Fast food

 My history with fast food started at the age of about two years old. I grew up with both parents working and we ate out most evenings, usually at fast food places. When I was younger we would go to restaurants more often and sit down together to eat, as I got older probably about the sixth grade I started going myself and with friends to fast food places to hang out and socialize. Living in a small town even on the weekends we would all drive to a fast food place and hang out together. We went to McDonald’s the most often and the other places we went were to taco bell, Burger King and Wendy’s. My mother did not cook often and I found myself as a teenager even looking for open fast food places on holiday’s which  (not an easy task). I think I ate at McDonald’s about every day. I would usually eat a double cheeseburger with extra onions and a large fry and a coke. I never really thought about how I felt at the time, but thinking back I think I felt fulfilled and happy at that time.
       My fast food habits now are very different from when I was growing up. Not too long ago they were still quite similar. I found myself even as an educated adult still eating out every day. I took my kids through the drive thru because it was easier and often less expensive than actually cooking meals at home. I was the one eating out most often; I ate at fast food restaurants every single day at least once a day sometimes twice. I frequented Burger King and McDonald’s the most. In 2009 I had gastric bypass due to my size, afterwards I was forced to eat healthier. I began cooking meals at home making sure we were eating baked not friend and got into a great routine.  I am actually embarrassed to say this but as of the past few weeks I have found myself heading back to fast food places, since I have started going back to school it seems to be convenient to  run through the drive thru once in a while and grab a quick snack. I know how unhealthy it is to eat at these places and not just because of my weight gain prior to the surgery, because we have all seen the studies on fast food restaurants and how unhealthy they are for you to eat at yet it just feels like they suck you in anyways. I feel like if I get something grilled or don’t drink a soda it’s not as bad, the problem is unless you are the one cooking the food you do not really know what is in it. I think that the fast food industry is huge and unfortunately most people in our society see it the way I always did, it’s cheaper and easier and so we keep going to that drive thru and putting that food into our bodies and our children’s bodies and we probably will continue even as sad as that sounds.