People Are Revealing The Different Reasons They Stopped Eating Fast Food, And They All Aren't Just For Health Reasons
It's safe to say we all love fast food — and for good reason. It's quick, convenient, and undeniably delicious. However, eating it too often is not good for your health, especially depending on what you order. Still, for many, its convenience and flavor make it a go-to choice, making it hard to cut back.
Recently, Reddit user AshamedReporter775 wanted to know about people who were able to cut their fast-food habits when they asked: "Is there anyone who has quit fast food? How did you do it?"
The thread got over 1K responses from people listing all sorts of reasons why they've cut back on fast food. Below are the top and most often repeated comments:
1."I had a lot of help with the prices of fast food going through the roof."
"You've got fast-food joints that are more expensive than going to a sit-down joint now."
2."I stopped it for a long time. Long means a few months. I still don’t eat fast food a lot, but when I eat it, I always feel remorse when it is finished. I wish I had my money back. I've started eating more and more at home, cooking for myself."
3."I don't know. I just felt awful afterward and decided years ago that I was going to avoid it from now on."
"The less unhealthy food I ate, the more in tune with my body I became, and I got to where it felt better to not eat it. Not that it made me feel completely awful, but I feel much better eating clean."
4."I no longer saw it as worth it when I could make a healthier, cheaper, and tastier meal at home in less time than it would take me to go get fast food. Get good at cooking. It’s so worth it and it easily impresses others when you can make a delicious meal from scratch."
5."I still eat fast food but I’ve moved to local businesses. Local fast food places are more expensive and that has helped me realize that I can save money as well."
"Better quality food and a better atmosphere at local businesses at nearly the same price as well."
6."I decided one day that I should drink less soda. Fast-food meals always come with soda, so I started by just drinking half and then pouring the rest out. Eventually, I started asking for fast-food meals without any drinks. Then one day I said, this feels dumb…I’m just gonna give up the food, too. I feel healthier. I look better. Haven’t looked back."
7."I would order from food delivery apps a lot. Maybe twice a week, sometimes three times. With that amount of orders, there were obviously a decent amount of mess ups, missing items, and wrong address deliveries. After a few refunds, they stopped refunding me when they messed up, no matter how big or small the mess up, so I had to stop ordering from them. I can't just be throwing money away — that stuff is expensive."
8."When I work out 5x a week, I feel more reluctant to put garbage in my body."
"This. I used to work at a remote resort when the staff had their meals cooked for them. There was always a mix of heavy, feel-good foods and salads and fish. I'd workout right at dinner time every night. The gym was empty. Then I'd shower and grab a bite, and all I really wanted was the salad, some veggies, and maybe a piece of fish."
9."I know you're talking about quitting eating fast food, but working at a fast-food place has helped me never want to eat at another one ever again. It was like seeing how the hot dog was made."
10."Did a blood test and found out I am pre-diabetic and my cholesterol is through the roof. So, I wanted to do something good for myself. I have been training and eating healthier for the past 4.5 months and lost 10 kg because of it. Still pushing through, I eat about one fast-food meal a month when I feel like it, and that is it. Sometimes I even forget!"
"I thought it would be harder, but all it took was a doctor saying that I was at risk of heart disease and diabetes because of my family. Showed me my numbers and if my bank account looked like those numbers, I wouldn’t need to work."
11."Once you stop eating it for a week, you'll stop wanting it. For me, I realized a pound of cooked shrimp is cheaper than a fast-food hamburger meal."
"It was a month for me. I caved once last week... but I'm free of most fast food as of the start of this year. Now, I just have to work on not eating at restaurants or takeout."
12."I went overseas for a year, and when I got back, the smell of any fast food restaurant made me sick to my stomach."
13."I prefer the creativity of creating my own meals. It’s so much fun to make dinner a new discovery rather than a mindless order."
"I learned to cook delicious food myself. Developed a hobby out of it. No need to spend money when I can make my own delicious and cheap food!"
14."I started by telling myself I could only go if I'm with someone else, and THEY are the ones that suggest it. After doing that for a bit, I upped it, and when I did go, I forced myself to only get something I thought I wouldn't like, so the association was no longer satisfactory or pleasant. Obviously, we're human, and everyone likes a fast food fry here and there, but the craving has gone down almost entirely."
15.And lastly, "I've spent the majority of my adult life having fast food for every meal. I’ve tried countless times to stop with no luck. What has worked for me this time is meal prep. I bought containers and now make a week's worth of meals. A couple of meals and spread them through those containers. I've made sure to meal-prep recipes I liked. They’re not focused on finding nutrition-dense food with low calories, but they’re a lot better than greasy fried food. I still need to add more fruits and veggies to my diet, but changing to cooking at home has done wonders for the inflammation in my body. Part of getting over fast food is the low priority I feel for cooking after work. If I have a meal ready I can microwave in a couple of minutes, and that also tastes good, I’m less likely to stop on the way home. Most of the fast food I always craved doesn’t sound appetizing to me. When I do eat it now, I feel gross."
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
