Could you eat McDonalds as part of a healthy diet?

fit4mom

I'm not even going to bother reading whatever super-uptight responses probably popped up in this thread.

However...McDonald's does have some pretty decent salads...if you get the Southwest chicken salad grilled, leave off the tortilla strips, and don't use dressing (the chicken itself is dressed enough) it's a reasonable and healthy meal.

Also, Ronald McDonald House is a FANTASTIC organization, and if any of you could even bear the thought of having a sick child in a hospital 100 miles from home and wonder how the hell you can support them and be nearby w/o spending a fortune on hotel costs, you could imagine what a huge service they do for families of sick kids. For those of you that do eat McD's, I encourage you to do what I do and empty your wallet/car of change every time you go through the drive through. Hopefully the car behind you will see it and remember to do it, too. If we all contributed just our spare change to their fund, it's amazing how fast it adds up.

SOOOO QUOTE WORTHY! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the exact response I was looking for and boy were you right. You read the intent of my title and I so appreciate it! Love your wisdom! She did a great thing to support and encourage the good will of McDonalds through her gift of marathon running in honer of her brother who died of brain cancer at 13. I am extremely proud of her and hope for more people with her character and integrity in this world. I just wanted to share her compassionate story with the rest of you great MFP peeps. Thank you for taking the time(for those of you that did) to read the intention of the title in my post. Be blessed and live on as shining lights of hope to those around you. You are greatness waiting to happen.

Ok just repeating again but now I am totally getting what the moderators were talking about. Why does no one read the intent of the post instead of reading and only replying to the title. Why do you join a book club or a course if you won't stay based on the info give. Please be willing to respect the author by reading the info and commenting on not only the title but the info there within that defines the intent of the title. At least before I give my 2 cents I intend to read the info given for the title. This is so old and it makes the postings on any MFP forum "seem" pointless. If you look through a majority of the reply's most don't even comment on the info given on the opening statement. Which makes it look like most have an agenda. Be willing to respect the voice of the poster by at least giving attention to the intent of the post. Otherwise why is anyone even talking.

ummlovelovesyou

McDonalds makes me want to barf.

The only thing I eat from there are the hotcakes by themselves.

Everything else....bleh

ninerbuff

You have mentioned a few times " if you stay within calorie limits and have a good exercise routine, you shouldn't have an issue" . I think your 'message' is a little unclear..at least it is to me. Are you saying it's ok to eat nothing but chocolate bars, pop and chips, not to mention fast food, as long as it is within a suggested caloric limit? Is that your idea of advising someone to lose weight .. and further keep healthy? Is that why this continent is riddled with obesity issues ... because people haven't been consuming the wrong kinds of foods .. just too much of it?

MY message is about the connection between what we eat and the difference between THAT and two things (1) Losing weight (2) Increasing the level of 'health' .. One is not dependant upon the other.

Even very thin people can be unhealthy.

Yes or no can you get fat from overeating healthy foods? If you can, then are you better health just because you're eating healthy food?
Health issues have more to do with being overweight, stess, lack of rest, predisposition in genetics and being sedentary. I've mentioned here several times, get in your essentials, your exercise, rest and stay within calorie limits. And yes I do advise this to my clients. They aren't dying and are losing weight.
The continent is riddled with obesity because of OVER CONSUMPTION. That's it. You don't get fat from undereating, you get it from overeating.
The barrage against fast food being the cause of "health issues" is not the issue that should be dealt with. It's about getting overweight and obese people to put the fork down.

b]A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition[/b]

livnlite

You have mentioned a few times " if you stay within calorie limits and have a good exercise routine, you shouldn't have an issue" . I think your 'message' is a little unclear..at least it is to me. Are you saying it's ok to eat nothing but chocolate bars, pop and chips, not to mention fast food, as long as it is within a suggested caloric limit? Is that your idea of advising someone to lose weight .. and further keep healthy? Is that why this continent is riddled with obesity issues ... because people haven't been consuming the wrong kinds of foods .. just too much of it?

MY message is about the connection between what we eat and the difference between THAT and two things (1) Losing weight (2) Increasing the level of 'health' .. One is not dependant upon the other.

Even very thin people can be unhealthy.

Yes or no can you get fat from overeating healthy foods? If you can, then are you better health just because you're eating healthy food?
Health issues have more to do with being overweight, stess, lack of rest, predisposition in genetics and being sedentary. I've mentioned here several times, get in your essentials, your exercise, rest and stay within calorie limits. And yes I do advise this to my clients. They aren't dying and are losing weight.
The continent is riddled with obesity because of OVER CONSUMPTION. That's it. You don't get fat from undereating, you get it from overeating.
The barrage against fast food being the cause of "health issues" is not the issue that should be dealt with. It's about getting overweight and obese people to put the fork down.

b]A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition[/b]

So what's this I hear, all the time about "Starvation Mode" and how a person's metabolic rate reduces when not taking in enough calories...and then even eventually happens due to hormone levels depleting as we age. Remember, we are are not all in our 20's. THAT is one factor involved even here on this site when taking into account food intake and keeping track of it.

That would mean a person could ultimately be able to consume less and less or would have to increase their level of activity more and more in order to still lose weight. The choices of food (and exercise) they make would determine level of success when attempting to increase the level of health and able to sustain without binge eating.

If a person following the typical advice of suggested 'food intake limits' something like a hamburger and fries or even a salad with dressing would take up such a large portion of the suggested intake. This would leave little room for what a person could eat for the rest of the day and stay within their limit. Therefore, unless that person is ready to increase their level of activity to counter act this increase in fat and caloric intake, (which in most probability is a numbered few), it most likely would cause a downward spiral of motivation if done on a daily basis. How is that helping 'the cause'?

Acg67

@livin i may have missed it, but have you backed this claim up yet? "MSG (now proven to cause cancer)"

livnlite

@livin i may have missed it, but have you backed this claim up yet? "MSG (now proven to cause cancer)"

I have read it in numerous articles, none of which I imagine you would accept as 'credible'. So to bluntly answer your question .. don't know of any scientific source that you would find acceptable...I've googled it and found a numerous postings .. but again .. not a credible source.

Acg67

@livin i may have missed it, but have you backed this claim up yet? "MSG (now proven to cause cancer)"

I have read it in numerous articles, none of which I imagine you would accept as 'credible'. So to bluntly answer your question .. don't know of any scientific source that you would find acceptable...I've googled it and found a numerous postings .. but again .. not a credible source.

well if it's been proven as you say, surely i would accept it as credible. and did these studies you read elaborate on what makes MSG so sinister but not naturally occurring glutamates found in food?

livnlite

@livin i may have missed it, but have you backed this claim up yet? "MSG (now proven to cause cancer)"

I have read it in numerous articles, none of which I imagine you would accept as 'credible'. So to bluntly answer your question .. don't know of any scientific source that you would find acceptable...I've googled it and found a numerous postings .. but again .. not a credible source.

well if it's been proven as you say, surely i would accept it as credible. and did these studies you read elaborate on what makes MSG so sinister but not naturally occurring glutamates found in food?

I think it might have more to do with 'added' MSG .. than what's considered as 'naturally occurring'. Concentrated substances or substances consumed over a long period of time makes a whole lot of difference. Like .. arsenic .. If taken in minute quantity will not cause a bad reaction .. If taken in larger quantities or taken repeatedly over a period of time, is becomes lethal .. So is any toxic substance.

joseph9

I have no problem with McD's. I would have trouble eating there every day, and if you were particularly salt sensitive, it might not be for you, but if you get your calories and macros right, you're 90% of the way there.

kingkong123

And the sodium and all the other 'trates' of one kind or another? Are you suggesting your body miraculously dispells them too? There are other healthier choices for high energy that are not laiden with these ingredients.

I eat beef jerky DAILY. Way high in nitrates and sodium. There's more in there per ounce than any fast food. Where's the proof? Where are the clinical studies showing that they are making people unhealthy? Sodium can be countered with potassium and water. Eat a banana and drink some water. Nitrites and nitrates need to be in very, very, very high concentrations to be toxic, which aren't even close in foods.
What you say may make sense, but having it scientifically studied and tested is another.



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Beef jerky is fantastic. It's so expensive though. Do you have a secret supplier? Where do you get it from? I'm assuming you're a connoisseur since you eat it daily.

ninerbuff

So what's this I hear, all the time about "Starvation Mode" and how a person's metabolic rate reduces when not taking in enough calories...and then even eventually happens due to hormone levels depleting as we age. Remember, we are are not all in our 20's. THAT is one factor involved even here on this site when taking into account food intake and keeping track of it.

When you are in deficit consistently regardless of age you metabolism will slow. Aging does slow metabolism, but what does this have to do with what I mentioned about calorie limitations?

That would mean a person could ultimately be able to consume less and less or would have to increase their level of activity more and more in order to still lose weight. The choices of food (and exercise) they make would determine level of success when attempting to increase the level of health and able to sustain without binge eating.

Wrong. Which is why many people who stop losing weight, then increase their calories above normal re "kickstart" their metabolisms.

If a person following the typical advice of suggested 'food intake limits' something like a hamburger and fries or even a salad with dressing would take up such a large portion of the suggested intake. This would leave little room for what a person could eat for the rest of the day and stay within their limit. Therefore, unless that person is ready to increase their level of activity to counter act this increase in fat and caloric intake, (which in most probability is a numbered few), it most likely would cause a downward spiral of motivation if done on a daily basis. How is that helping 'the cause'?

Really? How many people who go to a gym that are in shape do you think eat perfectly clean? Myself and others (who aren't trainers or certified professionals) pretty much eat what we want, with many eating fast food and don't have the issue you speak of. And MFP is just a single site. I'm more than sure that there are literally HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of regular people who are fit and active that indulge in fast food and still have PLENTY of room for later meals.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

I have read it in numerous articles, none of which I imagine you would accept as 'credible'. So to bluntly answer your question .. don't know of any scientific source that you would find acceptable...I've googled it and found a numerous postings .. but again .. not a credible source.

Read about HCG in numerous articles for it. Do you find their articles credible?


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

I think it might have more to do with 'added' MSG .. than what's considered as 'naturally occurring'. Concentrated substances or substances consumed over a long period of time makes a whole lot of difference. Like .. arsenic .. If taken in minute quantity will not cause a bad reaction .. If taken in larger quantities or taken repeatedly over a period of time, is becomes lethal .. So is any toxic substance.

Asians have "added" MSG to their foods for over a hundred years. They aren't dying from toxicity of doing it.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Beef jerky is fantastic. It's so expensive though. Do you have a secret supplier? Where do you get it from? I'm assuming you're a connoisseur since you eat it daily.

Costco is my supplier! Every week!

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Rae6503

I had McDonalds for lunch again today. 660 calories. 38 grams of protein.

livnlite

So what's this I hear, all the time about "Starvation Mode" and how a person's metabolic rate reduces when not taking in enough calories...and then even eventually happens due to hormone levels depleting as we age. Remember, we are are not all in our 20's. THAT is one factor involved even here on this site when taking into account food intake and keeping track of it.

When you are in deficit consistently regardless of age you metabolism will slow. Aging does slow metabolism, but what does this have to do with what I mentioned about calorie limitations?

That would mean a person could ultimately be able to consume less and less or would have to increase their level of activity more and more in order to still lose weight. The choices of food (and exercise) they make would determine level of success when attempting to increase the level of health and able to sustain without binge eating.

Wrong. Which is why many people who stop losing weight, then increase their calories above normal re "kickstart" their metabolisms.

If a person following the typical advice of suggested 'food intake limits' something like a hamburger and fries or even a salad with dressing would take up such a large portion of the suggested intake. This would leave little room for what a person could eat for the rest of the day and stay within their limit. Therefore, unless that person is ready to increase their level of activity to counter act this increase in fat and caloric intake, (which in most probability is a numbered few), it most likely would cause a downward spiral of motivation if done on a daily basis. How is that helping 'the cause'?

Really? How many people who go to a gym that are in shape do you think eat perfectly clean? Myself and others (who aren't trainers or certified professionals) pretty much eat what we want, with many eating fast food and don't have the issue you speak of. And MFP is just a single site. I'm more than sure that there are literally HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of regular people who are fit and active that indulge in fast food and still have PLENTY of room for later meals.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

There is occasional or rare indulgences and there is daily or frequent indulgences .. which are you referring to? I have never disputed occasional indulgences bother anyone, in fact cheating on occasion is recommended to prevent psychological deprivation ... I could be wrong, but I am getting the impression that you feel it is ok to fill the body with lesser quality foods regularly and frequently...at least that's what your argument seems to suggest.

I don't think I have ever come across anyone in the industry that would condone so frequently feeding the body food that is somewhat less in nutrient value (including the other repercussion of high fat and sodium content) over higher quality foods. You are the first.

When I was in my 20's I could eat pretty much all I wanted and any kind of food I wanted. Now that I am in my 50's that is simply not the case .. not even remotely. If I were to eat fast foods on a regular basis, I know I would feel lethargic, bloated and unmotivated. I would be so hooked on carbs that I would find myself increasingly frustrated because of troublesome hunger. Exercising regularly would be replaced with more frequent naps and sitting around watching the boob tube.I would be doomed to 'grow' in size year after year until I eventually explode. I'm sure I am not the only one who feels this way.

I just don't get your logic.

schonkreuz

I have worked for McDonalds for over 4 years and it sadly mostly the reason I am here today...that was all my fault though because of the poor choices I made. Sure Big Macs and fries taste AWESOME but after 3 years of it I have gained a large amount of weight. This being said I tend to eat McDs for 2 of my meals a day, usually when I go into to work and on my break, and with good choices in mind I find it to be BY FAR the easiest fast food restaurant to eat healthy at. A piece of grilled chicken is 90 calories, pair it with a sauce packet if you don't like the taste (When I feel like cheating I eat it with 1/2 a sweet chili packet at 25 cals) and it tastes soooo good. For two bags of apple slices it is something like 30 cals and a large iced coffee with 3 creamers and splenda to sweeten is I think 90 cals. Thats a tiny 235 cals for an entire meal that fills me right up! To answer the question yes you can eat McDonalds on a diet, I have lost almost 15 lbs in three weeks doing just that. Just avoid the big burgers and bad for you fries. If you MUST get a kids meal they should all include the mini fry and apples now and I know the serving of fries is about 100 cals.

ninerbuff

There is occasional or rare indulgences and there is daily or frequent indulgences .. which are you referring to? I have never disputed occasional indulgences bother anyone, in fact cheating on occasion is recommended to prevent psychological deprivation ... I could be wrong, but I am getting the impression that you feel it is ok to fill the body with lesser quality foods regularly and frequently...at least that's what your argument seems to suggest.

I don't think I have ever come across anyone in the industry that would condone so frequently feeding the body food that is somewhat less in nutrient value (including the other repercussion of high fat and sodium content) over higher quality foods. You are the first.

When I was in my 20's I could eat pretty much all I wanted and any kind of food I wanted. Now that I am in my 50's that is simply not the case .. not even remotely. If I were to eat fast foods on a regular basis, I know I would feel lethargic, bloated and unmotivated. I would be so hooked on carbs that I would find myself increasingly frustrated because of troublesome hunger. Exercising regularly would be replaced with more frequent naps and sitting around watching the boob tube.I would be doomed to 'grow' in size year after year until I eventually explode. I'm sure I am not the only one who feels this way.

I just don't get your logic.

I've stated several times that if you get in your essentials (protein, carbs, good fats RDA's) and had fast food along with it EVERYDAY, and still stayed within your calorie limits, you should be fine. You nitpick a little here and a little there and come up with different understandings of what's been said.
So hopefully I've made it fully clear now.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

livnlite

There is occasional or rare indulgences and there is daily or frequent indulgences .. which are you referring to? I have never disputed occasional indulgences bother anyone, in fact cheating on occasion is recommended to prevent psychological deprivation ... I could be wrong, but I am getting the impression that you feel it is ok to fill the body with lesser quality foods regularly and frequently...at least that's what your argument seems to suggest.

I don't think I have ever come across anyone in the industry that would condone so frequently feeding the body food that is somewhat less in nutrient value (including the other repercussion of high fat and sodium content) over higher quality foods. You are the first.

When I was in my 20's I could eat pretty much all I wanted and any kind of food I wanted. Now that I am in my 50's that is simply not the case .. not even remotely. If I were to eat fast foods on a regular basis, I know I would feel lethargic, bloated and unmotivated. I would be so hooked on carbs that I would find myself increasingly frustrated because of troublesome hunger. Exercising regularly would be replaced with more frequent naps and sitting around watching the boob tube.I would be doomed to 'grow' in size year after year until I eventually explode. I'm sure I am not the only one who feels this way.

I just don't get your logic.

I've stated several times that if you get in your essentials (protein, carbs, good fats RDA's) and had fast food along with it EVERYDAY, and still stayed within your calorie limits, you should be fine. You nitpick a little here and a little there and come up with different understandings of what's been said.
So hopefully I've made it fully clear now.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Nitpick? Asking for clarification is not exactly 'niptpicking' .. You keep talking in terms of daily caloric limits, I am talking in terms of a healthy source of those caloric needs. Your ideal of what is a healthy diet is somewhat different than any other that I have ever seen.

You seem to address the minimal requirements repeatedly but don't really clarify the source of those requirements. I get the impression that you don't think the source of the intake is important. A few vitamin and mineral supplements along with a burger and fries doesn't even register on my list of a daily healthy food choices...an occasional 'treat' maybe, but not a long term practice to attain a long term goal. But that's just me. What do I know?

ilike2moveit

Yes you can. I had a nutritionist tell me that when she was in college they were challenged to eat at McDonalds and make healthy choices. Hold the mayo, salad with low fat dressing, etc.