Fast food: always a no?

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  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    Watch things like cheese, condiments, bacon, dressings that can pile on extra calories. Be careful of portion sizes. Planning and pre-logging are helpful in knowing what/how much you can get. Fast food places have their menu and nutritional information online. Look up the places you go to and think about what choices fit your goals best that day.

    ^^This^^

    I try to stay away from fast food on a normal basis, but sometimes on a weekend when I've done extra work I'll go for a Hardees meal or Carl's Jr., or Arby's. I order without mayo, skip the fries, take it home and eat a healthy side with the burger. It's still a ton of calories but I plan for it all day and make sure I stay within my macros. You'll find a lot of big burgers like that (1/3 lb etc.) have up to a quarter of their calories/fat in the bun or the mayo they slap on the thing. Best thing though is make your own copycat version and use healthy ingredients. We love having a Fast Food copycat night and we look for ways to make it healthier.

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    It's almost always a no for me because there is very little fast food I find palatable. I only eat it if I'm traveling or something and don't have time for decent food.

    But if you like it you can fit it in your diet. It doesn't have magic fat producing properties. The plus side of fast food is you can usually find calorie counts online, which makes working it into a calorie counting diet pretty easy.
  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
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    I don't do much fast food so when it calls my name it is peri peri chicken (grilled chicken) with a side salad and macho peas. Filling, hits the spot and if my allowance allows it, a side of olives. I love Nando's!!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    It's almost always a no for me because there is very little fast food I find palatable. I only eat it if I'm traveling or something and don't have time for decent food.

    But if you like it you can fit it in your diet. It doesn't have magic fat producing properties. The plus side of fast food is you can usually find calorie counts online, which makes working it into a calorie counting diet pretty easy.

    Same here. I got spoiled by homemade food, lol. Unless it's a gyro or crepes place (and even then. I'm picky about my crepes).
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    I eat fast food. Sometimes I just get the chicken sandwich, sometimes a salad, and sometimes I have room in my calorie allotment for a full on bacon cheeseburger from Culvers
  • becalee26
    becalee26 Posts: 185 Member
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    I go through a Wendy's phase every so often. I love their chili and salads.
  • 00EmilyJo00
    00EmilyJo00 Posts: 64 Member
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    Everything in moderation.
  • asyk805
    asyk805 Posts: 125 Member
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    I was trying to figure out what to have for lunch today. Options are very limited in the town I work in so I pulled up the menu's for McDonald's and Subway. Subway will actually allow you to build a sub or salad and it will give you the nutritional value.
    So I am getting a double chicken salad with black olives, cucumbers, lettuce, pickle and tomatoes with honey mustard for 290 calories. I brought my own apple I will either eat with it or hold for a snack a lil later.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
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    I've lost 65 lbs and maintained my weight loss for over 3 years, and currently have under 10% BF. I meet my protein, fat, and carb, and micronutrient goals without taking any dietary supplements. My sodium intake is high, but that isn't a worry for me because I do not have high blood pressure and I am quite active.

    I also eat fast food nearly once a day. Partly because I'm too lazy to do meal prep for lunches, and partly because I like to get out of the office for lunch. I just make smart choices that fit within my nutritional goals. I can be more free in my choices at this point because I have a fairly high calorie goal, but even when I was losing weight, I could fit it in. A Chick-Fil-A meal of a 12 count grilled nuggets with honey mustard sauce and a chicken tortilla soup with unsweet tea comes in around 500 calories and is high in protein, fiber, and quite filling to me.
  • elite_nal
    elite_nal Posts: 127 Member
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    As long as you're meeting your total daily needs in terms of macronutrient intake (protein, carbohydrates and fats) and micronutrient intake (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients etc.), then it really doesn't matter which specific foods you consume in order to meet your daily totals.

    The plain fact is that your body does not view your nutritional intake in terms of individual food items. It only sees the entire picture as a whole. Therefore, as long as your macro and micronutrient needs are being met, there's no good reason to suspect that consuming one set of foods over another will produce different results.

    So-called “junk foods” still contain perfectly usable protein, carbohydrates, fats and even vitamins/minerals. It’s not that eating “junk foods” is bad; it’s that eating too many of them is usually bad.

    For example, you cannot possibly say that “cheeseburgers make you fat”. You can only say that “too many cheeseburgers makes you fat”. It’s not the cheeseburger itself that is bad; it’s the excessive quantity.

    Within the context of your entire diet, you could argue that the term “junk food” doesn’t even have any practical application when we’re dealing with a small number like 10-20%.

    The truth is that bodybuilding nutrition is really just a numbers game.

    As part of a diet designed to support muscle growth and overall health, you have specific daily macronutrient and micronutrient needs in order to achieve optimal results. Your goal is to meet those numbers at the end of the day, period.

    As long as the total “mixture” of food that you consume throughout that day meets those numbers, it really makes no difference at all what those exact food items are.

    I’m sure some of you reading this are shaking your head by now because you think I’m saying that it’s possible to eat nothing but pizza, burgers and ice cream and still maximize your results.

    That is definitely not what I’m saying.

    You will still get the majority of your food intake from traditional “clean” bodybuilding foods such as chicken breast, rice and vegetables.

    Why?

    Because the diet still has to meet your macros AND your micros and it is NOT possible to meet those totals by eating large amounts of “junk” food.

    It’s not possible to eat pizza and burgers all day without over-shooting your fat totals.

    It’s not possible to pig out on ice cream and 7-up and still meet your fiber/vitamin/mineral requirements.

    It’s not possible to eat low quality protein all day and still obtain the proper amino acids needed for maximizing protein synthesis.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    like others have said, as long as your meeting your goals and the sodium doesnt bother you, go for it.

    i eat out all the time, but rarely 'fast food'. i do have mcdonalds for breakfast alll the time (i wont eat anything else from there lol)- and always either one of their yogurt parfaits or half a sausage egg and cheese mcmuffin (my dogs get the other half LOL)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I did fast food twice this weekend. One was the mozza burger I think from A & W; I liked the look of the lettuce and the tomato. The other was a grilled chicken and blue cheese salad (half size) from Wendy's. Both fit in to my calorie goal for the day.

    I did not order fries.
  • star1407
    star1407 Posts: 588 Member
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    Last night hubby fancied a kfc so we had a look on their website and saw the rice boxes they have started doing. I had a box full of rice, pulled chicken in a spicy barbecue sauce and some salad. All for 370 cals
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
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    McDonalds is more than happy to tell you about their lower calorie offerings:

    http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/meal_bundles/favoritesunder400.html
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    This is one I'll never really understand. I find most fast food to be unpalatable and frankly not very filling. We'll hit up Wendy's occasionally on a road trip as their salads are somewhat decent and their chili isn't the worst thing in the world but still, I'd prefer to find a local deli or something when we stop for meals.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    If it doesn't fit in your calories, then it is too much.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    McDonald's artisan grilled chicken sandwich is very tasty for 360 calories and 32 grams of protein.

    Just check the nutritional info for wherever you're going and choose something that fits your goals.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    elite_nal wrote: »
    As long as you're meeting your total daily needs in terms of macronutrient intake (protein, carbohydrates and fats) and micronutrient intake (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients etc.), then it really doesn't matter which specific foods you consume in order to meet your daily totals.

    The plain fact is that your body does not view your nutritional intake in terms of individual food items. It only sees the entire picture as a whole. Therefore, as long as your macro and micronutrient needs are being met, there's no good reason to suspect that consuming one set of foods over another will produce different results.

    So-called “junk foods” still contain perfectly usable protein, carbohydrates, fats and even vitamins/minerals. It’s not that eating “junk foods” is bad; it’s that eating too many of them is usually bad.

    For example, you cannot possibly say that “cheeseburgers make you fat”. You can only say that “too many cheeseburgers makes you fat”. It’s not the cheeseburger itself that is bad; it’s the excessive quantity.

    Within the context of your entire diet, you could argue that the term “junk food” doesn’t even have any practical application when we’re dealing with a small number like 10-20%.

    The truth is that bodybuilding nutrition is really just a numbers game.

    As part of a diet designed to support muscle growth and overall health, you have specific daily macronutrient and micronutrient needs in order to achieve optimal results. Your goal is to meet those numbers at the end of the day, period.

    As long as the total “mixture” of food that you consume throughout that day meets those numbers, it really makes no difference at all what those exact food items are.

    I’m sure some of you reading this are shaking your head by now because you think I’m saying that it’s possible to eat nothing but pizza, burgers and ice cream and still maximize your results.

    That is definitely not what I’m saying.

    You will still get the majority of your food intake from traditional “clean” bodybuilding foods such as chicken breast, rice and vegetables.

    Why?

    Because the diet still has to meet your macros AND your micros and it is NOT possible to meet those totals by eating large amounts of “junk” food.

    It’s not possible to eat pizza and burgers all day without over-shooting your fat totals.

    It’s not possible to pig out on ice cream and 7-up and still meet your fiber/vitamin/mineral requirements.

    It’s not possible to eat low quality protein all day and still obtain the proper amino acids needed for maximizing protein synthesis.

    Well look at you just full of good sense.
  • Nataliegetfit
    Nataliegetfit Posts: 395 Member
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    At wendy's I usually get a baked potato, a chili, or a apple pecan chicken salad(love it) I might have one or two of my son's fries. (usually taste real greasy and don't miss them much).
    Taco bell, I get their spicy tostadas, too spicy for me so I leave off the creamy spicy sauce. I usually get two and they fit in my calories. they do have several things that are lower calories.
    Sometimes my husband wants to go to a little store that has a grill. We live out in the country 1/2 hour from civilization, they don't have very great low cal things that taste good, so I end up with a breakfast sandwich and call it good.
    You just have to try to plan ahead a little bit, see what things are lower calorie on the menu. Sometimes I splurge and have something that isn't very healthy, but it's just slowing down my progress a little bit.
    You can certainly make great and healthy good at home. If you go out and can't control yourself when you do, don't go out as often.
  • marija09
    marija09 Posts: 24 Member
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    depends if you're aiming at healthy or skinny, that determines how much fast food u allow yourself. but regardless, treating yourself on the weekend should be fine

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