Folks, the photo above is why over half of all Americans are obese. This is what came in my weekly flier in the mail, all of this, at one time. Coupons for: Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Arby's, Wendy's, Domino's, Church's, Little Caesars, and Hardees. No coupons for organic veggies at the whole foods market, no coupons for the gym or the YMCA, no coupons for new sneakers for walking on the treadmill, no coupons for my high blood pressure or acid reflux medication. It seems that the average consumer and family is faced with these decisions every day- pay $5 for a container of organic spring mix, or buy one get one free chicken biscuits, or order a bag to go from the $1 menu, or even worse, the dreaded 5 for $5 deal at Arby's. With the economy right now, it would seem that the logical choice would be to grab the cheapest meal deal out there. But we all know that by doing that, there is a potentially greater cost in the long run. Your weight, your health, even a shorter lifespan. Sure, I love a pizza just as much as the next person, but do I really NEED it? Do I really truly need to order a special XL pizza from Papa John's for just $11.99? And hey, throw in an order of breadsticks and extra garlic-butter dipping sauce while you're at it! I lived like that in the past, and that's why I got to be well over 200 pounds. And that's not to say we don't go out and get a restaurant pizza once in a great while. But we've stopped living with the "fast food/delivery" mentality. It's a vicious trap, and these coupons only promote it, and make it easier to fall into that abyss of grease.
Luckily we have a recycle bin here at our house, and the only thing good about these coupons is that they are biodegradable and hopefully will be used to create something beneficial- like compost for vegetables!
We get these things too. LOADS of them! We only keep the ones we might actually use... And then we rarely use them. We do have our pizza fix on a regular basis (but we have a 9 year old to think of too!) But when we have pizza it's usually the thin delight from Papa Murphy's (take and bake). There's a time and a place for everything. Mostly I cook at home and we eat lots of veggies, fish and lean meat. And we still have my famous hot wings or ribs, as well as a good steak, on occasion. But I hear what you're saying. The lifestyle of eating on the go, convenient fast food, is literally killing people. And never mind the tremendous amounts of money that could be saved by simply shopping the grocery ads! A healthy meal at home cost so much less!
ReplyDeleteI think some people don't realize how bad that cheap food is for them. I used to work with women who, when deciding what to serve their family for dinner, would pick between which drive-thru they wanted to go to. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing tastier than a Big Mac, and I could eat one every day, but I'm not going to be that person anymore. I think for my husband and I, we're in our 40's now, not in our 20's when eating that way seemed like the norm. I just don't want to do it anymore. Our house contains only fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, whole grains, and low fat dairy. I feel SO much better now that I have started eating this way! I wish everyone out there who struggles with their weight but continues to eat junk, would just try to eat healthier for one or two weeks- they will be amazed at what a difference it makes. I know I was!
ReplyDeleteBut as a side note, yes, I do still eat the occasional pizza, but once a month- not every Friday and Saturday night like I used to.
I was going to comment on a more recent post, but popped back in here -
ReplyDeleteI think you're doing great! And you're doing it right! Healthy and at a good pace. No sense in dropping weight too fast, as it tends to go back on. I, too, have struggled with my weight for years. Currently we (hubby & I) are working hard to stay on track. Our home contains all the healthy items as well.
I am 46 years old and my goal is to lose 15 more pounds by October - when WE go back to Florida!! Sanibel Island, here we come again!
I'd love to "chat" with you more if you'd like to drop my a line on my blog account....