Does junkfood/fastfood affect muscle mass?

[Nightmare007]

Hi there, I was wondering if muscle affects your body in gaining muscle?

I know it's bad and you get fat by eating it but what if you eat right (enought proteïn etc) and eat some junkfood each day?

Because after a hard day of work and eating the right stuff it's very delicious to grap some chips or pizza but i guess it's not worth it you're getting less muscle because of it.

[Mr. Barnes]

Dude just suck it up AND EAT HEALTHY! You already know fast food is bad for you. No you can't get away with it, sorry. You will see better results if you eat clean, healthy foods.

[Mundizzle]

The dudes who gain clean body mass are the dudes who eat clean, its okay every couple of weeks to have a burger or something but the problem with peoples diets in this country is that everything is so homogonized and all anybody wants to munch on is like stuff that is terrible for you, you gotta hit the grocery store and get your own stuff bro, and when you do eat out, eat smart man. Your bod will thank you within weeks.

[rob86]

Hi there, I was wondering if muscle affects your body in gaining muscle?

I know it's bad and you get fat by eating it but what if you eat right (enought proteïn etc) and eat some junkfood each day?

Because after a hard day of work and eating the right stuff it's very delicious to grap some chips or pizza but i guess it's not worth it you're getting less muscle because of it.

It's fine as long as it fits in with your daily calories.

[Mundizzle]

It's fine as long as it fits in with your daily calories.

....what? no dude...can't really see the logic there, junk food is junk food, no matter what kind of cals your trying to take in

[IraHays]

....what? no dude...can't really see the logic there, junk food is junk food, no matter what kind of cals your trying to take in

Your saying you have never met a big strong mo-fo that ate like crap?

[girlinseattle]

Check online for the fast food's nutritional break down. And check it if fits into your diet plan.

Usually there's enough protein in fast food to maintain muscle...

But there is also sometimes a lot of fat; and that fat is usually bad, unhealthy, high cholesterol-type of fats... so that's what you should watch out for.

I hope you are skipping the french fries, too... that's just wasteful, empty carbs (and fats from the oil that it is fried in). At least the french fries with the skins on it still have a little bit of fiber... but still; :P

[nopistons93]

Your saying you have never met a big strong mo-fo that ate like crap?

Maybe if you wanna look like a cave man, but this is a bodybuilding forum not a "i can push big heavy things around and look like a fat slob" forum.

[Struct09]

If you want to make your calories count for something, eat clean and avoid having that stuff every day. If you eat junk every day, then your diet just sucks.

[IraHays]

Maybe if you wanna look like a cave man, but this is a bodybuilding forum not a "i can push big heavy things around and look like a fat slob" forum.

The question was about muscle growth, not body building. Of the 100,000+ members of this board, how many do you think compete in body building?

[girlinseattle]

The question was about muscle growth, not body building. Of the 100,000+ members of this board, how many do you think compete in body building?

Not too many. Isn't it obvious... the forums are mostly for people who are still in the learning/researching phases of bodybuilding (or whatever their fitness goals may be). It's a place to share information and converse. Many compete; and I'm amazed at the few who have the time and patience to post regularly.

[IraHays]

Not too many. Isn't it obvious... the forums are mostly for people who are still in the learning/researching phases of bodybuilding (or whatever their fitness goals may be). It's a place to share information and converse. Many compete; and I'm amazed at the few who have the time and patience to post regularly.

I don't think the body builders that do compete on this board should post when they are "cutting". They get very angry.

[gymjunkee01]

"What many fail to realize is that processed foods hinder fat loss. They contain absolutely zero nutrients and they literally strip the body of them. Nutrients are what allow you to lose fat and build muscle. Man-made food items, such as frozen meals, prepackaged mashed potatoes, deli meats, etc. contain fillers, sodium, additives, artificial flavorings, preservatives, coloring agents, emulsifiers, sweeteners, stabilizers, nitrites, etc. Your body cannot process or digest these foreign elements.
Most of the processed foods you eat stay in the stomach, as the body is not able to produce enough Hydrochloric Acid (HCI) to breakdown and remove it. It simply just sits in the stomach and builds up toxins. An easy way to look at it is like this… If you put water in your car's gas tank it will destroy the working mechanisms. That's exactly what processed food does to your body in the long run. While you may not notice its devastating effects now, next week, or even next year, I can assure you that you will feels it's effects ten years down the road. "

This is from an article on MsFit's site.

[IraHays]

[QUOTE=gymjunkee01
Most of the processed foods you eat stay in the stomach, as the body is not able to produce enough Hydrochloric Acid (HCI) to breakdown and remove it. It simply just sits in the stomach and builds up toxins. [/QUOTE]

WTF? LOL

[girlinseattle]

WTF? LOL

I guess that's where colonics come in. (And food does not "sit" in the stomach, silly... the stomach is a muscle that is too active for stuff to "sit"... that is the colon's job).

[rob86]

....what? no dude...can't really see the logic there, junk food is junk food, no matter what kind of cals your trying to take in

Provided the rest of your diet is in check, you get enough protein and EFAs, having a burger at burgerking once a day won't affect you at all provided it fits in with your macros and total calories for the day. It might not be the best for your health, but I doubt it would affect your muscle gains at all.

[Iron7]

The reason I don't eat out a lot is to save money/time, so I cook for myself.

Maybe once a while I might eat out but that's just saying if I am on a trip or if family/friends want to go out somewhere for fun.

It's not something I do everyday.

[Mundizzle]

Provided the rest of your diet is in check, you get enough protein and EFAs, having a burger at burgerking once a day won't affect you at all provided it fits in with your macros and total calories for the day. It might not be the best for your health, but I doubt it would affect your muscle gains at all.

Yea...we as people who work out dont want to worry about silly little things like HEALTH or anything

[rob86]

Yea...we as people who work out dont want to worry about silly little things like HEALTH or anything

It probably won't hurt you, go ahead and try it. Don't worry so much

[IraHays]

Yea...we as people who work out dont want to worry about silly little things like HEALTH or anything

The question was if eating fast food once a day would effect muscle growth.

[warriors]

Depends on what you consider junk food. I consider junk food candy, cookies, ice-cream, sodas, etc. That stuff is what you want to avoid. Having some pizza or a hamburger isnt that bad but i do advise of you cooking it yourself instead of going to a fast food place to get it.

[rob86]

The question was if eating fast food once a day would effect muscle growth.

Yup and as I said, I doubt it makes a difference provided you get sufficient protein and EFAs. By "fast food" I usually mean just a burger, say a jr. double whopper, without the fries. Or Wendy's ultimate chicken grill, etc. One of those a day won't really make a difference in overall muscle mass.

[girlinseattle]

IMO, junk food is better than no food.

[bigbutnothuge]

There are really a lot of variables. I guess I know and am related to a lot of guys with great genetics because almost everyone I know in really muscular shape eats a lot of junk.

I think for a lot of people, Junk Food is not going to break you. On the otherhand a lot of people can eat perfect and never get in lean muscular shape. Thats life.

[Mr. Barnes]

IMO Taco Bell's Beef Grilled Stuffed Burrito is mighty tasty!

[RADIRON]

Junk food can, sometimes, negate all the hard work in the gym, so you must ask yourself "is it worth it?". The answer is obvious but I can understand your craving for certain types of food. Believe it or not, there are ways to alter some traditional junk foods and still have it be okay. You used pizza as a trigger food, which can easily be "dressed down" if you make it yourself and limit your portions. My wife and I occassionally have a "crustless pizza", which we make with ground turkey breast as the "crust". Then we top it with lots of veggies, diced tomatoes, and some cottage cheese. This is just our recipe but there are dozens of alternatives that taste great.

As far as chips go, if you allow yourself everyday to have something like, say, 6 or 10 original Sunchips, for instance, you may very well cure your craving and still be eating something somewhat healthy (there are no partially hydrogenated oils in Sunchips). This just may keep you sane as you try to maintain the bb diet. There was a time in my life that I absolutely craved Hershey Kisses, so everyday, I would have three Kisses after a low-fat meal. What this did was keep me from wiping out the entire bag in one sitting and also made me feel like I was working for a treat, kind of like a dog doing something to get a doogie biscuit. If I had a good workout and ate clean, I'd reward myself with a treat, and this had ZERO negative impact on my body. This whole Kisses thing only lasted about a month or so and then I didn't need them any more.

I am not saying that you should go out and have pizza and chips every day, but rather, just giving you a few ideas on how to handle these cravings.

Good luck.

[Mr. Barnes]

Pizza with cottage cheese? Gross. I allow myself a cheat meal once a week. No sense in trying to emulate a great food such as pizza. That would just make me want the real thing even more! Live a little, just a little. If you work hard enough in the gym and kichen throughout the week you deserve to treat yourself every now and then.

[ceilos456]

Hi there, I was wondering if muscle affects your body in gaining muscle?

I know it's bad and you get fat by eating it but what if you eat right (enought proteïn etc) and eat some junkfood each day?

Because after a hard day of work and eating the right stuff it's very delicious to grap some chips or pizza but i guess it's not worth it you're getting less muscle because of it.

bro jus suck it up for 6 days and cheat on the 7th, i knwo its hard i let myself go to 250 pounds and a 44" waist and now ive been cutting for 10 weeks and havent cheated yet

get in the groove and jus stock with it, ur body will thank you later

[uber_buff]

....what? no dude...can't really see the logic there, junk food is junk food, no matter what kind of cals your trying to take in

MEH a cal is a cal fat just hits your limit quicker

[TXGUNS]

I just wanted to add:

Stick with the clean diet for a little while. I found that I crave junk less. Especially sweets. If you get used to getting sugar from natural sources like fruit, then you'll find if you do eat an oreo or something, it just seems overwhelmingly rich and unappealing. Same was true for me with pb. After getting used to natty pb, now if I eat regular pb it tastes funny. Of course you have to have the willpower to get to that point, but you can do it, I believe in you chief.