How to Lose Weight Eating Fast Food
Introduction
You may be a fast food junkie and eat in your car all the time – especially in the summer when there’s so much to see and do, and you’re often on the road. However, that doesn’t mean you have to gain weight. Take a few simple precautions about what you’re putting into your mouth and you will soon see a difference on your tummy and thighs.
Instructions
Step One
Investigate all the choices at fast food restaurants. Be very selective, choose the healthiest selections and your efforts will trim calories. Choose grilled over fried chicken and avoid the fish sandwich. It’s always fried, and it has more calories than a burger.
Step Two
Stop ordering combo meals. They may be convenient, but they mean more calories. Order single items. You’ll find the cost is not much different.
Step Three
Take off half the bun from a burger and save half the calories. Better yet, take the bottom half off, cut the top part in half and this will make your beef or chicken patty seem twice as big.
Step Four
Don’t smother your salad with dressing. Keep it on the side. Dip your fork in it before you scoop up the greens. You’ll still get the taste, but eat fewer calories. And choose vinaigrette salad dressing instead of ranch. If you do that alone, you save 130 calories.
Step Five
Avoid super-sized meals. Downsize your order to a kids meal if possible. You can always go back and order something else if you’re still hungry.
Step Six
Don't drink soda or juice drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Choose diet soda, coffee, tea or water instead. If you have seltzer with lemon instead of a sweet soda, you save 310 calories.
Step Seven
Avoid mayonnaise or special sauce and you save up to 170 calories per sandwich. Stick with mustard, pickles, onions and ketchup.
Step Eight
Don’t order cheese and Beef extras. You can have some Beef bits or some cheese on the side if you want the taste, but don’t use it all.
Step Nine
Eat at fast-food restaurants with a friend so you can share. On your own you will always eat the full order.
Step Ten
Cut down on french fries because they are loaded with calories.
Step Eleven
Choose low-fat ice cream or ice milk for dessert. Again, think of sharing the dessert. Avoid the pies and turnovers, and anything made of fried dough.
Step Twelve
Choose a fruit salad as a side dish or dessert.
Step Thirteen
Try to limit your visits to fast-food restaurants. No more than twice a week is a good rule of thumb.
Step Fourteen
If your passion runs to frozen dinners you may already be on a good weight loss diet. Researchers at the University of Illinois recently found that frozen dinners may help speed weight loss. Look out for meals that contain 350 to 400 calories per package and about 20 grams of protein.
Tips & Warnings
The secret to making any diet work is sticking with it and making compromises that will add up to weight loss.
Read “The Fast Food Diet” by cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, MD. He says you can lose weight easily if you choose menu items carefully and exercise regularly. Sinatra recommends eating about 1,500 calories and walking 1 mile a day.
Nutritious meals that can be prepared fast in 15 minutes or less so check out cookbooks that deals with this topic. Look at celebrity chef Rachael Ray’s series of books about cooking a meal in less than 30 minutes for ideas.
A typical fast food meal gets about 40-50 percent of its calories from fat which is dangerous if you do it too often since the American Heart Association recommends eating only foods that get 30 percent or less of their calories from fat.
How to Find Healthier Fast Foods
Everyone likes fast food but eating it doesn't always have to be bad.
Instructions
Step1
Chicken usually beats anything made out of beef. If they are cooked the same way, chicken will almost always have a lower fat content than beef.
Step2
Anything that is grilled or baked will be healthier than something that is battered and deep fried.
Step3
Deli foods are typically made fresh ingredients, are lower in fat and overall calories than hamburgers, pizzas and other popular fast food choices.
Step4
If you don't like water, try something other than cola. Get a fruit juice or ice tea.
Step5
Get a side other than fries. They are deep fried and contain hydrogenated oils that contribute trans fats to your diet. You can now substitute fries with chili, a baked potato or salad.
Step6
you can always curb your appetite by drinking more liquids (i.e. water, tea and coffee) before a meal. You'll be full faster and eat less.
How to Buy Healthy Fast Food
Is this really possible? To a degree, if you make careful selections. Some fast-food restaurants have responded to health concerns with revised menus, which include salads and meatless burgers. Even McDonald's recently announced a policy of moving toward beef produced without hormones and antibiotics. When you're out with the kids or on a road trip, we've got tips for quick and healthy noshing.
Instructions
Step One
Opt for grilled, broiled or steamed entre'es over fried. Chicken, turkey and fish are leaner than ground beef.
Step Two
Say no to special sauces, cheese, mayonnaise and Beef; they'll pack on the calories, fat and cholesterol.
Step Three
Order regular or junior meals instead of supersize meals. If you have a big appetite, include a side salad with low-cal dressing.
Step Four
Pick up a salad. Leafy greens, veggies and beans are great but be frugal with Beef bits, cheese, mayonnaise-based salads and creamy dressings. Avoid fried tortilla shells.
Step Five
Hold the dressing in exchange for dessert--creamy salad dressings have more calories and fat in a single serving than a large cookie.
Step Six
Drink water, skim milk or unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.
Step Seven
Expand your definition of fast food: sub sandwiches or wraps with lean meat (no cheese, no mayo), burritos (no cheese, no sour cream), Greek kebabs or pitas, and Japanese bento boxes (ask for low-sodium soy sauce) are tasty, convenient alternatives to the usual burgers and fries.
Step Eight
Stock up on "fast food" while grocery shopping: cottage cheese, yogurt, minicarrots (peeled and washed), and fresh fruit.
What To Look For
- Grilled, broiled or steamed
- Regular or junior size
- Low- or no-fat dressings
- Fresh veggies
- Unsweetened drinks
Overall Tips & Warnings
Pick a baked potato (hold the sour cream) for a good nutritional choice. French fries, however, do not satisfy the nutritional requirements of a vegetable serving and are very high in fat.
A pizza with tomato sauce, veggie toppings and low-fat cheese is a relatively healthy meal.
How to Eat Out Healthfully
Eating out doesn't have to mean eating unhealthfully. There are many foods you can enjoy while dining out without raising your blood cholesterol and sacrificing the health of your heart. These guidelines follow the recommendations of the American Heart Association.
Instructions
Breakfast
Step One
Request omelettes and scrambled eggs prepared from egg substitutes or egg whites only.
Step Two
Avoid high-fat meats such as Beef and sausage.
Step Three
Be careful in your consumption of dairy products. Try low-fat or nonfat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, and skim milk with your cereals.
Step Four
Drink fruit juices instead of coffee.
Step Five
Watch the spreads that you eat. Try an English muffin, toast or a bagel with jam or margarine instead of butter.
Step Six
Eat plenty of fresh fruits, either alone or with a waffle.
Step Seven
Consider ordering hot cereals such as oatmeal, cream of wheat or cream of rice - or eat whole-grain cold cereals.
Lunch and Dinner
Step One
Look for steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted dishes.
Step Two
Avoid high-fat foods such as fried, basted, braised, au gratin, escalloped, sautéed, stewed or stuffed dishes, as well as creamy and buttery foods.
Step Three
Avoid foods high in salt or MSG, as well as gravy and sauces. If you plan to eat salad dressings and sauces, ask for them on the side.
Step Four
Trim fat off meat and skin off poultry.
Step Five
Try fruit, ices, sherbet or nonfat frozen yogurt for dessert.
Tips & Warnings
Look for low-fat menus.
Don't hesitate to make special requests at a restaurant or to send back meals that are not prepared as you want them.
Overall Tips & Warnings
If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.