Is there ANYTHING on the 5 Guys menu that won't kill me?

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  • Sparksfly
    Sparksfly Posts: 470 Member
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    go in there and don't even look at the menu----tell the server you want a piece of grilled chicken and some steamed veggies. Remember in order to make a lifetime committment to wellness---going out to eat is no longer about the food, its about the sharing the company of the people you are with :)

    Hahaha. I see you've never been to Five Guys! LOL

    The Little Cheeseburger w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard is 550 cals. Not too horrible. And, actually, the fries are only 160 cals. for 1/4 of a regular order (which is a TON of fries.) Go for it. I still eat this meal occasionally, with water, and it hasn't hurt me yet. I do try to work out before I go, though! (Would never feel up to working out after. Haha.)



    THIS. Control your portions and you can eat what you want. 400 calorie breakfast, 700 calorie lunch, 400-600 calorie dinner....exercise before you go. I still eat fast food sometimes and it hasn't affected me getting into the 120's yet.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
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    go in there and don't even look at the menu----tell the server you want a piece of grilled chicken and some steamed veggies. Remember in order to make a lifetime committment to wellness---going out to eat is no longer about the food, its about the sharing the company of the people you are with :)

    Hahaha. I see you've never been to Five Guys! LOL

    The Little Cheeseburger w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard is 550 cals. Not too horrible. And, actually, the fries are only 160 cals. for 1/4 of a regular order (which is a TON of fries.) Go for it. I still eat this meal occasionally, with water, and it hasn't hurt me yet. I do try to work out before I go, though! (Would never feel up to working out after. Haha.)

    Nope--DOn't do it----this lifestyle is more than just about calories--what about the fat and sodium????

    Jeez. For the meal I suggested, 60 grams fat & 713 mg sodium. Not the best, sure, but not TERRIBLE, either. I've seen more fat & sodium in supposedly "healthy" choices at places like Applebee's. So, you eat Five Guys for lunch, be sure to eat a nice, fruity breakfast, and a healthy salad for dinner. It's all about choices, people. And burgers fit into my plan occasionally. I'm not on a "diet."

    Yes, I am not on a diet either---I am improving my long-term health which will last forever---I have not even taken my kids near a drive thru in 8 months---they don't seem to care one bit. BTW, I have never gone over 30 grams of fat in one WHOLE day since the beginning of my journey. I go to Applebees frequently, but I can order my PLAIN grilled chicken or fish and steamed veggies there and know that I have taken care of my health :)

    Good for you. But the question wasn't "Where can I get grilled chicken and veggies," it was "What should I order at 5 Guys?" I personally would HATE living a life where all I could order at restaurants was chicken & veggies. Blech.

    Thats too bad---I used to live a life where I ordered the biggest plate I could---again, all I was doing was digging myself a grave. I have now learned that going to a restaurant is not about the food---I now go and enjoy the company of the people I am with. I am proud to leave a restaurant knowing that I have contributed to my long-term health. Plus, I walk away feeling just as satisfied as everyone else in my party. Guess what? I go out to eat every Friday and Saturday ---so I do this quite frequently which is probably why I have been able to be successful at weight loss.

    Bottom line---I absolutely love my life now that I am healthy--free of diabetes, free of high blood pressure and free of joint pain :) My husband is the happiest man on earth as well.
  • shaunshaikh
    shaunshaikh Posts: 616 Member
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    Fat isn't neccessarily bad for you as long as you don't have trans fat and your ratio of saturated fat to total fat is 1/3 or less. I eat~30% of my diet as fat regularly and lose weight consistently. Avocados are fat. Nuts are fat. Fish has a lot of fat. These things are great for you. These things are also mostly mono and poly fats which are the "good" fats. If you know you're going to go to Five Guys, the rest of your day you can't have much saturated fat or sodium and you should be fine. While in the little hamburger or cheeseburger almost half the fat in the burger is saturated, a healthy trail mix or avocado has only 10-20% of the fat as saturated.

    Good luck. Making the diet stick long term means making decisions you're going to have to stick with the rest of your life. If you know you're not going to eat at a fast food restaurant the rest of your life -- good for you. If that's not you, then you just need to learn how to go and make good decisions.

    BTW, skip the fries.
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    We just got one in Portland, Maine. I'm not being snarky, I've never heard of it before it landed downtown. Is it just a greasy burger joint? What's the appeal?

    Looking at the menu, I remember why I'm vegetarian! Even the "veggie" just sounds like indigestion!
  • kailyamie
    kailyamie Posts: 130
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    We just got one in Portland, Maine. I'm not being snarky, I've never heard of it before it landed downtown. Is it just a greasy burger joint? What's the appeal?

    Looking at the menu, I remember why I'm vegetarian! Even the "veggie" just sounds like indigestion!

    Their schtick is that they serve fresh, never-frozen lean sirloin burgers. They are actually good... TOTALLY not worth the $ though. When we got one here in Tallahassee, we went 1 time, and for a family of 4 to get 4 small burgers and fries was over $30. That's crazy, we could have eaten somewhere NICE for that!! LOL
  • MyNameIsNotBob
    MyNameIsNotBob Posts: 565 Member
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    Thats too bad---I used to live a life where I ordered the biggest plate I could---again, all I was doing was digging myself a grave. I have now learned that going to a restaurant is not about the food---I now go and enjoy the company of the people I am with. I am proud to leave a restaurant knowing that I have contributed to my long-term health. Plus, I walk away feeling just as satisfied as everyone else in my party. Guess what? I go out to eat every Friday and Saturday ---so I do this quite frequently which is probably why I have been able to be successful at weight loss.

    Bottom line---I absolutely love my life now that I am healthy--free of diabetes, free of high blood pressure and free of joint pain :) My husband is the happiest man on earth as well.

    Again, good for you. But for those of us who have normal blood pressure, blood sugar, and organs & bones that function as they're supposed to function, burgers are not the devil. It sounds like you need to start a "How to make healthy choices at restaurants for people with high blood pressure and diabetes" thread. Cheers!
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
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    If you get the little burger and yank out the bun you could take that one down to 330 calories roughlyish.

    How do you come up with how much to deduct if you leave the bun off ?
  • ashahl
    ashahl Posts: 81
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    Stop by Subway on the way, grab a sandwich and bring it with you. There's no rule that says you have to eat the same food as the people who invited you. While your siblings are clogging their arteries, you can have a much healthier meal. I've never been to Five Guys and while I hear it's good, I don't anticipate going since they have no options for something at least somewhat healthy.

    I did that exact thing on Friday of last week! My coworkers wanted Pomodoros, a calorie heavy Italian takeout place with no calorie info. Right next to it is Subway, I got my sandwich (340 calories) and brought it into the other place and sat with them and ate it. They were mystified as to what the heck I was doing that for.. .haha... guys....

    I've done this as well. Everyone was having McDonalds (these are teenagers :P) and I went acroos the street to get Subway and then came in and with them. No body actually seemed to care that much at all. It was great!
  • mikeyml
    mikeyml Posts: 568 Member
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    If you get the little burger and yank out the bun you could take that one down to 330 calories roughlyish.

    How do you come up with how much to deduct if you leave the bun off ?

    Well you can search for kaiser rolls or buns on the database. I usually account for 180 calories, 30 grams of carbs, and 300 mg of sodium just for the bun. Some are bigger, some are smaller, some are made differently. But it's safe to say most buns fall between 150-200 calories.
  • JJeMitchell
    JJeMitchell Posts: 160 Member
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    If you tell yourself you *CAN'T* have something, you will just crave it more. I agree with many other people....get a little hamburger (the mini is still pretty big), a diet coke or water, have a couple fries from your siblings (if you want the taste). Eat a salad or something else healthy before you go so you aren't tempted to over eat on fries...and honestly, a 500 calorie lunch is NOT bad...if you have 300 for breakfast, 500 for lunch, 500 for dinner, that still gives you another couple hundred calories to eat!!

    If you work out, you'll be even better off :)

    Trust me, if you deprive yourself of things you want, you won't be able to stick to the "healthy lifestyle" forever.

    After my son was born, I lost 60 lbs (currently 25 under pre-pregnancy weight) and I eat at Red Robin, I've gotten McDonalds...I get a cupcake every 2 weeks from my favorite place...Starbucks mini desserts...anything! The key is definitely moderation.

    When I first graduated college, I went on a "diet" where I had nothing but lean protein, veggies and fruit, and gave up after 2 months. With the whole "moderation" approach, it's MUCH easier to stick to!!!!
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
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    Don't eat the fries, eat half a small burger with no cheese and only ketchup or mustard and get some water and gulp down the water as you eat. You can eat anywhere if you learn what the "bad" parts are (cheese, mayo, fried anything.) Good luck!
  • lady_di
    lady_di Posts: 1
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    Fantastic Advise!!
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
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    Just THANKING ALL OF YOU again for your input.
    We all had a GREAT time- 5 Gals and 1 Guy hanging out at 5 Guys. I ordered a Little Hamburger without the bun- ate w/ a fork
    ( wouldn't have eaten it anyhow- I can't eat nuts and seeds due to health issues),
    with A 1 and some lettuce ( and wow were they skimpy on the lettuce- one little leaf geesh)
    Had a few of my granddaugther's fries- 8 or so and dipped them in some ketchup and vinegar.
    Drank water ( which I do anyhow with my meals)
    Didn't feel the LEAST BIT deprived and best of all, no one seemed to think I was making a big show out of what I was eating compared to them.
    >>>>>>>>>That is a HUGE factor in my opinion in just living my life in a healthier way without heaping condemnation on them for the choices they're making- which were the same ones I was making less than a month ago.

    Part of my journey- walking it one day at a time. I'LL COUNT THIS AS A NSV FOR SURE!

    BTW, in case you're interested in the TOTAL calorie count for that meal-
    CALORIES 313 CARBS 6 FAT 20 PROTEIN 23 SODIUM 632 SUGAR 3

    and I ended up UNDER at the end of the day - That's funny..........
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    nothing wrong with a greasy burger, if you can fit it into your daily needs.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    They are opening a 5 Guy's near me. I intend to do my cheat day there. I don't care. I am good all the time but once a month I eat a big juicy Cheeseburger! No Lettuce or tomato or anything healthy.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    I order a burger with onions, cheese, 'shrooms, pickles, tomato, wrapped in lettuce (NO BUN! I repeat, dump the bun!). Top with mustard because Heinz ketchup is unfortunately sugar-laden crap. I don't order fries, but will steal a couple from my company, because well, that's how I roll. I'll also grab a handful of roasted peanuts while waiting for my bunless burger. Mmm.

    This is actually "how I roll" when ordering at any burger joint. 5 Guys is unfortunately one that's entirely overrated IMHO. You can get way better quality burgers (better black angus meat) at many local joints for less money.
  • MyNameIsNotBob
    MyNameIsNotBob Posts: 565 Member
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    You can get way better quality burgers (better black angus meat) at many local joints for less money.

    Hey, now, 5 Guys *is* our local burger joint! They started just down the street from me.

    To the OP, good for you for going and for enjoying yourself without making your choices seem superior to those of your friends. I hate eating with self-righteous people.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Good for you! I'm glad you enjoyed your family as well as your meal.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    IMO, no, except a diet coke or unsweetened iced tea :wink:

    My teenage daughter loves that place so she's asked me to take her for her birthday and another special occasion. After looking at the menu once we got there (& smelling the grease), I had the unsweetened iced tea and ate when I got home. Their "Veggie Burger" is a joke! If they were smart, they'd have at least ONE healthy option.
  • MyNameIsNotBob
    MyNameIsNotBob Posts: 565 Member
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    IMO, no, except a diet coke

    ... and that's up for debate.

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