"Unhealthy food" detrimental to muscle gain?

Options
darreneatschicken
darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Is consuming "unhealthy foods" such as McDonald's, Wendy's, and pizza detrimental to muscle gain? Although it would be nice to always be home and have the time to make healthy food, that is not always the case. Therefore, I have to sometimes rely on fast foods and "outside" foods to reach my macro goals. Is this bad? I am a skinny guy: 5'9 and 138.3 lbs.
«13

Replies

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Options
    Is consuming "unhealthy foods" such as McDonald's, Wendy's, and pizza detrimental to muscle gain? Although it would be nice to always be home and have the time to make healthy food, that is not always the case. Therefore, I have to sometimes rely on fast foods and "outside" foods to reach my macro goals. Is this bad? I am a skinny guy: 5'9 and 138.3 lbs.

    This food has protein in it, but it's high calorie so it's not that efficient at filling you up. You can get the counts from the websites.
    Why don't you buy a load of protein bars and whey protein to supplement.

    If you're bulking you have to take care not to go too far over your maintenance, men can only gain half a pound of muscle a week, that's if they're heavy lifting 3x a week or similar. Most people gain equal amounts of fat so you are looking at eating no more than 3500 cals extra per week. Those fast food calories can get out of hand real quick. Before you know it your bulk has turned into a dirty bulk aka 'got fat'
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    Options
    Besides calories you need to focus on your macros. You can hit your macros eating fast food or "unhealthy foods".

    You can also do what spring said and tote stuff around with you.

    Basically by tracking what you eat and the reaction of your body you'll learn what you can and cant do.
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    Options
    My macro goals are listed on this post:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1178625-how-to-eat-more

    Myfitnesspal says I only need 2430 calories a day, and 81 fat. Obviously, I've been trying to eat more than 2430 calories, but I have been noticing that I've been going over on the fat every day as well.
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    Options
    You can also do what spring said and tote stuff around with you.

    What do you mean by "tote?"
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Options
    You're working to gain weight and yet you're worried if you can eat hamburgers and pizza?

    Dude. Eat the food. All the food.
  • AnexRavensong
    AnexRavensong Posts: 262 Member
    Options
    tote= carry, basically
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    Options
    You're working to gain weight and yet you're worried if you can eat hamburgers and pizza?

    Dude. Eat the food. All the food.

    ^ This. Eat something like 250-500 calories over maintenance, hit your protein target, stay in a reasonable margin of error for the fat, and eat. Whatever you want as long as you hit your goals.
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    Options
    Unhealthy food? What's that? I eat what I want! Just watch out that you hit your macros!

    In my world bulk only means more ice cream for Nunu :D
  • hauhaut901
    hauhaut901 Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    You can bulk the healthy way or the unhealthy way (aka transfats , cholesterol , sodium) which pizzas/burgers have lots of :) It will reflect upn your heart/liver health in the long run=)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    You're working to gain weight and yet you're worried if you can eat hamburgers and pizza?

    Dude. Eat the food. All the food.

    this...I mean come on.

    2 McDonalds bacon cheese burger wrap that around a grilled chicken burger, get rid of one bun and a salad...what's wrong with that?

    Where is Jonny when you need him????
  • _TastySnoBalls_
    _TastySnoBalls_ Posts: 1,298 Member
    Options
    I'd say not eating enough food is detrimental to muscle gain. Whether the food is "healthy" or "unhealthy" is irrelevant and subjective.
  • HungryasFuark
    HungryasFuark Posts: 463 Member
    Options
    junk food really helps in a bulk if eaten in the right amounts just dont depend on it
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    Don't see the problem as long as you're hitting your macros.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Options
    You can bulk the healthy way or the unhealthy way (aka transfats , cholesterol , sodium) which pizzas/burgers have lots of :) It will reflect upn your heart/liver health in the long run=)




    * except for the trans fats.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    Don't see the problem as long as you're hitting your macros.

    This
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    as long as you are hitting your macros you will be good to go …

    I just sometimes find it harder to hit my macros when I eat certain foods like mcdonalds or something...
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    as long as you are hitting your macros you will be good to go …

    I just sometimes find it harder to hit my macros when I eat certain foods like mcdonalds or something...

    Haha, yes definitely, if I have a quarterpounder I usually can't fit in my Nutella fix :/
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Options
    For some, ie me, eating all the foods would fast lead me to the road of over fat.

    I was still hungry on my bulk which was 2/300 cals over 1750 net. I swear I have the appetite of a 6'4" man.

    Saying that though, this guy is pretty slim which means that he is probably struggling to eat over maintenance.

    Is that correctomondo OP?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    For some, ie me, eating all the foods would fast lead me to the road of over fat.

    I was still hungry on my bulk which was 2/300 cals over 1750 net. I swear I have the appetite of a 6'4" man.

    Saying that though, this guy is pretty slim which means that he is probably struggling to eat over maintenance.

    Is that correctomondo OP?

    I like you already….
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    as long as you are hitting your macros you will be good to go …

    I just sometimes find it harder to hit my macros when I eat certain foods like mcdonalds or something...

    Haha, yes definitely, if I have a quarterpounder I usually can't fit in my Nutella fix :/

    LOL exactly ….if I am going to have mcdonalds, pizza, etc I have to kind of pre plan my day

Categories