What do you do when you want fast food?

therequiiem
therequiiem Posts: 133 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Like burger king, wendys, etc. Sometimes, I just want some friggen french fries and a burger! But then I look up the nutritional information on their website and it usually deters me, but I still want them. Do you guys let yourself eat fast food once in a while? Does it hinder your progress?
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Replies

  • Kimmer2011
    Kimmer2011 Posts: 569 Member
    I have fast food once in a while. Sometimes I'm mindful, and make reasonable choices. Sometimes not. :laugh:

    Many fast food places have good salads. I also find that I can get a smaller burger & fries and still be satisfied as opposed to the huge ones. I almost always skip pop.
  • nrvo
    nrvo Posts: 473 Member
    Mix and match - healthy entree with junky side (ex. salad w/ small fries), or junky entree with healthy side (burger and apple fries).
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Get a small burger, small fry, side salad and a water. It's not about giving anything up it's about learning portion control. Make sure you fit the calories into your goals and go for it. If you go over a little walk it off.
  • EZGruv
    EZGruv Posts: 215 Member
    "What do you do when you want fast food?"

    I eat it.
  • putnam80
    putnam80 Posts: 69 Member
    i get what i want. i just dont do it often at all any more. to me it has gotten very easy to just say no. but, if i get a craving, i just get it and add it, then either have a nice exercise or just worry about the rest of the week
  • kandire
    kandire Posts: 87
    If I'm really craving fast food I try my best to work it into that days calorie count. I have found in the past cutting fast food out completely led to eating 4 tacos instead of 1 or ordering the largest meal I could find. It's all about moderation for me.
  • mark03264
    mark03264 Posts: 334 Member
    Eat it and log it...
  • yes if you must just eat small portions and make sure you have the calories for it. every now and then my hubby will get something that i really want. instead of me ordering a whole for myself i just take a few bites of his so i can fulfill my cravings but i am not over doing it.
  • Indy_mom
    Indy_mom Posts: 15
    I allow myself to on the weekend. I still pay attention to the nutrition guide and don't go overboard, but I have to indulge sometimes. It's my reward for working so hard all week. It hasn't hindered my weight loss at all, i'm 1.5 lbs from my goal weight of 120lbs :)
  • I love burgerking so once a month I get it and I always get the jr whopper no cheese no mayo and that makes it only 360 calories and cuts your fat in half and then I always get the apple fries and dont get soda I get tea unsweet or just water...
  • MarieNevada
    MarieNevada Posts: 395 Member
    i ask myself what's more important? losing weight and getting fit or 30 seconds of artery clogging grease, salt overdoses, eating something that by the most slackest of definitions can barely be called meat, wilted veggies treated with chemicals, white buns full of chemicals to keep them fresh for weeks. I always make the right decision. and then i treat myself with something that's still outside my usual food regimen but that isn't going to kill me. yesterday i had a light caramel frappucino. 130 cals, too much sugar, but at least i know it won't kill me. it really upset my stomach though, a nice reminder of why i eat the way i eat.

    did you know that taco bell ground beef is less than 30% real meat? the rest is filler. why the hell would i put that in my body. that's how i got to be 300 lbs in the first place. no thanks. it's not worth the 30 seconds of semi pleasure i might get from it.
  • Garae
    Garae Posts: 116 Member
    I make my own healthy version of what they offer =]
  • After a while you don't want that stuff anymore...sometimes I am in a hurry and need something...I feel like Smoothie King has some of the best options for "fast food"--just make sure you read nutritional info...to me the gladiator or low carb are your best bets for getting protein and staying away from sugars and carbs...
  • As long as it is just once in a while and u are careful what u eat the rest of the day, its not a problem.....but i do feel guilty when i log it and realise i cant eat for the rest of the day!!!!!!!!!!
    and i agree order a smaller size :-)
  • Addy0315
    Addy0315 Posts: 48
    I normally get a salad. There are times I want fries but my boyfriend ALWAYS gets the junk and larged sized so I eat one or two of his fries (literally) and then I am good and I stick to my salad. Mcdonalds always makes me feel sick but my kids love it....for the toys. There are days I don't want to cook anything either those are the hard days for me cause I hate making bad decisions because I am to exhausted to cook.

    "Dieting" or "losing weight" is not easy and it's not fair that some people are blessed with high metabolisms and great bodies. I have to work everyday to get there and THEN when I finally get there I gotta work to stay there. This is a lifestyle change and you can't cut out fast food the rest of your life just try to make smart decisions when you go.

    =)
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    I either make my own version of it or I work it into my diary. You can't deny everything you crave, it will just lead you to binge. I think of my journey as a lifestyle change, not a diet.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I go get some fast food. I keep it within my calories unless I am having an intentional cheat day. It has not negatively effected me at all. Due to the sodium levels, I may retain some water, but that is usually gone in a matter of days. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all. Now if that was all I ate, that would be a different story, as last I checked it is pretty much impossible to get veggies at fast food places, but if you watch the movie "Fat Heads" you will find that even on a fast food diet a person can lose fat and improve the health markers like cholesterol, but as I said, having a balanced diet rich in veggies is not possible with fast food. If you eat well the majority of the rest of the time, fast food on occasion within your caloric budget is fine. Just don't overdo it.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    I havent done it in awhile but when I was first starting out I would get a kiddie meal. Now I prefer a home cooked hamburger if I want one. The taste is so much better.
  • twooliver
    twooliver Posts: 450 Member
    This is where the new you tells the old you: "You can have fast food once a week...is it going to be now or later in the week?" Otherwise it's a NO! Unless of course you're not serious about losing weight and have no expectations for a good loss for the week...just sayin....
  • Cosmic_Unicorn
    Cosmic_Unicorn Posts: 150 Member
    If I really want it, then I'll have it every once in a while. But I always look up nutritional info first and pick something that's not too outrageous. But I've found that I don't REALLY actually want it anymore. Fast food restaurants use cheap ingredients. Soggy white buns and moldy lettuce smothered in mayo just isn't appealing. My homemade bean and veggie burgers and baked sweet potato fries just taste better, and actually have some nutrition in them. That aside, I can't say no the occasional Teen burger and onion rings from A&W. =P
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    I make my own. I have a toaster over so I stick my seaoned fries in there and while they are cooking I get some 96/4 lean beef and season it up and make a nice pattie. I take my 100% whole wheat bun and put a little bit of garlic butter on both sides and brown those side in a pan. I add sauteed onions and a thin slice of pepper jack cheese.

    No fast food restaurant can top it.
  • flabfighter31
    flabfighter31 Posts: 41 Member
    They way i see it its apart of my lifestyle just not as big as it used to be i have it once in a while but i do tend to up the exercise and every other day of that week is perfect so it doesn't hinder my weight loss plus and i know some of you will think this is cheating a bit but i have it at the begining of my week which starts a friday after morning weigh in. although now i used to get a big mac meal (uk) now i get hamburger small fries although i never eat them all and water.

    enjoy in small amounts
  • therequiiem
    therequiiem Posts: 133 Member
    Awesome advice everyone, thank you :)
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
    Like burger king, wendys, etc. Sometimes, I just want some friggen french fries and a burger! But then I look up the nutritional information on their website and it usually deters me, but I still want them. Do you guys let yourself eat fast food once in a while? Does it hinder your progress?

    I gave up fast food a long time ago. Not only did I want to eat better, but I made out a budget and realized I was spending far too much. This was about ten years ago when I adopted two kids and I got it together to start pre-preparing meals on Sundays that were healthier and cheaper.

    Fast food has never been m downfall (brie cheese at a party would be :) ) but like everything else---- moderation? I think once a month would be okay :)

    Just my humble opinion...

    Best,

    Debbie
  • MrsT_2009
    MrsT_2009 Posts: 90 Member
    I don't eat it anymore. I got food poisoning from McDonald's the day after Christmas this past year from a chicken sandwich. Since then I've only eaten fast food one time and it was only french fries. So every time I think I could go for some fast food I remember being sick and tell myself it will make me sick again. I've found that I really don't miss it anymore. If I'm going to eat a burger and fries I want to have the best of the best and that is not from a fast food joint! I stick with Subway or a grocery store salad bar salad if I need something quick.
  • LeonaB17
    LeonaB17 Posts: 304
    I very seldom want Mcdonalds - but if for some reason I do - I get a happy meal. I think you can do that under 600 cals if you get a diet beverage. And I personally think it's ok to have small indulgences every now and then - because if you deny yourself something too much it could make you want it even more.
    I will say my biggest fast food weakness is Chick Fil A - again I seldom eat there - but if I do - its a chicken biscuit breakfast - or the chicken sandwich and waffle fry meal - no kiddie meal is gonna satisfy me there. Which is why it is a very very rare occasion that I even go there. Like once every two months.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    The only fast food I ever really liked is Taco Bell, since I'm a vegetarian and they have really yummy bean, rice, and cheese burritos! So if I'm craving one of those, I'll make an Amy's organic cheddar cheese burrito. Sooo tasty! :heart:
  • grimnir
    grimnir Posts: 61 Member
    I usually don't. The main thing about eating fast food (or bar food) is that the amount of fullness you get from the calories you eat is extremely low. So if I have 600 calories to eat in a meal, I can have like two little cheeseburgers. OR I can have a massive salad with nuts and cheese and dressing, or a big honkin chicken breast and a massive pile of stir-fried veggies (or a very slightly smaller pile of those green giant veggies in cheese sauce at 150 calories per package). The difference in fullness just isn't worth it, I'll be hungry after the fast food so quick, especially if I had fries. Sometimes I'll have a grilled chicken sandwich or something if I'm out and about, which isn't too bad, but it's not really nicer to eat than bringing a turkey sandwich from home for half the price, which I can put on incredibly rich 21-grain bread, and have sprouts and cucumber and heirloom tomatoes and hummus instead of mayo (I love spinach hummus best), and include really sharp cheese besides, and be more full, with all my taste buds ringing from the flavor explosion.

    Not that I don't love burgers and fries, but I'd rather lose weight and be full while doing it. I feel similarly about macaroni and cheese. It may be epicly awesome tasting, but I'm not really full unless I eat 1000 calories of it or more, so it's not worth it to me most days. Sometimes if I know I'll be going where there's a lot of food or I'm planning on going out to eat or I really have a huge craving for some sort of junk, I'll restrict my calories all day and be hungry so I have room left over to have that burger and fries or big plate at the potluck or full restaurant portion or whatever. But I'm eating 1800 calories a day (which is 1400 less than maintenance), so I have more wiggle room than most people. I try not to eat a bunch at lunch and make up for it with dinner, that kind of sucks for me.

    If I'm on the road or out where there's mostly just fast food available, I'm perfectly happy going to subway or chipotle instead of getting something greasy and loaded with calories.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    It's the sort of food I crave atnight, so I just have to distractmyself until everywhere is closed.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    Getting naked in front of a mirror will usually kill a fast food or junk food craving. Whether you like what you see or what you don't!
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