fast food and weight loss?

3v0l1s0m3

if I stay under my calories suggested (1200) is it ok to still eat fast food and lose weight? has anyone else are fast food all the time and still lost weight?

apullum

You will lose weight as long as you stay within your calorie goal consistently. It doesn't matter what specific foods you eat. For health and nutrition, however, eating fast food all the time might not be the best idea if you can avoid it.

quiksylver296

Yep.

I don't eat fast food all the time, but I do eat chocolate or ice cream pretty much every day.

Calorie deficit is the only thing you need for weight loss. You may find that you are not getting full on 1200 calories of fast food however, and may need to incorporate some lower calories foods like veggies.

cwolfman13

3v0l1s0m3 wrote: »

if I stay under my calories suggested (1200) is it ok to still eat fast food and lose weight? has anyone else are fast food all the time and still lost weight?

weight management is about calories, not any particular food or kind of food. That said...for the most part I find fast food to not be very filling for the calories and I'm usually hungry...not to mention, a lot of fast food is pretty calorie dense. I eat it very rarely because I generally don't like it, but I do like a local FF chain called Blake's Lottaburger...a green chile cheese lottaburger and fries is in itself around 1200 calories.

From a health and nutrition standpoint, also probably not a great idea to eat fast food all the time.

lgfrie

Long ago - before Jared - I lost 25 pounds eating mostly Subway and some Burger King, which were the two fast food joints within easy walking distance of my house. Also, there was a Taco Bell 3.5 miles from my house, so on Saturday mornings I would trek there, earn 700 or so cals, and eat it all LOL I loved (and to be honest, love, as in present tense) that kind of food.

That diet was very doable and the weight came off very quickly. BUT ... the rebound weight gain was ferocious afterward. I gained it all back and then some, in a remarkably short period of time which was depressing and demoralizing.

It's theoretically possible to lose weight eating fast food, but in practice it's setting up a nearly impossible situation, because you develop no new habits and no improved relationship with food, and in fact might be reinforcing a bad, entrenched and hard to break habit of equating hunger with going out for a fast food fix. As soon as the iron self-discipline of 1200 calories falters one day, which it will, then things can quickly turn into complete and total pandemonium with a fast food habit and there will be no back-stop of healthy eating/lifestyle changes and new dietary behaviors to pull you back on track.

I recommend not attempting to diet by eating mostly fast food, even though from my own experience it's possible to knock off plenty of pounds in the short term doing so. "Some" fast food can be part of any diet but I wouldn't personally ever make fast food the cornerstone of a diet again. Learn to eat healthy and right and you will be much happier later, while on a sustainable diet path that teaches you new habits you will need not to gain all the weight back.

fastfoodietofitcutie

I eat Chick Fil A at least 2-3 times every week and lose weight. I have my doubts that their mac and cheese nutritional info is accurate but no problems so far.

glassyo

fastfoodietofitcutie wrote: »

I eat Chick Fil A at least 2-3 times every week and lose weight. I have my doubts that their mac and cheese nutritional info is accurate but no problems so far.

I have a lot of doubts about Chick Fil A *cough*

OP, I lost 90 lbs basically living off fast food, frozen dinners, and "junk" food. I gained 30 back but blame undereating on Weight Watchers for that. I lost another 65 lbs (including the extra 30) eating a little bit better but still eating all that fun stuff I like. I only really gave up fast food because I stopped eating out during my lunch hour and took that time to walk instead.

It's all about the calories.

kbohez1

Yep. Most places have all the calorie info you need. Taco Bell is super calorie friendly

candyheart442019

I eat Taco Bell several times a week and still lose weight.

kshama2001

3v0l1s0m3 wrote: »

if I stay under my calories suggested (1200) is it ok to still eat fast food and lose weight? has anyone else are fast food all the time and still lost weight?

What would a typical day look like? Is it nutritious and does it keep you full?

I'd find it impossible to stay full on typical fast food at 1200 calories.

fastfoodietofitcutie

candyheart442019 wrote: »

I eat Taco Bell several times a week and still lose weight.

Taco Bell calories add up fast or maybe I just eat a lot there!

LyndaBSS

I’ve only been here since June. I would only choose fast food places that have precise nutritional information. If I didn’t have this rule for myself, I wouldn’t be fully in charge of my calorie intake. If I want to succeed at this, I need to be accountable for my food choices.

Zimm7

It's too easy to get knocked off your eating plan with fast food. Save it for an occasional cheat meal, if it's something you enjoy.

Lobsterboxtops

I need breakfast in the morning and don’t have the time to cook. (If I’m super motivated i’ll Bring a bagel, egg, and cheese to the office and cook a breakfast sandwich there) Panara and Chick-fil-A to the rescue. It works for me, I’m on the 1200 base + exercise calories so I have about 1400-1500 a day. It works for me to eat most of my calories in the morning. I eat ~600-700 calories in the morning and then light for the rest of the day.

I think I might find it hard on a 1200 only no exercise day. But that hasn’t been an issue since it is one of my things that I row every morning for at least 20 min.

ETA; i’ve Lost 10lbs in my first 3 months of tracking this way and 20 without tracking and just the exercise in the 6 months before

iheartmyyorkie

I've been eating breakfast at Wendy's for weeks and have never felt better.
Oh I forgot to mention Wendy is my yoga instructor.

HoneyBadger302

Can you lose weight and eat fast food if your calories are still in a deficit? yes, of course.

Problem is, you're probably going to be rather hungry, and find that you don't get much food for the calories. Nutritionally I think everyone is well aware that most fast food is not a particularly wise choice for overall health and well being.

I'll admit, I still enjoy it sometimes - but I keep it to a "special" meal/treat when I've really been hankering for some for several days, and just plan my calories/meals accordingly.

MikePTY

I do enjoy fast food on a somewhat regular basis and manage to keep it within my calories. However my calorie goal is a lot higher than yours.

With a 1200 calorie goal, you shouldn't be trying to "eat under your goal". You should be trying at least to eat at your goal. 1200 is not a lot of calories, and is very low for most people. Don't make it lower on yourself.

ReenieHJ

It might be possible calorie wise but from a healthy standpoint..I have my doubts. Salt, fat, cholesterol, wouldn't all those counts be way up there? Plus I find most fast food places sorely lacking in the produce department. JMO
But good luck to you with it; if it's working for you then that's what matters most!

lorrpb

The challenge is that it’s really hard to stay under 1200 a day eating typical fast food, which generally has mostly high cal options. It is also hard enough to stay satiated on 1200 and even harder on fast food because you don’t get a lot of volume for the calories.

Why such a low calorie goal of 1200?

kshama2001

3v0l1s0m3 wrote: »

if I stay under my calories suggested (1200) is it ok to still eat fast food and lose weight? has anyone else are fast food all the time and still lost weight?

Are you sure 1200 is an appropriate calorie goal for you? Are you very very short AND sedentary? MFP may have suggested 1200 calories because you chose an aggressive rate of loss.



See also: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

psychod787

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Yep.

I don't eat fast food all the time, but I do eat chocolate or ice cream pretty much every day.

Calorie deficit is the only thing you need for weight loss. You may find that you are not getting full on 1200 calories of fast food however, and may need to incorporate some lower calories foods like veggies.

SheHulk took the words out of my mouth. CICO is all that matter's, but what controls CI is a different equation. In fact its different for every person.

springlering62

I don’t eat fast food often, but occasionally treat myself to a Cook Out tray, like tonight, when hubs is at a training class. A “big double” with cheese, onion rings and Diet Coke is 658 calories. Their “tray” kind of falls between a kids meal and a pig out, and is very tasty and filling. And for some thankfully wierd reason, onion rings are a lot less calories than fries. Maybe cuz it’s onions versus potatoes? I don’t know.

But I do regret that their marvelous old school hush puppies are generally off limits.

Caralarma

Sometimes I eat a 450 calorie mc chicken for dinner and I'm still in a calorie deficit so there is no guilt! If you eat fast food, I suggest just skipping out on the fries as they are usually even more calorie dense than the main meal!

nighthawk584

CICO is all that matters for weight loss. Personally, I quit fast food because it makes me feel horrible and hungry fairly quick. Plus, the calories and sodium are outrageous. If I ever do eat it again, it will be something like chick fil a...love their sandwiches!

seltzermint555

I know a lot of responses are saying basically the same...CICO is all that matters, and I mostly agree with that.
In my experience, fast food can be a fun treat or a great convenience. It is often very tasty too. I doubt I will ever completely stop eating fast food and I've had it weekly or so, for many years, even with losing over 130 lb and maintaining that successfully.

Like a lot of others, I usually bypass the fries and get an entree sandwich or pick things according to calorie counts. I never get a salad. I am 100% a hamburger and taco kind of gal when I'm dining out on the cheap/fast food side.

But... I think fast food can become a pretty bad habit, too. I think there are a lot of benefits to eating food that is cooked at home and so-called "whole foods" and it's less nutritious to just go to fast food spots every day of life. I think it's best to have fast food some of the time and other "slower food" MOST of the time. JMHO!

riffraff2112

lgfrie wrote: »

Long ago - before Jared - I lost 25 pounds eating mostly Subway and some Burger King, which were the two fast food joints within easy walking distance of my house. Also, there was a Taco Bell 3.5 miles from my house, so on Saturday mornings I would trek there, earn 700 or so cals, and eat it all LOL I loved (and to be honest, love, as in present tense) that kind of food.

We don't talk about Jared anymore

I don't avoid fast food, but certainly don't overindulge in it. After five years of MFP I have learned that dessert, sweets, snacks, fast food, can all be part of success. Just stay within your budget and if you don't...tomorrow is another day. There are going to be days where you can go crazy, holidays are hard not to, wing night for me is an important social thing and helps me de-stress.. I know when I am going out and skip lunch on those days. It limits the damage.

PAV8888

I eat fast food. Often. Because it is convenient.

Not the same items of fast food I used to eat.

Not in the same quantities either.

And generally within (caloric) budget.