Eating fast food and meeting my caloric intake

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optionsguy88
optionsguy88 Posts: 325 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Aside from the cost of eating out, is it really that bad to east food as long as I’m not going above my calorie limit?

I know fast food isn’t healthy; it’s fried and processed and blah blah blah; but are there really any real concerns? Take subway for example. That’s fast food, it’s somewhat healthy.

Tell me I’m wrong.

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited April 2018
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    Nope. No concerns. Unless you have medical issues with the sodium or something.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    CICO and IIFYM both say yes.

    Watch your sodium and hydration levels.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I ate some fast food while losing weight, no problems.

    Some people say they aren't filled up by fast food, and if that's the case for you it can make sticking to your calorie goal more difficult. But I find the fast food I tend to get rather filling and found it easy to fit into my calorie goal a couple of times a week.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    When I worked overnight, I often found it much easier and healthier to eat from the McD's dollar menu than it was to eat what was available in my company's canteen. Now I work daytime hours but feel the same way a lot... The meals they serve here are terribly high calorie and high sodium!
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited April 2018
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    From a calorie standpoint, no problem at all.

    From a nutrition standpoint, there are no good or bad foods. You want an overall intake that gets you at least enough protein, fat, and micronutrients to keep you nourished.

    From a satiation standpoint, you can experiment to find the mix of foods and portion amounts that keep you satisfied while still meeting your calorie and nutrition goals. That might mean choosing different items from what you used to choose when you eat fast food or doing so less frequently or supplementing the fast food with extra veggies.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I think the fast food has better chance of accuracy compared to say restaurant or similar where portions aren't so controlled.
    Though that depends on type of fast food too - bag/box of fries can be pretty variable by decent amount.
    Container of chili not so bad, potato neither.

    Subway for the high cal stuff is using set portions of cheese and meat. It's the dressing that could be way off menu estimated. Similar for like Chipotle and sour cream.
    My Panda Express never been close to stated serving size when I've weighed. More, but that's fine.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I gave up deep fried fast food for two reasons. 1) Fried food is calorie dense 2) It is not good for cholesterol. Switching from fried chicken to grilled was easy. I think french fries a potato chips was the toughest to say no to. Regarding Subway, I feel pretty good about that but if you really want to limit calories you need to lose the mayo and stick with mustard on a sandwich. I have been trying to limit my processed meat intake so now I pack a lunch. It limits temptation and saves a lot of cash. Saves enough time for a quick walk too.
  • optionsguy88
    optionsguy88 Posts: 325 Member
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    @seska422
    Aren’t there bad fats? Aren’t these typically in fast food?
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    optionsguy88 wrote: »
    @seska422
    Aren’t there bad fats? Aren’t these typically in fast food?

    No, not really. And not anymore.

    Unless you have specific risk factors for specific metabolic items, don't obsess about the little things.
  • optionsguy88
    optionsguy88 Posts: 325 Member
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    @stanmann571

    Ok cool thanks
  • DomesticKat
    DomesticKat Posts: 565 Member
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    I ate a 12 inch sub from Subway yesterday for lunch and woke up .6 pounds lighter today, so I would say no. As long as it fits into your calorie goals, you'll lose weight.
  • optionsguy88
    optionsguy88 Posts: 325 Member
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    @DomesticKat I don’t think a 12 in sub would fit into my stomach
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
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    I eat out once or twice a week, for convenience (I live quite far away from where I spend most of my day- work, family etc). My faves are Subway, Sushi, a salad from Pita Pit or similar or a McDonalds salad and one of the lower-calorie burgers (although McDonalds is occasional).

    I’m happy to eat these foods on occasion, as I eat a healthy diet at all other times with plenty of fresh veggies, a good balance of carbs, healthy fats and proteins. And when I do eat these foods,
    I make sure they fit into my daily (or weekly) calorie allowance.

    My bloodwork is all good, and I can’t see any evidence that eating out once or twice a week has impacted my weight loss (I’ve been losing steadily since the start of the year). So I’m happy to include them, as long as they’re part of a balanced diet, which they are!
  • adele012
    adele012 Posts: 78 Member
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    I had a 6 inch meatball sub and some baked bbq chips the other day and it was great. So I’d say as long as you’re hitting your goals then go for it.

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