, it's pretty easy to avoid Mickey D's. About three years ago, before retiring, I met a colleague at one so we could mooch their wi-fi so he could fix my computer. I ordered a side salad (the only one without meat) and a glass of water, as I don't do caffeine. I could not believe the amount of waste that this tiny meal generated! I was also shocked to see people come in and have fries and a shake or pie at 3pm! What an eye-opening (and not in a good way) experience. Good for you and here's to your next year!

[DecD]

Congratulations!! That's great.  It's been 7 years for me, and even then was under duress...more than a decade since I ate there voluntarily.  My kids (7 and 3) have never tried it, and I consider at a win :). It's easy for me though cause I think it's gross, so it's not a temptation.  I don't miss it, and nobody around me is pressuring me to go.

Kudos to you!

[RetiredAt63]

Um, what is wrong with eating at 3PM? You don't know their schedules.  I am feeling a bit sensitive (i.e. noticing more) about people thinking a particular time is inappropriate for an activity, because someone commented to me (in real life) that I eat dinner too late - but her whole schedule is about 2-3 hours earlier than mine, so of course I eat later than she does.

I was also shocked to see people come in and have fries and a shake or pie at 3pm! What an eye-opening (and not in a good way) experience.

[Middlesbrough]

Um, what is wrong with eating at 3PM? You don't know their schedules.  I am feeling a bit sensitive (i.e. noticing more) about people thinking a particular time is inappropriate for an activity, because someone commented to me (in real life) that I eat dinner too late - but her whole schedule is about 2-3 hours earlier than mine, so of course I eat later than she does.

I was also shocked to see people come in and have fries and a shake or pie at 3pm! What an eye-opening (and not in a good way) experience.

Same here. When I worked B shift in an industrial company my time frame was messed up from a "normal" schedule. I started work at 3:30 pm, so most of my days started around noon to 1 pm. I would get up and eat normal breakfast food. After work was over, I got home around 12:30 in the morning, I was starving and would mow down on food. I worked in a refrigerated unit so it took a long time for my body to get back to normal in the summer that bedtime was about 4 am.

This was a college job and parents aren't keen on the whole sleeping in thing on weekends. They would force me to get up or we had activities that were required of us most mornings on my days off. I found myself wanting to eat my largest meal around 2-3 pm which didn't usually fit in with what everyone else wanted. The "normal" schedule isn't as prevalent as you would think it is.

[Dicey]

Um, what is wrong with eating at 3PM? You don't know their schedules.  I am feeling a bit sensitive (i.e. noticing more) about people thinking a particular time is inappropriate for an activity, because someone commented to me (in real life) that I eat dinner too late - but her whole schedule is about 2-3 hours earlier than mine, so of course I eat later than she does.

I was also shocked to see people come in and have fries and a shake or pie at 3pm! What an eye-opening (and not in a good way) experience.

No, no, no! It wasn't when they ate it was what they ate. Okay, it was the when too, but not in the sense you're thinking of (says the girl whose family generally eats very late). It was the idea that these folks were eating massive amounts of empty calories and then heading home, most likely to have dinner as if the afternoon pit stop never happened. Not one of them was what would be called a healthy weight by any yardstick.

[mxt0133]

Congratulations!  I have to admit I don't know how I survived senior year in high school because that is pretty much what I ate back then.  The human body can sure take a lot of punishment but not for a long time.  The documentary 'Super Size Me' pretty much put fast food off for me.  I would have it once in a while until I read somewhere to try and eat fast food with only water and to wait 10 minutes to let it cool down.  It pretty much tastes like cardboard and has stopped me from eating most fast food.  I'm still trying to break fried chicken, I love fried chicken!

[arebelspy]

Cool!

I'm a fan of McDonald's, but if it was important to you, it's neat that you met your goal.

(It's a little weird that you wouldn't stop there when driving a group - why force it on other people?  Just don't order anything for yourself.)

[LibrarIan]

That's awesome! That's a good step in a lot of right directions. Personally, I avoid pretty much all fast food for health reasons. This includes McD's, BK, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Subway, Jack in the Box, Rally's... you name it. "But LibrarIan - what do you eat?!" Meals I make myself from food I buy at the grocery store. It saves money and waistline!

[gillstone]

Awesome!

Now you'll find it hurts to go back.  Seriously, now that your system isn't used to the grease/salt/sugar packets that are McDonald's food - your system just won't handle it very well at all if you go back.

[Bob W]

1 year of "not" doing something is harder than most people imagine.

 So congratulations.   

I stop at Micky D's at least 5 times per week.  I skip eating as I'm going Paleo, but for some reason my 7 year old will only eat McDonald's double cheese burgers with extra pickles.   He refuses all other fast foods except an occasional Wendy's chicken nuggets.   

On the health front.  I really don't think McDonalds is any less healthy than 95% of the other restaurant choices out there.  They all start with the same ingredients  - meat, processed GMO wheat, highly chemically processed Soy oil (veggie oil).  At least Micky D's has some salad offerings so if I want to eat there Paleo style I can toss the buns on the burgers.  I'm sure there are some hip, very healthy places to eat.  Just not in my neck of the woods at this time.

 

[Elderwood17]

Awesome!

Now you'll find it hurts to go back.  Seriously, now that your system isn't used to the grease/salt/sugar packets that are McDonald's food - your system just won't handle it very well at all if you go back.

I have found that to be very true.  I used to eat a lot of fast food but cut it almost entirely out years ago.  Now if we are on the road and we stop at one my gut rebels at a standard burger/fries/soft drink meal.