Pick The Right Fast Food Diet For Fast Weight Loss

For years fast food has been associated with weight gain and junk food. But in recent years, an increasing number of fast food restaurants have begun offering healthful options. Maybe we should thank Jared Fogle, the "Subway guy" who turned people on to the idea of eating low-fat sub sandwiches piled high with vegetables every day for lunch and dinner. Or, we mind owe the wave of new healthful eating options at fast food restaurants to Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who drew attention to the role fast food plays in obesity in America through his documentary, "Super Size Me."

Going on a McDiet

Spurlock gained weight as part of an experiment. He ate only McDonald's food. He chose the super size meal when it was offered to him and ate every item on the menu. He gained more than 25 pounds eating fast foods. His cholesterol levels went off the charts during the one month experiment.

But other people have tried other versions of their own McDiet. Instead of eating Big Macs and baked apple pies, they select a plain English muffin for breakfast (150 calories) and minimize their portions such a small order of fries and hamburger.

If you eat at McDonald's indulge in no more than one fatty item. Then order a salad or a yoghurt or apples. Just go easy on the fattening dressings.

Take a second to plan ahead

Many fast food restaurants, such as Wendy's, now offers the option of substituting oranges, baked potato, salad or low-fat chili for the fries. You can also go online to check out the number of calories and fat grams in most fast food items. Wendy's even lets you customize a meal, automatically calculating the nutritional information for you.

If you are going to frequent a fast food restaurant, take a few seconds to look up the dietary information online ahead of time so you don't have to worry about your selections once you are faced with a menu of temping choices such as double cheeseburgers and deep-fried items.

Be wary of bread

While most people can tolerate bread earlier in the day, be careful not to eat too many fast food items containing bread products. Some people can not tolerate gluten which is found in most bread. Also, the yeast in breads can aggravate Candida, a naturally occurring yeast in the body which can get out of balance and prevent weight loss.

The best advice is to limit your number of bread servings each day. If you are still feeling bloated, choose salads with lean protein and forgo bread for a few days.

Fogle, who recently wrote a book, Jared, the Subway Guy: Winning Through Losing: 13 Lessons for Turning Life Around (St Martins Press, Aug 2006), says he ate a 6 inch turkey sub for lunch and a foot-long all-veggie sub for dinner. But he did not snack in between.

Fogle became famous after losing more than 100 pounds by following his own fast food diet in 2000.

If you decide to eat at Subway, stick with their 6 inch sandwiches with less than 6 grams of fat and between 230 and 320 calories. If you have more lean muscle mass than the average person and a high metabolism, feel free to indulge in based potato chips. Just avoid the diet soda pop at any fast food restaurant since researchers say it increases appetite and is associated with many health problems.

Focus on vegetables

Ten years ago most people never would have believed the word "vegetables" and fast food would be uttered in the same sentence. But you can find vegetables at fast food franchises such as Boston Market. Try the grilled chicken breast, new potatoes, green beans or butternut squash.

With two out of every three adults being overweight or obese, it's critical to be a smart consumer of fast food. You don't need to abstain, but be smart.

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