Tag Archives: Burger King

Not So Fast or: Is That Food?

28 Friday Dec 2018

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Salutations™!!

Tomorrow, 12/29, is the 5th anniversary since my last bite of “fast food.” Most people scoff and let it go when I say that, but to me, it’s a pretty big milestone. You have to understand that before my heart surgery (and even after to an extent) I was eating fast food, somewhere about the “3-a-day” mark and sometimes five-to-six days a week.no-fast-food

I believe the last thing that I had was a Big Mac, fries and a large Dr. Pepper. I hadn’t had any of that in a few weeks and even then, it was mostly double cheeseburgers from Mickey D’s. I hadn’t had a Big Mac in a long while and I remember thinking that it was pretty awful.

A few more weeks passed before I realized that I hadn’t had any fast food and I figured I’d just keep on keepin’ on. Well, the weeks became months and months are now years. Five of them.

The BCPF, of course, is quite happy about this. She didn’t like me having all that sodium and nitrate goodness and really it wasn’t good for me. It’s not good for anyone, really. I’m not opposed to others having it, I support the existence of the places and I do know that they’re making (perceived) changes to be “healthier” but I feel they will probably never meet a true standard in that realm. But, kudos to them for trying, right?

There are days that I miss it. Really, really miss it. But, I won’t break the streak. Now, I have to say that if we come across a White Castle in our travels, I will have some White Castle. Then, return to the streak. Not break it, but pause it. That’s the only caveat and with it being my streak, that’s the only cheat I’ll allow. I think that’s fair.

So, to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Arby’s, Chick-fil-a, Taco Bell, Bojangles, KFC, and even Cook Out, even though they use only fresh beef and nothing frozen or with preservatives and all that, it’s been hard but I will continue on. I’d rather save my burger eating for Zesto, Cin Cin, Small Batch, Willows and other fantastic local establishments.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Fast food is popular because it’s convenient, it’s cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu.” – Eric Schlosser

Not So Fast! or: Four Not So Long Years

29 Friday Dec 2017

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Salutations™!!

It was four years ago today that I inadvertently made a decision that would affect my health to this day and beyond. I had gone to McDonald’s that afternoon and for the first (and last) time in a long time, I got a Big Mac. I had wanted one and usually had gotten double cheeseburgers or Royale Quarter Pounder with Cheese from Ronald & Co. It just didn’t taste the way it should’ve or at least what I remembered it tasting like. I just felt crappy after eating it. no-fast-food-featured

For the next few days, I didn’t have any fast food at all. I thought about it here and there but then thought, nah. I’d make other food choices, either eating at home (which at the time was a no-no (I really hate eating at home)) or just better restaurants. I wasn’t consciously making an effort to not have fast food. I just wasn’t. Those days turned into weeks which turned into months. That’s a streak.

If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, you know that I can’t resist a streak or a list. If I have a list to go through (at least when I enjoy doing the activity), I can broaden my horizons and find things I never knew about. With a streak, I just can’t not do what I have been doing. I mean look at the 90-Day Club at Finnigan’s Wake. I did my 90 days and then decided I had to go more, if for nothing else to beat the only other person that had done it. Then 1,099 days later, I ended a streak that led to a record stood for a few years before someone lost their mind and beat it.

So, after six months in 2013-2014, I realized that I hadn’t been eating fast food and hadn’t been to a fast food restaurant and was pretty amazed at that. After that, it became a determination to stay away. And, in that, it was a bonus because we know that fast food isn’t necessarily the best thing for you. Even before the “streak” happened, I had slacked off from the places that I used to frequent morning, noon and night. Seriously, I used to eat at McDonald’s for breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. Although the doctor said that fast food wasn’t the culprit in my heart problems, I’m sure it didn’t help anything.

Now, I have to clarify: I eat at Subway, Jimmy John’s and the like. I don’t count that as fast food, I count it as deli food. What I call fast food is McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Bojangles, Arby’s, Zaxby’s, and that ilk. Also, it has helped me get through that part about not liking to eat at home. I don’t mind it now. Plus, it has upped my cooking game. It’s something that I’ve gotten more passionate about and something that 3B and I get to do together. In turn, that has ignited a heavy interest from him about cooking and food in general. So, it’s a win-win for me in all facets. Yay me!

And, in closing, I am not advocating for you to not have fast food. I’m all for it, I’m all for you having it, I’ll even take 3B to places and buy him food. I’m not anti-fast food. I’m only saying it’s not for me. I miss it sometimes. Sometimes I would love to stop and have a Baja Gordita from Taco Bell or a Whopper from Burger King or that double cheeseburger from Mickey D’s. So, go have a Big Mac or something and be happy. I just won’t be doing that.

P.s. If I get to go to a real White Castle anytime soon, that streak will be put on hold.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“There are times, like after a long day of work, when the thought of an easy drive-through is enticing. But then I remember how crappy I felt when I ate fast food in the past, and it inspires me to head to the grocery store or my local farmer’s market and whip up an easy but healthier option.” – Alison Sweeney

Where’s the Beef or: Had It My Way

29 Tuesday Dec 2015

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Salutations™!!

Burger King, McDonald’s, Cook Out, Long John Silver’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Hardee’s, Bojangles, Chick-fil-a, Sonic… the list goes on. Those are fast food places that I haven’t had one bite from in two whole years. December 29, 2013 was the last time I had fast food. I can’t remember what it was, but I am thinking it was a Big Mac from McDonald’s. I think it was that because it was the first Big Mac I had had in a long while. Even if that’s not the last fast food I had, I do remember that last Big Mac as a total let down. I was a quarter pounder guy and wanted something different so I went back to a former favorite. The flavors were all weird and not at all enjoyable. McDonald’s for me was mostly a “run out, grab two breakfast burritos and hurry back home” deal at that point anyway. If it wasn’t the last thing I had, it was definitely a catalyst for stopping.

I decided on whatever reason that I was done with fast food. One, it wasn’t good for me because of the sodium mixed with the fat mixed with whatever else. Two, it’s not cheap. Three, I was just plain tired of it all. So, I do remember that December 29, 2013 I told myself that I wasn’t going to eat it for a while. I didn’t know how long, but anyone that knows me (or has read this blog for any amount of time) knows that I have a thing with “streaks.” It turned out that I had gone three months straight without any fast food. Then it was six, then nine, then a year (whoo hoo!!) then eighteen months and now here we are at two years.

The caveat here is that I have had Subway and Jimmy Johns. Because of their “deli” style aspect, I don’t include them in my definition of fast food. You may disagree with me, Dear Reader, but I’m sticking by that. Yes, I know that they use cold cuts that are high in sodium, but I have to eat something and out of all the options I listed at the top of this post, I figured this was the healthiest way to go. That being said, I haven’t had either of those in at least three months. I have had a sandwich from Tropical Smoothie Cafe, but again, it’s not all the fried crap that comes with traditional fast food. And, again, I have to eat something.

I was willing to put the streak on hiatus – and yes, I know that means breaking it – had I run across a White Castle whilst The BCPF and I were in Chicago, but I didn’t and the streak was preserved. I have spent money at fast food restaurants as I have purchased things for 3B. I’m not anti-fast food and I am not pushing my choice on others to take up, I just choose not to eat it at this time. So, when someone else wants it, I have no problem with that.

There are times when I really, really miss it. I’d love to have a double with cheese from Wendy’s. I’d love to try some of the new things Ving Rhames screams at us about from Arby’s. The Burger King commercials are tempting. I’d try a breakfast item from Taco Bell; that started after my embargo. I really miss the fish & chicken meal combo at LJS. But, then there’s the times that I don’t. That brings me to the one that started me on my fast food journey almost thirty years ago: McDonald’s. While at times I do want breakfast burritos and the QPs, really, nothing about it makes me miss it. I almost try to force myself to miss it but really, I don’t. It’s like an old friend that you had a falling out with and you aren’t at all sad that you don’t talk any more. McD’s is only about an eighth of a mile from my house. I walked there the second night I lived here. It was warm and comforting but no more do its golden arches attract me like a moth to a flame. Adieu old friend.

So, think of me when you take your next bite of that Whopper or Big Mac or Baconator or whatever else. Enjoy it. Savor it. Dang! Now I’m hungry.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” – Big Mac jingle from 1976

Yes, We’ll Have No Big Mac or: A Year In the Life of a Recovering Fast Food Chain Lover.

29 Monday Dec 2014

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Salutations™!!

Today, is one year.  One year for what, you ask?  Let’s back up and give some perspective.

I was a fast food junkie.  Sometimes, my breakfasts, lunches, dinners and even late-night snacks were all from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Bojangles, Hardee’s, KFC, Arby’s, etc.  The BCPF rode me hard about it; wanting me to stop and eat more healthy-like, especially after my heart surgery.  So, a few days last December led to about a week that I hadn’t had any.  Being the streak-fancy kind of guy that I am, I said let me go another week.  And now, today, it’s 52 weeks that I’ve gone without any of it.

no-fast-food

Photo© Rober Daylin

I had fallen out of love with the stuff, truthfully.  It was making me feel gross and run-down.  It wasn’t healthy (not that that really matters to me).  After a few weeks I realized I wasn’t really missing it.  I did miss the convenience of it.  I’d stop after the podcast and grab some grub or that quick breakfast burrito from Mickey D’s.  It was truly fast and easy.  But, I didn’t miss it.  Still to this day, I barely miss it.  Every once in a while, I’d love one of the fancy-ish new burgers being advertised from Wendy’s or Burger King.  Those are really the ones that I miss when I do, but I get by.  I’ve saved money, too, that helps.  You’d think that I’d lose some weight after backing off of the fast food, but alas, no, I guess I drink too much beer and that keeps me from losing it?  I don’t know.

Let me put the caveat that I do not count “deli” style places like Subway, Jimmy John’s. Tropical Smoothie Cafe, actual delis, etc., when it comes to what constitutes “fast food.”  I just don’t.  You may think, Dear Reader, that I’m trying to justify or qualify something, but I’m not.  Sandwich shops, to me don’t count.  It’s my rule and I’m sticking to it.  Anywhat! Happy anniversary to me and here’s to many more of them!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“The problem with living in a fast-food nation is that we expect food to be cheap.” – Alice Waters