Fast food is generally considered an enemy of weight loss. Many selections are high in fat, calories, sodium and sugar, with few nutrients. Whether you find yourself traveling, with friends who insist on a fast-food run or simply cannot face cooking, you can still make occasional trips to fast-food restaurants and lose weight.
Significance
Fast food often consists of processed burgers, fried chicken or fried fish on white bread. French fries or onion rings are common side dished, washed down with milkshakes or soda. The fats used to make fast food is usually saturated or man-made trans fats --- both of which raise your levels of bad cholesterol and decrease your levels of good cholesterol, the American Heart Association notes. Most fast-food meals provide little in the way of vegetables, fruit or whole grains. They are high in sodium, preservatives and sugar. For example, according to a fast-food calorie counter maintained by the "Washington Post" newspaper, order the Angus Steak Burger, medium-sized onion rings and a large soda at Burger King, and you'll get more than 1,200 calories and 28 grams of fat. At KFC, two pieces of Original Recipe chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and cole slaw packs 830 calories and 42 g of fat. A spicy chicken sandwich, medium fries and a small Frosty from Wendy's adds up to 1,230 calories and 44 g of fat.
Healthier Choices
Certain restaurants offer choices that may fit better into a weight-loss plan. Order plain hamburgers without cheese and sauces instead of ¼- or ½-pound or steak versions. Grilled chicken, again without cheese or sauce, usually contains fewer calories than beef or fried chicken patties. Opt for a baked potato or plain side salad instead of fries. Order diet versions of soda or stick to unsweetened iced tea or water. Ask for whole-wheat buns, if available, to try to fulfill the suggestion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guide pyramid that you get a minimum of 3 ounces of whole grains daily.
Considerations
Even if you make healthy choices, much fast food still contains excessive amounts of sugar and sodium, which do not contribute nutrition to a calorie-restricted diet for weight loss. Fast-food salads can be diet-friendly options, though some are small and may not fill you up. Moreover, salads with crispy noodles, cheese, candied nuts and fried chicken may contain more calories and fat than some fast-food sandwiches. Order salads with low-fat, low-calorie dressings and use just half the package, or less, to keep calories in check.
Strategy
If you crave fast food, consider treating yourself to it just one meal a week. Strive to eat healthy for the other 20 meals by loading up on low-calorie fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins like skinless chicken, fish or beans. When you do eat fast food, avoid the urge to "super-size" the meal. Eat your fast-food meal on a day that you perform a little extra physical activity --- maybe add 15 minutes to your treadmill workout or an extra walk to your day. While this amount of exercise will not completely cancel out your indulgence, it can help minimize the calorie impact.
Alternatives
While you can make choices at a fast-food restaurant that will not blow your weight-loss goals, there are other quick options. Run into the grocery store instead and pick up a rotisserie chicken and a pre-washed salad mix. Eat just the breast, without the skin, and use lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil to dress the salad. Another option is to be pre-emptive and keep a few frozen, low-calorie dinners stashed in your freezer for those nights when you simply cannot or will not cook. Consider thinking outside of traditional "dinner" foods --- make eggs for dinner, have a bowl of cereal with fruit or put together a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread. If you have kids, they might get a kick out of the change --- and would also be better off without the fast food.
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