[britchard]

Now I know that everyone knows fast food is bad, but I'd just like to add my personal experience in this thread.

So the story goes that for the last 3 weeks or so I'm really shearing off the thin layer of stomach fat I have thanks to supersets of crunches where I squeeze on the way down and doing the plank. Also combined with drinking more water and eating less crap, I was really starting to see a 4 pack without even tensing.

But yesterday, my brother had to go to A&E (emergency hospital) for his ear. NHS queues meant 5 hours waiting time so it was late by the time they finished, and I was babysitting my smallest brother (gave him a workout actually). So I get a call from my dad saying he's stopping at McDonalds, do I want anything? I thought that I should have a 'treat day' and got a milkshake with nuggets.

In all, I ate 4 nuggets, a third of a milkshake, about 10 fries and a small bite of a burger. Not really that much compared to the amount most people gorge on when they eat there. Yet less than 24 hours later I have probably lost 2 weeks progress and I'm so annoyed.

So this is another warning, don't give in to cravings, snack on fruit (make sure you always have some lying around) if you're really hungry.

It's not worth it.

[freshcream]

That sounds extreme. One meal messing you up for 2 weeks?

But I have heard that when you are looking at a low BF% everything counts.

[britchard]

Yeah got from 15% to around 11-10% ultra quick whilst retaining muscle mass. Yeah at that BF% you can literally see yourself gaining and losing fat.

[Fortis]

Not sure If I believe that you undid 2 weeks of progress in one sitting with 4 nuggets, 10 fries, a third of a shake and a bite of a burger. How many calories is that? 500? Sounds spurious.

Either way, Good job on what you did prior to that.

[scorpion]

It's just water weight. The excessive amount of sodium in the fast food is making you retain water and look bloated.

[britchard]

Oh ok thanks scorpion, do I just drink water to get rid of that water?

[Wreckingball]

(09-17-2014 02:30 PM)britchard Wrote:  

Oh ok thanks scorpion, do I just drink water to get rid of that water?

Counter intuitive but that's the answer.

The less water you drink, the more your body stores for necessity.

[ryanf]

(09-17-2014 02:30 PM)britchard Wrote:  

Oh ok thanks scorpion, do I just drink water to get rid of that water?

Yes. And do some HIIT to sweat, which will displace the sodium.

[ddjembe mutombo]

keep in mind that we look more fit in the morning than at the end of the day. I've never understood what causes this, but I have always noticed that I appear thinner in the morning. My muscles are much more defined as well. Maybe it has something to do with gravity. I don't know.

[Deluge]

(09-17-2014 11:44 PM)ddjembe mutombo Wrote:  

keep in mind that we look more fit in the morning than at the end of the day. I've never understood what causes this, but I have always noticed that I appear thinner in the morning. My muscles are much more defined as well. Maybe it has something to do with gravity. I don't know.

Because you just went ~8 hours without eating?

[lowside]

(09-17-2014 01:41 PM)britchard Wrote:  

Yeah got from 15% to around 11-10% ultra quick whilst retaining muscle mass.

i am wondering how, as this is extremely difficult to do.

[britchard]

Lowside, I'm still under 18 so I can drop fat very quickly but also gain it quickly, so I can't reveal some sort of 'single mom finds crazy trick to lose fat' kind of secret. However I think that crunches over sit ups, doing the plank and drinking water really really help.

[The Beast1]

(09-17-2014 02:05 PM)scorpion Wrote:  

It's just water weight. The excessive amount of sodium in the fast food is making you retain water and look bloated.

This ^^^

Salt does funny stuff. Normally if I eat fast food I get some minor water bloat.
.
The only thing that fast food does to me is make me feel gross the next couple of days. I literally can feel the gunk being pushed through my pores. I can also feel it moving through my gut. It's a gross feeling.

I'd focus more on BF% and overall weight. I drink about a gallon + of water at the gym alone which seems to help with preventing the bloat.

[ElBorrachoInfamoso]

If a caveman was transported to the present and saw the line at a typical fast food restaurant, he would refuse to eat the food because he'd think it was poison.

Look at the typical McDonald's patron. He/she looks sick, not just fat, but diseased in some way.

[roberto]

I agree that it's water weight.

Like Frenchie says, it does may you feel gross the next day. Sugar hangover, I call it.

Only the enlightened, who are actually in tune with their bodies and give a shit will notice.

I shudder when I think of all the crap I ate when I was 18.

[mymotivation]

This should help you understand why you felt more fat after the McDonalds (but weren't actually more fat).

[FretDancer]

Interesting video. Wonder how much sodium a typical McDonald's meal contains?

[cmrocks]

One thing I want to mention is that if you eat very clean, make sure you add "some" salt to your meals. Excessive sodium intake is bad, we can all agree on that; however, your body does need sodium to function properly.

[Khaleth]

The entire concept of "eating clean" to lose weight is because salad, chicken, rice etc are all low in calories. You feel full because you ate a lot of food but not a lot of calories. Crunches at the gym won't get rid of the fat around your midsection. You have to eat at a deficit and lower your bf %. Go to IIFYM.com and use the free calculator to find your approximate calorie recommendation.

Then get the myfitnesspal app plug those numbers in and start tracking your macros. This is the best way to make progress on your fitness goals.

Track your calories for 2 weeks then check your weight again. Adjust your calories based on your weight. It goes without saying you should measure first thing in the morning everytime so you are consistent. Too much of a caloric deficit and you will start to lose muscle as well. At the opposite end too much of an abundance will make you gain fat as well.


You should check out bodybuilding.com for nutrition advice. There are lots of articles/stickies there for you to take in. Just be ware that the forums there are brutal and they won't be as kind when you post questions.

[FretDancer]

(09-21-2014 04:47 PM)Khaleth Wrote:  

The entire concept of "eating clean" to lose weight is because salad, chicken, rice etc are all low in calories. You feel full because you ate a lot of food but not a lot of calories. Crunches at the gym won't get rid of the fat around your midsection. You have to eat at a deficit and lower your bf %. Go to IIFYM.com and use the free calculator to find your approximate calorie recommendation.

Then get the myfitnesspal app plug those numbers in and start tracking your macros. This is the best way to make progress on your fitness goals.

Track your calories for 2 weeks then check your weight again. Adjust your calories based on your weight. It goes without saying you should measure first thing in the morning everytime so you are consistent. Too much of a caloric deficit and you will start to lose muscle as well. At the opposite end too much of an abundance will make you gain fat as well.


You should check out bodybuilding.com for nutrition advice. There are lots of articles/stickies there for you to take in. Just be ware that the forums there are brutal and they won't be as kind when you post questions.

Great post and very spot on. I have been doing exactly this, but my weight fluctuates too much daily. This is alright, the problem is when the day I need a real accurate measurement comes and I don't have one because of water weight or any other reason.

How can I solve this problem? I usually drink a moderate amount of water (I think?), maybe 1.5 liters per day?

Should I drink a gallon of water the day before measuring it to make sure i piss all my water weight the day after?