07/29/2026
I had a “cheat meal” today. 🍟🥤🍗
And you know what?
I enjoyed it.
I ordered exactly what I wanted:
• 4 chicken strips
• Medium fries
• Medium Dirty Dr Pepper
• Two Caesar sauces and one ketchup packet
It came out to roughly:
➡️ 1,330 calories
➡️ 42g protein
➡️ 149g carbs
➡️ 66g fat
But here’s what I did differently.
I ate the chicken first because protein is the part of the meal that actually keeps me full.
I ate the fries until I realized…I wasn’t really enjoying them anymore. So I stopped.
I drank about half of my drink because I was satisfied.
Could I have finished every bite and every sip? Absolutely. Some days I probably would. And that’s okay too.
The point isn’t to be “perfect.”
The point is to pay attention.
One meal doesn’t determine your health.
Thousands of meals over years do.
That’s why I don’t teach people to fear burgers, fries, birthday cake, or vacations. I teach people to build awareness.
Enjoy the food.
Notice when you’re satisfied.
Move on with your day.
Health isn’t built by never eating a chicken strip.
It’s built by making intentional choices more often than impulsive ones.
What if this had been my lunch every weekday, without ever thinking about it? That’s where the problem starts—not because McDonald’s is “bad,” but because mindless habits quietly add up.
Today’s meal wasn’t a failure.
It was lunch.
Progress beats perfection. Every single time.
— Amanda Jones, FNP-C
Amanda M. Jones, FNP