Fast food has always been associated with poor health and the development of body weight issues. With the coming up of many fast food joints and restaurants all over the world, many people have opted to love these foods.
As the name suggests, many love these foods because it is literally prepared quicker than typical home meals which might take quite a while to cook. Moreover, it is not easy for one to order or find healthy meals or well-balanced diets in restaurants today.
Many people also enjoy these foods because of the busy kind of life they have. This means they have less time to engage in cooking and opt for fast meals from fast-food restaurants.
A national survey in the United States, by the BBC World documentary, stated that a lot of people eat fast food on average twice to three times a week. This survey was also done basing on age brackets where it was found that the age brackets of 15-21 eat more fast foods than the age bracket of 22-34.
Though fast food is said to have also contributed to about 50% of obesity in the current society, people still love this type of food for various reasons. Some prefer it because they love it while others eat fast food as ‘cheat meals’. ‘Cheat meal’ is mainly associated with gym and fitness enthusiasts who do not want to miss out on these fast foods. They design days they get to eat these foods and refer to them as cheat days.
Fast food is actually the new way of feeding for many and it does not seem to be going away any time soon.
How often should you eat fast food?
Health professionals have tried to come up with how often one should eat fast foods. Though, these ideas all differ depending on different researches done by different professionals.
As much as fast food is associated with health issues, you should not completely refuse it. Actually, fast food should be eaten not more than twice a week. Its consumption is important because the body gets what it is craving.
These foods also enhance metabolism in the body and allow the body to burn calories and store energy. So yes, fast food is not that bad as you thought. You only need to eat it in moderation of two days a week if not one day.
It is also important to note that eating fast foods, whether at home or fast food joints, more than twice a week, could increase the risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases which mainly result from blockage of arteries since most of these foods are high in fat. High levels of anxiety, stress, and depression have also been linked to the consumption of more fast foods.
How often can you eat fast food and still lose weight?
As stated above, consuming fast foods once a week is considered healthy. This will increase metabolism which is essential in digesting and absorption of food in the stomach and body.
Eating these foods once a week will not limit you from achieving weight loss goals. It is also important to note that, if you consume fast food more than once a week, be sure to engage in more workouts and exercises like running in order for you to highly burn those calories.
Is fast food once a week bad?
Health professionals advise eating fast foods once a week. Other than scientific and health reasons, it is important to give your body what it asks for. With fast foods, once a week is okay. Most importantly, ensure your hydration is on point if you would crave to have it more than once a week, preferably 3 liters a day is ideal. You could increase these amounts as you improve.
There are ways you can help yourself regulate the number of fast-food intakes if you are a frequent fast-food consumer. These ideas can help you keep a healthy lifestyle while eating fast food often or more than once a week.
• Focus on servings and portions. The smaller the serving the better.
• fewer calories in beverages and drinks.
• Add less sauce like tomato sauce
• Use kid’s menus for the kids
• Fast foods with fewer calories
• More protein fast foods than fatty fast foods.
Conclusion
If you are a frequent fast-food consumer or lover of fast food, it is advisable to hit the gym regularly in order to burn more calories than you take. In the gym or fitness center, it is also advised to engage in HIT (High-Intensity Training) exercises which help burn these calories more.