The F ast F oo d D iet Lose Weight and Feel Great Even If You’re Too Busy to Eat Right STEPHEN SINATRA, M.D., and JIM PUNKRE Foreword by Barry Sears, Ph.D. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page iii ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page ii The F ast F oo d D iet ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page i ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page ii The F ast F oo d D iet Lose Weight and Feel Great Even If You’re Too Busy to Eat Right STEPHEN SINATRA, M.D., and JIM PUNKRE Foreword by Barry Sears, Ph.D. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page iii Copyright © 2006 by Stephen Sinatra, M.D., and Jim Punkre. All rights reserved Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada Design and composiiton by Navta Associates, Inc. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trade- marks. 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Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Sinatra, Stephen T., date. The fast food diet : lose weight and feel great even if you’re too busy to eat right / Stephen Sinatra and James Punkre ; foreword by Barry Sears. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-471-79047-8 (pbk.) 1. Reducing diets—United States. 2. Weight loss—United States. 3. Convenience foods—Health aspects—United States. 4. Fast food restaurants—Health aspects— United States. 5. Food habits—United States. I. Punkre, Jim. II. Title. RM222.2S555 2006 613.2'5—dc22 2006002082 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page iv This book is dedicated to the parents of America—and to their children, who are the hope of our country’s healthy future. We can end the obesity epidemic that is ruining America. Children learn by imitating their parents’ actions. No matter what your socioeconomic-cultural level may be, your children will follow what you do, not merely what you say. If you set the example of choosing healthier foods and better nutrition in general, so will your children. You’ll be giving them a gift that will last their entire lifetime, so they can enjoy a healthy life that is free of disease, suffering, prescription drugs, and pre- mature death. Stephen Sinatra, M.D. Jim Punkre ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page v ffirs.qxp 6/28/06 3:20 PM Page vi Acknowledgments ix Foreword by Barry Sears, Ph.D. xi Introduction Get Smarter, Get Slimmer on Fast Food 1 1 The 80/20 Rule 9 2 Why Regular Diets Fail 15 3 The Secrets of Easy Weight-Loss Success 31 4 The Fast-Food Diet Restaurant-by-Restaurant Guide 47 5 Smart Sit-Down Dining 71 6 The Fast-Food Diet at the Mall 95 7 The Six-Week Fast-Food Diet 105 8 Fast Food at Home 125 9 The Fast-Food Diet for Kids 151 10 The Fast-Food Diet Vitamins and Supplements 157 11 The Fast-Food Diet for Business Travelers 179 12 The Fast-Food Diet for the Holidays 187 vii CONTENTS ftoc.qxp 6/28/06 3:21 PM Page vii 13 The Fast-Food Diet for Vegetarians 191 14 The Fast-Food Diet Walking Plan 195 15 The Future of Fast Food 213 Appendix A The Glycemic Foods Index 221 Appendix B Low-Calorie Snacks 223 Bibliography 225 Index 229 viii CONTENTS ftoc.qxp 6/28/06 3:21 PM Page viii [...]... plus many others Yet today, Americans weigh more than ever These approaches have not succeeded for three reasons (1) They are difficult to understand and hard to follow (2) Most require you to completely change your eating patterns (3) Many have “rules” to obey and “taboo foods” to avoid The Fast- Food Diet has none of these obstacles It’s easy to understand and it makes sense It fits right into the way... what this book is all about In the pages ahead, you’re going to learn how to lose weight and improve your health simply by making small, smart changes in your current eating habits—whether you’re dining at home or ordering fast food Yes, you really can lose weight and become healthier without giving up fast food! Over the years, we’ve seen a bunch of weight- loss diets come and go: low-fat low-carb... uniqueness of The Fast Food Diet is that Dr Sinatra, instead of condemning the fast- food industry or pressuring it to change, is initiating this important transformation at the grassroots level In The Fast Food Diet, he shows readers how to eat smarter and more nutritiously at any fast- food establishment so they will actually become healthier as they lose weight What a brilliant strategy and practical approach!... wage You’re Genetically Programmed to Eat More and Eat Rich Back in the early days of human development, our ancestors expended up to 1,500 calories or more per day in search of food Often, the energy they spent in their daily quest exceeded the calories they found Deficit eating was the rule of the day Needless to say, there were no overweight or obese people On those rare occasions when our ancestors... problems I’m talking about how and what we eat cintro.qxp 6/28/06 6 3:23 PM Page 6 T H E FA S T F O O D D I E T I specifically wrote this book to help nutritionally challenged North Americans It’s no coincidence that people who eat the most fast food have the least understanding of how these foods affect their weight and their health Nor do they have the time or interest to explore the damage that excessive,... while you’re waiting in the drive-thru lane Guided by the medically sound information in The Fast Food Diet, you’ll always know what to avoid and what to substitute when making your food choices In no time, you’ll become a master at picking the best possible foods for health and weight loss in this fast- food world of ours Best of all, you’ll be using brainpower instead of willpower to succeed And that’s... 11 stand to look at another sub if it weren’t for the endorsement checks he is receiving I’m going to show you a much easier and more interesting way to lose weight Most nutritionists call me a heretic because I tell people it’s okay to eat fast food It is—when you know a few tricks Obviously, a steady diet of burgers and fries isn’t going to help your waistline or your health But if you know how and. .. where to look, there’s plenty of good stuff to be found in fast- food restaurants This book will help you steer clear of the worst items on the menu—or, at least, help you limit your consumption without feeling deprived And that’s the real key to long-term success: knowledge We live and eat in the real world, so it’s not realistic to expect people to completely abstain from fast food No way are they... food No way are they going to And that’s fine—because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a Big Mac, a side of fries, or a shake once in a while I’m a big fan of the 80/20 Rule I believe that if you’re eating right about 80 percent of the time, it’s okay to splurge the other 20 percent The biggest reason most diet and exercise plans fail is that they’re too rigid They may work for a week or... your energy level and your pride in your appearance start to soar And what about the other 20 percent of the time? Hey, that’s your business If you want to enjoy a little splurge, no problem You won’t be breaking any “rules” because, on The Fast Food Diet, there aren’t any This easy-does-it strategy sure beats eat less and exercise more”—plus a lot of other impossible -to- follow weight- loss schemes . Data: Sinatra, Stephen T., date. The fast food diet : lose weight and feel great even if you’re too busy to eat right / Stephen Sinatra and James Punkre ; foreword. 71 6 The Fast- Food Diet at the Mall 95 7 The Six-Week Fast- Food Diet 105 8 Fast Food at Home 125 9 The Fast- Food Diet for Kids 151 10 The Fast- Food Diet