Regularity of fast food consumption

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  • Baako
    Baako Posts: 9
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    Yeah, I always look up what something contains and then calculate things like how much it leaves me for the rest of the day and how much I expect to need. I've spent over 30 minutes cross references the nutritional information of various fast foods to work out which would be the least damaging. I was truly shocked to find out that the Dominos garlic and herb dip by itself contains a whopping 174 calories!
  • Inebriated
    Inebriated Posts: 271
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    Some people will say it is and some people will say it's not. In the end, it all comes down to how you feel about it. I still consume fast food from time to time (and even Ben And Jerry's icecream when I'm craving it :love: ) and I've still had steady weight loss. For me, this is sustainable. You need to find what works for you.
  • brittanidigby
    brittanidigby Posts: 247 Member
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    I eat fast food and have Starbucks several times a week and I feel great. The only reason I feel bad is if it's my rest day because I feel like I need to workout. I just control my portions and stay under my calorie goal. I'm not going to make the same mistakes I've made in the past with trying to lose weight, by that I mean cutting everything I love out, what a way to fail.
  • Lindy901
    Lindy901 Posts: 71 Member
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    As anything a little isn't going to hurt anyone. We have pizza most Friday nights. I just plan for it and it works out okay. Once in a while I'll hit Culver's. That's about the extent of my fast food experience. We haven't been much of a fast food family anyway so I wasn't giving too much up.
  • nahralynn
    nahralynn Posts: 125 Member
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    OBVIOUSLY not an expert here but I can tell you from experience that I feel a huge difference going from sticking under my calories and macros by eating whatever I want such as fast food, chocolate, and cakes with veggies thrown in here and there just to get in enough for the day to what how I am eating right now. I am currently doing a no meat, no dairy, no oil challenge for 28 days. I'm a week in and I FEEL healthier. I noticed that I have more energy during the day (but this could also be because i've been doing more exercise as well), I've been eating less throughout the day because meals are filling me up more, and I haven't had any huge cravings for anything. I could easily eat a burger at a fast food joint and then be hungry soon after but I haven't really had this feeling yet. Eating the way I am is suppose to lower your cholesterol level a big amount even in the short time that we're doing this (If curious we are following the Engine 2 Diet which is part of the Forks over Knives deal) and I wish I could have gotten my blood work done first to see if it's true.

    Everyone is different though. We are trying this and if we feel like it's something we can stick with we probably will (though I think I'll be the one to add some fish during the week and my boyfriend will go back to his steaks haha) and if we can't, no biggie! I personally think if you want to eat fast food and stuff and stay under your calories to lose weight .. go for it, it's YOUR body. For me eating fast food made me feel .. heavy (despite the fact I AM heavy, it made me FEEL that way) .. and eating mostly vegetables and fruits (processed stuff can be used doing this btw, but you have to watch for oils and how many calories from fat, sugar, and sodium are in it) makes me FEEL healthy. It fits our lifestyle as I am home most of the time I can plan out meals and take the time to cook them. You have to make things work for your lifestyle though, what makes you feel better?
  • littlesis412
    littlesis412 Posts: 314 Member
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    Yeah, don't eat the sauces. They make you want to cry. So, yeah yeah fast food is bad but some of us depend on it at times. Here's my very unexpert two cents. Taco bell now has a "fresca" (fresh) line of tacos that are lower in calories. Stay away from the cheese sauce and refried beans. Subway isn't bad, especially if you stick to meats like turkey and maybe tuna. A lot of people here skip the cheese. And they usually even have a sign saying which dressings are low cal. McDonalds classic chicken sandwich I think is their lowest item. The salads sound innocent but add lots of meat, dressing, bacon (yes it's meat too), and cheese and you'd be better off with the big mac. Pizza, I can usually limit myself to one slice and some bread sticks but I think you're doing better than me there. Personally, when I eat out, I'll get a burger or something and make a salad at home. That way I know exactly what's going on it and I save some money. For nutrition, taking vitamins help. It's better if you get it from food but no one is perfect. I'm a college student so fast food is just part of my life, which is probably why it's taking so long for me to lose weight. But I wish you luck and hope this helps.
  • E1rlindsay
    E1rlindsay Posts: 32 Member
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    I also track sodium and sugar...too much of either of those will stall my weight loss; I'll still indulge in certain foods that aren't exactly "diet friendly." I just determine if it's worth working out for longer in the gym...usually it's not, though. I haven't had what would be defined as "classic fast food" in like 2-3 months, though...
  • E1rlindsay
    E1rlindsay Posts: 32 Member
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    and steer clear of the tuna at subway! it's made with full fat mayo :) but you can go with pretty much any other meat choice
  • DelilahFreeman
    DelilahFreeman Posts: 29 Member
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    I was a lover of fast food and I guess you could say I still am..... BUT I now refuse to eat most of what you can get from fast food restaurants. There are a lot more options with fast food now, which includes a number of rather healthy options- grilled chicken, variety of salads, yogurts, etc BUT the burgers, pizza, and fried foods- No thank you! The calories are one thing but the fat, sodium, and carbs are an entirely different story.

    I say different strokes for different folks and what works for me doesn't work for everyone but I have adapted a new outlook on food in general... I am only as good and as healthy as the food/drink I consume and I do not want to be a Big Mac OR a Dominoe's Pizza. I'd rather make my turkey burger or my spinach pizza and feel confident in the ingredients used. I don't expect everyone to agree, just sharing my 2 cent. Cheers to a happy & healthy you!

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  • Baako
    Baako Posts: 9
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    I've been avoiding Subway like the plague as I've heard a few people criticise it for being completely awful calorie-wise, but judging by some of the posts here I'm starting to think they may be wrong. Having a naughty chicken sub every once in a while would be nice to have as an alternative option to pizza. :)

    And sadly we don't have Taco Bell over here so their healthy range isn't an option for me. :(
  • E1rlindsay
    E1rlindsay Posts: 32 Member
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    i like to get the roast beef, with all the veggies i can image and olive oil blend, 6 inch on wheat...it gets me about 350 calories, 10 grams of fat (higher, but healthy olive oil fat) and about 720 mg of sodium, 44 carbs; not GREAT in sodium and carbs, but better than a burger and fries!
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    I've been avoiding Subway like the plague as I've heard a few people criticise it for being completely awful calorie-wise, but judging by some of the posts here I'm starting to think they may be wrong. Having a naughty chicken sub every once in a while would be nice to have as an alternative option to pizza. :)

    And sadly we don't have Taco Bell over here so their healthy range isn't an option for me. :(

    subway isn't awful. but their list of low-cal option sis small. and their list of low-sodium options is smaller. better off finding a local sandwich shop. odds are they aren't using a bunch of processed meats like subway.

    and for bread, the best option calorie wise is actually the italian white.
  • DelilahFreeman
    DelilahFreeman Posts: 29 Member
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    I've been avoiding Subway like the plague as I've heard a few people criticise it for being completely awful calorie-wise, but judging by some of the posts here I'm starting to think they may be wrong. Having a naughty chicken sub every once in a while would be nice to have as an alternative option to pizza. :)

    And sadly we don't have Taco Bell over here so their healthy range isn't an option for me. :(


    Subway= Wonderful! My husband and I had it for dinner today. He had the turkey breast on italian for 280 cal and I had veggie delite on italian for 230 cal. It's all about good choices. They DO have unhealthy options as well. We just do mustard/salt & pepper - no mayo/oil/or dressings.
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
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    If you love fast food, check your blood pressure.

    Restaurants in general put too much salt in the food, but fast food is especially bad about this. I was a little heartbroken when I looked at Applebee's new 550 calorie menu and discovered each of their low-cal entrées have more than 1500 mg of sodium.

    The USDA recommends less than 1500 mg of sodium/day for people with high blood pressure. I think it's 2300 mg/day for everybody else.

    I'd say as long as your blood pressure is normal, keep doing what works. If you think you should cut back, reduce it gradually. Say, if your last fast food trip was 10 days ago, try to put off the next one for 12 days or 15 days or something. Trying to change too much too fast will just as likely throw you off course.

    But keep an eye on your blood pressure (you can check it at most pharmacies) and if it starts going high, talk to your doctor and be ready to cut back on the fast food.
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
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    i eat subway almost daily.

    i have a slip meal at some other fast food place about once a month. i do my best to stay below my calorie goals those days as well.

    i suppose, as with everything, dosage is key.

    my evidence is, of course, anecdotal, and i am not a physician. nor do i play one on tv.
  • kstep88
    kstep88 Posts: 403 Member
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    Moderation is key. Clean foods (fresh) are always best, but not always possible. I eat out sometimes and don't feel bad. I love date nights out with my husband. :)

    Aside from tracking the carbs, fats and proteins.. I track Fiber and Sodium. I always need the extra fiber and I have serious sodium problem. I am trying to keep my sodium at 1500, but it is always around 1900-2000. It used to be wayyyyyy more!

    :) Good Luck
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
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    Yucky.. I wouldn't necessarily say Taco Bell is real food.. haha.. so I don't think you are missing much there. Yeah, you could go for the Subway sub. If you choose the white bread, it might leave you hungry very soon after eating it.
    I've been avoiding Subway like the plague as I've heard a few people criticise it for being completely awful calorie-wise, but judging by some of the posts here I'm starting to think they may be wrong. Having a naughty chicken sub every once in a while would be nice to have as an alternative option to pizza. :)

    And sadly we don't have Taco Bell over here so their healthy range isn't an option for me. :(
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
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    I want to know why fast food has to be soo high in calories? I understand the fries, because they are fried in oil. Oil is very high in calories. But when McDonalds, for example, makes a new hamburger, do they say "What is the highest calorie content we can make this?, What is the highest calorie cheese? What is the highest calorie mayo?", etc.

    I wonder why they can't cut back on some of those calories.. we wouldn't know the difference.. we just want the food! :)

    You can google the Twinkie Diet. From my understanding, a professor completed a challenge to eat nothing but twinkies (full of sugar) and lost weight and improved some of his health. He stayed under a certain amount of calories.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I probably eat fast food 3 times a week. It has NOT derailed my fitness goals.
  • cutie2b
    cutie2b Posts: 194 Member
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    Hi. I don't necessarily think fast food should be disallowed or anything like that, but I read your post, and I have a question from what you said: "Because of my success I decided to treat myself to something pretty naughty, a pizza from Dominos." And I am only going to say this because I have issues with using food for emotional reasons. But it sounds to me like you are using food as a reward for dieting, and I think that mind set of using food for rewards can be complicated or lead to other issues in the future. I say that from my own personal experience, so I may be reading too much into what you said. Instead of getting a pizza to celebrate eating healthy, have you thought of using something else to reward yourself to celebrate your accomplishment that isn't food? And I know that doesn't address your question. I generally don't eat fast food because of the money cost of it. I save more by cooking at home, but on occasion I go out to eat or have fast food.

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