Irene Jiang / Business Insider
- I eat and write about fast food for Business Insider.
- I’m often asked how I stay fit while constantly eating fast food for my job.
- The answer is simple. There are five techniques, but all of them boil down to one thing: I eat and exercise in a way that makes my body feel good.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
I eat everything. That’s my job.
As Business Insider’s resident fry queen, I’ve tried the entirety of Costco’s food court in one day. I’ve ordered, constructed, and consumed everything on the McDonald’s secret menu — also in one day — and Chipotle’s, too. I’ve eaten countless burgers, fries, fried chicken sandwiches, and frozen dairy desserts, all in the name of journalism.
Some days, I feel like a kid with a lifetime pass to their favorite candy store. Other days, I feel like a piñata stuffed full of said candy.
When I tell people about my job, they have two reactions. Reaction number one: "Wow, you have a dream job." Yes, that is correct, and I agree. Reaction number two: "Wow, how are you thin, and also how are you not dead?"
Now, I’m happy with my body, but I know I’m not Missandei-from-Game-of-Thrones-toned by any means. If anything, my body is a pretty average, mostly functional one. But I guess I’m fitter than many people might expect from someone who eats fast food for a living.
To be honest, even I expected to gain weight and experience a slew of negative health effects after starting this job. Surprisingly, I’ve remained exactly the same. In fact, I might have gotten slightly fitter.
But how? There’s no magic. Here are the five secrets to my sameness.
I taste food strategically.
Irene Jiang / Business Insider
I get a lot of help from my team.
I usually limit myself to five bites of any given item, which is more than enough to come to a detailed evaluation. On a taste-test day, I will try to plan my bites so that I consume no more than I would for a normal meal. That helps me keep my calorie count on track.
If I’m trying six sandwiches in a day, I’ll take two bites of each sandwich. If I’m trying two sandwiches in a day, I’ll eat half of each. However, if I really fall in love with an item, I might eat more of it.
Afterward, I enlist the stomachs of my intrepid coworkers to help me consume and evaluate the leftovers.
Most importantly? I enjoy every bite — or at least try to.
I avoid fast food when I’m not eating for work.
Irene Jiang / Business Insider
Outside of work, I eat a primarily plant-based diet. I’m not vegetarian by any definition of the word, but when I’m not gorging on carbs and meat for work, I load up on vegetables and minimally processed foods.
I love to cook and I’m generally thrifty, which means dinner often ends up being simple home cooking. An easy favorite of mine is stewed lentils and rice.
When I crave something fried or meaty, I remember that I’m inevitably going to eat something fried or meaty for work. No craving goes un-indulged — it just gets saved for later.
I try to walk at least four miles a day.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
I like walking, so I walk when I can. After work, I often walk across the bridge to Brooklyn and take the train the rest of the way home.
Since I often hop from restaurant to restaurant, my job also involves a lot of walking. And the faster I walk, the faster I get to the food.
I also love stairs. When I can, I take them instead of the escalator. Bonus: it’s faster to run up stairs than it is to stand on an "up" escalator.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
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- 18 things to buy from Publix — and 15 you’re better off skipping
- I tried mac and cheese from 6 fast-food chains, and Chick-fil-A’s transcended the others with cheese I could actually see and taste
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Source: Business Insider – ijiang@businessinsider.com (Irene Jiang)