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Fast food and obesity
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For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.
I have no issue reigning in calories at fast food restaurants as their serving sizes are frankly easier to work with than a sit down restaurant. I am quite satisfied with a Big Mac (540 Calories), Coke Zero, and a Side Garden Salad with a little vinegar and pepper sprinkled on it (40 Calories) as a meal. When I go to a sit down restaurant the average entree is easily 1500 calories which I find very difficult to not eat the whole thing at one sitting. I usually try to find the lower calorie options since I have too well taught to eat everything on my plate.0 -
Guitarman1994 wrote: »Any place you can go and intake your entire day of caloric intake in one meal is not good. And the sodium and cholesterol is at an extreme! Stay home and make something. It's called fast food for a reason! Stay healthy all!!
I can do that at home (eat a whole day's calories in one meal). I don't add nearly as much salt to my food tho. Dietary cholesterol is of no concern for healthy people, per the most recent studies.
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rileysowner wrote: »For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.
I have no issue reigning in calories at fast food restaurants as their serving sizes are frankly easier to work with than a sit down restaurant. I am quite satisfied with a Big Mac (540 Calories), Coke Zero, and a Side Garden Salad with a little vinegar and pepper sprinkled on it (40 Calories) as a meal. When I go to a sit down restaurant the average entree is easily 1500 calories which I find very difficult to not eat the whole thing at one sitting. I usually try to find the lower calorie options since I have too well taught to eat everything on my plate.
At least fast food restaurants list their nutritional information as well. Sit down chains have been fighting hard to keep people in the dark since their meals are as high or higher than fast food. It's amazing how much fat and carbs you can stuff into nachos and spinach dip!3 -
For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.
I find it harder to do in a restaurant where they don't have nutrition information, give excessive portions, and add in high cal ingredients that I might not be aware of (many seem not to realize how much butter is used even -- or maybe especially -- at fine dieting restaurants, or that a salad can be super high cal).
I go out to eat a lot (to interesting restaurants -- I rarely like chains, but local places), and it's a pain, since they don't have to disclose calories and don't, and I wouldn't expect them to as it would be burdensome given how they work and change the menu and so on, and probably not that reliable. So I am conscious that (1) I should watch portion size (at least some fine dining places have more reasonable portion sizes, but lots of ethnic places are killer here or involve family style as I normally get them, like Ethiopian, which is going to be a calorie bomb for me); and (2) assume it's a lot higher cal than a similar dish I would make at home.
These types of restaurants really don't form that high a percentage of American eating outside the home, though.
Fast food places DON'T fit into the things that give me problems when eating out. (I don't eat fast food, but as mentioned above I buy lunch at quick serve places on occasion, and find that really easy to do when watching calories, and fast food would be for the same reason.) The reasons, to recap, are that they DO provide calorie information, you have much more control over the size of your meal (since you choose it in advance, you don't learn after the fact that your pasta dish is 4 servings so you need to control yourself and eat only 25% of what's on your plate), and you can look up the ingredients (no hidden butter!).
(Obviously it's not really hidden, although moreso than the supposedly hidden sugar everywhere. No matter what the restaurant they will answer questions about ingredients. I usually don't bother asking, but as I eat out with a vegan friend a lot and other pickier friends, I have witnessed it.)0 -
For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.
I find fast food the easiest to control my calories. I'm still jetlagged and husband was exhausted from work last night, so we grabbed Taco Bell instead of cooking. My dinner was 550 calories, his was 800. My problem with fast food is satiety - it's fine when I'm only kinda sorta hungry, like last night, but when I'm ravenous and it's going to be a long time until my next meal, I need something bulkier with more fiber and a giant slab of lean protein. If I wasn't calorie-conscious, it would be easy to overeat fast food in an effort to feel full.
I'm great at making meals in the 400-600 calorie range, but if I make a 600 calorie meal of parsmesan-crusted salmon with roasted broccoli and brown rice, it's really tempting to start rooting around in the wine fridge for a nice rosé, and oh the bottle's open, might as well finish it, and here's a square of chocolate for dessert, and bam we're at almost 1000 calories. Eating at home actually takes more self-control than fast food because there's the constant temptation to enhance the meal.
Going out to restaurants... Well, *kitten* it. I enjoy food. I'm going to eat what I enjoy, calories be damned. I'm a part-time food critic, so it's kind of my job to order the most appetizing, interesting things on the menu even when they're calorie bombs. I just try to be portion-conscious and box up half of a big meal. I also try to limit how much I go out to restaurants, both for diet and financial reasons - I gravitate toward fine dining, which is not cheap.1 -
healthy491 wrote: »Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?
Yes blame them these are the only fast options that are available at some hours of the day. They put all those burgers and fries and tacos out there for this accessibility to the ppl. Now what you choose to eat is on you. You can always opt for a salad from most fast food places. Wendy's and even McDonalds has salads but I know most ppl get the other stuff when they go thru a drive thru at McDonalds or whatever.... Chick Fil A is good too. But if you are serious about weight loss then you can do meal prep so you dont have to even worry about picking up food.
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healthy491 wrote: »Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?
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Connieluvsfitness wrote: »healthy491 wrote: »Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?
Yes blame them these are the only fast options that are available at some hours of the day. They put all those burgers and fries and tacos out there for this accessibility to the ppl. Now what you choose to eat is on you. You can always opt for a salad from most fast food places. Wendy's and even McDonalds has salads but I know most ppl get the other stuff when they go thru a drive thru at McDonalds or whatever.... Chick Fil A is good too. But if you are serious about weight loss then you can do meal prep so you dont have to even worry about picking up food.
I ate fast food several times a week during my active weight loss phase and continue to do so now several years into maintenance, and I rarely chose the salad option (which can be very calorie dense). I ate/eat burgers, fries, tacos, pizza, subs etc-just smaller portion sizes that fit with my calorie goals.3 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »Connieluvsfitness wrote: »healthy491 wrote: »Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?
Yes blame them these are the only fast options that are available at some hours of the day. They put all those burgers and fries and tacos out there for this accessibility to the ppl. Now what you choose to eat is on you. You can always opt for a salad from most fast food places. Wendy's and even McDonalds has salads but I know most ppl get the other stuff when they go thru a drive thru at McDonalds or whatever.... Chick Fil A is good too. But if you are serious about weight loss then you can do meal prep so you dont have to even worry about picking up food.
I ate fast food several times a week during my active weight loss phase and continue to do so now several years into maintenance, and I rarely chose the salad option (which can be very calorie dense). I ate/eat burgers, fries, tacos, pizza, subs etc-just smaller portion sizes that fit with my calorie goals.
My experience as well, but it depends so much on the individual. Most don't find fast food filling, and there's plenty to suggest that it's designed to induce greater consumption so for many it wouldn't be a great idea to be eating it regularly but as a treat once in a while I don't see the issue as long as you maintain your deficit you'll be fine.2 -
Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.0
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GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
Be careful of the trans fats.2 -
I think the majority of the ownership should be on the individual and not on the fast food place. We are all able to choose what, where and when we eat. However, the fast food companies make it very easy for general public to fall prey to their methods. "Fast"... everyone, at least in my country, is looking for everything fast! No one seems to have the time or the energy to shop mindfully and prepare their own food choices at home. It's also "cheap" or at least cheaper than a lot of other options. Plus... you crave what you eat. If you're eating junk food you're going to crave junk food.0
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GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
Yep, current kid's meal.1 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.
At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.
My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.
I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.1 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.
At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.
My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.
I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.
One word for pink slime: Delicious!
All kidding aside, in Canada it was banned AFAIK.
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.
At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.
My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.
I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.
One word for pink slime: Delicious! All kidding aside, in Canada it was banned AFAIK.
It has never been allowed without clear labeling in Canada, and it has not been used in the US for a long time either. It was just another way to demonize McDonald's, the company which most people go after.5 -
rileysowner wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.
At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.
My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.
I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.
One word for pink slime: Delicious! All kidding aside, in Canada it was banned AFAIK.
It has never been allowed without clear labeling in Canada, and it has not been used in the US for a long time either. It was just another way to demonize McDonald's, the company which most people go after.
That's what I have read as well. The pink slime is long gone.
@GaleHawkins why are you afraid of the slime but not if the trans fats you intake in the sausage?5 -
Packerjohn wrote: »
My personal opinion is that this is probably not healthy(main point), and that probably won't be able to fit in a lot of people's calorific and macronutrient goals. However, carbs protein and fat are what they are in calorific terms. So it would hurt if it was macdonalds or rice and chicken as long as it fits in your goals. The problem is people see this as a reason to eat junk all day as long as it "fits" so to speak, therefore feeling sluggish and unmotivated to do anything. I eat some junk everyday, but within my own moderated limits, that make me feel good. So experiment with what makes you feel good :-) just do you and all will be well.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.
I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.
At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.
My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.
I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.
One word for pink slime: Delicious! All kidding aside, in Canada it was banned AFAIK.
It has never been allowed without clear labeling in Canada, and it has not been used in the US for a long time either. It was just another way to demonize McDonald's, the company which most people go after.
That's what I have read as well. The pink slime is long gone.
@GaleHawkins why are you afraid of the slime but not if the trans fats you intake in the sausage?
Nearest I can tell there's perhaps 0.2 g of trans fat per 48g serving of a sausage patty at mcd's (gleaned from a website not associated with mcd's, so I don't know how accurate that is). On mcds website it lists 0g trans fats per serving (which of course can mean up to 0.5g). But the ingredients listed contains only pork, spices, dextrose... No hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats). If there are trans fats, are they those naturally occurring in the meat? Fwiu, those are not concerning; the ones that have been shown to be dangerous are the ones made from hydrogenating or partially hydrogenating vegetable or seed oils, not those that are naturally occurring in meat (there are different types of trans fats).
Can you link to the source showing how much trans fat is present, and where it is coming from?
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