How gross is fast food to you
Replies
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The citation is in the book - it names names, and is very specific. It's worth a read, it's all in there.
I would also add that food companies spend millions and millions of dollars on marketing and positioning for a reason - it works. In this case, it works to sell a product that we don't need. I doubt that any of us would starve without fast food. Except that now they are expanding their reach into the poorest parts of their world, selling smaller (and cheaper) sizes of food to people who need actual nourishing meals rather than coke or oreos.
I know it's not for everyone. As I said in my original post it's a good read if you need a little motivation to get off the fast food. If you are happy eating fast food, go to it.0 -
I find it gross and don't eat it - with some exceptions, of course (poor planning, lack of time to prepare a meal, social situations) but when I do I try to choose something with healthier options.
For most fast food burger chains it's easy to stop eating there if you think about what you're actually eating - the food (especially the meat) really is nasty. The "meat" used at many fast food chains are leftover parts of animals - parts of many cows from large slaughterhouses and grinder operations. The way these animals are raised is inhumane to say the least, and the fact that I could have anything in my burger from cow intestines to actual beef is disturbing to say the least. A study done by R.P. Clayton and K.E. Belk in 1998 concluded that a single 4-ounce ground beef patty was made from, on average, at least 55 different animals to, at most, an average of 1082 animals (http://student.ccbcmd.edu/~mashkene/fastFoodNation/hamburgers.html). Gross. Learning where animals we eat in America come from, the inhumane ways they are raised and killed, the enormously harmful ways in which manufacturing animals like this affects the environment, and so on has me not only not eating fast food, but not eating meat or dairy at all. But I digress, I'm not trying to make vegans out of all of you and don't judge others who do eat meat and dairy - I understand, I used to eat it too!
McDonalds french fries are among the worst around. They are coated in sugar, which makes them more addictive than other french fries, and obviously sugar is one of our biggest enemies as dieters.
When all else fails, I look at my fitness diary and see how much sodium is in that vegan salad with no dressing that I got from Chipotle. All fast food contains very high amounts of sodium. Sodium causes water retention, which can slow weight loss. It also adds extra weight to my day to day scale readings because of the extra water I'm retaining. When I eat a full day of whole foods that I prepare myself, I eat barely any sodium. When my body isn't retaining water, the number on the scale can be down to 3 pounds lighter than if I'm retaining a lot of water. I know this is more of an instant gratification thing, but instant gratification helps me the most!0 -
I don't find fast food gross, but I often care about calorie density when making my decisions, and the taste of fast food doesn't make up for the high calorie density. I would rather have things that are less calorie-dense. That isn't to say that I don't eat junk, but I've felt those were worth it for how much I was getting (like the chocolate chips I consume almost everyday, lol. Om nom nom nom).0
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Some fast food is gross, and some of it is uber-awesome. Quick run down:
Arby's -- uber-awesome
Wendy's --- some good/some bad
McDonald's -- nasty/gross (the *worst* I've ever had)
Subway --- some good/some bad
Burger King --- gross
Dairy Queen --- uber-awesome
Sonic ---- mostly good with some items bordering on awesome
Taco Bell -- some good/some bad
To lump all of these together, as though they all have the same foods, same ingredients, is just ignorance, imo. I have worked at most of them and can tell you that all fast food is *NOT* alike.0 -
I kind of find it interesting that quite a lot of people who still eat so called "fast food" and fit it into their eating plan seem to be the ones who are having the best results for weight loss :devil: just sayin! :bigsmile:0
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I kind of find it interesting that quite a lot of people who still eat so called "fast food" and fit it into their eating plan seem to be the ones who are having the best results for weight loss :devil: just sayin! :bigsmile:
Odd, while I was reading through this thread I got the exact opposite opinion.
I don't think fast food has much to do with dieting success, personally. It could be argued either way. Some might say that you need to keep eating the food you enjoy so you don't get discouraged; others might think it's more difficult to meet macros with fast food in your diet, leading to higher consumption.
I did seem to notice that the people who enjoy fast food had higher starting weights (based on the tickers that were made visible). Perhaps that's why you noticed the better weight loss results?
Dunno. I've dropped 35 pounds in under 4 months, and I don't touch the stuff.0 -
The McChicken and Jimmy John's #16 are my weakness...they're like kryptonite!0
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I know how bad it is.. I don't eat it regularly mainly because I am not as dumb as I was when I was younger wasting money on it..however I do enjoy it and I will indulge from time to time.0
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The citation is in the book - it names names, and is very specific. It's worth a read, it's all in there.
I would also add that food companies spend millions and millions of dollars on marketing and positioning for a reason - it works. In this case, it works to sell a product that we don't need. I doubt that any of us would starve without fast food. Except that now they are expanding their reach into the poorest parts of their world, selling smaller (and cheaper) sizes of food to people who need actual nourishing meals rather than coke or oreos.
I know it's not for everyone. As I said in my original post it's a good read if you need a little motivation to get off the fast food. If you are happy eating fast food, go to it.
Okay so, I get that they're selling something we don't need, but Apple does the same things with their iPads. So why is McD's so much worse? They're working to sell a product that sure, no one needs, but that a lot of people want. I don't need an iPad, but I think it's cool, and I would buy one if I had the money (and if I didn't have the B&N Nook that I got for $150). I still don't see how it's false advertising which was your original argument. And when you think about it, McD's may not be the "best" choice for some, but the meals do have protein and other nutrients that someone living in poverty and not eating enough could benefit from. So I'm not sure why they're so evil for selling affordable food to impoverished areas.
I'm not going to read a whole book for me to accept the one point as accurate. I also don't eat fast food anymore for reasons stated earlier so I don't need the "push."0 -
Make smart choices. If you aren't so concerned with sodium content, etc, a large Wendy's chili is like 310 calories. Salads without cheese are valid options. Subway is easy to stay low-calorie. I know when I have the munchies, all I want to eat is freaking taco bell. Sometimes there is just no avoiding it, and then I regret it the next day. Oh well!0
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It feels like I'm literally eating garbage or the equivalent of slathering grease on my insides. Ew. lol. I was so excited to eat KFC for a cheat meal a few weeks ago, and after a small amount, I felt sick and disgusted.0
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I kind of find it interesting that quite a lot of people who still eat so called "fast food" and fit it into their eating plan seem to be the ones who are having the best results for weight loss :devil: just sayin! :bigsmile:
Odd, while I was reading through this thread I got the exact opposite opinion.
I don't think fast food has much to do with dieting success, personally. It could be argued either way. Some might say that you need to keep eating the food you enjoy so you don't get discouraged; others might think it's more difficult to meet macros with fast food in your diet, leading to higher consumption.
I did seem to notice that the people who enjoy fast food had higher starting weights (based on the tickers that were made visible). Perhaps that's why you noticed the better weight loss results?
Dunno. I've dropped 35 pounds in under 4 months, and I don't touch the stuff.
lulz0 -
Pass the fries, please :flowerforyou:0
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When I crave a Big Mac, I tell myself what I must really want is salt (sodium burger is what I call them). So I add some sea salt to something that is real food. When I logically break down what the Mac is, I realize it is garbage food. Do I really want to eat from the fast food dumpster?0
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Fast food in general doesn't bother me. There are certain places I don't usually eat at (McD's, Taco Bell) but I never feel bad about chowing down on a burger from wendy's or a sammich from chick-fil-a. And for people who want to argue "but they put so many chemicals and preservatives in that stuff! It's so gross!" I would counter: Go in to your fridge or pantry, pull out anything with a label, and take a good look.
Well said. 'Cause I do
me some Chick-fil-a. 0 -
Okay:) It looks as if your shopping places and mine are two different places. Thanks, and now I will move on to other post:) Have a nice day!
Every one I've ever been in.
Depends what grocery store! Thank you for the input:)
Nine out of 10 people in line at the grocery store are obese, too. Maybe you shouldn't shop there, either. :-)I find fast food repulsive. I have not consumed it in five years. The cure for me.....looking at a line at Mcdonalds.....The place that had 10 people in line, and 9 were morbidly obese... Im not saying that is the case everywhere or that fast food is the cause of obesity; Im just saying due to my experience I found fast food was not innocent.
Wow. Where do you shop? They must have a no fat person allowed policy. I've shopped at Wal-Mart, Albertson's, HEB, Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, a variety of farmer's markets in a few cities/towns in Texas and California and I do run into quite a few "fat" people consistently, ranging from very chubby to overweight to obese.
So where do you shop? Maybe I can come by and break the fat person cherry there.0 -
I stopped eating Mcdoubles when I heard that only 40 percent of the burger is actual meat...the rest was water and filler with a low grade formaldehyde.
yuck. 0 -
Watch Food Inc. and then read up on how they take the manure exposed scrapings left over after butchering the cow, put ammonia in it, and then make those fast food burgers that everyone loves. The NY Times had a very enlightening article about the ammonia in fast food and prison beef.
I avoid anything manure exposed. That's why I only eat live animals and avoid anything that's grown out of the ground.0 -
It's amazing how I can't look at McDonald's the same way- I do crave panda express for its orange chicken. Ofcourse I don't think I can ever say no to pizza. The gross part of it, is that the burgers never look like the picture on the billboard- ruuuuuude. Jk.
I'd rather eat my tasty salmon vegetable salad. I'm actually craving some right now lol0 -
I was shocked the other week when I ate a large combo at mc. Over 1000 calories. I did it only for the glass but next time I wont.0
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Fast food doesn't gross me out because most foods don't gross me out to begin with. I don't believe in demonizing food because I've already experienced an unhealthy relationship with food in various manners and I'm done with that. A healthy mindset isn't achieved by being uptight and cultish about the foods you eat. The only foods I stay away from and find gross are the ones I just don't like....like okra, brussel sprouts, jalapenos, tabasco sauce, and wasabi.0
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And fast food doesn't gross me out because most foods don't gross me out and I don't believe in demonizing food because I've already experienced an unhealthy relationship with food in various manners and I'm done with that. A healthy mindset isn't achieved by being uptight and cultish about the foods you eat. The only foods I stay away from and find gross are the ones I just don't like....like okra, brussel sprouts, jalapenos, tabasco sauce, and wasabi.
WAIT!!!!!! U no like jalapenos, tabasco and wasabi?
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I'm glad I'm not the only one that finds wasabi gross, but I do like myself some brussel sprouts. 8DFast food doesn't gross me out because most foods don't gross me out to begin with. I don't believe in demonizing food because I've already experienced an unhealthy relationship with food in various manners and I'm done with that. A healthy mindset isn't achieved by being uptight and cultish about the foods you eat. The only foods I stay away from and find gross are the ones I just don't like....like okra, brussel sprouts, jalapenos, tabasco sauce, and wasabi.0 -
I had the same thought. But I really think that he couldn't admit to it because it blows his anti-fast food argument out of the water.
Okay:) It looks as if your shopping places and mine are two different places. Thanks, and now I will move on to other post:) Have a nice day!
Every one I've ever been in.
Depends what grocery store! Thank you for the input:)
Nine out of 10 people in line at the grocery store are obese, too. Maybe you shouldn't shop there, either. :-)I find fast food repulsive. I have not consumed it in five years. The cure for me.....looking at a line at Mcdonalds.....The place that had 10 people in line, and 9 were morbidly obese... Im not saying that is the case everywhere or that fast food is the cause of obesity; Im just saying due to my experience I found fast food was not innocent.
Wow. Where do you shop? They must have a no fat person allowed policy. I've shopped at Wal-Mart, Albertson's, HEB, Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, a variety of farmer's markets in a few cities/towns in Texas and California and I do run into quite a few "fat" people consistently, ranging from very chubby to overweight to obese.
So where do you shop? Maybe I can come by and break the fat person cherry there.
I've shopped and worked in grocery stores in rich neighborhoods and poor and most of the people shopping are overweight. Many extremely so.
I was waiting for a prescription in my local grocery store a few weeks ago and in the 20 minutes I sat watching the door, almost every single person who walked in was obese.0 -
lol0
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I only have eyes for Chick-fil-a.
Everything else I can live without.
Sidenote: The regular #1 combo = best hangover cure ever.0 -
I still don't see how it's false advertising which was your original argument. And when you think about it, McD's may not be the "best" choice for some, but the meals do have protein and other nutrients that someone living in poverty and not eating enough could benefit from. So I'm not sure why they're so evil for selling affordable food to impoverished areas.
I'm not going to read a whole book for me to accept the one point as accurate. I also don't eat fast food anymore for reasons stated earlier so I don't need the "push."
What they're saying is actually true. These companies pay "food scientists" hundreds of millions of dollars annually to sit in laboratories and devise new and devious ways to legally addict their consumers to their products. Soft drink manufacturers do it, fast food chains do it, even household names like Kellogg's and Nestle do it. Fast food chains are FAR more guilty of this than most, as their entire business revolves around people becoming dependent on their product and returning daily.
I can't do much to convince you; frankly, I wouldn't trust any links you threw at me over the internet, so I wouldn't expect you to trust mine. However, you can do your own research. They use all kinds of chemical engineering and have precise formulas to set off the brain's receptors JUST right to force you to feel a certain way when you ingest their products. I'm not exaggerating, and it's 100% for real. Take a read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Or read this excerpt:has shown that the ingredients in junk food, especially vegetable-based oils, act on the brain in similar ways to marijuana, inducing hunger by causing the body to produce substances called endocannabinoids. Simply put, our bodies are biologically wired to seek out high fat, high salt, high sugar foods – so-called hyper-palatable foods – and the corporations that feed us are profiting from those instincts, all the while putting our health at risk. And that risk has been quantified, and the toll taken by overconsumption of processed foods is well documented. Obesity-related illness accounts for roughly $190 billion in additional health care spending in the U.S., with most of these costs being borne by those of lower socio-economic status. Our health care system is becoming over-burdened by those who are addicted to junk. In a way, American taxpayers are footing the bill for corporate manipulation of food.
From this article:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/28009/the-science-behind-your-likely-addiction-to-junk-food
These are internet articles, and people love to say "you can't trust what you read on the internet" - so if you don't believe it, go research it yourself. The book the other poster recommended is a great one, with thousands of interesting, cited, factual findings.0 -
Fast food doesn't gross me out because most foods don't gross me out to begin with. I don't believe in demonizing food because I've already experienced an unhealthy relationship with food in various manners and I'm done with that. A healthy mindset isn't achieved by being uptight and cultish about the foods you eat. The only foods I stay away from and find gross are the ones I just don't like....like okra & brussel sprouts. Jalapenos, tabasco sauce, and wasabi are just fabulous.
FIFY0 -
I only have eyes for Chick-fil-a.
Everything else I can live without.
Sidenote: The regular #1 combo = best hangover cure ever.
oooooooooooh so controversial. What a rebel.0 -
And fast food doesn't gross me out because most foods don't gross me out and I don't believe in demonizing food because I've already experienced an unhealthy relationship with food in various manners and I'm done with that. A healthy mindset isn't achieved by being uptight and cultish about the foods you eat. The only foods I stay away from and find gross are the ones I just don't like....like okra, brussel sprouts, jalapenos, tabasco sauce, and wasabi.
WAIT!!!!!! U no like jalapenos, tabasco and wasabi?
hahaha. I can't handle spicy foods to begin with. Makes my stomach weird But jalapenos have a nasty smell as well as a nasty after taste. Tabasco smells bad and also has a bad after taste, especially when you breath out your nose. Wasabi doesn't taste nasty, but I don't like getting kicked in the chest every time I even get a little bit on the tip of my tongue.
:laugh: 0
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