Anyone eating fast-food and still loosing? :)

Francesca3162

It is about choices for me. I plug them in and see what the calorie counts are, and if I want to exercise the equivalent or give up something else for it, then I go ahead and have it.
With me it is frothy, creamy coffee drinks.. but usually when I plug it in, I decide I would rather not have it.....
Maybe have it once a week now.....
Instead of seven mornings!!!!

d0gma

I still eat fast food 2 or 3 times a week, I just don't eat as much as I used to.

I used to go to Burger King all the time and get 2 original chicken sandwiches with cheese, large fries, large coke, and 1 or 2 double cheeseburgers. Calorie count: 3140. Eek! That used to be just one meal for me, now I don't have that many calories per day.

I also adjust the rest of my day if I know I'm going to be eating fast food for lunch or dinner, I'll make sure my other meals are smaller to compensate. I've been at it for 75 days now and have lost 45 lbs so far.

UsedToBeHusky

Thanks guys! Am glad I can still eat fast-food once in a while. I never really had a problem with my weight but that was until I had my daughter 14 months ago. From then everything went downhill. I even had the Dr check and see if I had any underlying 'medical' issue and he stated nope! LOL! (eat in moderation is what he told me) But my real life friends always frown at the thought of having fast-food hence my being here today! I just started my journey March 01, 2012 although I joined MFP back in July 2011, I just signed up and never cam back until now.

I have a co-worker that will lecture me when I eat a cookie. I make a joke out of it, but it is incredibly annoying. I wouldn't be eating the cookie if I hadn't already planned for it. Just ignore your friends and listen to your doctor.

darkmouzy

Only thing remotely fast food I ate was subway and that was once in a blue moon. Since starting this no fast food. To me I'm trying to establish good habits.

gaberieger

I still eat whatever I want- including fast food. The difference is that I have learned to eat it in moderation. I have lost 25 pounds and 13 inches since January just by staying within my daily calorie allotment, and exercising.

Truth.

BrettPGH

Honestly, it can work either way. It is what works best for the individual in the end. Some people can't eat clean. They don't have the time, or the money, or the desire to eat those type of foods. For some people, eating clean might result in the individual abandoning their program all together.

Thanks Whit. Honestly it's the only reason I say it. I hate to see a new person trying to figure out how to lose weight get harrassed by someone on a crusade. They start to think that if they eat two brownies they've ruined their progress forever. They end up abandoning their diets all together because they tried to be too strict with themselves, and they never had to be in the first place.

If eating clean works for you go forth and enjoy. But anyone who's smart knows it's not the only way. I have Subway to thank for more than a few of these lost pounds.

delilah47

American food a mystery? Not really. The more grease and salt you can pack into a small space, the more popular it will be! Thank goodness my gut has never been able to handle fast food restaurant stuff.

Tonnina

I eat fast food 3 or more times a week. I'm very careful about where we (my hubby and I) go and what I get. For the most part the places have the calories posted like Wendy's or BK... other places I just use my phone and look it up on MFP. If I can't find the calories I just go somewhere else where I can find the calories. I try to drink a ton of water everyday but more on the days we go out for dinner and stuff... I've found so many menu items that I didn't even know existed at places and they are so good!!

aweightymatter

I love these threads. You see person after person saying yes they eat fast food but in moderation. And you can tell by the tickers that many of us have lost significant amounts of weight.

On the other side of this most of the people I see saying "Only eat natural foods grown in your own back yard OMG processed foods are the devil" have lost around 4 pounds and give up after a month.

The best thing to do is make this a permanent change in your life. And for most of us that involves fast food from time to time. If you can't live like this you aren't going to stay like this.

Moderation baby. If you don't believe me, look at the ticker. I just had pizza for lunch.

Eh, maybe they started their MFP tickers late in their journey! My ticker says I've only lost two pounds but, 1) my ticker is broken and seems to only move every few weigh-ins, and 2) I started MFP after losing over 50 lbs and getting into the healthy weight range.

I surmise that may be the case for some people who advise a super-clean diet -- when you get very close to the end, food quality seems to matter a lot more, at least for me personally.

Honestly, it can work either way. It is what works best for the individual in the end. Some people can't eat clean. They don't have the time, or the money, or the desire to eat those type of foods. For some people, eating clean might result in the individual abandoning their program all together.

Oh yeah, I'm not saying it has to be either or (though I eat "clean" on the budget of a freelance writer). I'm just saying -- don't discount the opinions of people on the forum whose tickers say only a couple pounds, for instance -- mine only says I've lost two, which is less than 4% of the real story

Of course, my $0.02 is that people's palates change and thus so do their desires for certain types of food, so I definitely see where both sides are coming from. That said, if the choice is between incorporating fast food into a weight loss plan or abandoning the plan altogether, then I'm for option #1, at least at the beginning.

dalgal26

I eat Poyeyes Naked Chicken Wraps! Love them! Pair them with a veggie and they are a meal. :drinker:

delilah47

Honestly, it can work either way. It is what works best for the individual in the end. Some people can't eat clean. They don't have the time, or the money, or the desire to eat those type of foods. For some people, eating clean might result in the individual abandoning their program all together.

Thanks Whit. Honestly it's the only reason I say it. I hate to see a new person trying to figure out how to lose weight get harrassed by someone on a crusade. They start to think that if they eat two brownies they've ruined their progress forever. They end up abandoning their diets all together because they tried to be too strict with themselves, and they never had to be in the first place.

If eating clean works for you go forth and enjoy. But anyone who's smart knows it's not the only way. I have Subway to thank for more than a few of these lost pounds.

Hopefully, you don't get the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich. It has 1000mg of sodium.
http://www.subway.com/nutrition/nutritionlist.aspx

erh12275

I eat fast food every day. But, I eat things like the fresco taco from taco bell that is 150 calories. Or a chichen salad that is around 300 calories. Once in a while I will eat something bad but not often. And yes I have lost all my weight on fast food. Starting in a couple weeks when life lets up around here I will begin eating at home but until then I will stick with my fast food. I will say one thing that is really bad about almost everyting I eat is the sodium. Fast food seems to have a lot more of it than if I cook somethng similar at home. Good luck!

aweightymatter

Honestly, it can work either way. It is what works best for the individual in the end. Some people can't eat clean. They don't have the time, or the money, or the desire to eat those type of foods. For some people, eating clean might result in the individual abandoning their program all together.

Thanks Whit. Honestly it's the only reason I say it. I hate to see a new person trying to figure out how to lose weight get harrassed by someone on a crusade. They start to think that if they eat two brownies they've ruined their progress forever. They end up abandoning their diets all together because they tried to be too strict with themselves, and they never had to be in the first place.

If eating clean works for you go forth and enjoy. But anyone who's smart knows it's not the only way. I have Subway to thank for more than a few of these lost pounds.

I would also say Subway is probably a lot cleaner than drive-through chicken strips (barring the subway add-ons like Thousand Island dressing and stuff) I don't really count it as "fast food" in my head, I guess -- maybe because it involves getting out of the car? haha.

Atarahh

Yeah its about calories, if you can fit it into your calorie budget. All things in moderation.

Your body doesnt know you ate a 230 calorie MCD fries, or 230 calorie salad.

BlueInkDot

Yes, I am eating some fast food every now and then and still LOSING weight. LOSING. Not LOOSING.

...

Anyways yes the entire McDonald's nutrition facts are online. I will have their coffee or their oatmeal (290 calories) or parfait (160 calories) and sometimes one of their classic chicken sandwiches (510 calories). I don't like the options at other fast food places because the nutrition facts are harder to find and usually end up ridiculously high calorie. Not like McD's doesn't have some ridiculously high calorie stuff too. But they have a few things that are good.

jameswestlund

No more than once a week and even then, I can only do the lettuce-wrapped burger (low-carb or protein style, depending on where you're getting it). The salads are an option too although the dressings are usually loaded with all sorts of carbs and calories.

x504para

Hooter's naked chicken wings once or twice a week.....still below my calorie target....

Jessamine

I have lost weight without eliminating fast food from my diet. It was HARD to do, though! (For me, at least). If I know I'm going to be eating FF and want to stay within my calories for the day, I either have to work out a LOT or dramatically restrict my calories throughout the rest of the day.

I have MUCH more success when we make our meals at home (and DH is so much happier). emeals.com has helped me tremendously. I loooooove them.


But fast food is not my weak point. Drinking alcohol, sodas and nighttime snacking (b/c of the drinking) are where I consume the most calories. I'm terrible!

NancyFancyboy

I do and will continue I love my fast food. I just eat a lot less of it and not as often. I used to go to Taco Bell for lunch and McDonalds for dinner now its different items and only once or twice a week. I have gone weeks without it but when I really get a craving I just can't stop myself... Weak maybe but I'm down over 60 pounds so I am ok with it!

That's an awesome weight loss! Way to go!

paendrag

Yes. I actually ate at Wendy's today with a co-worker.

I had a Spicy Chicken Go-Wrap, a small Chilli, and a medium diet Coke which comes to about 520 calories. Would have actually done better if I would had the Grilled Chicken Go-Wrap instead.

There are a lot more low calorie options at many fast food restaurants than there have been in the past. Just do a little research prior ro ordering.