Lose your GUT with FAST FOOD!??!

[kmanrox]

http://sharpman.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=1030

Think a trip to a McDonaldhahaha8217;s take-out window will make you "Supersized"? Now therehahaha8217;s good news for guys whose usual lunch stop is Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC or the like. As it turns out, the right fast food choices can actually help you lose fat and build muscle.

No way, you say?

Read on for the SharpHealth facts on "40-30-30" fast food eating:

The 40-30-30 Skinny



Even SharpMen who eat hamburgers, tacos and fried chicken can maintain their weight hahaha8212; or even drop to a more desirable weight and build muscle hahaha8212; if they choose fast foods that balance protein, carbohydrates and fat. The best way to balance your meals is to make them 40-30-30. Whathahaha8217;s this? It means a little of everything:
40% of your calories from carbs,
30% from protein, and
30% from fat

(SharpNote: If this sounds like a lot of fat, ithahaha8217;s only the amount in a tablespoon or two of salad dressing.)

When you get the balance right, your meal fills you up and gives you energy. If the balance is tipped too far in one direction, like too many carbs or not enough fat, youhahaha8217;ll be feeling serious munchies in an hour or two and heading for the snack machine. Get the balance close to 40-30-30, and youhahaha8217;re good to go for four to six hours or until your next meal.

An example of a 40-30-30 meal is a medium-sized turkey sandwich on bread (not a hoagie roll) with avocado or mayo. Skip the fries and coke, and youhahaha8217;ve got a great stick-to-your-ribs, high-energy, low-calorie meal.

Sharp Burgers



How do you choose a burger that helps you build muscle rather than a gut, like the turkey sandwich described? Just order a medium-sized burger with a bun thathahaha8217;s not too big, so that the protein balances the carbs.

Is this a "no-carb" way of eating? No. 40-30-30 eating isnhahaha8217;t about eating a "low-carb" bun-less burger that falls apart while youhahaha8217;re driving. Ithahaha8217;s about eating a "smart-carb," burger that boasts a healthy balance of carbs and protein.

Whathahaha8217;s an example of a smart-carb burger? The McDonaldhahaha8217;s Big hahaha8216;N Tasty with Cheese. Why?
The meat and cheese in the Big hahaha8216;N Tasty give you a good serving of protein, and
The bun gives you the right amount of carbs, not too much or too little.

This smart combo of protein and carbs makes the McDonaldhahaha8217;s Big hahaha8216;N Tasty with Cheese a gut-shrinking winner. For those really looking to lose, ordering it without mayo slashes 110 calories.

What About Fries and Soda?

Herehahaha8217;s the kicker: youhahaha8217;ll do better just getting the burger without the fries and soda. What, you say, give up half my meal? When you eat a smart-carb burger, the bun gives you all the carbs you need. The fries and soft drink triple the carbs in the meal, making you gain weight and leading to the phenomenon of the "Supersized" gut, because too many carbs puts your body in fat-storing mode, making you gain fat rather than muscle. Conversely when you eat a 40-30-30 smart-carb meal, your metabolism keeps ripping, you feel more energized, and you build muscle rather than fat.

Want Fries with That?

Canhahaha8217;t give up your fries? Donhahaha8217;t worry. Order the burger without the bun (or toss the bun when you get it) and add an order of small fries. Small fries? you say. Howhahaha8217;s that going to keep me full?

Ithahaha8217;s all in the balance. Meals that balance protein and carbs fill you up better than a typical high-carb meal. You know the feeling of eating a big plate of pasta for lunch and being hungry an hour later? Food thathahaha8217;s heavy on carbs and light on protein, like a plate of pasta, sets off signals in your body that make you hungrier. An hour or two after eating a big pasta lunch, youhahaha8217;re heading to the vending machine for a candy bar and soda. Of course, this snack loads your system with more carbs, repeating the carbo-loading hunger cycle. By dinnertime, you feel low-energy and half-starved.

By eating a smart-carb meal that balances carbs with protein, you stay more full and energized without needing to chow down constantly. Thathahaha8217;s great news for your wallet and your health.

Sharp Fast Food Meals

Herehahaha8217;s a sample of some great muscle-building, gut-shrinking meals:

Breakfast

McDonaldhahaha8217;s

Sausage McMuffin with Egg

Carlhahaha8217;s Jr.

Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich with Ham

Hardeehahaha8217;s

Sunrise Croissant with Ham

Lunch/Dinner

McDonaldhahaha8217;s

Big hahaha8216;N Tasty with Cheese (no mayo)

Burger King

Whopper (no mayo, discard _ of the bun)

Taco Bell

1 Chicken Soft Taco and 1 Steak Soft Taco

KFC

Triple Crunch Sandwich (no sauce)

Jack in the Box

Ultimate Club Sandwich (no sauce)

Carlhahaha8217;s Jr.

Sourdough Bacon Cheeseburger

Hardeehahaha8217;s

2 Slammers

My new book, The Smart-Carb Guide to Eating Out: Fast Food and Family Restaurants (Penguin Avery, January 2005), lists hundreds of smart-carb meal choices from everyonehahaha8217;s favorite fast food restaurants, including:

A&W

Jack in the Box

Applebeehahaha8217;s

KFC

Arbyhahaha8217;s

Long John Silverhahaha8217;s

Au Bon Pain

McDonaldhahaha8217;s

Baja Fresh

Olive Garden

Blimpie

Outback Steakhouse

Boston Market

Panda Express

Burger King

Panera Bread

Carlhahaha8217;s Jr.

Pizza Hut

Chik-Fil-A

Red Lobster

Chilihahaha8217;s

Rubiohahaha8217;s Fresh Mexican Grill

Churchhahaha8217;s Chicken

Schlotzkyhahaha8217;s Deli

Dairy Queen

Subway

Del Taco

Taco Bell

Dennyhahaha8217;s

TGI Fridayhahaha8217;s

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Togohahaha8217;s

El Pollo Loco

Wendyhahaha8217;s

Hardeehahaha8217;s

Wienerschnitzel

In-N-Out



Smart-Carb Thirst-Quenchers

You can keep your meals smart-carb balanced by drinking water, unsweetened iced or hot tea, or unsweetened coffee instead of regular soda. Diet soda will work, but waterhahaha8217;s a better bet to stay healthy and keep your muscles hydrated.



The Sharp Fast Food Diet

To lose weight and lean out while still eating fast food, just eat any of the fast food meals above. Youhahaha8217;ll be cutting calories while getting enough protein to build muscle and keep you satisfied. To keep your energy up and stay full, eat a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast every day, either one of the breakfasts listed above or another breakfast that includes protein and keeps carbs in the right proportions. A good smart-carb breakfast is two eggs with cheese, a piece of toast, and an orange (not orange juice).



Staying Healthy While Eating Fast Food

If you eat fast food regularly, you can stay healthy by eating at least one meal a day that provides you with vitamins, minerals and fiber. For at least one of your meals, try eating a big salad or plate of cooked vegetables with some meat or fish. If the salad comes with croutons, go ahead and eat them - you need them for your carbs. Order the dressing on the side and use two or three spoonfuls of it.

You can also make a salad at a supermarket salad bar. Include a good helping of tuna, chicken or other meat. To get even more vitamins, pass on the croutons and get a piece of fruit, like a banana or apple, from the produce section. This way you can eat fast food for some of your meals and still stay healthy.



Sharp Snacks

When you eat smart-carb meals, ithahaha8217;s a good idea to eat smart-carb snacks, so you stay satisfied between meals. A good time to eat a snack is around 5:00 p.m. to hold you over until dinner. Eat another snack within an hour before going to bed to balance your metabolism and help you lean out while you sleep.

A great, high-energy, low-calorie snack is a handful of nuts, any kind, including almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios or macadamia nuts. Whathahaha8217;s a handful? Dig into a bag of shelled nuts and close your fist around them. The nuts in your fist are a handful. Thathahaha8217;s the right amount for a snack.

When you work out, try eating a handful of nuts before exercising and another handful afterwards. The protein and healthy fats in the nuts will fuel your workout and help you build muscle.



Supersized vs. Sharp Eating

To eat meals that keep you looking and feeling sharp, eat some protein with every meal and eat just enough carbs to give you energy without putting you in a "carb-coma." Eating in moderation and keeping a smart balance of protein and carbs lets you eat fast food hahaha8212; or any food hahaha8212; and maintain a sharp, lean build.

[kmanrox]

wtf, HEALTH GURUS! Please pick this one apart so I dont stop my strict diet and start eating fast food instead!!!! lol!!

[latinasojourn]

Originally Posted by Hedonistic

wtf, HEALTH GURUS! Please pick this one apart so I dont stop my strict diet and start eating fast food instead!!!! lol!!

the original poster is correct.

losing weight is mostly a physics thing. many people that are fat blame their genetics because their parents are fat.

mostly wrong.

everyone in my immediate family is overweight. i am the only one slim, and in shape. i am the only one that watches carefully what i eat and exercises. i have a BMI of 21. my younger sister is 5'4" and about 300 lbs. she will sit and watch TV and eat herself to death.

same parents. both of my brothers are at least 100 pounds overweight. all still eating the same foods mom made at home when we were kids. midwest comfort food. it worked for my farmer grandparents but it will not work for modern sedentary lifestyles.

the reason they are fat is because they have acclimated to the diet and lifestyle they were raised in.

a pound = 3500 calories

most people in the GFY profile probably need 2000-2200 calories/day to maintain weight.

take in less than that and you lose.

add exercise (for example biking for 45 minutes burns about 350 calories) and you will build some muscle and lose weight faster.

but if you eat only foods with high nutrition and balance you will be the MOST overall healthy.

and generally you will not find the MOST healthy diet at a fast food restaurant (or most any restaurant).

this is because the foods are seasoned for the average palate---which usually means too much salt (raises blood pressure) and too much saturated and trans fat (raises cholesterol and contributes to heart disease).

i am a pilot. i have to get an aviation medical every year to stay current. i have the blood pressure of a teenager and i am 55.

read the book. you can lose weight on ANY diet, but you will be healthier if you eat the RIGHT foods.

take my advice and do something for yourself NOW. the webmaster lifestyle is VERY unhealthy. sitting in front of a monitor all day VERY unhealthy. do something about it today. get on a diet and health program right now.

thank me later.

[latinasojourn]

Originally Posted by Hedonistic

Smart-Carb Thirst-Quenchers

You can keep your meals smart-carb balanced by drinking water, unsweetened iced or hot tea, or unsweetened coffee instead of regular soda. Diet soda will work, but waterhahaha8217;s a better bet to stay healthy and keep your muscles hydrated.



The Sharp Fast Food Diet

To lose weight and lean out while still eating fast food, just eat any of the fast food meals above. Youhahaha8217;ll be cutting calories while getting enough protein to build muscle and keep you satisfied. To keep your energy up and stay full, eat a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast every day, either one of the breakfasts listed above or another breakfast that includes protein and keeps carbs in the right proportions. A good smart-carb breakfast is two eggs with cheese, a piece of toast, and an orange (not orange juice).



Staying Healthy While Eating Fast Food

If you eat fast food regularly, you can stay healthy by eating at least one meal a day that provides you with vitamins, minerals and fiber. For at least one of your meals, try eating a big salad or plate of cooked vegetables with some meat or fish. If the salad comes with croutons, go ahead and eat them - you need them for your carbs. Order the dressing on the side and use two or three spoonfuls of it.

You can also make a salad at a supermarket salad bar. Include a good helping of tuna, chicken or other meat. To get even more vitamins, pass on the croutons and get a piece of fruit, like a banana or apple, from the produce section. This way you can eat fast food for some of your meals and still stay healthy.



Sharp Snacks

When you eat smart-carb meals, ithahaha8217;s a good idea to eat smart-carb snacks, so you stay satisfied between meals. A good time to eat a snack is around 5:00 p.m. to hold you over until dinner. Eat another snack within an hour before going to bed to balance your metabolism and help you lean out while you sleep.

A great, high-energy, low-calorie snack is a handful of nuts, any kind, including almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios or macadamia nuts. Whathahaha8217;s a handful? Dig into a bag of shelled nuts and close your fist around them. The nuts in your fist are a handful. Thathahaha8217;s the right amount for a snack.

When you work out, try eating a handful of nuts before exercising and another handful afterwards. The protein and healthy fats in the nuts will fuel your workout and help you build muscle.



Supersized vs. Sharp Eating

To eat meals that keep you looking and feeling sharp, eat some protein with every meal and eat just enough carbs to give you energy without putting you in a "carb-coma." Eating in moderation and keeping a smart balance of protein and carbs lets you eat fast food hahaha8212; or any food hahaha8212; and maintain a sharp, lean build.

all excellent advice for people 18-40