Crazy how many calories are in Fast Foods..

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  • Jenjenthejetplane1
    Jenjenthejetplane1 Posts: 130 Member
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    Those steak quesadillas are killer. It's my favorite thing from TB, so I have just quit going there completely or else I would still be eating them. I also quit (mostly) drinking and that solved my problem of Taco Bell "fourth meal." :wink:

    Yeah Fourth Meal is my weakness haha :( Taco Bell is just so good and now they have breakfast! Ugh resist..resist...resist haha

    Or moderation. ..moderation. ..moderation


    I know what my cheat meal saturday is going to be! ;)
    To avoid a binge...binge..binge? :D
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    Hi OP, good for you educating yourself about fast food and it is not the best but most places do have better choices. I eat fast food but I make it fit into my day.

    It's all about education and making better choices so it looks like you're there! Great job and happy weight loss.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    If you think the calories are bad, try reading the ingredient list.

    Eww.
  • mfoulkebrown
    mfoulkebrown Posts: 94 Member
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    If you think the calories are bad, try reading the ingredient list.

    Eww.

    I would try, but I don't have a PhD in chemistry, so I'm not sure that I'd understand it!
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
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    I end up at fast food at least once a week since going to Wal-mart is at least a 1 hr drive (2 hr drive is the cops are out :sad: ). Since I'm there I get all of my shopping done for the week. Groceries, yard supplies, ect has to be bought at that time. So I spend several hours in that town. Fast food is the cheapest and fast for me to get down with shopping.

    I've learned several survival methods. A big thing is no sauses, all it does is add calories and hides any problems with the food. Also add as much lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickels, ect to the sandwitch to bulk it up. I drive the food places nuts because I special order everything. I will order a sandwich and get rid of half the ingredents. the poor cooks in the back are not all that happy with me.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    If you think the calories are bad, try reading the ingredient list.

    Eww.

    I would try, but I don't have a PhD in chemistry, so I'm not sure that I'd understand it!
    Ha! Exactly!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I agree. Actually this is one of the best things for me about using this site. And I still DO eat fast food, usually once every week or two. My personal favorites are Culver's, Steak & Shake, and Chipotle.

    Before, I thought I was doing pretty well because I NEVER drank non-diet soda or other caloric drinks when I had fast food, I got a small burger or sandwich yet skipped the fries 99% of the time, etc. But I still could have made better choices. So MFP helps me do that.

    Fast food breakfast is one of the biggest things that floors me though, kind of like you mentioned in your post. When I was at my heaviest I would often grab Sonic or McDonald's breakfast out of laziness and used up so many calories so early in the day. At this point I prefer to have breakfast that is around 170-220 calories and there are so many great options...egg tacos, omelets, Greek yogurt with all sorts of toppings...today I made chocolate oatmeal with half a banana on it and it was delicious. I seriously prefer my current breakfasts to a Sonic Toaster sandwich!
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
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    Good for you for checking out the calories. Yes, there are some very high calorie items there, but there are plenty of things you can get that will work with your diet. My husband is a manager at McDonald's and I eat there several times a week.

    As you've noticed, the french fries, hash browns, and full sugar soda have a lot of calories without much nutrition, so they are hard to fit into your day unless you have other meals that are lighter. I rarely get french fries. You can get apples slices as a substitute side.

    How about an egg mcmuffin (250 calories), 2 bags of apple slices (15 cals each) and coffee with splenda (0 cals) for breakfast? Or my favorite, the Oatmeal, yummy, it has diced apples, raisins and craisins on it. I get it without brown sugar - 260 calories and very filling.

    For lunch, try a grilled chicken ranch snack wrap (270 cals), small fries (230 cals) and a diet coke. Total fo 500 cals.

    If you really want a treat, get a Big Mac (550 cals), and a bottled water.

    They have a handy "meal bulder" on their website and a list of items under 400 calories - http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/meal_bundles/favoritesunder400.html

    No need to demonize fast food. You can enjoy it in moderation!

    Good luck to you.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
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    If you think the calories are bad, try reading the ingredient list.

    Eww.

    2wf8sok.png


    But I do agree with the OP - fast food can pack a lot of calories in - but you can also make smarter low cal choices. For example a McDs egg mcmuffin - has less than 300 cals if you avoid the hashbrown.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    If you think the calories are bad, try reading the ingredient list.

    Eww.

    2wf8sok.png


    But I do agree with the OP - fast food can pack a lot of calories in - but you can also make smarter low cal choices. For example a McDs egg mcmuffin - has less than 300 cals if you avoid the hashbrown.

    Ermagerd. I've been eating blueberries all these years. ..Secretly ingesting fatty acids and colours!! Da horror.

    But yes, there are many calorie conscious options that are actually a substantial amount of proteins and things. It's why I love the McDonald's Mcwraps so much. I even had that steak stacker at Taco Bell when it was here on an allotment of 1700, when I was cutting. It's all about working them calories/macros and the things :D
  • Cathalain
    Cathalain Posts: 424 Member
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    My personal favorites are Culver's, Steak & Shake, and Chipotle.

    I LOVE me some Chipotle. I usually get the sofritas bowl with lettuce, brown rice and veggies. I'll add maybe a little sour cream if I want it, now and then. Under 500 calories and delish. :love:

    Fast food is not inherently awful, as long as you do the research ahead of time and avoid the traps (and there's plenty of them). I eat at Panera a lot, too. The tomato and mozz on ciabatta is great.
  • Cathalain
    Cathalain Posts: 424 Member
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    Or my favorite, the Oatmeal, yummy, it has diced apples, raisins and craisins on it. I get it without brown sugar - 260 calories and very filling.

    Is the oatmeal at McD's steel cut oats or the quick-cook kind? I've never ordered it there before, but if it's the steel cut kind, I might. I LOVE steel cut oats. I just don't make them at home usually because it takes FOREVER (though I hear there's a recipe from America's Test Kitchen that significantly shortens the time, I have to try that).
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
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    One of the many reasons I gave up fast food years ago!!! So much crap in that stuff, do you really even know what you are eating?

    Yes, I know what I'm eating...

    That's why I'm able to fit it into my day if I so desire.

    this.

    taco bell is my go-to fast food.

    6-pack of crunchy tacos and tons of fire sauce makes me happy.

    just plan and make it fit. not rocket science.
  • SofaKingRad_II
    SofaKingRad_II Posts: 591
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    LOL THERE ARE SO MANY CALORIES IN FAST FOOD WHENEVER I EAT IT I JOKE WITH PEOPLE AND SAY "OMG ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SOME FOOD WITH ALL OF YOUR CALORIES?" HA HA HA HA HA HA GET IT? BECAUSE THERE ARE SOOOOO MANY CALORIES?

    Not laughing? Huh. I guess you just had to be there. It's really a funny joke.
  • sunnshhiine
    sunnshhiine Posts: 727 Member
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    I was given a coupon to chick fil a for a free chicken sandwich, and I LOVE Chick fil a. I having been debating if I wanted to go or not because I can't have the sandwich without the waffle fries, then if I get the waffle fries I need the Chick fil a sauce and the barbeque sauce. I just don't know if the calories are worth it.

    it's worth it.
  • Travelbug1955
    Travelbug1955 Posts: 61 Member
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    It's OK to eat fast food as long as you make the right choices. Look online for the nutritional values of foods at the fast food restaurants you like to visit. If you like a Whopper with cheese, get one. Just leave off the mayonaise and don't eat the bun. If you like Taco Bell, get the soft beef taco supreme. You can enjoy fast food like I do if you educate yourself before choosing. Don't order regular soda's, order diet, unsweet tea or water. If you have enough calories left and you want an ice cream from Dairy Queen, you can have a small cone, or McDonalds cone. It's all about being aware and studying the nutritional values of the foods that are offered. Depriving yourself will lead to a binge.
  • sunnshhiine
    sunnshhiine Posts: 727 Member
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    I end up at fast food at least once a week since going to Wal-mart is at least a 1 hr drive (2 hr drive is the cops are out :sad: ). Since I'm there I get all of my shopping done for the week. Groceries, yard supplies, ect has to be bought at that time. So I spend several hours in that town. Fast food is the cheapest and fast for me to get down with shopping.

    I've learned several survival methods. A big thing is no sauses, all it does is add calories and hides any problems with the food. Also add as much lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickels, ect to the sandwitch to bulk it up. I drive the food places nuts because I special order everything. I will order a sandwich and get rid of half the ingredents. the poor cooks in the back are not all that happy with me.

    ....or you could just pack a sandwich and pretzels and take it with you. save money and calories. problem solved.
  • bigobelly
    bigobelly Posts: 18 Member
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    Going on 4 years fast food or fast food hamburgers free...That crap will kill you slowly!
  • 1daylate1dollarshort
    1daylate1dollarshort Posts: 45
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    I'm on day like, 23 or something and I just have totally cut out fast food at this point. The healthier options don't really appeal to me and none of it is worth the calories. I'd rather graze on lower calorie stuff during the day and not feel like I'm starving later. I never have many calories left by dinner so I just stay away. It's worked for over 20 days, and I used to eat fast food several times a week.

    It IS amazing how those calories add up. I thought I didn't eat very much and therefore, was not consuming a bunch of calories. That was totally not true at all. I was easily eating 2500 calories a day.

    Now I eat tasty, low calorie stuff at home and I'm good! I don't crave fast food. Thankfully. I hope it never appeals to me again because it's ALWAYS been a problem area for me.

    I might break eventually, but I feel better without that junk at this point. And I know I'm not consuming more calories than I'm burning. I can't believe how oblivious I was to all this stuff before. No wonder I gained all that weight.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    Going on 4 years fast food or fast food hamburgers free...That crap will kill you slowly!

    I'm dying slowly as I type this. I'll probably die sometime in the next 70 years or so.

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