McDonalds grilled chicken sandwich and grilled chicken salads

[mspiegle]

--INTRO--
I've been reading this forum for a week now and am impressed with how much information is here. I finally decided to signup for an account so I could ask some questions and hopefully contribute. My first question relates to the subject, so i'll give a little bit of intro:

I am 21 now. When I was 17, I used to surf every morning and goto the gym at night for maybe 6 months solidly (on and off for a year). I weighed about 145 and probably had a body fat of 8-9%. When I turned 18, I stopped going to the gym all together and worked fulltime with computers. By the time I turned 21, I was hitting around 175-180lbs and had an estimated body fat of close to 20%. I came to this realization and wanted to start loosing some weight so I started the "McDonalds Diet".

The McDonalds diet is basically me eating a grilled chicken ceasar salad every day for lunch with low-fat vinegar dressing. I would also eat a high fiber cereal for a snack, and eat other miscellaneous "healthy" foods throughout the day. The stats for the chicken salad are as follows:

Calories: 250
Fat: 9
Cholesterol: 75
Total Carbs: 16
Protein: 30

After the first month, I think I lost 5-7lbs, then a little more the next month, and before I know it... after 3-4 months, i'm down to about 150 with a BF of around 12.0% (as calculated by the Tamiya Ironman Scale).

At this point, I felt great (more energy), looked great (lost 2 inches on my waist), and was ready to start a solid workout routine.

I started about a month ago with my friend Justin who I would consider a very serious "light body builder". He isn't there to get insanely huge, but he's very well defined and has a good power-to-weight ratio (he weighs 142 and can max 225 on the bench). Since then, my body fat percentage is around 11 to 11.5 and my weight is between 153 and 154.


--Actual Question--
Ok, so now that i've been working out solidly for a month, I want to get my diet straight. I know McDonalds has a really bad reputation, but it seems to me that if you know what you're buying then it isn't so bad. So far, there are only 3 things I eat from them:

Grilled Chicken Salad with Low Fat Dressing
Calories: 250
Fat: 9
Cholesterol: 75
Total Carbs: 16
Protein: 30

Grilled Chicken Sandwich (plain)
Calories: 420
Fat: 4
Cholesterol: 80
Total Carbs: 52
Protein: 32

Low Fat Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
Calories: 160
Fat: 2
Cholesterol: 5
Total Carbs: 31
Protein: 4


So my question is... The convenience factor of these foods is very high for me and the cost isn't really an issue. Should I be OK if I integrate these 3 items into my diet? Or should I avoid them like the plague?

[Dosquito]

Rofl!!! You went from 145 at 8% to 150 at 12%, Great ****ing job!

[mspiegle]

That's not a very constructive reply... Did you even read my post? I took almost 3 years off from the gym and gained a ton of weight which I did lose for the most part....

[bigshadow]

Originally Posted by mspiegle

So my question is... The convenience factor of these foods is very high for me and the cost isn't really an issue. Should I be OK if I integrate these 3 items into my diet? Or should I avoid them like the plague?

I used to eat the grilled chicken bacon ranch salad with the Newman's light balsamic vinegrette. I stopped because I felt that it had too much sodium, sugar, and not enough protein. Now I bring my lunch to work with me, I prepare it all myself and I control the macronutrients so that the ratios are what I want.

I think many would say if you want to try and keep your muscle you should take in 1g of protein for every 1lb of body weight. Typically, fast food is low protein, high fat, and high simple carbs. This is because fat and carbs are where the taste is. When they say low fat, they just bump up the carbs (sugar mostly). So I would suggest another approach. Maybe prepare stuff at home and take it with you.

[Canadian Iron]

Originally Posted by mspiegle

[B]
So my question is... The convenience factor of these foods is very high for me and the cost isn't really an issue. Should I be OK if I integrate these 3 items into my diet? Or should I avoid them like the plague?

Read the ingredients and then decide.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_control...s.index.html#3

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, colored with paprika and caramel color added. Contains: Up to 20% of a solution of water, seasoning [salt, sugar, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (animal and vegetable source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika], modified food starch, sodium phosphates. Grilled with cooking spray oil. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait»:
Low Fat Yogurt: Cultured pasteurized Grade A low fat milk, sugar, modified food starch, fructose, nonfat dry milk, whey. Contains milk ingredients. Low Fat Granola: Whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, crisp rice (rice flour, rice bran, salt, and malt), dried high maltose corn syrup, honey, sunflower oil, salt, baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, apple puree concentrate, soy lecithin, cinnamon, crushed oranges, natural flavor (vegetable source). Contains soybean ingredients. Strawberries: Strawberries, konjac flour. Blueberries.

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken:
Grilled Chicken Breast Filet, Salad Mix, Grape Tomatoes, Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Newman's Own® Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Water, balsamic vinegar, sugar, soybean oil, salt, distilled vinegar, contains 2% or less of: olive oil, garlic, spices, xanthan gum, onion, dehydrated red bell pepper, oleoresin paprika (for color). Contains sulfites.

Honey Wheat Roll:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast, honey, Contains less than 2% of each of the following: vital wheat gluten, dextrose, invert sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, calcium stearate, soy flour, wheat starch, silicon dioxide, soy lecithin, hydroxylated lecithin, contains one or more of the following: (soybean oil, canola oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or cottonseed and/or canola oils), salt, calcium propionate (preservative), calcium silicate, calcium sulfate, diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono-diglycerides (DATEM), calcium peroxide, ascorbic acid (added as a dough conditioner), enzymes, sodium stearoyl lactylate, azodicarbonamide, potassium iodate, L-cysteine, citric acid, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, monoglycerides, phosphoric acid, propionic acid. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

[chopsky]

If you have to eat McD's meals, I'd say eat those ones and like that (with the low fat dressing). But only eat them if you have absolutely no alternatives. I'd imagine that chicken sandwich comes on a nice big white biscuit/roll. White bread isn't exactly the best carbohydrate on earth

Is it really too much of an effort to have a nice wholesome lunch instead? Maybe chicken breast and rice/baked potato. I'm at university almost 8 hours a day and I manage to squeeze healthy meals in there without having to resort to fast food. As convenient as it may be, sometimes you need to put convenience aside in order to achieve

[Madevilz]

You cant be serious about bodybuilding or your health if your diet is based around McDonald.

[chopsky]

Originally Posted by Madevilz

You cant be serious about bodybuilding or your health if your diet is based around McDonald.

Touche.

[mspiegle]

Ok, you make a very good point with this reply. There's an awful lot of unnatural ingredients in these foods. I think i'm gonna shop around for some organic-type foods.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Canadian Iron

Read the ingredients and then decide.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_control...s.index.html#3

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, colored with paprika and caramel color added. Contains: Up to 20% of a solution of water, seasoning [salt, sugar, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (animal and vegetable source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika], modified food starch, sodium phosphates. Grilled with cooking spray oil. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait»:
Low Fat Yogurt: Cultured pasteurized Grade A low fat milk, sugar, modified food starch, fructose, nonfat dry milk, whey. Contains milk ingredients. Low Fat Granola: Whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, crisp rice (rice flour, rice bran, salt, and malt), dried high maltose corn syrup, honey, sunflower oil, salt, baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, apple puree concentrate, soy lecithin, cinnamon, crushed oranges, natural flavor (vegetable source). Contains soybean ingredients. Strawberries: Strawberries, konjac flour. Blueberries.

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken:
Grilled Chicken Breast Filet, Salad Mix, Grape Tomatoes, Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Newman's Own® Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Water, balsamic vinegar, sugar, soybean oil, salt, distilled vinegar, contains 2% or less of: olive oil, garlic, spices, xanthan gum, onion, dehydrated red bell pepper, oleoresin paprika (for color). Contains sulfites.

Honey Wheat Roll:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast, honey, Contains less than 2% of each of the following: vital wheat gluten, dextrose, invert sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, calcium stearate, soy flour, wheat starch, silicon dioxide, soy lecithin, hydroxylated lecithin, contains one or more of the following: (soybean oil, canola oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or cottonseed and/or canola oils), salt, calcium propionate (preservative), calcium silicate, calcium sulfate, diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono-diglycerides (DATEM), calcium peroxide, ascorbic acid (added as a dough conditioner), enzymes, sodium stearoyl lactylate, azodicarbonamide, potassium iodate, L-cysteine, citric acid, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, monoglycerides, phosphoric acid, propionic acid. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

[mspiegle]

Originally Posted by Madevilz

You cant be serious about bodybuilding or your health if your diet is based around McDonald.

It isn't based around McDonalds quite, but it would be nice to have more options. My current diet (which is currently in developement) consists of:

Instant Oatmeal with 1 scoop of protein (Will be switching to regular oats soon)
nutrigrain bar
multivitamin
Grilled chicken sandwich
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
chicken breast
kirkland meal shake
no-xplode
-workout-
protein shake

That combo gets me the following for a day:
Calories: 1952
Total Fat: 22g
Total Carbs: 234
Protein: 190

I'm going to ditch the instant oatmeal for some regular oats
I'm going to eat something else instead of a nutrigrain bar (maybe protein bar?)
substitute the grilled chicken sandwich for something else (not sure what yet)
Stop eating the fruit & yogurt parfait
Add in a PB&J sandwich based on all natural PB with good bread and low-sugar jelly.

Now, i'm obviously a complete newb at this... i've only been hitting the gym for a month. I'd like to get my calorie intake up around 2500-3000 and start eating more fiber. What do you guys think of that?

[bigbutnothuge]

Those foods arent bad. I know you said you didnt care abou cost or convenience but you could probably improve on it and it would be simple to make at home and definitely not more expensive. Chicken Breast is cheap as hell. So is romaine lettuce. but that some low fat dressing, heck even a few croutons if you want,got the caesar. Buy some whole grain rolls for the sandwhich. Yogurt at 50 cents a cup and buy some berries. pretty cheap easy and convenient. Though I think its perfectly fine what you are doing.

[bigbutnothuge]

Originally Posted by mspiegle

It isn't based around McDonalds quite, but it would be nice to have more options. My current diet (which is currently in developement) consists of:

Instant Oatmeal with 1 scoop of protein (Will be switching to regular oats soon)
nutrigrain bar
multivitamin
Grilled chicken sandwich
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
chicken breast
kirkland meal shake
no-xplode
-workout-
protein shake

That combo gets me the following for a day:
Calories: 1952
Total Fat: 22g
Total Carbs: 234
Protein: 190

I'm going to ditch the instant oatmeal for some regular oats
I'm going to eat something else instead of a nutrigrain bar (maybe protein bar?)
substitute the grilled chicken sandwich for something else (not sure what yet)
Stop eating the fruit & yogurt parfait
Add in a PB&J sandwich based on all natural PB with good bread and low-sugar jelly.

Now, i'm obviously a complete newb at this... i've only been hitting the gym for a month. I'd like to get my calorie intake up around 2500-3000 and start eating more fiber. What do you guys think of that?

definitely add some fiber.More vegetables, some fruit. I dont really see much there.Maybe more "good fats" also. For breads and grains use whole grain. protein seems high enough.

[R0ND0GG]

For some reason the McDonalds around hear dont have the grilled chicken sandwichs anymore. :\

[punksurfer024]

the nutrition facts of those items are leaving out a very important fact. the sodium levels of ALL fast food is through the roof, almost as bad as chef boyardee (every can has at least 125% daily value of sodium PER SERVING!)
wouldnt suggest taking on that diet, but once or twice a week would be ok IMO. (my 2 cents)

-mike D

[mspiegle]

Ok, i've added to my diet:

All Natural PB
Organic/Low-sugar Jelly
Wheat bread (Ezikiels)
Cottage Cheese
regular oats

Thanks for the critisims. I think i'm getting on the right track. I think if I can figure out a way to make some easy salads... i should be doing pretty well.