The Slimming Pool Weight Loss Blog: Hey, I was Eating That!
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Downsizing McDonalds - Phasing Out Super Size
Alas, it is fact. McDonalds has announced it's phasing out the option to "Super Size." Stating it has, "nothing to do with that [film] whatsoever," referring of course to the soon-to-be-released independent film Super Size Me about Michael Spurlock's 30-day odyssey of eating nothing but McDonalds.
The Super Size phenomena was sheer marketing brilliance. Who wouldn't take the larger size for mere pennies more? I did. It seemed almost foolish not to, yet the additional cost to our wallets, and the additional size added to our hips and waistlines never entered the decision process. Until now. Now, we're starting to notice.
McDonalds claims that the move Super Size Me is about, "Spurlock's decision to act irresponsibly by eating 5,000 calories a day." Excuse me, but nearly everyone eats 5,000 calories a day. You may not think you do, but if you eat at restaurants or fast food places, add it to what else you eat that day and you're likely easily eating 5,000 calories a day. It's not hard to do.
Don't believe me? Track your food intake for a month and see. At first you'll be careful to eat quality foods, because you're writing it down and all, but soon you'll drift back into your usual eating habits, and if you can maintain the discipline to write it down, then you'll be shocked by how much you really eat - I can almost guarantee it. The opposite side to that coin are those who barely eat anything, trying to stay under 1500 calories, yet cannot seem to lose weight. They've upset their metabolism to the point that their body is hanging on ferociously to every ounce of fat, despite the low calorie intake, or because of it, depending on how you look at it.
Check my Software, Tools & Gadgets page for software for tracking calories, if you dare! I use a simple program called Food & Exercise Diary for Windows. Any tool works, including a small notebook, if you just do it. Write it down.
It's a proven fact - if you feed yourself a healthy balance of foods, including protein, carbs and fats, get decent rest, and sprinkle in some physical activity (dance, breath, move), then your body will melt into it's natural size. And yes, it could take a year to get your body to that healthy weight if you've got 50 or more pounds to lose. So what? Get over wishing you were already there and take the first step on the journey to getting there. Take it one day at a time, one bite at a time. If you lost five pounds, but never regained it, wouldn't that be a good thing? Take it five pounds at a time.
You'll also find that most who starve themselves all day, tend to stuff themselves all night, and it balances out to that 5,000 calories a day I mentioned above. If you don't believe me, find out for yourself. Write down what you eat for the next 30 days - I challenge you.
So let's give thanks for the wisdom of McDonalds to phase out Super Size. Just say yes to quality foods at decent prices - and speaking of decent prices, what's up with all our jobs moving overseas yet we aren't seeing any price cutting in relation to the enormous corporate price savings? In fact, we keep hearing about more jobs being cut. Since tax benefits are meant to reward corporations for creating jobs, I'd say it's time to phase out those benefits if the work is being taken elsewhere. What do you say? Are American's corporations greedy? Are they killing our economy? You decide and remember it's an election year. Time to be heard - get involved - start with a plan for increased health this year.
