80 calorie comparison pic
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I absolutely said that, and I own it.
The point is: What matters is the whole way of eating, not one food or meal. The Big Mac is not the devil. It's basically meat and bread, plus some condiments and negligible veggies . . . normal foods, but nutritionally unbalanced on its own.
If the rest of the person's day tops up protein, and includes a bunch of nice veggies and fruits, maybe some whole grains, MUFAs, PUFAs, they're good.
Even as a vegetarian, I eat meals that have a similar macro profile to a Big Mac. I don't see why I should deprecate it even though (1) I wouldn't eat it unless under major duress, and (2) I think spending a third of calories on that makes the rest of the day unnecessarily more challenging. It wouldn't be my daily choice even if I ate meat. But it's food, with meaningful nutrients.
It doesn't make sense to me to look at it in any other way. But I'm certainly not a dietitian, and don't pretend to be.
are we sure it's actually "meat"?
5 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »I’d choose the popcorn. I love popcorn!
I just read that a guy ate a Big Mac every day for a month and lost 7 pounds. Just last month. He was eating 1500 calories a day, not just eating Big Macs
5’4” he was posting on Instagram. Showing there are no bad foods. I think he was a personal trainer, or something like that.
What the guy proved was that if one eats fewer calories then you burn you lose weight, nothing more. Ask any any Registered Dietitian if a 1500 calorie a day diet that includes a Big Mac every day is sustainable for health.
Instagram posts giving nutrition or exercise advice from someone who people think "was a personal trainer or something like that", IMO is not a good idea.
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian.
I'm thinking a registed dierition would not agree with your conclusion long term IMO.
I'm thinking you have no idea what a registered dietitian would think on this topic.
You might want to go back and carefully read my comments. I said I doubted a dietitian would think a Big Mac daily was healthy long term, especially on a 1500 calorie a day diet. Heck the trainer mentioned above that ate a Big Mac daily for a month and lost weight said the following:
"I don't want anybody doing this challenge," he said. "I do not think that this challenge is healthy. I don't think it's smart but sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to make a simple point."
Syatt merely wanted to hammer that point home.
"The whole point of it was to show people that you can include your favorite foods into your diet in moderation and not only not lose progress, but actually continue to make progress, because so many people worry about ruining their entire diet if they go off track for one meal, whatever it is."
I would agree with the trainer, and I believe most dietitians would say that a Big Mac is an "occasional" food and not an everyday food.
If you can cite something where an actual nutrition professional says a Big Mac a day is fine long term for one's health, please post as I would be interested in reading it.
Who said anything about a Big Mac per day? And, based on the macros, why would it not be in the context of an diet that had good balance overall? These kind of judgements don't really consider context and amount and, honestly come across as orthorexic.
Please refer to the post by @AnnPT77 above which I responded to originally stating that IMO I do not believe for health reasons a dietitian would suggest that a diet that included a Big Mac a day would be healthy. As I stated above, and I believe would be in line with most dietitians, a Big Mac is an occasional type of food.
Here is the post I responded to:
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian
I absolutely said that, and I own it.
The point is: What matters is the whole way of eating, not one food or meal. The Big Mac is not the devil. It's basically meat and bread, plus some condiments and negligible veggies . . . normal foods, but nutritionally unbalanced on its own.
If the rest of the person's day tops up protein, and includes a bunch of nice veggies and fruits, maybe some whole grains, MUFAs, PUFAs, they're good.
Even as a vegetarian, I eat meals that have a similar macro profile to a Big Mac. I don't see why I should deprecate it even though (1) I wouldn't eat it unless under major duress, and (2) I think spending a third of calories on that makes the rest of the day unnecessarily more challenging. It wouldn't be my daily choice even if I ate meat. But it's food, with meaningful nutrients.
It doesn't make sense to me to look at it in any other way. But I'm certainly not a dietitian, and don't pretend to be.
I always consider my energy management to be my first priority for good health. If nothing else gets done in a day I need calories from any source possible. I will feel the affect of too little calories in hours in some cases. With the exception of electrolytes and fiber it could take substantially longer to realize the impact of a low nutrient level. In satisfying my energy requirement I want to eat enough of everything else to make a complete day for myself. I don't personally worry about occasionally incomplete days either. I have had vacation days where treat food has crowded out a lot of nutrition. I don't believe it makes any difference.
I am nutritionally minded but I am not uptight about it. I believe being uptight about it is not helpful or mentally healthful (at least for me) as a practice.
Agreed.
But the point being disputed was the health implications of a Big Mac every day, not just sometimes.
1 -
I would feel more satisfied after the crisps as popcorn just makes me feel more hungry when I eat it1
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »I’d choose the popcorn. I love popcorn!
I just read that a guy ate a Big Mac every day for a month and lost 7 pounds. Just last month. He was eating 1500 calories a day, not just eating Big Macs
5’4” he was posting on Instagram. Showing there are no bad foods. I think he was a personal trainer, or something like that.
What the guy proved was that if one eats fewer calories then you burn you lose weight, nothing more. Ask any any Registered Dietitian if a 1500 calorie a day diet that includes a Big Mac every day is sustainable for health.
Instagram posts giving nutrition or exercise advice from someone who people think "was a personal trainer or something like that", IMO is not a good idea.
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian.
I'm thinking a registed dierition would not agree with your conclusion long term IMO.
I'm thinking you have no idea what a registered dietitian would think on this topic.
You might want to go back and carefully read my comments. I said I doubted a dietitian would think a Big Mac daily was healthy long term, especially on a 1500 calorie a day diet. Heck the trainer mentioned above that ate a Big Mac daily for a month and lost weight said the following:
"I don't want anybody doing this challenge," he said. "I do not think that this challenge is healthy. I don't think it's smart but sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to make a simple point."
Syatt merely wanted to hammer that point home.
"The whole point of it was to show people that you can include your favorite foods into your diet in moderation and not only not lose progress, but actually continue to make progress, because so many people worry about ruining their entire diet if they go off track for one meal, whatever it is."
I would agree with the trainer, and I believe most dietitians would say that a Big Mac is an "occasional" food and not an everyday food.
If you can cite something where an actual nutrition professional says a Big Mac a day is fine long term for one's health, please post as I would be interested in reading it.
Who said anything about a Big Mac per day? And, based on the macros, why would it not be in the context of an diet that had good balance overall? These kind of judgements don't really consider context and amount and, honestly come across as orthorexic.
Please refer to the post by @AnnPT77 above which I responded to originally stating that IMO I do not believe for health reasons a dietitian would suggest that a diet that included a Big Mac a day would be healthy. As I stated above, and I believe would be in line with most dietitians, a Big Mac is an occasional type of food.
Here is the post I responded to:
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian
I absolutely said that, and I own it.
The point is: What matters is the whole way of eating, not one food or meal. The Big Mac is not the devil. It's basically meat and bread, plus some condiments and negligible veggies . . . normal foods, but nutritionally unbalanced on its own.
If the rest of the person's day tops up protein, and includes a bunch of nice veggies and fruits, maybe some whole grains, MUFAs, PUFAs, they're good.
Even as a vegetarian, I eat meals that have a similar macro profile to a Big Mac. I don't see why I should deprecate it even though (1) I wouldn't eat it unless under major duress, and (2) I think spending a third of calories on that makes the rest of the day unnecessarily more challenging. It wouldn't be my daily choice even if I ate meat. But it's food, with meaningful nutrients.
It doesn't make sense to me to look at it in any other way. But I'm certainly not a dietitian, and don't pretend to be.
I always consider my energy management to be my first priority for good health. If nothing else gets done in a day I need calories from any source possible. I will feel the affect of too little calories in hours in some cases. With the exception of electrolytes and fiber it could take substantially longer to realize the impact of a low nutrient level. In satisfying my energy requirement I want to eat enough of everything else to make a complete day for myself. I don't personally worry about occasionally incomplete days either. I have had vacation days where treat food has crowded out a lot of nutrition. I don't believe it makes any difference.
I am nutritionally minded but I am not uptight about it. I believe being uptight about it is not helpful or mentally healthful (at least for me) as a practice.
Agreed.
But the point being disputed was the health implications of a Big Mac every day, not just sometimes.
I meant that sometimes it doesn't even matter if I fill my entire day with big macs. I think I already addressed how they can be eaten each day in a healthy fashion upthread. I don't like them that much myself to engage in either scenario so I won't be trying it. The closest I have come is the week in March where I ate pizza or fast food everyday to fill most of my calorie void during a really bad family time. Lower volume calorie dense food helped because I had no desire to eat.2 -
nighthawk584 wrote: »
I absolutely said that, and I own it.
The point is: What matters is the whole way of eating, not one food or meal. The Big Mac is not the devil. It's basically meat and bread, plus some condiments and negligible veggies . . . normal foods, but nutritionally unbalanced on its own.
If the rest of the person's day tops up protein, and includes a bunch of nice veggies and fruits, maybe some whole grains, MUFAs, PUFAs, they're good.
Even as a vegetarian, I eat meals that have a similar macro profile to a Big Mac. I don't see why I should deprecate it even though (1) I wouldn't eat it unless under major duress, and (2) I think spending a third of calories on that makes the rest of the day unnecessarily more challenging. It wouldn't be my daily choice even if I ate meat. But it's food, with meaningful nutrients.
It doesn't make sense to me to look at it in any other way. But I'm certainly not a dietitian, and don't pretend to be.
are we sure it's actually "meat"?
What else do you think it is?
The things a dietitian would be likely to object to for a daily diet are (1) the lack of veg and/or whole grain with it (which could be rectified if someone otherwise ate a nutrient-dense diet); (2) eating red meat daily (directly related to it being meat); (3) the sodium (940 mg); and (3) possibly the sat fat content, although it was less than I expected (10 g), again related to the red meat + cheese. The sauce adds fat and some sugar, but is less sat fat than I thought (I'm not wild about soybean oil either, which is the main ingredient). Also, low fiber. Overall, not much different from a burger made at home with various condiments including mayo, and lower cal than a burger at your local pub or many perceived to be higher quality burger joints (which unlike the homemade burger will also tend to be higher sodium).
More realistically, I bet a dietitian would knee-jerk object because he/she would be skeptical that the rest of the diet would be nutrient dense and not also high in the things the BigMac meal is, but one could construct a diet that is not without too much difficulty if one otherwise likes vegetables. Seems needlessly difficult to me, but not too hard if one were motivated to do it for some reason.
I don't eat BigMacs because I don't care for them, but they aren't some uniquely bad for you sort of food, and the dietitian objections would apply to plenty of options one can make at home.5 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »I’d choose the popcorn. I love popcorn!
I just read that a guy ate a Big Mac every day for a month and lost 7 pounds. Just last month. He was eating 1500 calories a day, not just eating Big Macs
5’4” he was posting on Instagram. Showing there are no bad foods. I think he was a personal trainer, or something like that.
What the guy proved was that if one eats fewer calories then you burn you lose weight, nothing more. Ask any any Registered Dietitian if a 1500 calorie a day diet that includes a Big Mac every day is sustainable for health.
Instagram posts giving nutrition or exercise advice from someone who people think "was a personal trainer or something like that", IMO is not a good idea.
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian.
I'm thinking a registed dierition would not agree with your conclusion long term IMO.
I'm thinking you have no idea what a registered dietitian would think on this topic.
You might want to go back and carefully read my comments. I said I doubted a dietitian would think a Big Mac daily was healthy long term, especially on a 1500 calorie a day diet. Heck the trainer mentioned above that ate a Big Mac daily for a month and lost weight said the following:
"I don't want anybody doing this challenge," he said. "I do not think that this challenge is healthy. I don't think it's smart but sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to make a simple point."
Syatt merely wanted to hammer that point home.
"The whole point of it was to show people that you can include your favorite foods into your diet in moderation and not only not lose progress, but actually continue to make progress, because so many people worry about ruining their entire diet if they go off track for one meal, whatever it is."
I would agree with the trainer, and I believe most dietitians would say that a Big Mac is an "occasional" food and not an everyday food.
If you can cite something where an actual nutrition professional says a Big Mac a day is fine long term for one's health, please post as I would be interested in reading it.
Who said anything about a Big Mac per day? And, based on the macros, why would it not be in the context of an diet that had good balance overall? These kind of judgements don't really consider context and amount and, honestly come across as orthorexic.
Please refer to the post by @AnnPT77 above which I responded to originally stating that IMO I do not believe for health reasons a dietitian would suggest that a diet that included a Big Mac a day would be healthy. As I stated above, and I believe would be in line with most dietitians, a Big Mac is an occasional type of food.
Here is the post I responded to:
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian
I absolutely said that, and I own it.
The point is: What matters is the whole way of eating, not one food or meal. The Big Mac is not the devil. It's basically meat and bread, plus some condiments and negligible veggies . . . normal foods, but nutritionally unbalanced on its own.
If the rest of the person's day tops up protein, and includes a bunch of nice veggies and fruits, maybe some whole grains, MUFAs, PUFAs, they're good.
Even as a vegetarian, I eat meals that have a similar macro profile to a Big Mac. I don't see why I should deprecate it even though (1) I wouldn't eat it unless under major duress, and (2) I think spending a third of calories on that makes the rest of the day unnecessarily more challenging. It wouldn't be my daily choice even if I ate meat. But it's food, with meaningful nutrients.
It doesn't make sense to me to look at it in any other way. But I'm certainly not a dietitian, and don't pretend to be.
I always consider my energy management to be my first priority for good health. If nothing else gets done in a day I need calories from any source possible. I will feel the affect of too little calories in hours in some cases. With the exception of electrolytes and fiber it could take substantially longer to realize the impact of a low nutrient level. In satisfying my energy requirement I want to eat enough of everything else to make a complete day for myself. I don't personally worry about occasionally incomplete days either. I have had vacation days where treat food has crowded out a lot of nutrition. I don't believe it makes any difference.
I am nutritionally minded but I am not uptight about it. I believe being uptight about it is not helpful or mentally healthful (at least for me) as a practice.
Agreed.
But the point being disputed was the health implications of a Big Mac every day, not just sometimes.
I meant that sometimes it doesn't even matter if I fill my entire day with big macs. I think I already addressed how they can be eaten each day in a healthy fashion upthread. I don't like them that much myself to engage in either scenario so I won't be trying it. The closest I have come is the week in March where I ate pizza or fast food everyday to fill most of my calorie void during a really bad family time. Lower volume calorie dense food helped because I had no desire to eat.
No fill your calories as you see fit. CICO rules..... I am speaking more on an intuitive basis. Most people don't want to track foods for the rest of their lives. Will a Big-Mac a day kill someone? Nope. Can it lead to weight gain over time due to the nature of the satiety power? Yes, in most people.6 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Google fast food and health to see why a daily Big Mac (especially on a low calorie diet isn't a good idea) Sample article numerous links:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847.php
I haven't had a Big Mac in years, IMO totally devoid of any taste except the sauce and pickles. We are fortunate to have Culvers in our area, give me a double Butterburger all day, you can actually eat it with just the meat, cheese and bread and it's fantastic. My go to when looking for an occasional fast food burger
The reasons given are "high in sugar, salt, fat, calories, low in fiber and various nutrients."
The BigMac in fact has 9 g of sugar, which isn't some enormous amount, and could be mostly avoided by getting without the special sauce or ketchup.
The salt/fiber/fat/calories have been addressed in prior posts.
The BigMac means you get 540 cal with mostly just an okay to low amount of protein for that.
But the low fiber, low nutrients complaint ignores that in the hypothetical the person is otherwise eating a super nutrient-dense diet. Is it a sensible way to eat? IMO, no, it's making everything harder than necessary, but it's important to note that the article is making assumptions about the rest of the person's diet (based on statistical averages -- most people who eat fast food daily (which is not all that common) probably don't pay much attention to nutrition) that do not apply to the hypothetical.
The real question is if even with a super high nutrition set of choices for the rest of the 1000 cals (or whatever), there's inherently something wrong with the diet. Is it too much red meat, sat fat, sodium (I don't think there's really that much added sugar and artificial trans fat should not be present today).
My own view is that the evidence we have suggests that red meat daily isn't the best choice, I prefer to limit soybean oil so as to help with a good omega 3 to 6 ratio, and I do limit sat fat. So I'd vote against it as an every day thing even if the rest of the diet were on point (and although it had less sat fat than I expected).
I do find it interesting that plenty of people who would say I'm crazy about all that and red meat, etc., are great in any amounts and one does not need 8-10 servings of veg or over 30 g of fiber (both of which could be included within the 1000 cals) would insist there's still something inherently wrong with the BigMac. That doesn't seem all that logical.
Of course, my guess is that if you tried to eat this diet you'd soon get so sick of BigMacs that you'd soon never want one ever again, even if you started out really liking them.7 -
Video of a guy who ate a Big Mac everyday for 30 days and still lost 7 lbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yAMU6Y4Iro&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0lick99oL2yuKbmXIvRzMFuAqvisQqID1lBWF_VgppEyNTZL4VsXcEX0E 4 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »I’d choose the popcorn. I love popcorn!
I just read that a guy ate a Big Mac every day for a month and lost 7 pounds. Just last month. He was eating 1500 calories a day, not just eating Big Macs
5’4” he was posting on Instagram. Showing there are no bad foods. I think he was a personal trainer, or something like that.
What the guy proved was that if one eats fewer calories then you burn you lose weight, nothing more. Ask any any Registered Dietitian if a 1500 calorie a day diet that includes a Big Mac every day is sustainable for health.
Instagram posts giving nutrition or exercise advice from someone who people think "was a personal trainer or something like that", IMO is not a good idea.
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian.
I'm thinking a registed dierition would not agree with your conclusion long term IMO.
I'm thinking you have no idea what a registered dietitian would think on this topic.
You might want to go back and carefully read my comments. I said I doubted a dietitian would think a Big Mac daily was healthy long term, especially on a 1500 calorie a day diet. Heck the trainer mentioned above that ate a Big Mac daily for a month and lost weight said the following:
"I don't want anybody doing this challenge," he said. "I do not think that this challenge is healthy. I don't think it's smart but sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to make a simple point."
Syatt merely wanted to hammer that point home.
"The whole point of it was to show people that you can include your favorite foods into your diet in moderation and not only not lose progress, but actually continue to make progress, because so many people worry about ruining their entire diet if they go off track for one meal, whatever it is."
I would agree with the trainer, and I believe most dietitians would say that a Big Mac is an "occasional" food and not an everyday food.
If you can cite something where an actual nutrition professional says a Big Mac a day is fine long term for one's health, please post as I would be interested in reading it.
Who said anything about a Big Mac per day? And, based on the macros, why would it not be in the context of an diet that had good balance overall? These kind of judgements don't really consider context and amount and, honestly come across as orthorexic.
Please refer to the post by @AnnPT77 above which I responded to originally stating that IMO I do not believe for health reasons a dietitian would suggest that a diet that included a Big Mac a day would be healthy. As I stated above, and I believe would be in line with most dietitians, a Big Mac is an occasional type of food.
Here is the post I responded to:
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian
And as you've been asked yet haven't answered, why do you believe most dieticians would agree with your position? Do you have any proof source for this claim other than the trainer you quoted? Something like the recommendations of a professional society of registered dieticians. BTW, there are even registered dieticians who believe woo. We've seen some post here. If it's just your opinion, good for you. Don't eat them.
Google fast food and health to see why a daily Big Mac (especially on a low calorie diet isn't a good idea) Sample article numerous links:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847.php
I haven't had a Big Mac in years, IMO totally devoid of any taste except the sauce and pickles. We are fortunate to have Culvers in our area, give me a double Butterburger all day, you can actually eat it with just the meat, cheese and bread and it's fantastic. My go to when looking for an occasional fast food burger
Your link gives a gateway time out and doesn't open.0 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »I’d choose the popcorn. I love popcorn!
I just read that a guy ate a Big Mac every day for a month and lost 7 pounds. Just last month. He was eating 1500 calories a day, not just eating Big Macs
5’4” he was posting on Instagram. Showing there are no bad foods. I think he was a personal trainer, or something like that.
What the guy proved was that if one eats fewer calories then you burn you lose weight, nothing more. Ask any any Registered Dietitian if a 1500 calorie a day diet that includes a Big Mac every day is sustainable for health.
Instagram posts giving nutrition or exercise advice from someone who people think "was a personal trainer or something like that", IMO is not a good idea.
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian.
I'm thinking a registed dierition would not agree with your conclusion long term IMO.
I'm thinking you have no idea what a registered dietitian would think on this topic.
You might want to go back and carefully read my comments. I said I doubted a dietitian would think a Big Mac daily was healthy long term, especially on a 1500 calorie a day diet. Heck the trainer mentioned above that ate a Big Mac daily for a month and lost weight said the following:
"I don't want anybody doing this challenge," he said. "I do not think that this challenge is healthy. I don't think it's smart but sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to make a simple point."
Syatt merely wanted to hammer that point home.
"The whole point of it was to show people that you can include your favorite foods into your diet in moderation and not only not lose progress, but actually continue to make progress, because so many people worry about ruining their entire diet if they go off track for one meal, whatever it is."
I would agree with the trainer, and I believe most dietitians would say that a Big Mac is an "occasional" food and not an everyday food.
If you can cite something where an actual nutrition professional says a Big Mac a day is fine long term for one's health, please post as I would be interested in reading it.
Who said anything about a Big Mac per day? And, based on the macros, why would it not be in the context of an diet that had good balance overall? These kind of judgements don't really consider context and amount and, honestly come across as orthorexic.
Please refer to the post by @AnnPT77 above which I responded to originally stating that IMO I do not believe for health reasons a dietitian would suggest that a diet that included a Big Mac a day would be healthy. As I stated above, and I believe would be in line with most dietitians, a Big Mac is an occasional type of food.
Here is the post I responded to:
Big Mac, per McD web site:
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat
46 grams Carbs
25 grams Protein
If a person really wanted to, they could fit one in every day, and get overall decent (healthy) nutrition on 1500 calories, IMO.
Not me, though: I'm vegetarian
And as you've been asked yet haven't answered, why do you believe most dieticians would agree with your position? Do you have any proof source for this claim other than the trainer you quoted? Something like the recommendations of a professional society of registered dieticians. BTW, there are even registered dieticians who believe woo. We've seen some post here. If it's just your opinion, good for you. Don't eat them.
Google fast food and health to see why a daily Big Mac (especially on a low calorie diet isn't a good idea) Sample article numerous links:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847.php
I haven't had a Big Mac in years, IMO totally devoid of any taste except the sauce and pickles. We are fortunate to have Culvers in our area, give me a double Butterburger all day, you can actually eat it with just the meat, cheese and bread and it's fantastic. My go to when looking for an occasional fast food burger
Your link gives a gateway time out and doesn't open.
You're lucky. It didn't time out for me, so I read it.
It's not terrible, but it's more-or-less the high-level generalizations you'd expect, most of which we've already gone into in some detail in this thread wrt the Big Mac specifically:Fast food is typically very poor in terms of nutrition. According to a study paper in the journal Health Promotion Perspectives, fast food tends to contain various substances that are generally unhealthful. It is high in sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fats, as well as many processed preservatives and ingredients. It is also low in beneficial nutrients.
There are links/references to not very startling studies, like correlations between diets high in fast foods and relatively poor health outcomes, risks of high salt diets for blood pressure and such, trans fats are bad, Western diets are correlated with increased cancer or systemic inflammatory conditions, etc.
Also, here's a shocker:The Obesity Action Coalition point out that typical fast food contains a very high number of calories. If a person eats more calories than they are burning during each day, they will put on weight, which may lead to obesity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity increases a person's risk of developing a range of serious health conditions.
(In the original, the names of the organizations are links to similar high-level generalizations, things that need to be said but that aren't particularly surprising or insightful to anyone who pays attention to nutrition and health.)
It pretty much just says that fast food is unhealthful, and that the average person eats too much fast food. It seems to implicitly assume that "average person" scenario, therefore - IMO - isn't terribly on point to the very specific question being wrangled over in this sub-thread, i.e., whether one Big Mac every single day is compatible with health, and whether eating that daily Big Mac would draw one's dietitian's disapproval.
But even it says:Not all fast food is bad, and a person can make an informed choice by doing research to find out the nutritional content of particular fast food items. These are available on the websites of most major restaurants.
Which is pretty much why I looked up the Big Mac in the first place, so we could talk meaningfully about the specific dietary choice in question, rather than continuing to sling generalities about how bad fast food is for people.
P.S. I ate two Taco Bell bean burritos today (with extra beans), which is quite unusual for me. But I think I'll live. 11 -
https://youtu.be/1yAMU6Y4Iro
Enjoyed his video.
He also stated the difference between what he did vs. Supersize Me. He kept up a reasonable amount of daily activity and ate a balance of healthy foods, not McDonald's at every meal with no activity.1 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »New_Heavens_Earth wrote: »https://youtu.be/1yAMU6Y4Iro
Enjoyed his video.
He also stated the difference between what he did vs. Supersize Me. He kept up a reasonable amount of daily activity and ate a balance of healthy foods, not McDonald's at every meal with no activity.
Didn't take time to watch but in the article below he stated: "I don't want anybody doing this challenge," he said. "I do not think that this challenge is healthy. I don't think it's smart but sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to make a simple point."
Syatt merely wanted to hammer that point home.
"The whole point of it was to show people that you can include your favorite foods into your diet in moderation and not only not lose progress, but actually continue to make progress, because so many people worry about ruining their entire diet if they go off track for one meal, whatever it is."
https://www.insider.com/instagram-fitness-coach-jordan-syatt-big-mac-challenge-lost-7-pounds-2019-10
The bolded is my point. The trainer mentions incorporating your favorite foods in moderation which I noted above, I agree with. IMO, 35-40% of one's calories daily long term from a Big Mac or whatever your choice of typical fast food is not moderation,
I got that, the bolded part. I agree with that. What I wrote is what he stated he did differently than Morgan Spurlock. I've posted this on a couple forums and people are jumping to the conclusion that this video is saying fast food is healthy for weight loss, which yes he said its not, or long term health, which yes he said it's not. So many said "I can't watch this but it's just the opposite of Supersize Me", but no it's not. He's just demonstrating any food can be included in a caloric deficit can lead to weight loss. I'm just pointing out the difference between what he did and Supersize Me. Maybe you should watch this first so you can understand my point.8 -
I did not do well with the mentality of "bigger portion therefore better!". Too much jello, not enough fat in my diet.3
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I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.3
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I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.
What part of a Big Mac isn't real food? If I remember my jingles correctly, it's "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun".16 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »IMO, 35-40% of one's calories daily long term from a Big Mac or whatever your choice of typical fast food is not moderation,
So I'm a 5'3, 125 lb woman, and it would be about 25% of my daily cals, so presumably for an athletic younger guy it would be a LOT less than 35-40% of one's calories. It would be harder on a woman's deficit calories, but that's not "long term," long term = maintenance.
It's also a thought-experiment, no one is recommending it (I think no one would really want to do it).
But you consistently resist explaining why the BigMac would be uniquely bad vs. other choices one might make in a typical diet. I suggested some possibilities, but you did not respond, and you cited generalities that don't address the issues under discussion.
Basically, the BigMac is higher fat beef, the white bread bun, a little cheese (but you could eat it without it, I normally don't get cheese on a burger), and a high fat sauce similar to mayo (using soybean oil, which would not be my preference, but it's not like it's not a common ingredient in things people eat even when they aren't eating fast food).
So how is the BigMac different than someone eating a mix of foods including some red meat, some sources of animal fat, white pasta or rice, and cooking some things in vegetable oil daily? It's really not. It's just that normally we eat meals that are a mix of more and less nutrient dense foods and in the hypothetical the person is eating 2 super healthy, lower fat, high in veg and fiber and low fat sources of protein type meals and one BigMac (or substitute with a homemade and tastier burger using 85% beef, a white bun, and cheese if you prefer).
Is that a sustainable way to eat? Not for me, no. But is it so inherently unhealthy that one must call it out? (And if so, are you consistently calling out everyone who makes similar choices, like insisting that daily red meat is bad for us?) Because unless one is objecting to daily red meat (which I do think might not be a great idea, although the evidence is somewhat unclear given the nature of the studies) or eating ANY white bread/pasta/rice on a daily basis or ANY cheese or soybean oil on a daily basis, I'm not seeing the basis for the claim here. It might be work putting it on the table so we can actually discuss it.12 -
I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.
This is what I'm kind of getting at --
If you assert that eating a BigMac occasionally (which is the realistic application of this) has a different effect on health than eating a 540 cal homemade burger (with 85% beef and cheese and some kind of mayo-like sauce) occasionally, how? What are the specific reasons?
And it's so funny that I'm arguing for this since I hate both mayo and BigMacs, but it just doesn't seem logical.12 -
I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.
Weight loss is known to improve health markers all by itself. It is unlikely that his changed much though in 30 days and 7 pounds.
If they did get worse he could always do the Twinkie diet and improve them:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
If a Big Mac is not real food does that mean you can't use them for calories? After all the PRIMARY use for all food is not nutrition it is energy.10 -
I totally agree with the bolded. I don't eat them. Don't really like them. But they are just a set of macro nutrients and micro nutrients with a certain calorie load. At my maintenance calories, I could eat one everyday and still have almost 2000 calories left for fruits, veggies grains etc. Again, it's all about context and dose and, if one likes them, there would be nothing inherently unhealthy about eating one everyday in the context of a balanced and otherwise healthy diet.I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.
This is what I'm kind of getting at --
If you assert that eating a BigMac occasionally (which is the realistic application of this) has a different effect on health than eating a 540 cal homemade burger (with 85% beef and cheese and some kind of mayo-like sauce) occasionally, how? What are the specific reasons?
And it's so funny that I'm arguing for this since I hate both mayo and BigMacs, but it just doesn't seem logical.
Even though I don't like them, I find the vague generalizations and the false appeals to authority, such as ascribing what a registered dietician would say, without producing actual proof sources specious. And that is objectionable to me.
15 -
I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.
Oh you just committed a MFP sin. you said McD's wasn't real food! haha1 -
I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.5 -
I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.
The TB Chicken Quesadilla is 500 cals, and they don't even bother to put lettuce on it
I used to get that with a Meximelt and a coke with no idea that was probably close to 1000 calories all together. Now I get it with a side of beans and a diet soda, and plan the rest of the day around it.3 -
I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.
The TB Chicken Quesadilla is 500 cals, and they don't even bother to put lettuce on it
I used to get that with a Meximelt and a coke with no idea that was probably close to 1000 calories all together. Now I get it with a side of beans and a diet soda, and plan the rest of the day around it.
That is a dish I could get behind. I don't eat them often because they are not much food for the calories either but I would have that long before I had a big mac.
I am an 80/20 guy so while I am sitting here eating my cod/kimchi salad I am also thinking about getting some Arby's potato cakes when I run some errands a little later.9 -
I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.
The TB Chicken Quesadilla is 500 cals, and they don't even bother to put lettuce on it
I used to get that with a Meximelt and a coke with no idea that was probably close to 1000 calories all together. Now I get it with a side of beans and a diet soda, and plan the rest of the day around it.
That is a dish I could get behind. I don't eat them often because they are not much food for the calories either but I would have that long before I had a big mac.
I am an 80/20 guy so while I am sitting here eating my cod/kimchi salad I am also thinking about getting some Arby's potato cakes when I run some errands a little later.
Me too. Even before I was logging, if I got fast food for lunch I'd have a big green salad with shrimp, or a bowl of veggie soup for dinner. I kind of naturally knew to balance out the types of food, and I thought I was balancing out the calories, but learned I was a little off on the calories when I started logging.
I recently started getting the Shredded Chicken Burrito, I find it more filling. Or I'll get a couple of tacos with a side of beans. I assume it's the fiber that makes those combos more filling.
If I want a burger, I'll get a Dave's single with cheese and fries at Wendy's. It's a big calorie/fat hit, but usually when I have that for lunch, I'm not even hungry at dinner so I'll just have some vegetables/beans to round out my macros.
OP - sorry your thread got off track, but hope you're enjoying the ride
I guess we are still technically discussing the calorie payoff for treat foods! 3 -
I am eating my maintenance calories currently so I am taking this opportunity to clean out the freezer from some purchases I feel are questionable on calories. One of those purchases was for a bag of root vegetables that were intended to be roasted. The whole bag added to 360 calories. Full of nutrients yes but it was also an extremely small and unsatisfying amount of food even eating the entire bag. I would not want to try to make a big mac fit into each day but I would also not want to try to fit in a bag of those vegetables.5
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I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.
I would be down for some Taco Bell every so often if it was made like it was back in the 70s-80s. Then they used fresh ground beef with no fillers and fresh veggies. Total different taste than it is today. My favorite back then was the Enchirito and the original Burrito Supreme.3 -
I totally agree with the bolded. I don't eat them. Don't really like them. But they are just a set of macro nutrients and micro nutrients with a certain calorie load. At my maintenance calories, I could eat one everyday and still have almost 2000 calories left for fruits, veggies grains etc. Again, it's all about context and dose and, if one likes them, there would be nothing inherently unhealthy about eating one everyday in the context of a balanced and otherwise healthy diet.I didn't watch the video tbh. But I would love to have seen a before and after detailed blood/cholesterol/glucose/etc work up and see what the Big Macs did to his body besides weight and calories. That stuff is not real food. Maybe just grill a really good grass fed burger ie make your own with real food. Nothing beats a good burger if your a meat eater IMHO.
This is what I'm kind of getting at --
If you assert that eating a BigMac occasionally (which is the realistic application of this) has a different effect on health than eating a 540 cal homemade burger (with 85% beef and cheese and some kind of mayo-like sauce) occasionally, how? What are the specific reasons?
And it's so funny that I'm arguing for this since I hate both mayo and BigMacs, but it just doesn't seem logical.
Even though I don't like them, I find the vague generalizations and the false appeals to authority, such as ascribing what a registered dietician would say, without producing actual proof sources specious. And that is objectionable to me.
Exactly this.3 -
I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.
I actually agreed with the Culvers if one has to have fast food (I basically only have it when on a road trip), but I still find the idea that the McD's is nutritionally very different to be ludicrous.4 -
nighthawk584 wrote: »I really wish we didn't always get stuck on big macs. I have a harder time arguing in favor of something I, personally, have not eaten for quite a long time. They are a taste of my childhood so if I ever crave one I will make it fit but that just hasn't happened yet and I am not sure it ever will.
Next time we debate this can we go for a quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup, and extra mustard? TIA Or how about something from Taco Bell? I still crave Krystals (aka White Castles) on occasion that would work.
I would be down for some Taco Bell every so often if it was made like it was back in the 70s-80s. Then they used fresh ground beef with no fillers and fresh veggies. Total different taste than it is today. My favorite back then was the Enchirito and the original Burrito Supreme.
Ditto! I used to love those things. Taco Bell does taste differently now to me, too.
The mini shredded chicken quesadillas on their $1.00 menu are pretty good, though. I'll have a couple of those with a diet Pepsi every now and then.2 -
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