When good diets go bad

Q. While in graduate school, I was concerned about my lifestyle and my food consumption. I volunteered at a food co-op, joined a gym, trained hard every day with swimming and boxing, and ate excellent food. It all helped with the stress of finishing up my thesis.

For the three years since leaving school, I have been attempting to start my own business, and my job has become more intense. I have no time to exercise, with the exception of a bit of walking.

My greatest concern, however, is my diet. I am constantly eating burgers in fast-food chains, and most of the food I eat is fried. I don't have time to prepare salads, grill steaks, etc., so I opt for convenience foods. I usually rush out in the morning with very little to eat (maybe some cereal), then I literally don't eat again until I come home eight or nine hours later, unless I am lucky enough to pass a fast-food restaurant.

At home, I make telephone calls and then eat my dinner about 11 p.m. or later. I realize that I am still young, so I am hoping that my body will be forgiving during this investment phase of my career. My new girlfriend is quite concerned, and it is affecting our relationship, so I wanted to ask, how dangerous is what I am doing?

T.T., Sacramento, Calif.

A. I understand your concern and that of your girlfriend. It must be difficult for someone who has been living a healthy lifestyle to wander so far off the path.

"How dangerous?" you ask. That's a difficult question to answer with certainty because much depends on other factors, such as your age, weight and any pre-existing risk factors. If it were me, I would certainly question the wisdom of the torrid lifestyle you've described. The unbalanced fried-food diet, the lack of exercise and the apparent high stress level are definite benchmarks of a fast-track lifestyle headed for ruin.

You say you've been at it for three years, but is there an end in sight? For your sake, I hope so.

I apologize if this comes across as lecturing, but you need to re-examine your priorities. I have no idea what you do for a living, but I hope the payoff is sufficient to justify all this. There are obvious remedies at your disposal. You simply need to make the decision before the walls come tumbling down.

Most markets offer a wide variety of fresh, whole foods, as well as a host of other culinary delights beyond the quickie restaurants. You can keep dried fruits, nuts and seeds in your desk drawer, and you might see whether there is room for a refrigerator in your workspace. If so, you can stock it with healthy snacks such as fruits, cut-up vegetables, yogurt and juice. This would make you less a slave to vending machines and the fast-food fix.

For your food outside of work, I suggest sprucing up your breakfast. Buy a high-fiber cereal, and make sure you always have either fresh fruit or a juice with your meal.

I know you are strapped for time, but you might consider taking a cooking class. This would help you learn to cook in less time, using more healthful ingredients, and you could even take the leftovers to work the next day.

Other important points are to devote more time to physical activity and get the sleep your body needs. Because of your uneven diet, it is not unreasonable to take an all-purpose multivitamin/mineral supplement. Understand that this is meant to supplement a healthy diet, not replace it.

Make your changes now. A lifestyle with unhealthful habits has a way of setting itself on autopilot.