Who knew Taco Bell was this good or that ‘Jack’ hadn’t been lying about their ‘tasty’ food all these years! For the last several years, I have been cooking my meals and staying away from fast food, only to find these foods oh-so-tempting while my baby bump grew. The ‘bump’ is still here, but the baby is now in his crib, not my belly! I still hear the not so distant bell ring for me at Taco Bell, and the egg rolls at Jack in the Box calling my name. Mr. Jim’s (pizza) has become a close friend; I feel as if I am betraying him if I don’t call once a week. ‘Wendy’ has been good to me, too, as have the roller girls at Sonic, who quickly skate my grilled cheese right to my car window.
I have now seen how the ‘other half’ lives, the half that doesn’t work out, eat nutritious meals or generally care about their health. We are not talking about the occasional treat. We are talking about a lifestyle, specifically, a lifestyle of drive-through windows and plastic playgrounds – children running around screaming from a sugar-high have become my worst nightmare.
The girl who religiously went to the gym, eating protein bars/drinks and chicken breasts has fallen into a quick and easy trap. So ‘easy’ to drive-thru and yell out for something cheesy and greasy. No messy kitchen, no dishes to clean; that will be someone else’s problem tonight. Yet the decision to not eat ‘clean’ is a CHOICE. And it is the choice millions of Americans are making every day, ‘filling up’ on fatty, super-size meals; we our leading ourselves in the direction of an obesity epidemic. We are teaching our children that clowns should make our meal choices for us and that talking Jack ‘heads’ have the answer to nutrition. Really? Is this what life and health have come to? Sure, fast food restaurants all have healthy choices, but who wants em’; let’s face it salads are scary at these places. I’ll take my chances on fried and greasy before I eat out of a plastic container they call ‘salad’.
My husband and I now are working hard to keep away from the temptation, and drive past these places and not ‘thru’ them. They are a trap, leading you to addiction that is not only costly to your body, but your wallet as well (in ultimate health toll and expenses) I ask you all to look over your bank statement and see the reality in cost of these ‘friends’. Maybe your health isn’t a wakeup call, but your wallet just might be!
