The Fast Food Diet

What it is: The Fast Food Diet is a meal plan from the book by Dr. Stephen Sinatra that follows a simple rule – 80/20. Choose a healthy, smart food and beverage 80 percent of the time and enjoy eating whatever you’d like, regret free, the other 20 percent of the time.

How it works: By paying attention more closely to the food selection you decide upon for meals, you make healthy choices…most of the time. Adding a bit of walking (approximately 4.5 miles a day), dieters on this plan aim to control their food decisions and exercise in order to appreciate a little something extra every now and then. Some recommended food includes whole grains, fish twice a week, daily dosage of olive oil, fruits, and tons of water.

What you do: Just think about it! When eating out, especially at a fast food joint, choose grilled chicken instead of battered and deep fried. Pick vinegar and oil based dressings for salads as opposed to cream-based such as Ranch or Blue Cheese. When given the option, choose a baked potato instead of french fries for a side and mustard, not mayo, for condiments. And for beverages, select water or a fruit juice as opposed to soda pop. If you’re still hungry for dessert, grab a delicious fruit parfait instead of cake, pie, or cookies. Attempt to always eat three meals every day, including breakfast.

Benefits: This diet works well for busy lifestyles and makes it easy to keep to your meal plan when eating out.

Downside: There is no guarantee that while on this diet followers won’t consume an unhealthy caloric intake, including processed food. All in all, this diet does not celebrate good eating habits in the long run.