Fast food still apart of my routine

noleswin9399
noleswin9399 Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone else out there still eating at fast food places and losing? I just can't mentally bring myself to bring my lunch to work. I am so used to going out to lunch. I also have a long developed habit of Mcdonalds drive through in the morning.

I still do Mcdonalds a few mornings a week. I used to order what ever I wanted and 2 large sweet teas (one for the ride to work and one to sip throughout the morning until lunch). Now I order Egg Mcmuffin 300cals and 2 large unsweet tea with splenda.

Wendy's is my go to at lunch for fast food. Chili sm 200 cal and side salad 90ish depending on dressing. Sometimes I get the grilled chicken with honey mustard at just under 400 cal plus the salad.

Well I stay under my calories alowed for the day and I am losing weight so I guess for now it's working for me. Just curious about what others do. Seems most on here are really strick on what they eat and how it's prepared. I just thought that if it's all about the calorie intake then there is nothing wrong with this.
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Replies

  • TheSink
    TheSink Posts: 97 Member
    Take this with a grain of salt. But it almost sounds like "I know I'm an alcoholic, but I'm still going to drink wine". And sooner or later that wine drinking alcoholic is drinking liters of vodka again. It sounds fine, in theory. You're staying under your calories. You're losing weight. But are you really altering your lifestyle in any meaningful way? At what point does the calorie counting fast food eater stop worrying about the calories, and go back to eating exactly what got them in the mess in the first place. It sounds fine. For now. But to me it seems like a very slippery slope.

    EDIT: I love fast food. I eat it probably once a week or every other week. But I also understand that there is literally nothing nutritious about it whatsoever. So I fill my weeks and most of my day with more nutritious food. If you're subsisting only on fast food, even if it is under your calorie goal for the day, you're still denying yourself nutrients that you need to be HEALTHY, not just skinny.
  • noleswin9399
    noleswin9399 Posts: 2 Member
    For me it's not the love of fast food it's the convenience... at least for lunch. Now breakfast is the habit. I have been satisfied by what I get there. I do not seem to crave anything really bad from the menu.

    Anyone else??
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Contrary to MFP conventional wisdom, your body doesn't know where the food comes from. All it sees is calories, macronutrients and micronutrients.

    Last time I checked, it's not difficult at all to find a fast food burger in the 500 calorie range.
  • DaBigChief
    DaBigChief Posts: 146
    For me it was first about health, fitness then weight. You may lose weight but your not improving your overall health.
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    Contrary to MFP conventional wisdom, your body doesn't know where the food comes from. All it sees is calories, macronutrients and micronutrients.

    Last time I checked, it's not difficult at all to find a fast food burger in the 500 calorie range.

    This.

    Watch your calories and your macros. That's all that matters.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    I think it's all about the calories, and if you have found a way to incorporate some fast food into your days and it's working, I say don't fix it if it ain't broke.

    Down the road, you may want to look more critically at the composition of your diet and tweak things a bit, but it sounds like you are doing great. In my experience, making small changes over time is the most sustainable way to make them stick.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    First of all you can't justify daily fast food no matter how you spin. You can still "go out" for lunch by taking a walk for an hour then going back to your desk and eating your lunch. It's cost effective and will keep your arteries unclogged in the long run.
  • oldmanstauf
    oldmanstauf Posts: 202 Member
    I'm usually at a fast food joint 2 or 3 times a week. I only order things that fit into my goals. And that's actually quite a variety. I generally stay away from fries which helps with that tremendously.
  • ohnoetry
    ohnoetry Posts: 129
    My oldest brother has lost over 30 pounds and has two egg mcmuffins with a coke every morning.

    To each their own. If you can do it, why not? As others have mentioned, they fit the macros and you're still seeing results.

    Personally, I've reached my macros with junk and did not lose weight, and have felt better eating cleaner. Again, to each their own, I'm a little jealous! ;)
  • sunlovers
    sunlovers Posts: 22
    anybody eat subway for lunch? or find some healthier types of fast food?
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    So wait... you're eating fast food for breakfast and lunch, more often than not?

    That's a lot of fast food!

    Hey, if you can be healthy and eat out that much, more power to you. If I eat out all the time, my body turns to mush. I am sure you *can* lose weight, but personally, I start to lose energy and get really bloated when I eat out a lot because there is a lot of sodium and preservatives in fast food, and there is hardly any fiber. When I don't get fiber, I turn into an ugly mess. I'll spare you the details of that...

    Fast food can absolutely be part of your routine, but I don't know how you'll get all the vitamins, minerals, etc. You can eat salads, but the dressings are still going to be loaded with junk. I know there are grilled sandwiches rather than fried, and there are fruit and yogurt parfaits... There are options out there, but I imagine that eating those every day would get boring after a week.

    If you're going to eat out a lot, here's some items that I find don't wreck my progress:
    Wendy's chili
    grilled chicken sandwiches
    McD's Fruit and yogurt parfait
    any side that is apples or oranges (as opposed to fries)
    Panda Express mixed veggies
    salads (go easy on the dressing)


    There is also a gas station near my job that has a deli section. There is always fresh fruit and veggies, string cheese, milk, and turkey sandwiches. It's not always my favorite meal, but if I need to run a few errands on my break, it's convenient.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    But I also understand that there is literally nothing nutritious about it whatsoever.

    According to McDonald's website, a big mac has 25% DV of both calcium and iron.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
    Get the grilled chicken sandwich at McDonalds. I think that's the only thing they have that can be considered real food. Maybe?
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
    I used to eat subway alot, i would get a foot long and eat 6 for lunch and 6 for dinner, but subway is not even close to as healthy as you think.

    Plus fast food is just like eating anything at all, just have to watch what you eat. I love to eat panda express all the time, i just get a healthier option.

    I also found fast food is pretty freaking high in sodium if you watch that.
  • oldmanstauf
    oldmanstauf Posts: 202 Member
    anybody eat subway for lunch? or find some healthier types of fast food?

    Define healthy. Subway isn't necessarily healthy and fast food in general isn't always unhealthy.
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
    i eat subway for dinner a lot. it's part of my maintenance plan.
  • Ivy_leaves
    Ivy_leaves Posts: 103 Member
    Last time I had "fast food" was the second day I was on MFP, September 21st.
    I don't miss it and I don't particularly like fast food. Never really did.
    I had Jimmy Johns not too long ago, the Unwichs there are good.
    Not sure if that's considered "fast food" in the conventional sense?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    <
    The guy in the pic eats at McDonalds a minimum of 5 days per week. And I'm not talking salads. I'm talking double cheeseburgers and quarter pounders with cheese. Eats an entire large pizza watching football on Sunday. Eats Taco Bell, Del Taco, KFC and Wendy's and Subway on the days he wants to "mix it up" from his McDonalds routine.

    I highly recommend you get the Eat This, Not That book for restaurants. It gave me solid help on how to live in the drive thru line while losing weight and hitting all my macros. Honestly, I can't recommend that book highly enough. It and MFP were the lynchpin of my success losing weight this year.
  • sunlovers
    sunlovers Posts: 22
    Yes, I know that Subway isn't really considered healthy (although they would like you to think it is)
    Just find myself in food court occasionally, and try to find the best bang for my calories.
  • super_monty
    super_monty Posts: 419 Member
    I have just eaten Big Mac and fries , I won't put weight on because I won't be sitting on my *kitten* the rest of the week.
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
    Fast food broken down is sandwiches potatoes and Chicken, its not like eating a whole Cake or something its just food you eat anyway just not the leanest low sodium option. I work hard to be able to eat what I want, and work harder for cake lol
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    My best weight loss period WHILE on MFP involved eating out 4 to 5 times a week.
  • sickofflubber
    sickofflubber Posts: 3
    My opinion is that you can't always eat at home so yes there are going to be days or lots of them that we are going to fall into our old habits of eating out. Make healthier choices (like you said you are) and then try to eat more fruits and veggies, low cal stuff the rest of the day.

    I am complelty shocked anyone would compare it to an alcoholic. Yeah maybe you should try to pack a lunch or grab a fruit for BF but if your not gaining then thats your choice.

    For me this is a life style change but I can't change 100% and be able to stick with it 100% of the time. I have two kids and a husband we are always out doing stuff, sometimes going out to eat happens, I'm not going to the next AA meeting for it.:drinker:

    Do what works for you

    "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is:
    Try to please everybody."
  • cbrrabbit25
    cbrrabbit25 Posts: 384 Member
    <
    The guy in the pic eats at McDonalds a minimum of 5 days per week. And I'm not talking salads. I'm talking double cheeseburgers and quarter pounders with cheese. Eats an entire large pizza watching football on Sunday. Eats Taco Bell, Del Taco, KFC and Wendy's and Subway on the days he wants to "mix it up" from his McDonalds routine.

    I highly recommend you get the Eat This, Not That book for restaurants. It gave me solid help on how to live in the drive thru line while losing weight and hitting all my macros. Honestly, I can't recommend that book highly enough. It and MFP were the lynchpin of my success losing weight this year.

    I love the eat this, not that books. I have ALL of them! I only stopped the fast food when i was told i had high cholesterol and stopping that made it go back down. but then when i went back to try it again, i could taste the sodium in it, so that is pretty much why i dont eat it. But i used to eat it all the time and i was still skinny-110 lbs.
  • jabrussl
    jabrussl Posts: 13 Member
    I work adjacent to a mall with a food court. I eat off the drive thru menu at Taco Bell. I get 3 crunchy fresca style tacos for 420 calories.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    A Subway 6" turkey on italian bread with no cheese is only 270 calories. Wheat bread makes it 280 calories. Add all the veggies you want and for condiments I only do mustard. I consider this "fast food" haha
  • lizblizz2012
    lizblizz2012 Posts: 196 Member
    I don't eat it every day, or even every week. But I'm not going to tell myself I can never have something that I enjoy. This lifestyle change has to be something I can live with long term. As long as it fits in my calories and my macros, I will get a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich now and then. And what'd'ya know.... I'm ALIVE! :)
  • calimoma
    calimoma Posts: 64
    Anyone else out there still eating at fast food places and losing? I just can't mentally bring myself to bring my lunch to work. I am so used to going out to lunch. I also have a long developed habit of Mcdonalds drive through in the morning.

    I still do Mcdonalds a few mornings a week. I used to order what ever I wanted and 2 large sweet teas (one for the ride to work and one to sip throughout the morning until lunch). Now I order Egg Mcmuffin 300cals and 2 large unsweet tea with splenda.

    Wendy's is my go to at lunch for fast food. Chili sm 200 cal and side salad 90ish depending on dressing. Sometimes I get the grilled chicken with honey mustard at just under 400 cal plus the salad.

    Well I stay under my calories alowed for the day and I am losing weight so I guess for now it's working for me. Just curious about what others do. Seems most on here are really strick on what they eat and how it's prepared. I just thought that if it's all about the calorie intake then there is nothing wrong with this.


    Thats so funny...i go there almost everyday for a tea with splenda!! sometimes i just get a hashbrown...150 cals
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I work adjacent to a mall with a food court. I eat off the drive thru menu at Taco Bell. I get 3 crunchy fresca style tacos for 420 calories.

    Yep yep, that's my choice too.
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
    I eat fast food almost every day. I try to get reasonable options, and I've lost nearly 95 pounds in less than a year. It's doable.

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